The Utes flew in Tuesday night and will have most of today free as well as Thursday with a night game
SALT LAKE CITY — Over the years, the Utah men's basketball team has had some pretty nice places to go for holiday tournaments.
Last year it was Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic. In 2008, it was Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Glenn Wilkes Classic. In 2006, it was the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico.
This year's tournament location might top them all in terms of location.
The Utes will be playing in the Bahamas in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament beginning Thanksgiving Day and running through Saturday.
Ute coach Larry Krystkowiak says he'll let his players have some fun this week, although it might not be so fun for the coaches.
"The coaching part of it is going to be really taxing in terms of prep work," he said. "The coaches may not have much fun, but the players are entitled to have a little fun. You could try to trick them, but part of the deal to going on a trip like this is to enjoy some sunshine. You know you're in the Bahamas and you only practice two hours a day."
The Utes flew in Tuesday night and will have most of today free as well as Thursday with a night game.
"We have the whole day, but it's not like guys are out sun-tanning and stuff on the day of a game," Krystkowiak said. "But it will sure feel nice to be there."
POOR HISTORY: With a young team, playing in a field that includes defending national champion Connecticut and Florida State, the Utes aren't likely to come home with a first-place trophy this week.
But that would be just par for the course.
In all of the years of successful Utah basketball teams, the Utes have never won an 8-team tournament. The best the Utes have done is a second-place finish at the 1978 Rainbow Classis under coach Jerry Pimm and a second-place finish at the 1964 L.A. Classic under coach Jack Gardner.
Even under the great Rick Majerus, the Utes could never finish better than third place, which they did at the 1998 Maui Invitational.
The Utes did win the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Florida in 2008 under Jim Boylen, but it was not an eight-team bracketed tournament.
WATKINS NO. 1: After three games, the Utes have just one player averaging in double figures, senior point guard Josh Watkins at 21.3 points a game. Second on the team is junior center Jason Washburn at 9.0 points per game, followed by Anthony Odunsi at 7.3.
Watkins also leads the team is several other categories including assists (4.7 per game), free throw shooting (85.7 percent), 3-point shooting (50 percent) and minutes played (32.3). He also has the most fouls (10) and turnovers (15).
Washburn leads the Utes in rebounding at 8.3 per game and is followed by Dijon Farr at 4.3 per game.
UTE NOTES: When Utah and Harvard meet Thursday night in the Bahamas, it will mark the second-ever meeting between the two schools, who previously played in the 1975 Kodak Classic in Rochester, N.Y. ... The Utes don't have a big team, but so far this year they are outrebounding opponents 31.3 to 30.7 per game. ... Utah's next home game isn't until Dec. 7 when the Utes take on Cal State Fullerton. Before that, they'll play Fresno State in Fresno on Dec. 3. ... Former Ute Carlon Brown, who will play against his old team twice this year, leads the Colorado basketball team in scoring with a 16.3 average through four games.
The Utes flew in Tuesday night and will have most of today free as well as Thursday with a night game