BYU basketball didn't exactly start their Big 12 schedule from pole position in the 2025 campaign. A road blowout to Houston is understandable, but subsequent losses to Texas Tech at home and TCU on the road are making Cougar Nation a bit stir-crazy.
A Marriott Center-hosted win over Oklahoma State spurred the losing streak's demise to open the way for a flood of wins if rookie head coach Kevin Young can have his squad prepared for a battle with their bitter rival in Salt Lake City.
It's BYU. It's Utah. It's going to be a great basketball game, regardless of the outcome, as both teams believe they hold claim to an underrated status after uneven openings. The Utes, coached by former head of the cow at Utah State, Craig Smith, stand 10-6 on the year and 2-3 in conference play.
BYU's basketball program shares a conference record, but one win makes the difference between these two as the Beehive State standards sit 9th and 10th in the Big 12 standings.
Not ideal positioning if either school hopes to break into March Madness this season, but a win against your greatest rival can ignite your locomotive all the way to the postseason station, if you'll let it. Postseason station branches in a delta of directions, but the rails to the NCAA Tournament are laid with gold. Luxurious? Of course, but the price one must pay to ride that prestigious path is nothing to take lightly.
Neither team stamps their ticket to March with a win in this battle, but BYU's aspirations with such a talented roster must be considered when facing a foe like the Utes.
The Cougars have yet to claim a victory on the road (thanks for nothing, TCU), and unfortunately play this game under the mammary-stylized dome of the Huntsman Center. Obviously, that stat will need to change if this squad has any aspirations above being a Big 12 punching bag.
As a quick comparison between the state of these two programs, here are how they've stacked up against mutual competition.
BYU Cougars (2-2 vs. common opponents)
W vs. Mississippi Valley State 87-43
L vs. Texas Tech 72-67
L @ TCU 67-71
W vs. OK St. 85-69
Utah Utes (3-1 vs. common opponents)
W vs. Mississippi Valley State 94-48
L vs. Texas Tech 93-65
W @ TCU 73-65
W vs. OK St. 83-62
Despite higher expectations for the Cougs, the Utes have (on paper) had a more impressive season against common matchups, as they've won these games by a larger average margin than Kevin Young's squad.
None of that will matter when the ball tips off on Saturday, however. Throw every pre-conceived notion out the window--this is Big 12 basketball.
How to Watch BYU vs. Utah Basketball:
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM MT
Location: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Channel: ESPN+