This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's 17-4 record has an ugly side: road games.
Utah is only 4-4 away from the Huntsman Center, a problem for any team with high March aspirations. The No. 13-ranked Runnin' Utes certainly fit that bill: They defend well, they score efficiently, and they have focused players who respond to their coaching.
But they don't always look like it on the road. San Diego State, Kansas, Arizona and UCLA each bullied Utah with physicality, prompting Larry Krystkowiak to say several times his team needs to get tougher.
Enter Colorado, which has given Utah all it can handle physically the last few years. In this series' recent history, the home team wins. And it wins with rebounding, hustle after loose balls, and hard-nosed defense.
The season has really been about proving this program is a legitimate contender. Utah can prove its taking steps in that direction tonight.
Time, Place and [radio waves in] Space • The Utes and Buffs tip off at 8 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Networks and on the Radio at ESPN700. The game will be played at Coors Events Center, where the Buffs have only lost 11 games of their last 80.
Last time out • Utah blitzed Colorado, 74-49, really pulling away in the second half on Jan. 7. In one segment, the Utes scored on eight straight possessions. Guard play was huge: Delon Wright and Brandon Taylor combined for 27 points and 11 assists, shooting 55 percent from the field. Askia Booker and Jaron Hopkins each had 12 points, but the rest of CU's roster shot 8 for 24.
Telling stat • How has Colorado accounted for the absence of Josh Scott? By committee. Wesley Gordon is the most prominent, especially rebounding with 11.2 per game in his last four. He's also scored 10 in four of his last five. Dustin Thomas and Tory Miller are also scoring and rebounding more in the post … and now Scott returns.
Pregame quotable • Taylor left quite an impression on Colorado coach Tad Boyle last time out: "Brandon Taylor may be the the most underrated and under-talked about guards in our league."
Buffaloes roster overview • The wins haven't come consistently yet, but CU is a deeper team than it was in January. Booker has heated up to lead the Buffs, scoring at least 20 points in four of his last five games, and Gordon and Thomas offer a physical presence in the post. Hopkins has stepped up in the backcourt, and he was a problem for Utah last time. Add that to a potentially healthy Josh Scott, who entered the season as a returning all Pac-12 player, and the versatile Xavier Johnson, and Colorado might still be in position to make a late push at the end of the year. CU is decent enough offensively (1.024 points per possession, No. 106) and defensively (0.954 points allowed per possession, No. 93), but its biggest weakness remains taking care of the ball. The Buffs are last in the Pac-12 in assists per game (11.9) and second-to-last in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.936).
Something's Gotta Give • The rebounding battle will likely tell the tale of this game. Last time out, Utah won that match-up by seven, and scored more second chance points. Both these teams protect the defensive glass pretty well, with Utah checking in at 71.8 percent and Colorado getting 70.6, according to KenPom. If one of these teams can get a couple second possessions, it could be the defining point of the game. Larry Krystkowiak said it himself this week: "They do a really nice job on the glass. That's been our Achilles heel with them."
Colorado's Edge • Three-point shooting. The Buffaloes have seven players who shoot better than 37 percent from beyond the arc. Booker is the gunner, taking more than double than anyone else on the roster, but Xavier Johnson, Xavier Talton, Tre'shaun Fletcher and Hopkins can all launch from deep. As a team, CU is hitting 37.8 percent, No. 49 in the country. Utah is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, but the Utes probably don't have a shootout in mind for this game.
Utah's Edge • Turnovers. No advantage played a bigger part in Utah's first win than turnovers: The Buffs gave away 18 while the Utes only had 8. Utah outscored CU 28 to 7 off turnovers alone, and Delon Wright accounted for four steals. Expect Utah to key off Booker, who has been hot recently and is the key to Colorado's offense. If Wright and Taylor can hassle him into coughing up the rock, it will be another long night for the Buffs.
Watch Out For • Colorado's health, same as last time. Josh Scott is expected to make his first start since the last Utah game, and Xavier Johnson will be in his third game back — in his last game against UCLA, he was 0-for-7. Askia Booker sat out of some practice this week with a hip pointer injury, and Boyle said Jaron Hopkins was dealing with an ankle injury earlier this week. On Utah's side, Jakob Poeltl's ankle inflammation may have benefitted from the long week, and Brekkott Chapman said a rolled ankle he suffered against USC wasn't serious.
— Kyle Goon
Twitter: @kylegoon