I feel like any game on the road is tough because you don’t have your crowd. It’s you and your team against everybody else. So we have to take our ‘A’ game to every road game and play like we’re at home. – Delon Wright
LOS ANGELES — When Utah played its first-ever game against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion last February, the Utes were decided underdogs in an 80-66 loss to the Bruins.
Now, less than a year later, the roles will be reversed when the teams meet again Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN2) inside the iconic arena.
The 11th-ranked Utes (16-3, 6-1), though, aren’t taking anything for granted — even if the Bruins (11-9, 3-4) aren’t winning as often as last season.
“They are still a good team,” said Utah guard Delon Wright. “So we can’t overlook them and feel like they’re the underdogs.”
Even, he added, if the Utes did beat them handily (71-39) earlier this month in the Huntsman Center.
“Anytime you beat a team by double digits they are going to want to get back at you,” Wright said. “We have to be ready to take their best punch and we have to bring our ‘A’ game.”
Backcourt mate Brandon Taylor agrees. He said the same goes for Sunday’s opponent USC (9-10, 1-6), a team the Utes defeated 79-55 on Jan. 2.
“At the end of the day we’re going into UCLA and USC with the mentality that they’re good teams,” Taylor said. “If we overlook them they both can beat us on the road. We’re going into their home environment.”
Taylor added that the Utes have to go into these games with a hard-nosed approach and mentality.
“It’s a little bit different on the road because you don’t have that much momentum, you don’t have the home crowd backing you up and stuff like that,” he said. “I think the road is really about a lot of poise and a lot of controlling the tempo.”
Utah is 3-3 away from home this season. The Utes dropped a 69-51 decision at Arizona the last time they left town. With three straight road games ahead on the schedule, success is imperative in order to keep pace with the Wildcats.
“Definitely. We want to stay on top of the Pac-12 and every game is key,” Wright said. “So we have to go on the road and play just as good as we do at home.”
Wright explained that the keys to doing so involve taking care of the basketball, making shots and playing good defense — variables that have lifted Utah to a 13-0 record in Salt Lake City.
“I feel like any game on the road is tough because you don’t have your crowd. It’s you and your team against everybody else,” Wright said. “So we have to take our ‘A’ game to every road game and play like we’re at home.”
Wright added that Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak is always talking about staying poised.
“We’ve just got to come out hard with intensity, energy and focus in every aspect of the game — rebounding, defense and offense and it will all fall in,” said guard-forward Dakarai Tucker, who expressed confidence the Utes can keep it going.
This week’s games in Los Angeles won’t be played in front of strangers. The Utes have four players from the area — Wright, Taylor, Tucker and forward Chris Reyes — on their roster.
“It’s going to be real fun,” Tucker said. “Having my family and friends see me play is just something special.”
For Wright, a senior, it’ll be his final trip back home as a college basketball player.
“I haven’t really thought about it being my last time,” he said. “But it’ll be special just playing in front of friends and family and old high school teammates.”
Email: dirk@desnews.com
Twitter: @DirkFacer