LAS VEGAS — Every year the goal for the Utah basketball team is to get a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, achieved by finishing among the top four in the regular season. The Utes did that each of the last five years, the only team in the league to accomplish the feat.
The Utes didn’t come close to earning a first-round bye this season, but considering the alternatives, they are happy with their first-round matchup Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
They’ll be playing in the first game of the day, at 1 p.m. MDT against Oregon State, a team they split with during the regular season.
Coach Larry Krystkowiak feels like his team has some fuel left in the tank for a postseason run and he’s happy to be playing early.
“It’s the first game, which I love,” he said. “I love that idea because I’m not very good on days of game, in terms of turning into a mess, I get to wake up have a little breakfast, visit with the team, then we get to tip off.”
Krystkowiak also said it’s “hard hanging out in Vegas” all day and the past two years his Utes had to wait around for 8:30 p.m. games, both of which they lost.
He called Saturday’s win over Colorado “good medicine” for his team, which had lost its two previous games and would have dropped to a tie for 10th place with a loss against one of the league’s better teams.
“We have some things in motion. But there isn’t going to be any overconfidence. We have a nice little group of fans, so let’s go have some fun in March in springtime. It’s my favorite time of year.” — Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak
The Ute coach calls the upcoming tournament, “the third season” after the nonconference and conference seasons and hopes his young squad can make a run.
“We have some things in motion,” he said. “But there isn’t going to be any overconfidence. We have a nice little group of fans, so let’s go have some fun in March in springtime. It’s my favorite time of year.”
The fact that the Utes have already had some success at T-Mobile Arena this year could help them this week. The Utes knocked off Kentucky, the current No. 8-ranked team in the country, back in mid-December 69-66.
Krystkowiak explained that the Wildcats wanted to play in New York’s Madison Square Garden for the “return game” after playing Utah in Lexington. However, the Utes insisted on playing closer to home and arranged for the game to be held at T-Mobile Arena.
“It’s nothing magical, but at least we’ve been there,” he said. “All our guys have been in that parking lot and the whole deal won’t be quite as new as it might be for others.”
In Oregon State, the Utes will be facing a team with a similar record — both 7-11 in conference play, while the Beavers are 17-13 overall and Utah is 16-14. Utah defeated OSU 81-69 in the opening game of Pac-12 play in early January and the Beavers beat the Utes 70-51 in Corvallis in mid-February.
Like Utah, the Beavers have had an up-and-down season, but they’re coming off a pair of wins last weekend over Stanford and Cal after losing four straight before that.
Senior Tres Tinkle, who was named first team all-Pac 12 this week, leads the Beavers in scoring at 18.4 ppg and rebounds at 7.0. Junior guard Ethan Thompson is next at 14.9 ppg, while senior center Kylor Kelley averages 11.1 ppg and leads the league in blocked shots at 3.5 per game.
Utah did not have freshman Rylan Jones for Saturday’s game because of a head injury he suffered a week earlier and his status for Wednesday is unknown. If he is unable to go, Both Gach will take over point guard duties and Alfonso Plummer, who has averaged 22 points in his last two games, will likely start at the other guard spot.
Inside, the Utes will go with Branden Carlson and Timmy Allen and freshman Mikael Jantunen, may get the start again over Riley Battin, who has struggled recently, scoring just five points in the last five games.
If the Utes win Wednesday, they’ll come back Thursday at 1 p.m. against Oregon, a team that has beaten them four times in the last five years in the Pac-12 tourney.
If Utah doesn’t win the Pac-12 tournament and go to the NCAA tournament, it has a chance of making the NIT. John Templon who does bracketology for midmajormadness.com, currently has Utah as a No. 4 seed in the tournament, playing Notre Dame in a first-round game.