BYU and Utah are headed for their first Big 12 brothers-in-arms showdown.

It should be a doozy.

Why?

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Because both teams need this win to gain some momentum, some confidence and a little respect.

Both are languishing just below the break-even standings in the Big 12 with 2-3 league records, along with TCU, as of Thursday.

BYU is 11-5 while the Utes are 10-6. Both have average written all over their brands right now, and if they don’t get something going, they’ll be fighting for some ugly seeds in the league tournament.

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A year ago, Mark Pope took a streaking BYU team to Jon Huntsman Center and lost. He had a better team than the Cougars have on the court right now, but it proved too tough a chore to win.

This time around, both the Cougars and Utes have had their moments — good and bad. Both teams are inconsistent, both have switched up starting lineups to see if they can find the right chemistry.

In a sense, when they look in the mirror, they see the other.

BYU might have more talent, but Utah might have more motivation at home.

Utah went into TCU and ended the Horned Frogs’ 9-0 win streak at home, never trailing with a big 73-65 road win. The Cougars simply faded in Fort Worth at the end, still trying to figure out chemistry, finishers, and how to make the lineup work.

Previewing Utah-BYU basketball

Utah should have the edge in Saturday’s game.

In fact, all the hype surrounding BYU signing two prospective first-round freshmen, Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings, might just fuel up Craig Smith’s team and have the Utes wired.

Then there’s the defection of Ute assistant coach Chris Burgess and the transfer of center Keba Keita a few days later to Provo last spring.

Then there’s the hiring of highly-regarded NBA assistant Kevin Young from the Phoenix Suns to BYU and all the fanfare over the past eight months surrounding his salary and his assembling of an NBA-like support staff and resources.

Drama.

Also, consider Ute fan angst over their perception that Jazz owner Ryan Smith funded an NIL package for projected 2026 No. 1 NBA draft pick and BYU signee AJ Dybantsa — an assumption Smith has stated is wrong.

More drama.

Among Ute fans, it’s yada, yada, yada with BYU and its headlines.

You get the idea. There are a lot of embers burning behind the scenes.

BYU is caught up in a lot of drama while Utes handle their equally average play with little fanfare or notice.

At Utah, you have once-committed Ute Caleb Lohner going to BYU then returning to Utah for both football and basketball via Baylor.

And you have BYU transfer Hunter Erickson, a Timpview High product highly motivated after leaving Pope’s Cougar program.

Sophomore Jake Wahlin, who has seen starter minutes of late, is the grandson of Ray Beckham, who was a prime shaker and mover in fundraising to build BYU’s Marriott Center in the early ’70s.

Motivation? The Utes have plenty of reasons to be fired up.

Looking at the Cougars, you see Keita perhaps wanting to excel over his former teammates. Same with Burgess. But that’s about it and it’s a little less dramatic than what Utah can tap into.

BYU and Utah have about the same statistical resumes.

Both average about 80 points a game. Both shoot around 47% from the field. BYU is No. 1 in 3-pointers made per game (10.5) while the Utes are No. 3 with 9.5 per game.

Both teams average about 40 rebounds a game to rank among the best three in the Big 12. Same with assists, with Utah being more productive at 20.3 per game compared to BYU’s 17.3. BYU ranks sixth in turnovers with 12.0 per game while Utah averages 11.8 and is eighth.

BYU does have an advantage in scoring differential at 14.1 points per game to Utah’s 10.7 and rebound differential at 10.3 to Utah’s 5.1 per game. The Cougars lead the league in this category.

BYU hasn’t fared well on the road with a blowout loss to Houston, a spanking at Providence and a late-game collapse at TCU last week.

Will 45 miles make a difference on this road trip for Young’s team?

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Comments

Did the Cougars “find something” in the Tuesday win over Oklahoma State at home?

Maybe. Maybe not.

This is a big one for both programs.

As for who is better? Utah State would like a word.

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