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Denver • Let's have Larry Krystkowiak tell the story. From his Friday press conference transcript:

I had a gentleman [Michigan State fan] last night tell me — a little side story — came up and said, You're the coach of Utah, right?
I said, Yeah.
He goes, I sure hope you win tomorrow.
I said, Why is that? How are you tied into it?
He said, Because I know if you win tomorrow, you'll be an easier team for us to beat to go to the Elite 8.
I said, Well, I think we both have a little meat left on the bone. What makes you so sure you're going to get to the Sweet 16?
He said, Well, haven't you been watching college basketball?
I just kind of dismissed it. I said, Obviously you've been drinking, right?
He said, Yeah.
I said, Okay. Well, good luck.
So I'd like to run into him today at the hotel and see how he's doing.

The message is straightforward, but doesn't always sink in:http://bit.ly/1Ra7TuS";> Anyone can lose in March. A lot of teams — and their fans — have learned that the hard way this year.

You can bet that's been drilled in the Utes, who now look good by comparison running http://bit.ly/1XzkWKd";>by Fresno State, 80-69, on Thursday. Many other higher seeds weren't so lucky: The 10 double-digit seeds that made it through to the second round set a new record for double-digit seed upsets. In the Midwest region alone, there's five lower seeded-teams that advanced — most notably setting up a Syracuse (10) and Middle Tennessee State (15) match-up that determines a Sweet 16 berth.

If Utah gets past Gonzaga, it is guaranteed to face a third straight double-digit seed.

Sure, you can stick to a company line of the seeds don't matter, but the Blue Raiders cleared a huge contender out of the Midwest: Michigan State would've likely would've drawn a lot of support had it made the Sweet 16, and with player of the year candidate Denzel Valentine would've been a tough out.

Some roads are harder than others. And if Utah can get past http://bit.ly/1RrfYKI";>an under-seeded Gonzaga team, it faces a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16, potentially on the path to its first Elite Eight since 1998.

The opportunity is too great to pass up for the Utes. Gonzaga will be tough, but if Utah is able to hold onto the chalk for a little bit longer, the path is clearing for a program-defining run.

In other words, there's potentially a lot of meat left on this bone. But first things first:

Time, Place and [radio waves in] Space • Tip-off is at the Pepsi Center in Denver, an event that would certainly be worth trying to scalp tickets, but could be difficult with Utah and Gonzaga fanbases converging. The game is tentatively scheduled for 6:40 p.m., but NCAA Tournament games almost always run late. Plan for the 6:40 tip, but expect closer to 7:10 p.m. Watch the game on TNT or stream it on NCAA.com. Listen on the radio at ESPN 700 AM (but not the ESPN 700 app).

The Line • As of Saturday morning, Gonzaga is favored by 1.5 points http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/teams/team-page.cfm/team/utah";>according to Vegas Insider. The Utes are 17-15-1 against the spread this year.

Pregame Quotable • Larry Krystkowiak, a big man himself, likes what he sees in http://bit.ly/1RqCFoJ";>the match-up between Jakob Poeltl and Domantas Sabonis: "It's a little bit of a throwback you know? It's unusual. You're not going to find many teams that depend on an old-fashion 5-man back to the basket, and Sabonis and Jakob are both that."

Opposing Coach • Maybe the only thing you need to know about Mark Few is that he's the NCAA's active leader in winning percentage, with a 465-110 overall record. When Larry Krystkowiak started at Montana, he asked Few for advice. That's because no one has defined winning with a mid-major program quite like Few, who has helped lead Gonzaga to an astounding 18 straight NCAA Tournaments. He has never won fewer than 20 games in a season. The big gap in his lengthy and impressive coaching resume is a Final Four — Gonzaga is trying to get there after going to the Elite Eight last year.

Telling Stat • Worried about turnovers? Maybe in this game, it won't be such a big deal. Utah's defense forces turnovers on 15.3 percent of possessions, for the No. 323 rate in the countryhttp://kenpom.com/gameprep.php?g=5955";> according to KenPom. Gonzaga only is ranked No. 332 (15 percent). That's not how those defenses work: Both teams try to force a bad shot then pick up the rebound — which worked for both teams on Thursday.

Bulldogs Roster Overview • The rotation is a light one, but entirely stacked in the front court like few other teams. Think of Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer as a thunder-lightning combo. Sabonis is inside grinding for close baskets and cleaning up the glass, while Wiltjer is a finesse player who can score from just about anywhere on the court. You'll be hard-pressed to find a bigger pair of better scorers, who combine for about 38 points per game and both stand at least 6-foot-10. Gonzaga's weakness throughout the year has been considered to be guard play, but not lately: Eric McClellan and Josh Perkins have both averaged double digits in the last five games, and McClellan's defensive ability has been key to shutting down guys like Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead. Gonzaga is stringently efficient at just about everything they do: Roll down the Bulldogs' profile in KenPom, and you'll see a ton of green (which is good) in offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, rebounding and shooting percentages. The only things they don't do all that well: block shots, get to the line and force turnovers.

Behind Enemy Lines • Jim Meehan of the Spokesman-Review takes a look at the role http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/mar/18/defense-should-play-huge-role-when-gonzaga-clashes/";>defense will play in the match-up.

Something's Gotta Give • Do we really need to spell out what the top match-up is? Poeltl. Sabonis. It's going down. Looking at the duo, Sabonis is the better overall rebounder, averaging almost 12 per game. He doesn't have Poeltl's length, but he plays physical at 6-foot-11 and probably has a little more range. Poeltl may have superior length and overall mobility. Both teams will attempt to deny looks to the bigs, but when the one-on-one match-ups do occur, a lot of people — including NBA scouts — will be holding their breath to see how those turn out.

Gonzaga's Edge • The Bulldogs only allow opponents to shoot 29.4 percent from 3-point range. Think about that. Only 11 times this year has a foe managed to hit more than a third of its 3-point shots, and teams like UConn, Seton Hall, Washington, UCLA and Arizona have all been more or less stymied behind the 3-point line. Utah is shooting 36.8 percent beyond the arc, and the deep ball is key to opening up opportunities including the pick-and-roll that get baskets in the paint. If Gonzaga is able to fluster Utah's guards offensively, they can close in on Poeltl. And that's not good for the Utes.

Utah's Edge • Depth and fouling. Here's an interesting big man comparison: Sabonis has gotten four or more fouls in 17 games this year. Poeltl has gotten four or more fouls in eight games. Down the line, Gonzaga only plays six or seven men. Back-up center Ryan Edwards played his first game in five contests against Seton Hall, only putting in five minutes. The Utes don't have much post depth either, but they have slightly more with Brekkott Chapman and Chris Reyes off the bench (and can bring Jordan Loveridge out to the four spot). Utah is also the No. 4 team in the nation with only 15.3 fouls per game. If Sabonis or Wiltjer get in foul trouble, the Bulldogs don't have much depth down the line to throw out on the floor.

Injury Watch • Utah is expected to be healthy. As mentioned above, Edwards is back, but missed a few games during the West Coast Conference Tournament. Gonzaga needs him for depth.

Watch Out For • Personnel mismatches. For Utah, that has to be Wiltjer, the 6-foot-10 forward with a feathery touch from long range who can also post up. It's on Chapman and Kyle Kuzma to be active defenders and make sure they're contesting Wiltjer's touches and his shots. Lorenzo Bonam is always an X-factor for the Utes, especially on a hot streak of late. It will be interesting to see how Gonzaga uses WCC defensive player of the year McClellan: Do you guard Bonam's driving attacks, or the 3-point range of Loveridge and Brandon Taylor? That could be a bit of a catch-22 for the Bulldogs.

Can Utah stay Sweet? We find out tonight.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon