Judging by the way Utah's basketball team played in November and December, a 5-4 record in the Pac-12 in early February is acceptable.
The problem is that the Utes' position on the last day of January suggested something much better was available to them at the halfway point of the Pac-12 schedule. Utah stood 5-2, in solo second place in the conference. And the Utes held a 14-point lead over Oregon in the first half Thursday, before crumbling with turnovers and other lapses in home losses to the Ducks (78-72) and Oregon State (81-72).
“If we take care of the ball against Oregon, I think it’s a different weekend,” Ute coach Larry Krystkowiak said after Saturday’s game vs.