Runnin’ Utes are at a pivotal week as the Big 12 schedule hits its midpoint

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Utah Utes guard Miro Little (1) drives the ball as Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) guards him during game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. Next up for the Utes is a game against Cincinnati Tuesday night at the Huntsman Center. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

When Utah lost its first three Big 12 games in blowout fashion, the Runnin’ Utes responded by winning their next three games, showing assertiveness and physicality during that winning streak.

Now, Utah finds itself coming off a forgettable week where two Big 12 powers, Houston and Baylor, easily defeated the Utes.

Can Utah respond again with a determined effort this week in a pair of games that are viewed as toss-ups?

To do that, the Utes will need to show some consistency, an elusive characteristic for a team that’s gone through its share of roller-coaster emotions this season.

First up is a matchup with Cincinnati on Tuesday (8 p.m. MST, CBS Sports Network) at the Huntsman Center. Then the Utes will hit the road to face Oklahoma State in a Saturday afternoon game (1 p.m. MST, ESPN+).

Both the Bearcats and Cowboys sit below the Utes (11-8, 3-5 Big 12) in the conference standings — Cincinnati and Oklahoma State are each 2-6 in league play.

The Bearcats are coming off an embarrassing 28-point loss at BYU, while the Cowboys fell on the road by 10 at Texas Tech.

The schedule ahead appears to give Utah a chance to start another winning streak — KenPom gives the Utes a 53% win probability against Cincinnati and 48% at Oklahoma State. ESPN’s analytics, meanwhile, have a 49.2% win probability for Utah against Cincinnati and 58.7% at Oklahoma State.

Forward Ezra Ausar, who had a team-high 19 points last Saturday in the loss to Baylor, opined that the Utes need to stay hungry as they fight through the dregs of becoming more competitive in the ultra-tough Big 12.

“Just staying hungry, just trying to have a hungry, competitive spirit. I just think that’s been the biggest goal. With this game, a lot of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/runnin-utes-pivotal-week-big-190000556.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2025-01-28 19:00:00

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