While the Utes are still unbeaten in football, it's still not too early to take a quick look at how Utah's non-conference basketball schedule stacks up. Utah has a key game against a Sweet 16 team and a pair of SEC teams with a trip to Provo as well.
Here's a breakdown of Utah's non-conference slate:
vs. Prairie View A&M
Friday, Nov. 10
2016-17 record: 13-20 (10-8 SWAC)
The Panthers have plenty of things to work on, but their rebounding last year was dismal. Prairie View A&M averaged just 30.8 rebounds per game last season, which is good enough for No. 340 in Division I. There's only 351 schools in the division.
vs. Mississippi Valley State
Monday, Nov. 13
2016-17 record: 7-25 (7-11 SWAC)
It's hard to win many games when you give up an average of 83.3 points per game. It's even harder when your team only scores 69.8 points per game.
vs. Missouri
Thursday, Nov. 16
2016-17 record: 8-24 (2-16 SEC)
The Tigers were absolutely awful last season as they finished tied for dead last in the SEC with LSU. However, John Gasaway of ESPN has Missouri going to the NCAA Tournament despite how bad it was last year. That's because the Tigers now have the best player the Utes will play all year in Michael Porter Jr. Porter was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2017 class, according to ESPN. And don't forget his brother Jontay Porter, who is another top recruit. Missouri could very well have the most dramatic turnaround of any team in Division I.
vs. Ole Miss (MGM Resorts Main Event)
Monday, Nov. 20
2016-17 record: 22-14 (10-8 SEC)
Utah faces its second SEC opponent in Las Vegas, and the Rebels are no slouches. They went to the NIT quarterfinal last season before getting bounced out by Georgia Tech. Ole Miss loses All-SEC forward Sebastian Saiz, who averaged 15.1 points and 11.4 rebounds a game last season. However, the Rebels return two of their leading scorers in Deandre Burnett (16.5 ppg) and Terence Davis (14.9 ppg). While Ole Miss has struggled to get to the Big Dance, this team has consistently gotten to the postseason over the past few years.
vs. Rice or UNLV (MGM Resorts Main Event)
Wednesday, Nov. 22
2016-17 record: Rice: 23-12 (11-7 C-USA) UNLV: 11-21 (4-14 MWC)
There was a time where playing UNLV in Las Vegas would have been a big deal, which is something Ute fans should know all too well. However, it's been a while since UNLV was the power it once was back when Utah was in the Mountain West. The Rebels haven't to the Big Dance since 2013 and finished tied for dead last in the conference with the likes of Air Force. However, UNLV should be a lot better with JC transfer Shakur Juiston and five-star recruit Brandon McCoy. We probably won't see UNLV finishing dead last in the MWC again, but it may take more than one season to get things completely turned around.
Rice was a top 25 team in scoring with 81.5 points per game, but it just lost its two top scorers. Marcus Evans is off to VCU while Egor Koulechov is gone to Florida. That's 37.2 points per game the Owls have to replace.
vs. Eastern Washington
Friday, Nov. 24
2016-17 record: 22-12 (13-5 Big Sky)
The Eagles were the No. 2 team in the Big Sky behind North Dakota last year. They lose a big-time player in Jacob Wiley, who scored 20.4 points and pulled down 9.1 rebounds per game. However, Bogdan Bliznyuk returns after scoring 20.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
vs. Hawaii
Saturday, Dec. 2
2016-17 record: 14-16 (8-8 Big West)
Hawaii took a big step back last season after winning the Big West Tournament the season before. Things don't look good as the Rainbow Warriors lose UCLA transfer Noah Allen to graduation after leading the team with 15.7 points per game. Oddly enough, Hawaii has a player with Utah ties in F Gibson Johnson from Centerville. He's the leading scorer returning with 11.4 points per game.
at Butler
Tuesday, Dec. 5
2016-17 record: 25-9 (12-6 Big East)
If the Utes want to make a statement during non-conference play, this is their opportunity. Butler has a new head coach in former Bulldog LaVall Jordan, so we'll see how he handles his alma mater. Kelan Martin returns after scoring 16.0 points per game last year and should have a big year. Kamar Baldwin is a dangerous defender who was key in the Bulldogs' win over Villanova. Beating a team fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance is always a daunting task, and it's even more difficult on the road.
vs. Utah State (Beehive Classic at Vivint Arena)
Saturday, Dec. 9
2016-17 record: 14-17 (7-11 MWC)
It wasn't too long ago when Utah State was winning conference titles on a regular basis. The Aggies haven't won a conference crown since 2011, and part of that is the move to the more difficult Mountain West from the WAC. Losing Jalen Moore is a massive blow for Utah State after he scored 17.0 points per game last season. Sophomore Koby McEwen will be called on to pick up the slack after scoring 14.9 points per game last year. The Aggies need to build some depth if they want to be contenders in the Mountain West, however.
at BYU
Saturday, Dec. 16
2016-17 record: 22-12 (12-6 WCC)
There was massive hype surrounding the "Lone Peak 3" headed into last season, and while the Cougars made it to the NIT they just didn't live up to the massive expectations surrounding them. Eric Mika took off early and leaves a big hole after scoring 20.3 points and grabbing 9.2 rebounds per game. While TJ Haws and Nick Emery didn't have bad seasons, they need to step up their game if BYU wants to get back to the Big Dance. A big player to watch with Mika gone is Yoeli Childs, who has a lot of athleticism but was a bit raw last year. Elijah Bryant also showed some glimpses of what he can do when healthy. The Cougars have the pieces, but they need to show more polish and maturity than they did last season to make it back to the NCAA Tournament. And they need to learn to play better defense after giving up 74.3 points per game.
vs. Northwestern State
Wednesday, Dec. 20
2016-17 record: 13-16 (7-11 Southland)
The Utes' final non-conference game comes against Northwestern State, which is not to be confused with Northwestern of the Big Ten. The Demons had one of the worst defenses in Division I as they gave up 79.3 points per game last year.