Before this spring, Makol Mawien was a relative unknown.

Then the 6-foot-9 center from Granger High enjoyed two of the most productive months of his young basketball career.

Last week, Utah offered Mawien a scholarship, the first hard offer the Utes have doled out for the Class of 2015. Mawien has been on Utah’s campus in an unofficial capacity. He plays AAU basketball for the Utah Prospects Under-16 team. It’s the same AAU team that Brekkott Chapman plays for, the 6-9 power forward from Roy High School who is the top recruiting target for the Utes in the 2014 class.

Utah volleyball player Shelby Dalton is one of 13 Pac-12 players who are beginning a tour of China this weekend.
The team, led by USC coach Mick Haley, will compete in six matches against Chinese teams.
Some of the matches will be shown on the Pac-12 Networks. For more information, check out the schedule on the league's website.
- Lya Wodraska
...

Bobby Hartzog, a 5-foot-10 receiver out of Houston, Texas, has had a change of heart and has decided Utah is the place for him to play college ball.
Hartzog committed to the Houston Cougars less than two weeks ago after participating in a junior day.
However he said he had regrets soon after the announcement.
"I think I committed too soon," he said. "Me and my parents have been talking about it and we just decided Utah was the place for me."
Hartzog, who has run a 4.49 in the 40, will play corner for the Utes, but said where he plays wasn't a factor in his decision.
"I'll play either one," he said. "I just want to play football."
He is a former teammate of Hipol...

Utah's athletics department set a record for its multi-year Academic Performance Report released Tuesday with Utah averaging 981 in the report, an improvement from its previous best of 978 set a year ago.
The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation of student-athletes on scholarship. The NCAA minimum requirement is 925.
The Utes' gymnastics team was recognized for a multi-year APR that ranks in the top 10-percent of all Division I gymnastics teams with a perfect 1,000 multi-year APR, to tie for first in the Pac-12 with Arizona and California.
Women's cross country tied for second with an APR of 994 and football ranked third with an APR of 963.
Other teams j...

Utah's men's basketball team is adding a familiar name to its staff as former player Chris Burgess is joining the staff as an undergraduate assistant coach.
Burgess transferred from Duke to Utah in 1999 and started 21 of 27 games in which he played in the 2000-01 season.
Unfortunately his career was hampered by injuries, including one to his right plantar fascia that ended his senior year prematurely. He was averaging 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds at the time of his injury.
Following his college career, Burgess played for the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards from 2002-06 as well as playing overseas.
"He will be a valuable asset to our program due to his ...

An official offer has gone out to Kyle Kuzma - a 6-foot-8 small forward from Michigan - The Tribune has learned.

Kuzma is known on the AAU circuit as a shooter. He's a three-star prospect with official offers from Texas A&M, Penn State and Rhode Island, along with Utah.

He has additional interest from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Temple. He is a member of the class of 2014.

Kuzma was born in Flint Michigan - a place where Michigan State does much of its recruiting. He plays his high school basketball in Philadelphia at Rise Academy. In a recent interview he said he patterns his game after Klay Thompson, who plays for the Golden State Warriors. Ironic, because video ...

Utah's gymnastics team was recognized by the NCAA in an NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program Public Recognition Announcement on Wednesday for its continued success in academics.
The gymnastics team has been in the top 10 percent of all gymnastics teams in the Academic Performance report which accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation.
The Utes also posted the highest GPA among all Utah varsity teams in 2012-13 with a 3.772 GPA. Team member Hailee Hansen was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District VIII at large first team for her 3.958 cumulative GPA.

...

The Pac-12 made a big splash with Monday's announcement of its Student-Athlete Health Initiative, which will be a $3.5 million commitment in research grants aimed at improving student-athlete health and well being.
A majority of the focus will be on researching ways to limit cumulative head trauma in sports, particularly football where the rate of concussions continues to be a concern.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said stricter limits will be imposed for contact in practices than the five days the NCAA currently allows. The limits will be announced at the Pac-12 media day on July 26.
While some college football fans might be fearful of any rules that could be perceived as s...

Looking at a report by Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News, it appears the Utes are doing Ok financially, with the Utes receiving $4,079,028 in distribution funds for the 2011-12 year. While that amount is far below Stanford and Oregon, which led the league with $15,651,602 and $15,200,450 in revenue, Utah's haul is much higher than it was getting in the MWC, where $1.2 million was considered a good amount.
Utah will receive a larger chunk in the coming years as it moves to full membership in 2014-15. The Utes will receive a 75 percent cut in 2013-14.
Such fiscal reports might show progress for the Utes in revenue, but Utah athletic director Chris Hill maintains Utah is far fro...

The Arena Auditorium opened in 1982 for the University of Wyoming.

For the first time in thse 31 years, the Arena will be renovated.

Nothing serious. Just a makeover, a few renovations for a school that can't afford to see its marquee venue fall behind the remainder of the Mountain West.

Why should Utah fans care?

Well because, the Arena Auditorium may as well be a twin sister to the Huntsman Center.

In this video - http://www.gowyo.com/allaccess/?media=390139 - one can see that the dimensions, inside and out, are a dead ringer to the Huntsman.

With the Huntsman scheduled for upgrades, this could be a sneak peak at what's to come on the hill...

Utah fans had better get accustomed to late kickoffs in the Pac-12, as it appears the Utes are destined to play several late games in 2013 just as they did a year ago.
The league announced Wednesday that home games against Oregon State on Sept. 14 and against UCLA on Thursday, Oct. 3 will kick off at 8 p.m.
Both will be televised by FOX Sports 1, FOX's new national network that will replace the Speed Channel in the cable and satellite lineups in August.
The league also announced Utah's home game against Utah State on Thursday, Aug. 29 will kick off at 6 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports 1 as well.
Utah's home game against Weber State on Sept. 7 will start at noon a...

Utah's athletic teams set a department record for their highest cumulative GPA for the spring semester. The teams averaged a 3.153 GPA for the spring, up from their previous high of 3.136 in the spring of 2012. According to the school's release, 278 out of 434 athletes made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.0 or better for 2012-13.

- Lya Wodraska
...

The 6-foot-8 power forward out of Roy High school has played well enough on the AAU circuit this spring to land himself two premier invites.

Chapman will attend the Pangos All-American Camp. He will also attend the NBA Top 100 Camp, annually the most difficult camp to get an invitation from. The last Utah player to receive an invite there was Kyle Collinsworth, who will be a sophomore at BYU next season.

While Chapman is at the Pangos Camp, he is expected to take a visit to UCLA. He received an original offer from the Bruins. Then Ben Howland got fired. The new coaching staff saw Chapman play well at an AAU event in Kansas City and re-solidified the offer.

Chapman st...

At the end of his freshman season, Utah freshman forward Jordan Loveridge weighed in at 242 pounds.

The power forward/small forward looks a little different now.

Loveridge is a little smaller now, 227 pounds to be exact. That's the product of a strict workout plan, along with smarter eating habits. He doesn't want to stop there, as Loveridge could enter his sophomore season at 220 pounds.

His weight has always been something for him to watch. And while Loveridge was matchup problem as a stretch power forward this year in Larry Krystkowiak's offense, his goal is to move to small forward at some point in his Ute career.

That probably won't happen this year, at l...

Most Utah fans remember Tim Davis as a two-time offensive line coach for the Utes, once in the 1990’s and then again in 2011.

Now, he will be remembered for something different.

Now the offensive line coach at the University of Florida, Davis made national news this week, referring to Alabama coach Nick Saban by the name of Satan.

According to Sports Illustrated, Davis was addressing a booster club in Melbourne Florida when he made the controversial comments.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Will,” Davis said. “Will’s ...

Two weeks ago, Austin Montgomery committed to Utah basketball. Yesterday, the 6-foot-8 power forward made it official.

An athlete from out of Georgia, Montgomery will immediately leave to serve an LDS Church Mission in Texas. He will be on academic scholarship when he returns to Salt Lake City in two years.

Utah still has a scholarship left over in the 2013 class. Odds are the Utes will hold it for next year. There is the small chance they could use it this year if someone emerges that the coaching staff thinks can help.

With all of the off-season changes, the roster appears to be set.

Utah appears to have depth in the backcourt, with a number of newcomers. A f...

John White, Utah's work horse of a running back, is getting an opportunity at the pro level as he has agreed to a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, according to his representative, Derrick Fox.
The 5-foot-8 White was the only running back in Utah history to gain 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
He set school records for career rushing yards per game (106.7) and career 100-yard games (14).
White also finished his career ranked sixth in career rushing yards (2,560), fourth all-time in career rushes (534) and tied for fourth in career rushing touchdowns (23).
White was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2012 and second team selection in ...

While there were no 'formal' discussions about the possibility of moving to an 8-game football schedule at the recent Pac-12 meetings according to Utah athletic director Chris Hill, the topic was certainly bantered about among the coaches, whose ultimate desire is to have a consistent format for all conferences.
As for Hill, he said he prefers keeping the 9-game schedule.
"I like playing as many Pac-12 teams as possible," he said.
One of the reasons he feels it is important to do so is for strength of schedule, a factor that will become a bigger player once college football employs its new post-season format.
"We feel that is why the Big Ten is going to nine games (in 201...

The Pac-12 held a teleconference today in a review of spring football. The two common themes were injuries and the coaches' wish of having some consistency in scheduling conference games.
The coaches believe it is important all conferences have the same number of conference games and a league championship game as college football incorporates a playoff system.
"If we are going to have a playoff, we should have some sort of stabilizing rules so it is consistent with every single team," noted Cal coach Sonny Dykes.
He also admitted he doesn't know how such a schedule could be created.
Kurt Kragthorpe, our Pac-12 blogger, will hit on that topic this week.

Like the ...

Star Lotulelei to the Carolina Panthers? We should have guessed that, given Carolina's history.
Lotulelei, taken as the 14th pick in the first round by Carolina in the 2013 NFL draft Thursday, joins a line of Utes who have played for the Panthers.
The current roster includes tackle Jordan Gross (1st round, No. 8, 2003) and receiver Steve Smith (3rd round, 74th overall, 2001).
Defensive back R.J. Stanford was taken in the seventh round (223rd overall) in 2010 before moving onto Miami.
Other players who had stints in Carolina are receiver Kevin Dyson (1998) and defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu (2002).
In addition, former Ute Fred Graves (1969-71) coached the receivers ...

Star Lotulelei's big day has arrived with the NFL draft tonight. He has been projected to go from anywhere from No. 4 to Philadelphia all the way to No. 26 in Peter King's mock draft.
I'd be shocked if Lotulelei fell that far. His stock slipped some when his health was brought into question, but since recent heart exams showed his heart does function properly, I can't imagine teams would hesitate to take him.
Lotulelei isn't the only Ute who is hoping to get drafted. Joe Kruger left a year early, a decision that surprised the coaches and many observers who thought he may have benefited from another year.
Personally, I'd like to see Reggie Dunn get a chance too after his electr...

Utah fans have two more chances to catch the Utes in action this spring, with a practice scheduled today at the practice fields from 3-to-4:45 p.m. and the Red-White game on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
You can check out an interview with Utah coach Kyle Whittingham here on the Pac-12 Network, which is filming all the league's spring games.
Usually teams covet tape of opponents, but Whittingham said there isn't much value to the spring tapes for scouting purposes since the session is considered more of a teaching session for up and coming players rather than one based on strategy.
"It's still good to have them on hand and it's something to take a look at," he said. "But we...

Utah's gymnastics team claimed five of the 12 spots on the First Team Pac-12 All-Academic team which was released Wednesday.
Lia Del Priore (3.84, math teaching), Hailee Hansen (3.95, communications), Mary Beth Lofgren (3.9, Health-Ed), Becky Tutka (3.81, business) and Corrie Lothrop (3.7, Health-Ed) all made the First Team.
Georgia Dabritz (3.64, undecided), Nansy Damianova (3.49, Mass communication) and Tory Wilson (3.65, Biology) all made the second team.
The Utes left Wednesday for the NCAA Championships that start in Los Angeles on Friday. Utah is the 10th seed and will compete against Oklahoma, Alabama, UCLA, Michigan and Arkansas on Friday with the top three teams advan...

Even though senior Kelvin York hasn't been at full strength due to a lingering toe injury, Utah hasn't seen its talent level dip at the running back spot. If anything, the Utes are closing out their spring practice feeling very good about the position as senior Karl Williams, sophomore James Poole and junior Lucky Radley have all had strong sessions.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said following Tuesday's practice the battle between all four backs is a close one and said the Utes could play as many as four backs next season.
"There are a lot of ways we can use them besides just in the backfield," he said. "We will try to maximize the talent we have."
While York and Williams are k...

For two years, Larry Krystkowiak has needed a shooter, a specialist who can knock down open looks from the perimeter.

The Utes received that on Friday when Connor Van Brocklin committed.

A 6-foot-5 shooting guard who is left-handed, Van Brocklin has taken a long road to Division I basketball. He starred at Davis High for Jay Welk and was a senior on the team that lost an overtime classic to Lone Peak in the 2008 Class 5A semifinal.

He redshirted at Salt Lake Community College on year. He then went on a two-year LDS Church mission and then played at Snow College for two seasons. He had recruiting attemtion from a number of Big Sky Conference schools, as well as Utah Va...

It is likely all eyes will be on the quarterbacks during Saturday's scrimmage after coach Kyle Whittingham repeated an earlier declaration that it is a "close battle" between returning starting quarterback Travis Wilson and walk-on Adam Schulz.
Wilson has the experience, but Whittingham said Schulz has improved enough in his overall throwing technique to match Wilson in productivity.
So is there really a quarterback battle brewing on the hill?
I doubt it. While Schulz has shown a strong arm, Wilson has an edge, a very strong edge, in the experience he gained last year as Jordan Wynn's replacement.
Whittingham has said on many occasions consistency at the quarterback spot ...

A trip to New York and the chance to experience the NFL draft in person wasn't enough to entice Star Lotulelei to participate in the hoopla as Lotulelei announced through his agent on Wednesday that he will watch the draft from his home in Utah.
Lotuelelei, never one for media attention, was invited to the draft which begins April 25 but said he preferred to share the experience with his family and friends.
"Being invited is a tremendous honor and I am grateful for the consideration," he said in a statement. "After discussing it with my family I have decided to stay in Utah for the draft so I can share this moment with all the people that have supported me my entire life. I expect ...

A little upset he didn't see his name on Utah's initial spring depth chart, former fullback Karl Williams said he was determined to make the coaches notice him.
He is succeeding.
Williams is listed as a possible backup at running back along with James Poole and Lucky Radley. Kelvin York, who has been limited in his participation in spring ball due to a toe injury, remains in the No. 1 slot.
Williams, a 6-foot, 243-pound senior, is trying to lose some weight to make him faster, but has impressed the coaches with his physical play as he consistently shakes off, and sometimes runs through, defenders.
The coaches have been happy with the play of both Poole and Radley in sprin...

It seems Utah's gymnastics team has a knack for the dramatic moments. At least this time it turned out in their favor.
The Utes used one of their best vault performances of the year to finish second at the NCAA Regional Championships hosted by Alabama, scoring a 196.4.
Alabama went on to win the region with a 197.4 while Iowa State was third with a 195.4, Denver was fourth with a 195.275, BYU was fifth with a 194.45 and Kent State was sixth with a 193.5.
The score makes Utah the 10th seed at the NCAA Championships, hosted by UCLA April 19-21.
"All of the pressure is off us now because we are an underdog," Utah's Kassandra Lopez said. "We can go there and have fun and just...

Utah will go for 90 plays.

Most of the team, save for players with obvious injury, will get reps.

This will be a big scrimmage on Friday for the Utes. Head coach Kyle Whittingham says that it will be a fairly extensive run, with pretty much everyone getting on the field.

"I think it's important for guys to get some work in," Whittingham said. "We are going to get a chance to see where a lot of guys are at."

Thursday's practice featured shoulder pads and helmets only, as the team will be in full pads on Friday. There were scrimmage situations, there were extensive skelly drills, a good chance to judge the progress of the quarterbacks.

"I think the team l...

Interesting discussion here with Athlon ranking the Pac-12 football coaches. Utah's Kyle Whittingham was ranked just the ninth best coach in the league. That placing is a far cry from a few years ago when he won the National Coach of the Year award after leading the Utes to an undefeated season in 2008.
So what happened? The Pac-12 happened.
The Utes expected an adjustment period as they moved up to the big leagues. The move has definitely taken its toll with Utah failing to qualify for a bowl game last year.
The move up to a BCS league plus all the transitions with offensive coordinators and quarterback injuries didn't help.
Whittingham has all but admitted promoting Bri...

The latest depth chart is out for the Utes and it features a few interesting moves on the defense. Freshman Justin Thomas has been one of the surprises of camp and is listed ahead of JC transfer Davion Orphey at corner. At strong safety, Tyron Morris-Edwards is listed ahead of Quade Chappuis.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has been extremely complimentary of Morris-Edwards during camp. He played in nine games last year and had 16 tackles, but looks like he'll be a much bigger factor this year.
Injuries have sidelined several starters, giving some backups such as Thretton Palamo at left end, Hunter Dimick at right end and linebackers Jared Norris and Jacoby Hale increased reps.
Th...

Utah was well represented on the 2013 All-Pac-12 Conference team announced Wednesday with sophomore Tory Wilson (all-around), Georgia Dabritz (all-around) and Becky Tutka. Second-team representatives were juniors Mary Beth Lofgren (balance beam) and Nansy Damianova (floor).
Dabritz made the first-team on uneven bars a year ago.

- Lya Wodraska...

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham wasn't thrilled with Tuesday's practice, the first day of live work for the Utes.
Whittingham said the team lost its composure too much and the tempo wasn't where he wanted it to be.
"Sometimes when you get into live work you press too much," he said. "We have to settle down, work on techniques and keep the focus."
Running backs James Poole and Karl Williams were both solid with the 6-foot, 243-pound Williams in particular showing some effort as he wiped out several would-be defenders.

Poole is proving to be a solid receiver, an element crucial for the backs this year.
"We are throwing to the backs more this spring than ever," Whitti...

Justin Seymour - a freshman shooting guard from Georgia - will leave the program and transfer, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

Seymour made a reputation this season as an athletic guard with one of the better outside shots on the team. While he didn't play much towards the end of the year, he was thought to be a cornerstone of Utah's future in Larry Krystkowiak's rebuilding process.

However, Seymour and Krystkowiak met on Monday. The decision was made mutually on Tuesday afternoon, a source told The Tribune.

Seymour's best game this season was his first, a 16 point, six rebound, three assist performance against Willamette. He had other standout games, including a 1...

Utah's football team is set to practice Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday this week with all practices open to the public. More info can be found in this week's release.
The one major change on the depth chart was junior Quinton Pedroza has moved ahead of senior Anthony Denham at receiver.
Pedroza has contributed mainly on special teams, but could be a breakout player for the Utes this year.
Junior receiver Kenneth Scott talked on Thursday about how hard he and Pedroza and some of the other receivers worked in the offseason, knowing the Utes were going to use a more uptempo offense.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Pedroza played just one year of high school football but was the lea...

Utah's gymnastics team was just a few routines away from winning the program's first Pac-12 title. Instead, the Utes fell to third.
Three routines with major breaks on the balance beam dropped the Utes from first to third as home team Oregon State surged to the win with a 197.85 while UCLA was second (197.375) followed by Utah (197.075) and Stanford (196.625). Earlier in the day, Washington had the high score in the afternoon session with a 195.875 followed by Arizona (195.525), Cal (195.075) and Arizona State (193.425).
Utah coach Greg Marsden said he knew balance beam was going to be Utah's weak event this year. His concerns have come to life in inconsistency. Some weeks the Ut...

Star Lotulelei did his best to end any fears he isn't NFL worthy as the former Utah lineman and others were put through their paces at Utah's pro day.
Lotulelei benched 38, one time shy of his personal best of 39, and looked strong in the other drills as well.
Afterward Lotulelei said he has been training hard ever since a second opinion in Salt Lake City found the efficiency of his heart is improving.
He was prevented from participating in drills at the NFL combine when a medical exam revealed his left ventricle was operating at just 44 percent efficiency instead of the normal range of 55 to 70 percent.
He still won't be in the clear until he undergoes more medical test...

Day 1 is in the books for the Utes, who opened spring ball Tuesday with an emphasis on tempo under the watchful eye of new co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson.
"Everything is a lot faster for us," quarterback Travis Wilson said. "He has brought new ideas, new additions to the package we already have."
Wilson earned good reviews from coach Kyle Whittingham who said Wilson's arm is noticeably stronger. Erickson also heaped praise on Wilson and backups Adam Schulz and freshman Brandon Cox.
"They all looked good throwing the ball around and I like the offensive front," he said. "It's kind of hard to tell with just underwear on, we really won't know until you put pads on, but ...

Utah gymnasts Georgia Dabritz and Tory Wilson earned Pac-12 honors after leading Utah to an upset of Florida. Dabritz was named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the week after a 39.7 all-around performance boosted by a 10.0 on the uneven bars.
Wilson completed an undefeated run on the vault to be named Specialist of the Week after scoring a 9.975.
The Utes are the top seed in the Pac-12 Championships which will be held in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday.
- Lya Wodraska
...

Winding up our look at the Utah Utes as they head into spring practice by breaking down the corners and safeties as well as special teams.
The corners are going through a virtual complete overhaul with the loss of starters Reggie Topps and Ryan Lacy and backup Moe Lee. in addition, sophomore backup Terrell Reese announced during the offseason he wanted to transfer to earn more playing time.
The departures leave the Utes looking at a bunch of new faces as possible starters. One key returner could be Keith McGill, a 6-3, 205-pound senior who was highly recruited but has been sidelined with shoulder injuries. If he can stay healthy he should lock down a starting role.
Junior Wyki...

Switching our focus to the defense today, which received an unpleasant surprise when defensive end Joe Kruger announced he was leaving a year early for the NFL.
The Utes must also replace Star Lotulelei and Dave Kruger and backup Niasi Leota, who was dismissed from the team in February after he was charged with aggravated assault and kidnapping after allegedly beating and threatening to kill his wife.
The good news is the Utes have a lot of candidates who could emerge as starters and leaders.
Senior Trevor Reilly, who won't participate in spring ball as he recovers from an injury, is slated to start at left end.
Seniors Tenny Palepoi and LT Tuipulotu are the tackles and j...

Finishing our look at Utah's offense by talking about the receivers and tight ends. Utah's receivers are going to have to earn their numbers this year in an effort to emphasize the team game, not individuality, but even as they start spring in unfamiliar numbers they shouldn't be too hard to recognize as Utah returns the majority of their playmakers.
DeVonte Christopher, Luke Matthews and Reggie Dunn are gone, but Kenneth Scott, Dres Anderson and Anthony Denham all return and are penciled in as starters.
Anderson led the receivers with 36 catches for 365 yards and three touchdowns, Scott was third with 32 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns and Denham had 11 catches for 135 ...

Utah's gymnastics team saved the best for last, well, maybe. Who knows with this team, the Utes could have even better nights ahead of them than Saturday's 198.125-197.875 win over No. 2 Florida.
Utah looks every bit like a team that could win the Pac-12 title next week at Oregon State. If they can beat the Gators, who notched the country's highest score a week ago, why couldn't Utah win the league title?
They certainly looked like a contender Saturday. Utah excelled on the uneven bars (49.6) and floor (49.65) and Georgia Dabritz earned her first 10.0, doing so on the uneven bars.
Utah coach Greg Marsden has maintained Utah's issues on the uneven bars has been more mental tha...

Perhaps the biggest mystery for Utah's offense heading into spring is the running back position.
Kelvin York has first dibs on becoming the man to replace John White, but York is still a bit unproven.
He played in eight games last year, rushing 60 times for 273 yards and three touchdowns as the Utes chose to give White the ball as much as they could.
White finished with 218 rushes for 1,041 yards and eight touchdowns.
Can York become the kind of back White was? He certainly has the perfect chance to prove he can in spring.
His backups on the depth chart are Lucky Radley, a junior who had 15 carries for 50 yards last year and James Poole, a sophomore who joined the te...

What Utah is doing in the Pac-12 Tournament defies logic - and tourney history.

Utah is the first double-digit seed to make the semifinal - where it will face Oregon for the second time in a week. What's at stake for the Utes? A berth in the title game, and an opportunity for another "first" under Larry Krystkowiak. Currently, Utah has never beaten a Pac-12 team twice in one season. The Utes can change that on Friday night.

The country is taking notice. Jarred DuBois' shot against California to send Thursday's game into overtime was prominently featured on Sportscenter.

This piece by Raphielle Johnson talks about Jordan Loveridge and his ability to take over against t...

Time to take a look at Utah's offensive line, a problem area for the Utes last year as they gave up 25 sacks and struggled with depth issues due to injuries.
Utah co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson is optimistic the area will be a strength this year.
"Talking to (offensive line coach) Dan Finn, we are going to be bigger, stronger and faster," he said. "We have a lot of solid guys and we are excited about the potential."
The Utes are particularly excited about sophomore Jeremiah Poutasi. The 6-foot-5, 345-pounder will anchor the left tackle spot and will be backed up by Andrew Albers (6-7, 310), a 2013 signee out of Orange Coast College who has enrolled and will participa...

There will be plenty of Oregon fans on Friday night when the Ducks face Utah in the Pac-12 semifinals.

Those fans won't only be at MGM Grand Garden Arena. They will be all over the country.

Every single team nationally on the NCAA Tournament bubble wants - needs - the Utes to lose.

You see, Utah is what you call a potential bid stealer. Those are the teams that struggle through the regular-season and then win a conference tournament. Those are the teams that have zero chance to go dancing without an automatic berth, the teams who don't make the postseason without making magic before the magic.

Utah is that team. Hot-shooting. Playing good defense. The Utes are ...

With spring practice just a few days away, in the coming days we are going to break down some of the key positions to watch when the Utes take the field on Tuesday.
We're going to start with the quarterback position, a spot that receives plenty of scrutiny given the issues the Utes have had there with injuries to Jordan Wynn and the development of Travis Wilson last year in Wynn's place.
Dennis Erickson, Utah's recently hired co-offensive coordinator, said this week he likes what he sees on film in Wilson, who who finished 128-for-204 for 1,311 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions in 2012.
"I like Travis as a leader," he said. "I haven't been able to see him throw ye...

There was the 15 points.

There were the nine rebounds.

There was his indelible mark on the game.

Freshman Jordan Loveridge played one of his best all-around games against USC in a 69-66 win. Truthfully, all the freshmen did.

Dakarai Tucker hit two massive 3-pointers against the Trojans. Brandon Taylor playd a superb floor game in leading the Utes and getting good shots against USC's defense. Jeremy Olsen played tough in the paint.

But Loveridge scored inside. He scored on the perimeter. He rebounded and he made plays off the dribble. Everything his coach wanted him to do.

Two days ago, Loveridge was left off the all-freshman Pac-12 team. On Wednes...