Utah basketball’s most recent game, a 61-56 road win at West Virginia, gave a glimpse into the culture that first-year coach Alex Jensen is trying to establish.
The Runnin’ Utes started the contest strong by building an 18-3 lead, then stretched that advantage out to 15 points early in the second half before holding off a furious Mountaineers rally to earn the program’s first road win in over a year.
It was the fewest points Utah (10-16, 2-11 Big 12) has allowed in a game this season.
Led by Seydou Traore’s efforts on the defensive end against West Virginia’s Honor Huff, the Utes held the Mountaineers to 42.3% shooting, including 30.4% in the first half, and outrebounded West Virginia 38-28.
“(Defense is) something we’ve struggled with for a good portion of the year, different aspects of it. I think that could have been our best rebounding game from start to finish, too,” Jensen said Friday.
“That was the difference at the end of the game. We struggled offensively, but we made the plays — Seydou had a block, (we) got the rebounds. That’s what will always give you a chance. (We’re) just trying to make it more of an emphasis and a priority for us.”
The victory provides some positive momentum going into the final five games of the regular season, starting with a home game against UCF at the Huntsman Center on Saturday (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+).
The Utes will play three of their final five regular-season games at home.
The win over West Virginia capped a two-game road trip wherein the Utes very nearly went 2-0, though Cincinnati rallied from five points down with under two minutes to play in the first contest to beat Utah 69-65.
Before the Utes embarked on their longest road trip of the season back east, Jensen looked forward to the trip, saying long ones like it can allow for teammates to bond and the team to build chemistry.
“We got to learn a lot about each other, just on and off the court. Just staying together and just sticking to the things that we’ve been preaching since the summertime really led us to getting that win against West Virginia,” Traore said.
“... Being on this trip for this long period of time got us to really lock in on certain things and just talk to each other more. I think we just connected with each other more. That’s a good thing.”
“Being in the Big 12, you look at all the good teams at the top there, they’re really good defensively. You watch the last three or four minutes of a Big 12 game, it’s a slugfest, and it’s rebounding and defense.”
— Utah coach Alex Jensen
Over the past two weeks, Utah has had the opportunity to play some of the best defensive teams not just in the Big 12 but in the country as well in Houston, Cincinnati and West Virginia.
Next week, the Utes will also face another defensive force, Iowa State.
“I love it. I love it to be able to after the game say, ‘See, I was right,’ ” Jensen joked about having the learning opportunity for his team to face some of the top defenses. “It’s pretty simple, because you can’t control a lot of things. ... On the defensive end, that’s the things that I think you have the most control over. Can I block out? Can I get a hand up? Can I run back on defense?
“Being in the Big 12, you look at all the good teams at the top there, they’re really good defensively. You watch the last three or four minutes of a Big 12 game, it’s a slugfest, and it’s rebounding and defense.”
Getting those opportunities to face high-level defenses pays off in other ways, too.
“What helps us playing against the best defenses is watching film on them — knowing where you should attack from, knowing where they help at," Traore said.
“Those little things you’re doing off the court help you play against those best teams.”
Up next, though, is a matchup with one of the Big 12’s top offenses, UCF, a team that is squarely in the battle for an at-large NCAA tournament bid.
The Knights (18-7, 7-6 Big 12) average 81.5 points per game behind four players who average double figures. That list includes senior guard Riley Kugel (14.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game) and fifth-year guard Themus Fulks (13.6 points, 6.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds per game).
UCF’s Big 12 schedule has been a bit of a rollercoaster, but the Knights are coming off a win over TCU after three straight losses.
“He’s a great passer,” Jensen said of Fulks. “They’re older, they’re mature. They’ve had some big wins, most likely headed for the tournament.
“But again, it’s about us, more of the same. … You’ve heard it before, but we can’t have the turnovers that, those live ball turnovers that turn to buckets for them, because then they get going. Especially at home, we need to come out like we did against West Virginia. I think a lot has to do with defense.”
Saturday’s game will be the next opportunity for Utah to continue its development, not only as a team but as a program overall.
“(The most) recent games we had, we were neck and neck with the teams we’ve been playing against. I think the next five games (we’re) going to take it game by game,” Traore said.
“I preach to the team every time before the game, it’s the little things that’s going to get us over the hump — rebounding, boxing out, diving on the floor. I think we just take each game one by one, (and) we should be in a good place.”