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In its season debut, Utah had trouble putting down a pesky Big Sky opponent that Larry Krystkowiak said had everything but size.
The Utes next foe, San Diego State, won't have that particular problem.
Utah is familiar with the Aztecs, who beat them last year in an ugly 53-49 game in Viejas Arena. The frontcourt will have to try to shoot for another strong outing, and the backcourt will need to actually show up.
"SDSU is a very good team," Jakob Poeltl said. "They're a very physical team. We've got to be prepared for that."
Utah's starting frontcourt looked spectacular against the undersized Thunderbirds, even as the guards struggled. Poeltl, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Loveridge combined for 89 percent of the scoring, 66 percent of the rebounding and all but two field goals.
Against San Diego State, that won't be so easy.
The Aztecs have a robust frontcourt that knows how to defend, led by senior 6-foot-10 forward Skylar Spencer, who holds the school record for career blocks (233). Around him, there's 6-foot-10 sophomore Malik Pope, who was a five-star recruit out of high school, and versatile 6-foot-8 forward Winston Shepard. There's also depth there: SDSU can bring at least two 6-foot-9 players off the bench, which Utah cannot match.
Poeltl held his own last year on defense in only his second game, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking seven shots. But he could barely get shots off with SDSU's defense smothering the paint. Utah shot only 32 percent in the game.
For his part, Poeltl feels like bulking up in the offseason will help him fare better, as will his offseason study of how post play will be officiated this year.
San Diego State was whistled for 23 fouls in its opener against Illinois State; Utah was called for only 11 fouls against SUU.
"It's gonna get physical if you play with your back to the basket, but as soon as you face up, they've got to get their hands up," he said. "We're going to get a lot of foul calls. We worked on trying to be aggressive and facing up."
The Utes will also have to be prepared for pressure: Under Steve Fisher, the Aztecs' press and defensive length have been a hallmark of the program, which has won at least 23 games in seven straight seasons.
Utah will likely have to shoot better from deep range to open up the paint, after hitting only 8 of its 29 3-point attempts against SUU.
This will be Utah's first true test against a team that went to the NCAA Tournament last year, one of at least four on its nonconference schedule. Like last year, the game will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. Utah faltered in that first test before rising to other challenges later in the season.
This time, the Utes would prefer not to have to wait for big wins. Krystkowiak said after beating SUU that some of the rugged play was a slice of "humble pie" that might motivate the team over the weekend.
"We've got a heck of an opponent coming in on Monday," he said. "It's good. I've got a lot of trust in our guys that they're gonna bounce back."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
San Diego State at No. 16 Utah
P Huntsman Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV • ESPN2
Radio • ESPN 700 AM
Records • SDSU (1-0); Utah (1-0)
Series history • Utah leads, 53-19
Last meeting • Nov. 18, 2014 at San Diego; San Diego State 53, Utah 49
About the Aztecs • San Diego State has beaten Utah in six straight meetings, including the last two games played at the Huntsman Center. … Senior forward Skylar Spencer leads the Aztecs in blocks, with 233 for his career with at least 89 each of the last two seasons. … The Aztecs boast a 69 percent winning percentage since March 2010 in road and neutral-site games, the seventh-best in the country in that span.
About the Utes • Kyle Kuzma is coming off career-best performances in points (23) and rebounds (13) in his first career start at power forward against Southern Utah. … The Utes are 35-3 since the beginning of the 2013-14 season at the Huntsman Center. … Larry Krystkowiak is looking for his 70th win at Utah on Monday night, and his 112th win overall as an NCAA head coach.