Arizona Basketball Preview: Wildcats face Utes at Home

Over two weeks since their last game in Tucson, the Arizona Basketball team (13-2, 2-0) returns home to McKale Center to take on Pac-12 foe, the Utah Utes.

The Pac-12 schedule started off with a bang for the Wildcats, as the Arizona Basketball team completed their Bay Area sweep last weekend. Arizona returns home to continue their conference slate against conference rival Utah.

Forward Dusan Ristic had a big weekend in the Bay Area continuing on the strong stretch of games he’s recently played. The freshmen trio of Lauri Markkanen, Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons continue to shine, and Arizona improved their shooting performance against the Cardinal, pacing themselves to a 91-52 route over Stanford.

The Utah game should be a pretty good one considering the rivalry that has been brewing between these two teams the past few years. At 10-3 (1-0) and fresh off their 16-point win over Colorado this past Sunday, the Utes are a dangerous team coming into this game.

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In his sixth season with the Utes, head coach Larry Krystkowiak has Utah steadily improving. After another successful campaign in 2015-16, the pressure is on in a deep and talented Pac-12.

Utah has a myriad of talented scorers, and for an Arizona scoring defense that currently ranks 12th in the country, the Wildcats will have a tough challenge on their hands. The Cats will likely play without sophomore Allonzo Trier once more, but his exuberance on the bench contributes a ton to his team.

The Utes will rely heavily on their forwards David Collette and Kyle Kuzma, who lead the team in scoring. Additionally, sophomore guard Sedrick Barefield and senior guard Lorenzo Bonam are a talented duo in the backcourt, and should provide quite the challenge for Arizona.

As it stands, Arizona opens up as an 11.5-point favorite in this one which may be a bit surprising. I imagine this one being a bit closer, as Utah has played some pretty good competition this year, and have lost some pretty close games to some talented teams.

Dec 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes forward Kyle Kuzma (34) shoots against Prairie View A&M Panthers forward Zachary Hamilton (14) in the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. The Utah Utes defeated Prairie View A&M Panthers 92-60. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

Keys to an Arizona win:

Rebounding- The Utes rank 21st overall in the country in rebounding, averaging nearly 41 rebounds per game. Wildcats may be a bit at a disadvantage here, as Utah is considered the better rebounding team.

Arizona will definitely need the effort on the boards, and need to crash the glass hard. The Wildcats aren’t a bad rebounding team by any means, but the Utes are averaging nearly three more per game.

Minimize those chances, and Arizona greatly improves their chances of winning.

Defense- Utah shoots quite well as a team, averaging nearly 51 percent from the field per game. That number ranks them 9th in the country.

Arizona Basketball Preview: No. 17 Wildcats face Utes at Home

By Eric Townsend | Jan 4, 2017

Over two weeks since their last game in Tucson, the Arizona Basketball team (13-2, 2-0) returns home to McKale Center to take on Pac-12 foe, the Utah Utes.