University of Utah basketball coach Craig Smith unveiled the 2022-23 version of the Runnin’ Utes Wednesday night in an exhibition game against neighboring Westminster College at the Huntsman Center, and the first impression from here is that the second-year Utes coach has delivered on his offseason promise.
The Utes are bigger, faster and more athletic than they were last year, as Smith said they would be, with more rebounders, top-notch defenders and penetrating, create-their-own-shot guards.
“We have a totally different team,” Smith noted.
Whether they can shoot as well as last year remains to be seen.
Despite shooting a middling 45% from the floor and 30% from deep with a decided size advantage, Utah rolled past the Griffins 93-58 on “Meet the Runnin’ Utes” night.
Utah’s regular season starts on Monday at 9 p.m. when it plays host to Long Island University at the Huntsman Center.
Smith started Wisconsin transfer Ben Carlson, returning all-Pac-12 center Branden Carlson and guards Lazar Stefanovic, Rollie Worster and Gabe Madsen. In all, 12 Utes played. Worster led the team with 13 points, while Branden Carlson and Bostyn Holt chipped in 12 apiece.
Wing Marco Anthony, a starter last season, missed the last four practices with a lower leg injury and did not play Wednesday, but Smith said it isn’t something to be concerned about. He expects Anthony and freshman guard Luka Tarlac, who also didn’t play, to practice Friday and be ready to go next Monday against LIU.
Lewis Johnson and BYU transfer Jeremy DowDell of Olympus High led the Griffins with 16 points apiece, Johnson going 4 of 5 from 3-point range and DowDell going 3 of 10.
Smith wouldn’t commit to Anthony joining the starting lineup Monday, nor would he divulge who the fifth-year senior would replace among those who started Wednesday. He said he used a different lineup in the so-called “secret scrimmage” last month against Santa Clara.
Utah looked impressive enough for an exhibition game against an overmatched opponent, but Smith said there was a lot to nitpick about.
First, he was happy that the Utes got three “kills” on Westminster’s first 13 possessions. A kill is holding an opponent to three straight empty possessions.
“Then I thought our (defensive) concentration dropped a little bit,” Smith said.
Here are a few more takeaways from Utah’s only exhibition game:
• BYU graduate transfer Gavin Baxter is going to help the Utes this season, maybe even a lot. Recently cleared for contact after an ACL injury cut short his final season in Provo, Baxter was on a minutes count and played only five minutes. He was 2 for 2 from the field, made the only 3-pointer he attempted, and had a rebound, two steals and a turnover.
“I thought he provided a great spark for us,” Smith said.
• The Utes made only 7 of their first 24 3-point attempts before making 2 of their last 6 to finish at 30% from deep. That’s not going to be good enough in Pac-12 play.
“Certainly I thought we could have gotten to the rim more,” Smith said. “… We settled too much.”
• Freshman Keba Keita went 3 for 3 from the field and grabbed five rebounds in 14 minutes. Smith said he won’t be opposed to playing Keita and 7-footer Branden Carlson together and go big when necessary.
“I think we can play every which way,” Smith said.
Carlson is up to 227 pounds and is clearly more defined, the result of some extensive weight training in the offseason. The center told the Deseret News last week at Pac-12 media days that this might not be his final season at the U.
“I just feel like he’s gotten immensely better,” Smith said.
• Sophomore Gabe Madsen has also bulked up a bit, and still has a sweet jumper. He was 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
• Junior college transfer Bostyn Holt, who missed most of last year with a knee injury and three weeks this summer with another lower leg injury, is going to contribute mightily. Holt went 4 of 5 from the field and made all four of his free throws.
• Ben Carlson, the Wisconsin transfer, played tentatively at first, but a dunk got him going and he looked better in the second half.
• Keita chipped in seven points and looked confident and self-assured in doing it. The Wasatch Academy product mishandled the ball a couple times, but otherwise looked like he belongs.
“Keba is going to be special,” Smith said.
• Cincinnati transfer Mike Saunders showed a burst and an ability to penetrate that the Utes didn’t have a lot last year. Worster got the start at point guard and put up a solid stat line, but Saunders is going to be difficult to keep out of the starting lineup.
“They are very different players, obviously, and I think that is going to help both of them,” Smith said of Saunders and Worster, who had seven rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes with no turnovers.