Utah St. @ Utah preview
Jon M. Huntsman Center
Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2010 ) Utah 62, Utah St. 79
Utah is coming off a disappointing 81-69 road loss to Butler, but now returns back to Salt Lake City where it is unbeaten this season. The Utes actually will playing across town in Vivint Smart Home Arena, home to the NBA’s Jazz, Saturday night when they take on Utah State in the Beehive Classic.
It will be the first of three straight in-state games to close out the nonconference schedule for Utah, which visits BYU on Dec. 16 and then host Northwestern State on Dec. 20. The Utes are 5-0 in Utah this season – with all of the wins coming on their home floor in the Huntsman Center – but are 1-2 in road/neutral-site contests. Tuesday’s 81-69 loss at Butler was the first of two true nonconference road games Utah will play this season before Pac-12 action tips off Dec. 29 with a visit to Oregon. Utah State, meanwhile, doesn’t leave the state this month until its Dec. 30 Mountain West Conference opener at San Diego State.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT UTAH STATE (5-5): The Aggies snapped a two-game losing streak Wednesday with a 62-59 home win over UC Irvine as they overcame 36.2-percent shooting and a 43-37 rebound disadvantage. Guard Sam Merrill was the lone Utah State player in double figures with 13 points, and he is pacing the team with 15.1 points and 3.3 assists per outing while also averaging 3.4 rebounds. Guards Koby McEwen (13.0 points) and DeAngelo Isby (10.6) also are averaging double digits for the Aggies, who have struggled offensively of late, averaging 64.3 points over their last three games.
ABOUT UTAH (6-2): Freshman forward Donnie Tillman scored a career/season-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench against the Bulldogs and has had at least 11 points and seven boards in five of his last six games. Fellow forward David Collette is pacing the team with 13.8 points but struggled through a season-low 6-point outing on 1-of-5 shooting vs. Butler. Tillman (12.0) and starting guards Justin Bibbins (10.8) and Sedrick Barefield (10.3) also average double figures while 6-foot-10 forward Tyler Rawson is contributing 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
TIP-INS
1. The two Utah rivals are resuming their series after a seven-year hiatus, and the Aggies have won seven of the 11 games played since 2000.
2. Tillman (6.9), Rawson (6.3) and 7-footer Jayce Johnson (6.2) are the leading rebounders for Utah, which has a plus-4.9 rebound margin.
3. Utah’s bench outscored the Butler reserves 26-0 Tuesday but the five Bulldogs starters combined for 81 points on 58.8-percent shooting from the field.
PREDICTION: Utah 78, Utah State 72