The Utah Utes have been one of the more surprising teams in college basketball this year, holding a top-10 ranking for several weeks while trying to finish second in the Pac-12.
Resume:
Record – 22-6 (12-4 in Pac-12)
RPI – 13
Strength of Schedule – 27
Starting Lineup:
G Brandon Taylor (Jr.) – 10.4 ppg, 3.5 apg
G Delon Wright (Sr.) – 14.3 ppg, 5.3 apg
F Chris Reyes (So.) – 4.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
F Jordan Loveridge (Jr.) – 9.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg
C Jakob Poeiti (Fr.) – 8.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Key Player:
Delon Wright
Wright has done it all for the Utes in his career, and has continued to do so this year. The senior is among the Pac-12 leaders in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, and could turn into the Shabazz Napier-type hero in college basketball this year. He’s already led the Utes to a top-10 national ranking, and has them poised to be the surprise team in the tournament.
Biggest Strength:
Defense
The Utes rank eighth in the country in points allowed per game (55.8) largely due to their size. Brandon Taylor is just 5'10", but Wright, Reyes, and Loveridge are all relatively the same size, allowing them to switch effectively on the perimeter. Poeiti sits in the paint as an excellent shot blocker (two per game), deterring teams from attacking the rim.
Biggest Weakness:
Offensive Rebounding
Utah is a very perimeter-oriented team and focus on spacing to create driving lanes. That means very few players are around the basket, resulting in a small number of rebounds. They only grab 9.1 offensive boards per game, which hampers their offense because they don't get any second chances. Utah has struggled when they face a good perimeter defenses that force them to take bad shots because they can't make up for it on the glass.
Outlook:
Utah will be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, so even though they'll have a high seed, their inexperience could hurt them. However, their defense and efficient shooting should carry them to at least the Sweet 16, where their success will be largely determined by matchups.
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