BYU basketball: Previewing the Utah Utes
BYU basketball is riding a five-game winning streak and now hosts the University of Utah. Here’s what to know about the Utes.
BYU basketball’s found a way to win games. They aren’t always pretty, but a win is a win.
On Saturday, the Cougars will look to make it six in a row as the Utes come to town. This marks the first rivalry meeting since Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak attempted to cancel the rivalry due to safety concerns.
So, in short, the Marriott Center will be electric.
Even though ranked Gonzaga and St. Mary’s teams will come to Provo this season, I don’t think the atmosphere at those games will be anywhere close to what BYU basketball fans will experience and see on Saturday.
Things are going to be wild. So here’s what to know about the Holy War, hardwood edition.
Utah is 7-2 overall this season – making them one of seven Pac-12 teams with seven or more wins this season. The Utes are coming off a 77-67 victory over Utah State in the Beehive Classic, but are 3-2 in their last five games. Their two losses came at the hands of UNLV and Butler, who are a combined 16-4 this season.
Players To Watch
David Collette: Collette, a 6-foot-10 senior forward, has been the Utes leading scorer on the season. He’s currently averaging 13.7 points per game while putting up five rebounds per night. He’s shooting nearly 60 percent on the season and is coming off a 13 point, seven rebound performance against his old team (Utah State) last weekend. Collette is a talented player, but he does tend to get into foul trouble. He’s had at least three fouls in four of his last five games, which can result in fewer minutes. In fact, through nine games, Collette is averaging about four fewer minutes per game (25.4 minutes per game in 206-17, 21.2 minutes per game this season).
Justin Bibbins: Bibbins is averaging a team-high 30.4 minutes per game. He’s shooting 49 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and is putting up 11.3 points per game. He’s also averaging 3.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per night. Bibbins is a small player (5-foot-8, 155 lbs.) but he’s a good distributor and he’s a good shooter when he gets space.
Donnie Tillman: Tillman is just a freshman, but he’s playing well beyond his years. At 6-foot-7, 225 lbs. he’s got great size that makes him tough to guard. So far this year he’s averaging 23 minutes per night and putting up 10.7 points per game. He’s also averaging 6.2 rebounds. Tillman is tough as nails – he played through a nasty flu bug in a win over Missouri – and has scored 16+ in two of his last three games.
While the Marriott Center will be rocking on Saturday, it will be a strange game. No player on Utah’s roster has ever played BYU while at Utah (David Collette played the Cougars once when he was with Utah State). Only two BYU basketball players have played the Utes (Luke Worthington and Zac Seljaas). So it will be an interesting dynamic.
The Cougars and Utes tip-off at 9pm MT on Saturday, Dec. 16. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.