San Diego State 100 Utah 39 (Aztecs won 80-52)
San Diego State is a good team.
Not the most powerful offensive team but they shut down the solid offense of Utah.
Utah typically shoots close to 50% every game and John Calipari commented on it that Utah just does a good job of getting good shots and they shoot well as a result…not vs the Aztecs
31.3% shooting 15/48 was the worst shooting performance of the year.
San Diego State recorded a season high 18 assists (high for Utah opponent) and 100 efficiency was the first time Utah allowed that high.
On the other hand, Utah had a season low 7 assists and 17 turnovers (.41) assist to turnover. Season average is 1.11. They also only picked up 50% of defensive rebounding opportunities (average is 80%).
Utah was behind in almost every statistical category except free throws. Utah was +6 on attempts and makes and +9.7% better…that’s it. San Diego St dominated from the beginning.
I should note that San Diego St is a top 5 ranked team based on computer rankings. Kentucky is top 30 in most rankings. Utah is hovering in the 70s
Next up…conference play in 2020.
Utah 96 Oregon State 76 (Utah won 81-69)
Allen notched his third double-double of the season (Minnesota and Nevada)
Oregon St was only 14/19 from the line (both season lows) but the Beavers did get a season high 8 blocks against Utah. Utah only allows 3.8 blocks.
Utah didn’t have any season highs or lows in this game but below are some of the better numbers, above average.
TO per possession was 1:6
Although they were smaller than Oregon St, they pulled 41 rebounds (season avg 39.3)
10 offensive boards marked the 5th time Utah was 10+ offensive boards.
28 free throw attempts was 3rd highest for the season (avg 22.8 att)
The 89.3% from the line 25/28 was the 3rd highest percentage (avg 75.8%)
Oregon St got off +12 more shots but only made +2 more, the difference was Utah was +5 from three
14.3% from deep for Oregon State was the 3rd worst a team has shot this year vs Utah (Kentucky and MS Valley St)
The teams combined for only 19 turnovers, season low for Utah game and a season high 39 made free throws. Also 10 combined blocks was also a season high (3rd time this season)
Next up…an angry Oregon team.
Oregon is favored to win 74-70 by Vegas
Oregon 93 Utah 64 (Oregon 69-64)
Timmy Allen was -7.6 off his average. Jones was -8.7 off his average.
It was obvious they were going to let Both get his game but shut down the other two.
Branden Carlson was non-existent. Oregon did a great job.
The game tying three by Allen should’ve never been the shot. Practically anybody besides Allen would’ve been the best option but that’s probably how Oregon played it.
Oregon is a head strong team. Pritchard is a floor general that refuses to let that team lose.
Rylan Jones goal should be every bit the senior Pritchard is in 4 years. Especially if it equals a top 5 rankings.
Oregon was only 3/4 from the line. Utah committed a season low 9 fouls. That tells me Oregon is efficient as hell and got a lot of clean looks. Utah doesn’t foul a lot (15.2 per game) but Oregon had a season high 19 assists. Again, they move the ball well and get good shots. Pretty much the name of the game.
Utah only had 7 turnovers, which is likely what kept them in the game. Utes were +10/+16 from the line but 10% worse. Utah is statistically a good field goal shooting team (47.5% from the field), the Ducks held Utah to 35.6% (4th worst of the season) and they were +10% better from the field.
The teams combined for only 17 turnovers. This stat keeps getting better as teams get better. Utah averaged 14.6 turnovers the first 6 games and only 12.0 turnovers over the past 8 games, versus better competition.
Some magic numbers for Utah.
64 points scored. Utah is 9-0 when they score over 65 points
Hold opponents to 45% or less shooting. Utah is 2-4 when they allow over 45% shooting
Utah is 10-0 when they score more than their opponent.
15 turnovers. Utah is 8-1 when they commit less than 15 turnovers (the Oregon game was the 1 loss)
Up next…1 week off and the three game road trip starting at Colorado.
Utah is 10-0 when they score more than their opponent. That’s a useful stat, thank you! Larry should be drilling that into their heads at every practice. 
Except he allowed them to lose to Colorad9.
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Well he refused, Colorado just refused to be refused.
Colorado 118 Utah 38 (Colorado won 91-52)
Welp!
Let’s start with the good… nobody got hurt.
Now the bad. 38 made shots allowed was a season high (Utah typically allows 27)
118 efficiency was a season high (Utah allows 75.7 TER)
59.4% shooting 38/64 was way over the 42.5% season avg allowed.
64.8% effective shooting, 48% allowed
Utah only made 8 free throws, typically 16.4/21.9, only shot 12 (11 season low - Tulane)
24 team rebounds was a season low (avg 38.1)
52 points tied season low (San Diego St) avg 76.5
38 efficiency is 178 below the Mississippi Valley St game and 87.5 avg
35% of defensive boards…goal is 70% or higher
That’s about all I want to put into this game.
Next, tough road trip versus a hungry Arizona duo. Things look up after this. Home Washington games are both winnable coming up after Arizona.
Arizona 118 Utah 74 (Arizona won 93-77)
Both Gach got a season high for the worst efficiency score. -5 is 14.4 off his average of 9.4 PER
Both has scored negative PER 3 times (Tulane, Coastal Carolina and Arizona…all losses)
1/8 and 4 turnovers.
Arizona hit 15 three point shots, season high off of another season high 23 assists.
Utah has given up back-to-back 118 team efficiency…not good
Arizona shot 85.7% from the line 12/14, a season high for Utah opponent.
Arizona garnered an assist on 69.7% of their shots (avg is 50%)
Utah had a season low 2 steals, overall this was an average game for Utah, the 15 made three’s buried them and Utah didn’t recover.
The bright spot, Utah has yet to attempt or make less free throws than their opponent for a game.
Arizona was +12 on assists, in the last 4 games Utah is -42 in assists. In the other 12 games Utah is +44 assists.
The teams combined for 25 made three pointers which 15 came from the Wildcats.
This is the toughest stretch of the season for Utah. Starting 1-4 was expected, 2-3 would be a win.
Next up…ASU on Saturday.
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Arizona State 93 Utah 69 (ASU won 83-64)
Utah played a pretty good game until ASU ran away at the end. Utah allowed a season high 61.1% from deep. 11/18. Utah allows 34.9%. Ballgame!
Utah actually had a season high in assists per shots made, 72.7% (season avg 54.8%)
16 assists on 22 made shots. That tells me Utah moved the ball well. Guarding the deep three just killed the Utes.
Utah was +6 on offensive boards, mainly because ASU shot 51.7% and only missed 28 shots.
The -36.1% difference on three was a season high for difference. Utah shot 25% at 6/24. -5 three pointers made = 15 points…ASU won by 19
Timmy Allen had his best game in a while. 5th double double of the year with 18 points and 10 boards. His 4 steals was a season high and 4 assists was 1 short of his season high. 3 turnovers was the only negative. Below are Allen’s season numbers.
You’ve probably heard that this team goes as Both Gach goes. Here’s the proof
The rows marked red are Utah losses.
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That is nuts. Empirically i felt this was true but OMG, we need him to figure it out now!
One thing that is frustrating though, is that many of the shots are contested and bad shots later in the game, but they go in anyway. I think we need to contest early because it seems like we let them get rolling and once they are in rhythm and have a comfortable lead, then they just keep jacking up shots and contested or not, they go in.
Utah 80 Washington 72 (Utah won 67-66)
Rylan Jones led the team with 18 PER. Mostly due to his 9/10 from the line
Battin 5/5 from the line
Jantunen/Gach both 2/2 from the line
Carlon and Allen combined for 6/13
The name of this game was free throws. Utah was 24/32 overall to UW 11/14
Utah was +13/+18 from the line and overcame a 10 point deficit to win.
Washington only made 45 shots (season low for Utah opponent)
Utah on the other hand only made 3 shots from deep (season low)
In the pregame, Bill Riley interviewed the Washington announcer.
He said UW has had a tough season defending the three and made it the key to the game to win.
The other aspect was not fouling. Washington had 26 fouls +6 over Utah
Utah had a season high 18 offensive rebounds.
Utah was +14 on shot attempts, mostly because they were +13 on the offensive glass.
The only real negative was the effective field goal percentage Utah was -24.7% to UW.
Effective field goal % accounts for the difficulty of the three point shot with regards to percentage.
This was mostly because Utah was 12.5% from deep (season low)
The 15 combined steals was a season high for a Utah game.
Also the teams combined for 72.1% assists to shots made ratio (season high)
The good news is Utah won the game
Big win for the Utes that they needed bad.
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Utah 100 Washington St 57 (Utah won 76-64)
Utah dominated this game on the efficiency charts.
Rylan Jones tied the season high for efficiency
Utah dominated by holding WSU to 5 categories of season lows
2 made free throws (Utah allows 9.1 FTM per game)
16 defensive rebounds (Utah allows 23.1 defensive boards)
21 total rebounds (Utah allows 33.3 rebounds)
1 block (tied Tulane / Utah allows 3.8)
40% from the line 2/5 (Utah allows 70.5%) Only Oregon shot less at 4.
The thing that kept Washington St in the game was Utah on the offensive glass.
Only 3 offensive rebounds (coming after a season high of 18)
Utah only attempted 10 shots from 3
It was clear they wanted to dominate the interior
25/36 from 2 point range 69% (overall 63%)
Obviously the reason Utah only had 3 offensive boards.
Utah reached the 100 efficiency mark 4th time this year. (avg 85.7)
Rylan Jones moved into 2nd on the team overall ranking ahead of Battin
It’s nice to see Jantunen and Carlson getting better
This was Jantunen’s best game of the season 21 PER
Carlson scored a 15 PER, good for his 4th best game of the year (best vs P5 teams) His season high was 17 vs MSVST
Allen didn’t have a great game but still scored a 14 PER
Timmy has reached double figures in PER in every game except 2 (Arizona and Colorado)
Next up…the LA trip
USC 68 Utah 62 (USC won 56-52)
Better late than never.
Utah allowed 9 blocks vs USC, season high and Utah only got 1 block (season low)
52 points tied a season low in scoring (SD St, Colorado)…all losses
The good news is Utah held USC to only 19 made shots…the problem is Utah only made 18.
Utah was in this game for the most part but the lack of depth (Gach out) really hurt down the stretch.
Utah was -20.8% from the line. -4 free throws made and lost by 4. You do the math.
Teams combined for a season low 37 made shots and 19 assists. The 108 points was also a season low along with the combined 120 efficiency.
Next up … UCLA
UCLA 91 Utah 56 (UCLA won 73-57)
Utah really missed Gach in this one. Jaquez and Campbell almost beat Utah by themselves.
UCLA was the aggressor from the beginning and forced 19 fouls from Utah.
In turn UCLA was 17/22 from the line, both season highs in attempts and makes
Utah on the other hand was only 4/5.
Getting to the line has been Utah’s bread and butter all year, UCLA took that away.
-13/-17 difference from the line and Utah lost by 16.
UCLA owned the inside and only took 14 attempts from 3 (season low)
Utah had very little to be proud of in this game, in fact none of their stat lines was near their average, everything was below.
After USC and Utah combined for 10 blocks (season high), Utah and UCLA combined for only 3 (season low). That’s about it.
Next up…home stand vs the Bay Area schools
Utah 82 Stanford 53 (Utah won 64-56 OT)
Branden Carlson is becoming a huge factor for Utah.
2 blocks shy of a triple double 15 pts, 10 reb, 8 blocks (5th best performance of the season for any Utah player), this after only shooting 5/11 from the field.
Timmy Allen had a quiet 15 points. 3/10 shooting but 7 turnovers.
Stanford is the best defensive team in the league
Utah held Stanford to only 4 attempts from the free throw line, they hit all 4
Stanford also was held to only 7 assists, season low for Utah opponent.
Stanford had 20 turnovers for a 2:7 turnover per possession ratio (season high)
Utah had a season high 13 steals and 9 blocks, so much for Stanford being the best defensive team.
The season high before last night was 6 blocks (Minnesota) which Carlson beat by himself. Utah averages 2.8 blocks per game.
The only glaring issue for Utah was the free throw line. Allen could’ve won the game in regulation but missed. Utah was 16/23 from the line, just under 70% which is -4% off their average. Utah needs to be in the upper 70s to be a top program. Currently 67th in the country.
Other than that, Utah really owned this game from the beginning. The teams combined for season highs in steals (21) and blocks (14) which translated to a season high in turnovers (38) Utah 18 Stanford 20. A turnover happened in this game 1/4 of all possessions.
Utah is now 2-0 in overtime games (BYU).
Next up…California.
TOP 25 performances of the year so far. Yesterday was Carlson’s first notch in the top 25.
Quick survey of appearances in your Top 25:
Timmy Allen 11
Rylan Jones 7
Riley Battin 4
Mikael Jantunen 4
Both Gach 2
Matt Van Komen 1
Brenden Carlson 1
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