The state’s college basketball outlook was slightly better last season, when Utahns could order eight teams for delivery to Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Even in a year when no Utah schools made the NCAA Tournament field, having the first two rounds staged in Salt Lake City with Arizona and eventual runner-up Gonzaga in town last March kept us connected to the event. This season? Boise, Idaho, is 340 miles away.
I-84 looks like the only easy avenue to the tournament, from a Utah perspective. This update is not shocking, judging by what someone said in November: “This will be another season when no Utah teams make the NCAA Tournament.