Utah Utes Basketball

Holy cow.

Those two words first came to mind for University of Utah assistant coach Andy Hill when he watched 7'0", 235-pound Jakob Poeltl in the summer of 2013 at the Under-18 European Championships in Macedonia.

Hill saw an unknown Austrian. He discovered what likely will become the country's first NBA player.

Poeltl (pronounced PUHR-tel) was on a bad team—his U18 squad finished 20th out of 22 teams and won only one game in the second-tier B Division—but everything that he did looked like it would translate.

"He had great hands. He moved really well and rebounded outside of his area great," Hill said. "He was a great teammate. His team struggled, but through those struggles, Jakob was always very vocal and encouraging and respectful of his teammates. You could just tell he was a great kid by watching him play and interact with people." 

	PPG	RPG	BPG
U18s in 2013	15.4	12.3	2.6
Austria Basketball League	12.7	7.7	2.3
At Utah (2014-15)	9.3	8.2	2.0

In other words, Hill wanted him badly. And the good news was that no one knew about him. Had he been an American with those attributes, the line would have been out the door and to the next state. But Austria produces professional basketball players like the Bahamas churns out ice skaters. 

Now at Utah, Poeltl has emerged as one of the best freshmen in the country and a legitimate pro prospect. He's also helped the eighth-ranked Utes, who will put their undefeated Pac-12 record on the line Saturday at No. 10 Arizona, climb into the The Associated Press Top 10 for the first time since 1998-99.

Poeltl has been so good that NBA scouts, who were also in the dark on him until he arrived at Utah, are scurrying to Salt Lake City to see both Poeltl and senior point guard Delon Wright. Twenty-two scouts  attended the Utes' overtime win over Wichita State earlier this season, and ESPN.com's Chad Ford projects Poeltl to go 14th in the 2015 NBA draft.

When Poeltl debuted on Ford's big board, he didn't find out until a teammate relayed him the news.

"I was actually kind of shocked, because I didn't think about NBA at all," Poeltl told Bleacher Report in December.

Typically, this kind of attention would be reason for a coach to worry and get protective, but talk to Poeltl for a few minutes, and it becomes obvious that he is a breath of fresh air when it comes to basketball prodigies.

Poeltl had not even considered college basketball before the U18s, because he really didn't know much about the college game and no one was recruiting him.

The opportunities to even watch basketball on television were few and far between. Each week there is one Austrian professional game on TV that he would try to watch, and then he would pull all-nighters to catch the NBA Finals in June.

"There isn't a lot of attention to basketball," Poeltl said.

Poeltl, himself, kind of stumbled onto the game as a youth. His parents, Martina and Rainer, both played volleyball for the Austrian national team and wanted him to play volleyball as well. But when it came time for him to try a sport, he chose basketball because there was a basketball program around the corner from where he lived.

"It was more like a coincidence," he said. "I was pretty tall at the time, so I started playing basketball. I just kind of fell in love with it and I stuck with it."

Poeltl ended up picking Utah because head coach Larry Krystkowiak visited him twice in his hometown of Vienna—Davidson coach Bob McKillop was the only other coach to come over—and Krystkowiak even brought his wife, Jan, along for one of the trips.

"It made a big difference," Poeltl said. "I kind of knew they really wanted me when the head coach comes over. I knew they wouldn't forget about me and sit me on the bench the whole time."

Krystkowiak hasn't had to bring Poeltl along slowly because his coaches say he has a sharp basketball mind, and he had the luxury of playing on a pro team in Austria.

Still, no one expected him to have this kind of impact this early.

Poeltl's length and shot-blocking ability has completely transformed Utah's defense into an elite unit after it was a middle-of-the-road one last year.

Utah's opponents have made only 37.7 percent of its two-point attempts, giving Utah the fifth-best mark in the country, according to kenpom.com—compared to 46.7 percent last year. Poeltl's rim protection (see chart) has opponents wary to approach the basket. 

	Opp. FG% at rim	Rank
2013-14	57.6	137th
2014-15	50.4	29th

"We haven't had that rim-protector the four years I've been at Utah, and it certainly helps defensive field-goal percentage and those types of things," Krystkowiak told Bleacher Report. "I've always wished to have somebody like that."

Poeltl has good timing and has avoided the foul issues that typically plague young shot-blockers. 

He's already comfortable defending away from the basket and against ball screens, and he sees the game really well on that end.

"I try to be active on the outside to stop penetration," he said. "But also I try to predict where the ball is going and then coming at them at the right time and just go for it."

Poeltl has not been as aggressive on the offensive end. He doesn't always attack when he gets the ball in the post and appears to only be comfortable going over his left shoulder, but he's a great pick-and-roll weapon with Wright. He has good hands and finishes really well at the rim. He's shooting 66.3 percent for the season. 

He gets most of his other buckets by hitting the offensive glass. He ranks fifth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, per kenpom.com. 

Essentially, he's doing all the little things to help his team win and couldn't care less about his numbers.

Unlike many top NBA prospects, Poeltl doesn't have any outside voices trying to get him to chase numbers and get to the league. 

"You never want to stereotype kids, but I think (Austria's) culture is completely different," Hill said. "You don't have all of the handlers and different stuff. You've got a great kid with a great family. There's some kids in the States like that too, but unfortunately sometimes the publicity can become out of whack for kids in the States, and it's hard to be able to handle it at a young age.

"Whereas with Jakob, he was in Austria, going to school and working hard, doing family stuff. That's where I think the culture is very different, and when you talk to him you can realize that. He's enjoying it all and trying to get better and be a good student."

In a 20-minute interview, Poeltl got most excited when he talked about the college life. He chose to go the college route instead of moving up to a higher-profile professional league in Europe because he said he didn't feel ready for the responsibility of being a pro.

Getting closer to his teammates has been the highlight of his time thus far at Utah.

"I really like that family feeling of the team," he said. "It wasn't like that with the pro team because you practice with each other and then you kind of go your separate ways. And then you see each other again for the next practice or game."

Poeltl will eventually get the chance to be a pro again. Multiple NBA scouts who talked to Bleacher Report about Poeltl were impressed with his game but said they'd like to see him return to school for his sophomore season.

That's usually not what players want to hear. But with Poeltl, he just might be the exception.

"People told me I have to be careful, because there will be some people who will approach me about agent stuff, but it hasn't happened so far," Poeltl said. "I'm good with that."

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.

Unless you are an avid Pac-12 follower, chances are that Utah's Delon Wright was probably the best college basketball player you didn't hear about last year. Don't expect him to fly under the radar this time around, however, as Wright is poised to have a huge senior season thanks to his array of arsenals on the court.

Wright spent the first two years of his collegiate career at a junior college before making the transfer to Larry Krystkowiak's team. In the 33 games he played for the Utes, Wright averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks, according to Sports-Reference.com.

These video game-like numbers earned Wright a Pac-12 All-Conference honor, making him the first player to accomplish such a feat in Utah's program history, and his defensive efforts earned him a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive First Team as well.

Among all returning players for the 2014-15 season, Wright also leads the pack in the win-shares column (based on last season) sorted by Sports-Reference.com.

Top Returning Players in 2014-15

Name	School	PPG	RPG	APG	Win Shares
Delon Wright	Utah	15.5	6.8	5.3	7.3
Fred VanFleet	Wichita St.	11.6	3.9	5.4	7.2
Jacob Parker	S.F. Austin	14.2	7.1	2.0	6.6
Montrezl Harrell	Louisville	14.0	8.4	1.2	6.4
Frank Kaminsky	Wisconsin	13.9	6.3	1.3	6.2
Ron Baker	Wichita St.	13.1	3.8	3.1	6.1
Keifer Sykes	Green Bay	20.3	4.4	4.9	6.1
Michael Frazier	Florida	12.4	3.5	1.1	6.0
Malcolm Brogdon	Virginia	12.7	5.4	2.7	6.0
R.J. Hunter	Georgia St.	18.3	4.6	1.7	5.9

One of the reasons to why Wright's game is so versatile is because of his size. At 6'5", Wright often causes mismatches at the combo guard position for the Utes.

He defends his position and reads passes well, as indicated by his steals average that was ranked No. 8 in the country last year. What stands out, however, is his ability to provide help defense despite being a perimeter player, as shown at the 1:10 and 1:38 marks in the video below.

On the offensive end, Wright possesses above-average ball-handling skills, and his height allows him to have a better court vision as well.

Delon Wright is very good with the ball in his hands. Make things happen. Sees over the defense

— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) July 11, 2014

If you add in the fact that Wright draws plenty of attention from the opposing defense, then you usually have plays resulting like this.

When Wright decides to score on his own, however, he becomes much more dangerous.

Wright shot an impressive 63.3 percent on two-pointers last season, and his ability to get to the basket was a major factor in that.

Just by judging from the eye test, Wright does not have blazing speed to blow defenders by. What he does have, however, is a plethora of dribble-penetrating moves that primarily include hesitations and Eurostep layups that would make the likes of Manu Ginobili and James Harden proud.

Wright's body control and ability to finish in traffic allows him to attack the basket at ease, and when he does draw contact from the defenders, he makes sure they pay for their mistakes. On an average of 5.8 attempts from the charity stripe last year, Wright shot 79.3 percent and averaged 4.6 points there alone.

If there is one downside in his offensive game, it would be the perimeter shooting. With a 22.2 shooting percent from downtown last season, Wright was often dared by the opposing teams to shoot the ball. However, with just 1.6 attempts from beyond the arc per game, it wasn't as if Wright was giving away plenty of possessions by hitting the brick.

For a player of his caliber, you would have to believe that the three-point shooting was one of his focal points during the offseason, and that was exactly the case when he spoke with Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk.

That’s the main thing I need to work on,” Wright said. “I’ve been shooting a lot of shots in the gym, and I’m trying to work on my form, release and confidence [in taking those shots]. A lot of teams packed the lane against me because they knew I like to drive to the basket. They gave me the outside shot and I wasn’t comfortable with it. So I feel that if I can knock those shots down, it will open up my game and open up the game for the entire team.

Apparently there were signs of Wright's work paying off in Utah's team scrimmage on Tuesday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune's Matthew Piper.

Delon Wright drains the three. He's been working on that, as you'd expect. His team is up 18-9, and he's controlling this game.

— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) October 22, 2014

If the outside shooting indeed becomes another addition to Wright's game, then one can only imagine how much better of a player he can be for the upcoming season.

Utah has not made an appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2009 and fell to Saint Mary in the first round of the NIT last year. But the Utes will feature many returning players and look for Wright to take them further this season with an All-American campaign.

Honorable Mentions

Frank Kaminsky - Wisconsin

Fred VanFleet - Wichita State

Bobby Portis - Arkansas

Marcus Paige - North Carolina

Georges Niang - Iowa State

Delon Wright was good last year—the kind of good that put him on NBA radars despite spending the previous two years in junior college. Wright earned scouts' attention. And this year, I'm expecting him to keep it and ultimately convert it into first-round dollars.

The younger brother of 10-year NBA veteran Dorell, Delon seemingly came out of nowhere as an impact junior at Utah. He got the occasional national shoutout last season. And chances are if you're a hardcore draft fan or regular Pac-12 viewer, you're pretty familiar with Wright's game. But for the most part, he still flies a bit below the radar.

I'd be willing to bet he doesn't last down there for long—with Utah expected to compete for a postseason bid, the spotlight and microphones should naturally start shifting Wright's way.

Regardless, the potential he flashed in his first year on the job in Division I basketball is worthy of examination. Wright put up monster numbers, both in terms of production and efficiency, while showcasing some special physical tools for a point guard.

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	FG%	3PT%
15.5	6.8	5.3	2.5	1.3	.561	.222

At 6'5", he has standout size that helps drive the mismatch he presents at the point guard position on both ends of the floor. And this kid is smooth and elastic. He reminds me of Gumby out there, with the ability to twist and contort his body to fit through tight seams and windows.

Wright performs well on the eye test, from an athletic and measurement standpoint. His type of height and elusiveness allows a ball-handler of his skill to play to his upside.

Wright averaged 5.3 assists a game last season while being used on just 21.4 percent of his possessions (in comparison, Elfrid Payton and Shabazz Napier, who each averaged 5.9 and 4.9 assists, respectively, had usage rates last year of over 27 percent). He sets up teammates from multiple spots and angles on the floor, whether he's running a pick-and-roll, attacking from the wing or pushing the break.

Wright just has some tantalizing change-of-direction shiftiness and slick playmaking instincts. He's not the quickest or most explosive, but he finds ways to get to his spots on the floor, particularly with that nasty hesitation dribble.

He finished his junior year with a decent 1.96 pure point rating (weighs assists and turnovers relative to each other in a per-minute form), which ranks fifth among DraftExpress' top 100 returning point guards. Wright isn't your traditional facilitator, as he even played off the ball occasionally at Utah, but his feel for the game as a passing playmaker has looked pretty on point. 

He generated some nice buzz for himself this summer at the LeBron James Nike Skills Academy, where many of the top players in the country work out through invitation only. 

As a scorer, Wright is as crafty as they come. He averaged 15.5 points a game, and just about all of them came within 12-15 feet from the hoop.

You can't even appreciate how good he was inside the arc without mentioning his glaring weakness first. Wright poses as a non-threat from long range. He hit only 12 three-pointers last year and shot just 22.2 percent. With defenses sagging back, giving up the jumper and looking to take away the drive, Wright still managed to shoot a whopping 63.3 on two-point field goals. 

Wright spoke with Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk regarding his shooting stroke:

That’s the main thing I need to work on. I’ve been shooting a lot of shots in the gym, and I’m trying to work on my form, release and confidence [in taking those shots]. A lot of teams packed the lane against me because they knew I like to drive to the basket. They gave me the outside shot and I wasn’t comfortable with it. So I feel that if I can knock those shots down, it will open up my game and open up the game for the entire team.

Usually you only see forwards or big men near the top of their conference in field-goal percentage, which Wright was at 56.1 percent—not point guards. Granted, a lot of Wright's offense comes in transition, which isn't by mistake, but his efficiency is still pretty ridiculous. 

In the half court, he's a magician in the lane—one of those playmakers capable of improvising on the fly and inventing new ways to create and finish.

Hoop-Math had him down for shooting a remarkable 71.7 percent at the rim last season. Scoop shots, flips, reverses, floaters, lay-ups through contact, slams above the rim—Wright has a deep bag of tricks and sharp sense for when to use each.

His body control is terrific, from his Eurosteps to his acrobatic finishes on the move.

But only three quarters of Wright's sales pitch to the pros will center around his offensive game. His final point, the one that could ultimately hook a general manager selecting early in next year's draft, focuses on the defensive impact he's made and tools he has for the future. 

Wright ranked No. 4 in the country last season in defensive win shares, per sports-reference.com. He racked up 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks a game.

With quick hands, long arms and the instincts to anticipate and react, Wright can be awfully disruptive. 

And he also rebounds extremely well for his position, pulling in 6.8 (5.1 defensive) a game, thanks to a strong nose for the ball and a willingness to go after it. 

From his offensive prowess to his presence on the boards and defensive potential, Wright brings a fairly complete package to the table—except for that jumper, which is going to be a talking point among scouts whenever he suits up. 

The fact that he'll be 23 years old by the 2015 draft doesn't help. We've seen big point guards that can't shoot get taken in the lottery before, like Michael Carter-Williams and Elfrid Payton, but they entered the draft at much younger ages (20). Their current NBA coaches and general managers will likely be disappointed if their shooting doesn't improve by the time they're 23. 

Already 22, time isn't exactly on Wright's side. 

But there's reason to believe—he has looked capable in the mid-range, and he did sink 79.3 percent of his 193 free-throw attempts. 

John Pudner, a political adviser and creator of ValueAddBasketball.com who's consulted NBA general managers in the past, developed a statistic that measures each college players' overall value. Last year, his formula pegged Shabazz Napier as the highest-rated player. And now Pudner has Wright projected to follow in his footsteps as the most valuable in the country. 

Look for Wright to bring Utah to the national stage in 2015, and in turn, break through as a rising NBA prospect in draft conversations. 

In the same week in which UCLA got No. 1 recruit Shabazz Muhammad, the Utah men’s basketball team got commit Josh Hearlihy to sign a release from its program. Both teams underwhelmed in the Pac-12 this season, though unlike UCLA, Utah may continue that trend.   

During his first season (2011-2012) as the Utah men’s basketball head coach, Larry Krystkowiak led Utah (6-25, 3-13) to its worst season on record while making $950,000. Utah’s previous record worst season (2006-2007) had six fewer losses. In addition to losing players to injury and suspension during the season, Utah had six players leave the squad at the end of this season.

Krystkowiak didn’t have much to work with at the start of the season due to players leaving after former coach Jim Boylen was fired. Only four players at the start of the season were returners.

Then Krystkowiak suspended Utah’s leading scorer Josh Watkins (15.6 points per game) and ultimately kicked him off the team. Watkins was fourth in the Pac-12 both in points per game and assists. The dismissal reportedly stemmed from issues like sleeping through class and showing up late for practice.

97.5 FM/1280 AM The Zone interviewed Krystkowiak on April 12. True to his personality, Coach Krystkowiak was open and upfront about all things Utah Utes basketball during the interview.

On the Utes' main focus Krystkowiak said, "That’s what the lifeblood of the program is going to be about, the recruiting…it’s all about the recruiting more than anything.”

However, you have to question the current staff’s ability with that focus when Coach Kryskowiak showed up to watch Harvard-Westlake player and signed Utah commit Josh Hearlihy play, only to find Hearlihy not in the game.

The 6’7” Hearlihy missed 14 games his senior season from medical issues related to his rapid growth. Where was the communication on the part of Utah’s coaching staff during all of this? Coach Krystkowiak claimed to not have been informed of all of Hearlihy’s medical issues prior to signing the forward and said while he knew some of Hearlihy’s medical issues, he did not ask to see his medical records.

Regardless of the extent to what was or was not mentioned, the Utah coaching staff admittedly had enough information on Hearlihy that it should have done a full medical investigation prior to giving an offer.

Regarding the situation, Krystkowiak told 97.5 FM/1280 AM:

Josh is one of the kids that we signed in November. Saw him play over the summer.  A nice wing, got some skill and some length, and had had a couple of years of some health problems, knees and broke his back. And I was in a position where I knew, you know I grew many inches as well. So Josh is about 6’7” now and a lot of those problems were due to some fast growth, different things…

 …We had some physicians’ reports all of his doctor/medical records be sent to us so we could examine them…

 …Our physicians/ourselves we just got cold feet…it’s a crossover of trying to do the right thing for the commitment and the signed scholarship and also trying to do the right thing for your program.

Coach Krystkowiak also mentioned that dialogue had been going on with the Hearlihy family since February, so this was not a right before signing-day surprise.

On the matter of being ask to sign a release from Utah, Hearlihy told the Los Angeles Times:

I was very excited about going to Utah when I signed my Letter of Intent in November. However, the coaching staff has reconsidered their commitment to me and has asked to be released from their obligation. I turned down scholarship offers and stopped exploring other options when I signed. Given the situation at Utah, I’m concerned about putting myself in an environment where I'm not wanted.

Hearlihy was put in a catch-22. That’s not to say Krystkowiak's opinion of the situation was incorrect. Clearly here is a player that raises serious doubts about his ability to play. An additional year in prep school may help—or prove to be the end of his playing career. However, this player did have a signed commitment from Utah.

The right thing to do would have been to explain to Hearlihy the benefits of taking on a year of prep school and what coming to Utah with his medical issues could mean. If he wouldn’t get play time due to his medical status not being approved by the team physicians, then that would be his risk to take. Putting him in a situation where he feels pressured to decommit, however, does not speak highly of the program.

The Utah coaching staff appears to be handling the recent exodus of players (Chris Hines, George Matthews, Kareem Storey, Dijon Farr, Javon Dawson and Anthony Odunsi) the same way it handled the Hearlihy situation. That is to essentially tell them they don’t think Utah is the program for them next season.

With Utah winning only six games this season, that may very well be the case. Krystkowiak mentioned that these players are in the Utah gym or office prepping to go elsewhere. In other words, they’re not being thrown out in the cold, and it may ultimately benefit their playing careers. 

It is, however, only fair that the entire Utah Utes basketball coaching staff be judged the same way they have judged nearly an entire squad. Krystkowiak is bringing in an essentially new squad for the second straight year next season. If his way of building a program does not pan out soon, Utah should find a staff that can do just that.

Krystkowiak said that leaving Ute Javon Dawson could be good/great at a mid-major. The same may be true for the coach as well. Krystkowiak took Montana to the NCAA tournament both years that he coached the Grizzlies before taking an NBA coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks. 

What are the Utes' goals for next season? Krystkowiak did not want to give a number, but said, "We’ll just keep plugging along. As a goal its hard to say it, but I can tell you we’re going to be significantly better than a six-win team.”

Coach Boylen had 13 wins in his last season at Utah before being fired, so defining just how significant seems to be important.

Krystkowiak should be commended for his commitment to demanding his players have solid character and academics, but the basketball side of the equation cannot be ignored. A good coach can attract talent, but a great coach can bring the talent out of the players he has, which in turn will attract future top talent to the program. Utah has had 19 players leave in the last three years. 

A major appeal of the Pac-12 Conference is its winning history and stability. While Utah fits well within the conference, the Utes’ basketball program should take note of these attributes and quickly implement them in their rebuilding program. 

Utah men's basketball begins its inaugural season in the Pac-12 beginning November 14 against San Diego Christian College.

San Diego Christian College is a small Evangelical Christian school in El Cajon, Calif.  The Hawks, as they are known, will face the Utes in Salt Lake City.

In looking at the Hawks' schedule, it looks brutal for the non-conference portion. They take on a host of Division I schools including UC Irvine, Utah, San Diego, Cal State Northridge and San Diego State.

Utah lost its exhibition game 61-60 to Adams State in its only exhibition game. The Utes are picked dead last in the Pac-12. So being picked 12 out of 12, there is no place to go but up.

On the Utes' schedule this year are Boise State, Montana State and Harvard at the Paradise Islands Tournament. Possibly, Florida State or Massachusetts await them should they get passed Harvard.

Fresno State is next up after the Paradise Island's Tournament, along with Cal State Fullerton. Then the in-state love-fest when Brigham Young comes to Salt Lake City. Next is Idaho State, Portland and finally in-state rival Weber State.

The non-conference schedule does not include bitter rival Utah State this year. The Utes then open Pac-12 play against Colorado in Boulder and play every team at least once. Teams the Utes play home and home in-conference play are Colorado, Stanford, California, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Oregon State.

Utah plays USC, UCLA, Washington and Washington State once this year and once next year and then a new rotation will begin.

The Utes have a tough season ahead of them, but I am not expecting them to finish last in the Pac-12. There are too many variables at this point. So it will take a few games into the non-conference schedule to really gauge how good Utah will do.

The Utes face teams from the Big Sky, Mountain West, West Coast, Ivy League and WAC. Possibilities include the ACC and Atlantic 10 as well.

Utah first-year coach Larry Krystowiak will lead the team through the Pac-12 maiden voyage. It will be interesting to see how the team does with David Foster out for foot surgery and Chris Hines out for two-to-four weeks with a rib injury.

Well, let the games begin. Utah has nowhere to go but up and does bring a strong tradition of basketball history to the Pac-12.

Utah won the 1944 national championship and has been to the Final Four four times, including the 1998 loss to Kentucky. Utah has numerous appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has won the WAC and Mountain West regular season and tournaments as well.

So, though on the bottom, the Utes may be a dark horse. We will just have to wait until the season unfolds. Being the underdog can be a blessing in disguise if nobody sees you coming. That is what the Utes hope for this 2011-12 season.

The University of Utah, through thick and thin football seasons the past 50-60 years, has always been able to boast about its storied basketball program.

Starting with the '44 National Champions, and going through the Jack Gardner, Rick Majerus and, even to some degree, the Giacoletti years, Utah has consistently proven itself a winner.

Even as a child, I remember going to the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  You just knew, no matter who they were playing that night, the Utes were going to win the game.

There was that mentality.

Now, the Utes are stringing consecutive losing seasons together (which, before Majerus, was something that had not happened at the University of Utah since 1983).

In fact, during the 15-year Majerus era (1989-2004), Utah did not have one losing season.

The losing has become a matter of urgency for Ute nation, as this past week we saw Jim Boylen removed as Utah Head Coach.

As is most often the case, University of Utah Athletic Director Dr. Chris Hill, has kept his hand very close to the chest and has not leaked any information regarding the filling of the position or lead candidates.  But overall, Dr. Hill has a great track record with coaches. Jim Boylen may have been the wrong piece, but the guy did win a conference tournament and earned a No. 5 tourney seed just three seasons ago.

When all is said and done, the move to the PAC-12 can only do more good for Utah's recruiting than harm. And when you look at Utah's roster, it is in need of depth and chemistry.

Jim Boylen was the proverbial "strike two." Could Utah fall off the map if they don't make a splash in their first year in the PAC-12?

The Pac-10's dreams of a 16-school, SEC-rivaling super-conference evaporated Monday when University of Texas President Bill Powers told conference commissioner Larry Scott his school planned to remain part of the Big 12. 

Now, the "Conference of Champions," marred by sanctions to its flagship football program, USC, can only hope to expand its membership by two with Colorado already on board and a Utah possibly waiting in the wings.

The Colorado Buffaloes, who went a Big 12 worst 3-9 last year, will likely not do much to enhance the Pac-10's football prestige. 

Will Utah be the ice pack the Pac-10 needs to cool massive burns left by USC sanctions and a Longhorns decision to remain home?  

Well, no.

A potential addition in Utah is no consolation to a conference that hoped to swipe one of college football's richest and most talented brands in Texas.

Nevertheless, the Pac-10 should push to add the Utes, whose 86-30 record since 2000 includes Fiesta Bowl and Sugar bowl championship titles. 

The Utes are no Longhorns, but they are more than just filler in a story of conference realignment that has a plot more intricate than that of ABC's Lost. 

Utah is a perfect fit for the Pac-10, and here's why:

• Utah's Hungry —after breaking into the BCS in 2005 and 2009, the Utes are ready for the next best thing: a shot at the BCS Championship.  The Pac-10 has played second or third fiddle to the SEC in football prestige for years.  With Utah, the conference can look forward to a heightened level of athletic talent it won't find in its addition of Colorado.
• Utah's Multi-talented —as much as your chest-painted, "D-FENSE!"-shouting friend would have you believe otherwise, it's not all about football, folks.  There are lots of sports out there, and Utah is good at many of them.  The Utes' basketball team has been to the NCAA tournament 27 times, and the women's gymnastics team, the Utah Red Rocks, has won 10 national championships.
• Utah's Smart —Utah has historically been ranked very highly in academics.  Utah can only improve the academic makeup of a conference that is already home to Stanford and USC.  

Although the sting of USC sanctions and a failed super-conference plan may headline Pac-10 blogs and discussions for some time, the additions of Colorado and Utah will eventually sink in, and an expanded Pac-10 will begin to improve. 

There are going to be many losers in the story of conference realignment (just ask anyone from a Big 12 school), but the Pac-10 will not be one of them. 

The Pac-10 should forget about Texas (after all, they never had Texas to begin with; there is no real loss) and focus on getting the appealing and appropriate Utes.

I know Jim Boylen. 

Now, I don't know him as well as, say, his wife Christine, but I spent a year and a half off-and-on sitting on press row at the Huntsman Center. 

So I've had long conversations with the vehement Runnin' Utes head coach.

What you see is what you get. 

With Boylen, there always needs to be that added sense of mutual respect. When I first met Boylen, he gave me a hug and welcomed me. 

Nevermind the fact that I was a member of the media that game. That didn't matter. 

He wanted to know who I was, and in turn, I figured out who he was lickity split.

The guy's a winner. A gamer. Someone who wants to prove everyone wrong by doing all the right things. 

He's coached Hakeem The Dream. He's coached Yao Ming. He's coached Baron Davis. 

His track record speaks for itself. He won a Mountain West Conference championship in his second year at the U. 

He transformed a group of never-will-bes into conference champions in two seasons.

Last season couldn't seem further down the road in the rear-view mirror now, though. The Utes are painfully average this season with the first real crop of Boylen's recruit taking place on the hill.

In the second matchup against rival BYU, the Cougars ran Boylen's boys out of the Huntsman Center. 

In fact, they ran him into a brick wall. Boylen, you could tell, was pissed off and embarrassed. Full of questions and absolutely no clue where to find the answers.

The Cougars scored a 71-51 win. Jimmer Fredette, one of the best players in MWC history, had just eight points.

But it wasn't as much the Cougars being their regular No. 15-ranked selves.

It was the Utes.

They were so atrocious from the field that Dick Cheney could've shot better. 

Utah shot 14-of-52 from the field. That's good enough for 26.9 percent. 

Cheney definitely coulda hit some. 

So, now, as the Utes sit 14-15 (7-8 MWC), is a game like this an essential wake-up call for a program that was supposedly on the rebound?

Or just a really, really bad night against one of the best teams in the nation—not to mention a hated rival.

I would say, a little of both. 

Boylen knows what it takes to win. He's won rings. 

Is it him, or this roster? 

I'd go with the latter. Boylen knows how to coach. This team doesn't know how to play. Or win. Or defend.

Boylen will say they do, because, well, that's his job. To build the something out of nothing.

Truth is, it doesn't look very bright right now for the program. BYU is getting stronger and stronger. New Mexico is the class of the conference, and UNLV and SDSU are perennial threats.

If there was one word to describe this Utah roster, it'd be: inconsistent.

Luka Drca is a disaster waiting to happen.

David Foster is Luke Nevill, minus anything resembling an offense.

Carlon Brown is a D-League dunk contest winner.

Jace Tavita can't shoot. Can't drive. Can barely dish.

Marshall Henderson can shoot, but he's the J.R. Smith of Boylen's squad.

You catch my drift.

It's too early to start digging Boylen's grave. Actually, don't even both thinking about it. 

The guy's gone 56-40 in three years and won a MWC championship.

But things will have to change. The roster will need to be upgraded to compete with the likes of the Cougars and Lobos.

It's a bit unfair to Boylen as well, considering the once nationally-prominent basketball program has been a slowly fading candlelight until he arrived.

Fans don't come out in bunches. Utah has turned into a football school. Kyle Whittingham is king.

All the credit in the world to the job he's accepted and the foundation he's built.

Boylen once told me, "You just gotta chop wood. That tree will fall."

Wednesday's blowout loss to BYU brought down a different tree. 

He addressed the media afterward, and the sometimes jovial, sometimes volatile coach bit back.

As reported by Brad Rock of the Deseret News, Boylen was asked why his offense lacked efficiency. 

Boylen responded, "The ball didn't go in the hoop."

When asked again why, he went verbatim once again.

Prodded once again, Boylen said, "Next question."

The rattlesnake that was antagonizing Boylen was Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson, who's been known to ruffle feathers—particularly at the U, for some reason.

People may think the Utah coach is just another adrenaline junkie, stoned on pick-and-rolls, but Boylen is a guy that notices everything. 

I had worn a tie to a game I covered once on account of a presentation I had to give while at school earlier that night. 

The next game I showed up much less casual and Boylen pointed out I wasn't as spiffed out.

Boylen went after Monson, and for probable good measure, saying, "Don't come here once every two years and ask those questions. I don't want to hear that from you."

Monson rebutted: "I can ask the questions."

Boylen shot back, "I'm not answering it. Don't come here once every two years. I don't want to hear that from you."

Monson again: "Coach, give me a break—show some class."

Choice words, Gordon.

Finally, Boylen lowered his proverbial boom, "Yeah, nice of you to show up."

Good to know that fire was burning deep inside someone on the Utah sideline, because the egg the Runnin' Utes laid was epic—especially on senior night.

It will be interesting to see what happens from here. You can bet on Boylen mulling this one over for quite some time. It'll stew in him like some zesty gumbo for a good few days.

Of course, Monson will use his god-given tactics of the written word. He'll slam Boylen, as we all expect him to do.

When Boylen completed his first year at the U, taking his team to an 18-15 record and upsetting UNLV on its home court in the MWC tourney, I recall telling a friend that I thought Boylen was destined for a bigger gig.

For higher altitudes than ripping apart and reconstructing the Runnin' Utes.

Knowing Boylen, there are a million tiny things blazing through his psyche, and time will tell what will happen with his program, but what we do know is this: He's a coach. 

He will take no unwarranted bologna and press on and try to win the next one.

Just don't think he's building nothing out of something.

If you are a supporter of a team in the Mountain West Conference, today is not a happy day. 

Unless you support San Diego State, then you are feeling pretty good.

BYU and Utah went out within a day of each other in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Both teams proved to be outmatched by opponents, who had understood what they needed to do.

Arizona's full court pressure defense forced mistake after mistake. Any time Utah gained momentum, it fell flat. Their biggest player Luke Nevill was in early foul trouble, and it just kept getting out of control.

They could not regain any sense of momentum. Instead, Utah could not show the resiliency to battle back. 

BYU got down early. They could not recover due to pressured and forced to chase the game.

Mountain West basketball looked out of place at the tournament as the No. 5 and No. 8 seeds. Neither team was against a titan. 

Each team should have been able to get up for the game.

Utah appeared to be plagued, as they have been a few times before, by lack of consistent scoring with defense that could not make critical plays. In some ways, they played very similar to the BYU game earlier in the month. 

As head coach Jim Boylen looks back on this game, one wonders if he regrets giving up half of the court to Arizona. 

As successful as the program has been, this record in the NCAA tournament this decade has made it out of the first or second round once.

The team is still building after missing the previous three tournaments. However, if the Mountain West Conference wants to claim a seat with the big boys, they needed Utah and, to a lesser extent, BYU to do better.

The conference has one last hope that San Diego State can win the NIT. 

They are now into the quarterfinals after beating Kansas State. It is a first for the Aztecs, since they have never got this far in any national tournament since rising to Division One.

For Mountain West's sake, they need the Aztecs to prove they can win. To prove that the selection committee was wrong for keeping them out.

The Aztecs will play the winner of St. Marys versus Davidson game in the quarterfinals on March 25.

No one expected this.

After an 18-15 campaign in his first season on the hill, Utah coach Jim Boylen, the 43-year-old, lifelong NBA and collegiate assistant has his team on the national radar in Year 2.

And for good measure.

The now No. 25 Runnin' Utes finished regular season in a funk, as they went through what Boylen called "the gauntlet" in games against fellow Mountain West Conference powers UNLV, BYU, and New Mexico. They went 1-2 in that span, before closing out the regular season by blowing out TCU at the Huntsman Center.

Maybe all Utah needed was some time away from Salt Lake City as the Utes went to Las Vegas and won three straight games, including a down-to-the-wire win in the MWC tournament championship against San Diego State, 52-50.

The NCAA tournament selection committee was apparently impressed.

To much surprise, the Utes received a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region and will face up against the No. 12 Arizona Wildcats, a team that has received a great deal of flak for being selected as one of the last at-large bids by the selection committee. The 19-13 Cats were selected over such teams as the 23-9 Aztecs and the 26-6 Saint Mary's Gaels.

Unfortunately for Utah, this is arguably the toughest No. 5/No. 12 draw in the tournament. Arizona has had a tumultuous season with the resignation of coaching legend Lute Olson and a slew of underachieving talents, but the ability is there.

"This seed is an awesome accomplishment for this team," said Boylen in a statement after his team found out it would play Arizona. "We are excited for the school and it's going to be a great ride. The biggest thing about this seed is that it speaks volumes about the schedule we have played and our non-conference strength of schedule."

According to a plethora of picks by national pundits, the Utes will fall to the Cats in the first-round matchup this Friday in Miami, Fla. Considering the strength of the MWC this season, it's a shame that the conference could only muster two selections—one at-large (BYU) and Boylen's Utes.

Utah will be ready to play just as it has all season long. Utah boasts a 30-point spanking of LSU and an impressive victory over Gonzaga—both of which were played at the Huntsman Center.

"(Utah's schedule) put us in a position to earn a high seed and go to the tournament," Boylen said. 

The defensive-minded Utes will have their hands full with an Arizona team that boasts a couple of NBA prospects in small forward Chase Budinger and center Jordan Hill.

Key matchup: Luke Nevill vs. Jordan Hill

The reigning MWC Player of the Year Nevill had an outstanding season as his impressive combination of height (7'2") and touch (60.7 percent from the field) was finally channeled into a winning potion. Nevill often dominated inside against teams that were relatively undersized, such as Wyoming and Colorado State. He even put together a string of impressive games against the Tigers and Bulldogs.

But the senior from Perth, Australia, will have his hands full with Hill. The 6'10", 235-lb., junior from Atlanta was a constant in the Wildcats' success this year as he averaged 18.5 points per game to go along with 11 rebounds. Nevill will be counted on to keep his cool, and be the post presence he has legitimized himself to be this season.

Best player you've never heard of: Shaun Green

The 6'8" senior from Salt Lake City was one of the guys that Boylen didn't envision buying into his system when he arrived at Utah two years ago. But Green responded and he "bought in" to the coach's system and thrived.

The MWC's Sixth Man of the Year is a soft-shooting forward who sank a team-high 73 three-pointers this season and led the Utes in steals with 36 thefts on the season. It's Green's shooting ability that busts opponents' zones, which are often used on the big man Nevill.

Utah's X-Factors: Carlon Brown and Luka Drca

The two "youngsters" on a Utah team that has a seven-man rotation are the 6'5" sophomore Brown out of Riverside, Calif., and the 6'5" Drca, the oversized point guard from Serbia. These are two of the Utes' playmakers as they are the teams' top two assist men. Brown has developed into a point-forward as he has immaculate slashing abilities and penetration ability through the lane.

Brown's athletic ability is uncanny as he has landed on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays three times this season for thunderous dunks. Drca is the quarterback that Boylen often describes as having "ice in his veins." The junior has amazing court vision, but along with Brown, they are two of Utah's biggest turnover machines. Turnovers have been a thorn in Utah's side all season long and if the Utes want to advance in the tournament, they will need these two playmakers to protect the ball, distribute, and direct traffic.

Utah's biggest cause for concern: Chase Budinger

The NBA was knocking on his door last year and he kept it closed. The 6'7" swingman has the athletic ability and dead-eye shooting to ruin Utah's shot at advancing out of the round of 64. Budinger averages 17.9 points per game, alongside 6.3 boards and 3.4 assists.

Utah has no legit No. 3 in its lineup and it will come down to the defensive wizard Boylen to draw up some schemes to rotate defenders onto Budinger and disrupt his game. Expect Green, Brown, and perhaps the 6'10' Frenchman Kim Tillie to be a few of the Utes expected to slow down Arizona's most dangerous threat.

Looking forward...

If the Utes can advance past the first round, they will play the winner of the No. 4 Wake Forest-No. 13 Cleveland State matchup. The Demon Deacons have arguably the most talented and NBA prospect-laden team in the tournament and are led by speedster guard Jeff Teague.

Teague, a 6'2" guard out of Indianapolis, has scored 25 or more points eight times this season and can get to the hoop at will. Utah's defensive stopper is Lawrence Borha, a senior from Staten Island, New York.

Borha also has been Utah's clutch player this year, hitting three game-winning shots. But Boylen turned the former score-first two-guard into a defensive bulldog, and if the Utes expect to beat the Wildcats, he will surely be matched up against Nic Wise and most definitely Teague if the Utes meet Wake Forest in the second round.

What needs to go right for Utah

It comes down to two basics. The Utes need to play defense and shoot the ball well. Utah has defensive lockdown ability at times and with teams often zoning up Nevill, the four shooters roaming the perimeter need to hit shots.

The Utes will use their typical seven-man rotation and if they are to advance in the tournament, the bench play, along with Tillie's versatility, and the play of the team's four seniors will be keys. Senior guard Tyler Kepkay will be a key cog coming off the bench and knocking down timely shots, which he has done all year.

Boylen won two NBA championships during his time as an assistant for the Houston Rockets, so don't expect the Utes to have too many mind lapses. Boylen will keep his team in check, focused, and energized.