CBS Sports ranked the top 100 players in the NBA and six players from the Jazz made the list.
George Hill was the first to make the list at No. 78, followed by Trey Lyles who came in at No. 73.
Talking about Trey Lyles, they said, "Lyles' per-minute numbers are crazy, and he combines athleticism, range and hustle. He's like a taller, ganglier Paul Millsap in the making. Utah is expected to make a big jump in the West this year after not making the playoffs a year ago, and Lyles will be a big part of that. One of many really talented players for the Jazz."
Rodney Hood was the next Jazzman up at No. 50.
"Hood has emerged as a light-it-up scorer whose size and athleticism remind you of a young Joe Johnson. He's already a featured scorer on a team looking to make noise in the West, and there is every reason to believe he's going to continue ascending right alongside this promising Utah core."
The top three Jazz players were Rudy Gobert at No. 34, Derrick Favors at No. 29 and Gordon Hayward at No. 26.
Speaking of Gobert's presence on defense, they write, "A solid pick for Defensive Player of the Year, there's no one better at protecting the rim than the Stifle Tower. You could call Gobert one-dimensional, but what a dimension! Opponents shot just 41 percent against him at the basket last season, and that stat doesn't account for all the times that players decided to shoot jumpers rather than challenge him."
Why the Utes deserve your attention and respect
Dominic Kearns of The Sports Quotient gives four reasons why the Utah Utes deserve national attention.
After talking about the transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, he writes, "Since then, the Utes have gone 26-8. Only six Power 5 teams have performed better in that span, and none in the Pac-12. How has a school with no Top 35 recruiting classes in program history become the Pac-12’s most consistently strong team? And why do they deserve your respect? Here are four reasons."
He then looks at Kyle Whittingham, the line of scrimmage, special teams and the Utes ability to pull off upsets.
Talking about the line of scrimmage, Kearns writes, "Utah frequently uses its physical line play to overwhelm its opponents. For example, take last week’s 52-45 win at UCLA, where Ute RB Joe Williams outgained the UCLA rushing attack 332-46. Or a 31-27 victory over USC, when the Utes rushed for two first downs on fourth and short on their dramatic game-winning drive."
Talking about pulling off upsets, Kearns continues, "Whittingham has slayed his share of giants at Utah. In 2009, the Utes convincingly beat Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl. In 2013, they took down #5 Stanford. In 2014, they won at Michigan, UCLA, and Stanford. Last season, Utah beat Michigan again before winning 62-20 in Autzen Stadium."
Real Salt Lake ranked in MLS playoff power rankings
Andy Edwards of NBC Sports' Pro Soccer Talk ranked the 12 playoff teams heading into the MLS playoffs.
He had Real Salt Lake ranked as the sixth team in the West, saying, "The final seven games of the regular season is not a great time for your longest winless run of the campaign. Four losses, three draws in the months of September and October."
Overall, RSL landed at No. 11 of 12 teams.
Jay Yeomans is a sports writer for DeseretNews.com. Contact him at jyeomans@deseretdigital.com.