Central Arkansas @ Utah preview
Jon M. Huntsman Center
The calendar will read only Dec. 7, but Utah will be playing its final home game of the non-conference season Saturday. Struggling Central Arkansas will serve as the opponent as the Runnin’ Utes wrap up a three-game homestand.
Utah has righted the ship following a disappointing trip down south, which saw the Utes go 1-2 in the Myrtle Beach Classic. Since arriving back home Thanksgiving week, Utah has toughed out wins over UC Davis (77-73) and rival BYU (102-95 in overtime), but coach Larry Krystkowiak says his young squad is still finding its way. “To say we have defined anything or we've arrived with this squad, it’s too early to say that,” Krystkowiak said following the Utes’ rally Wednesday night against BYU. “We just keep chopping wood. It was a heck of a win and for the in-state rivalry that exists. But there’s still a lot of meat on the bone, and we need to sort some things out.” Central Arkansas, meanwhile, is in the midst of a daunting early schedule which already has featured losses to No. 16 Baylor (105-61), Georgetown (89-78), No. 8 Duke (105-54) and Wichita State (95-69).
TV: 5 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS (1-7): The Bears’ only win has come against Division III Hendrix College, and they’ve since dropped six straight games, with the 26-point loss at Wichita State coming just Thursday night. Eddy Kayouloud, a 6-7 freshman guard from France, scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds Thursday and continues to pace the squad with 15 points and 6.4 boards per outing. Fellow guard Rylan Bergersen (14.1 points) and 7-foot center Hayden Koval (12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds) also are averaging double figures, but the Bears have struggled on the glass (minus-9.5 rebound margin) and taking care of the ball (19.3 turnovers per game) while surrendering an average of 87.9 points per outing.
ABOUT UTAH (6-2): The Utes shot 57.8 percent from the field in beating BYU and are shooting 51.6 percent on the season, which ranks fifth nationally. Behind forwards Timmy Allen (7.4 rebounds), Riley Battin (5.4) and Mikael Jantunen (5.4), Utah also cracks the national top 20 in rebound margin (9.3), and the game against the Cougars marked the first time Utah was outrebounded (33-28) this season. As for scoring, Allen (20.4 points), freshman point guard Rylan Jones (12.9), guard Both Gach (12.0) and Battin (10.6) all boast double-digit averages.
TIP-INS
1. Utah is 4-0 at home while Central Arkansas is 0-5 on the road, having been outscored by an average of 27.6 points per outing.
2. The Utes have shot at least 47.9 percent from the floor in six of their eight games this season.
3. Allen’s 27 points against BYU marked a career high for the sophomore, who has scored at least 19 in six of eight games this season.
PREDICTION: Utah 82, Central Arkansas 70