Takeaways: Runnin’ Utes at Arizona
After some hope early in the season that they Utes could outperform their little preseason media prediction, the Utes have opened pack 12 play with one win one close contest and two somethings from opponents. On Thursday night, Larry Krystkowiak’s squad traveled to Tucson, and were ran out of the gym by the Wildcats, 93-77, in a game that was not near as close as the final score indicates.
Here are the takeaways from the game:
Sons of former Utes play to a draw
When Rylan Jones committed to be a Utah early in the recruiting process, that spelled the end of any serious interest Nico Mannion pretty much had in the Utes. While the staff knew they could play together, sometimes players don’t always see it the same way. Halfway through the season, Mannion is looking as though he has the potential to be an NBA lottery pick, while Jones has been a steady presence for the Utes. On Thursday night, they threw up near identical stats. Jones finished with 11 points, four rebounds, five assists, and one steal (3-9 FGs and 3-8 from 3). Mannion went for 11 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals (4-9 FG and 3-7 from 3).
This has the looks of a fun matchup to watch over the next few years, but Mannion’s size and athleticism will likely make this a one year battle.
When Gach struggles, so do the Utes
As talented as Both Gach is, he’s been held to single digits seven times. Of those seven, two have been wins, and the one loss he performed well in was against the Oregon Ducks (24 points). It’s no secret, slow down Gach and the Utes don’t have an overall answer. Against the Wildcats, he not only struggled shooting 1-8 from the field and 0-4 from long distance, he also only had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 29 minutes.
Not all of this rides on Gach, that would be an unfair statement. When he’s on, he’s one of the most electrifying talents in the Pac-12. The biggest issue with this team, falls into the next takeaway…
The Utah bigs struggled again
This has been a recurring theme and it’s not something you want to see. Branden Carlson, Lahat Thioune, and Matt Van Kommen all struggled against Arizona. The trio was a combined 3-3 from the field, but that means they also didn’t look for their opportunities enough. They also only contributed five rebounds and two blocks.
Anybody wondering about Jayce Johnson, don’t even go Google him, he’s having a senior season to forget at Marquette.
Up next
The Runnin’ Utes finish their Arizona road swing on Saturday at 7PM against Arizona State. The Sun Devils are coming off of a 68-61 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. The Utes will be looking to avoid a four-game losing streak, as they could be in danger of falling to 1-4 to open Pac-12 play.