This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The morning after Clemson beat Alabama in a last-secon thriller of an NCAA football title game, coach Larry Krystkowiak signed out of his weekly press conference with this: "Football's over. It's all hoops."

The recruiting calendar may disagree with the sentiment, but Krystkowiak is right that until August, we're done with football games. And that gives yours truly a little more time in the week, some of which will be devoted to bringing back game guides.

What is the purpose of the game guide? Context.

Our daily print coverage of the Runnin' Utes won't always delve into the nitty gritty. Here, we look at stats, storylines and the other details that will go into the match-ups.

Apologies for the absence of guides for late season football and early basketball. But as conference play ramps up with a pair of top-25 teams visiting town, let's make a New Year's resolution to ramp up the coverage.

Starting with No. 25 USC ...

Time, Place and [radio waves in] Space • Utah's second ranked home opponent comes to visit Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Huntsman Center. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Network with J.B. Long and Don MacLean calling the action, or you can listen on the radio on ESPN 700 AM with Jimmy Soto and world-class bags player Bill Riley. It's worth noting that Utah has beaten the last nine Pac-12 opponents visiting the Huntsman Center, but it's also the first time Utah is hosting back-to-back ranked foes since 2011.

The Line • As of Wednesday afternoon, the Utes are favored by 3.5 points according to Vegas Insider. Utah is 6-6-1 against the spread so far this season with two wins and a push in their last three games.

Pregame Quotable • Lorenzo Bonam on playing two ranked teams this week: "We're going to find out where we are, defensively and offensively. But we're gonna find out our team's mindset more than anything else. We can play. We played Arizona in a tough game. You go into an environment like that, only turn the ball over eight times. That's good. Since we got a young team, that shows progress."

Opposing coach • It's hard to argue anything except that Andy Enfield has engineered a remarkable turnaround for the Trojans, who returned to the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2011. While UCLA has owned most of the glory so far, USC started the year 15-0 before losing its first game to Oregon two weeks ago. Enfield recently won his 100th career game last week against Stanford, and is 59-56 overall with the Trojans, steadily gaining ground after starting at USC with back-to-back 20-loss seasons. But there is a black mark against him in this match-up:http://bit.ly/2j2RotA";> He's never beaten Larry Krystkowiak head-to-head in six meetings.

Telling Stat • In a story earlier this week, http://bit.ly/2iSBn9G";>I highlighted tempo as a factor to watch. Utah has lost to all three ranked teams it has faced this year, and those three losses are the three slowest-paced games the Utes have played all season. The Trojans figure to run it faster that Butler, Xavier or Arizona, so that might be more Utah's speed.

Trojans Roster Overview • You're going to recognize a lot of these names, especially junior Jordan McLaughlin, who by his career's end will feel like he's played college basketball forever. In addition to filling his familiar role as a scorer (team-leading 14.5 ppg), he's occupied the departed Julian Jacobs' role as distributor with more than five assists per game as well. The 6-foot-5 Elijah Stewart has emerged as a backcourt counterpart, with 13.9 ppg. At 6-foot-11, Chemezie Metu is a fluid athlete who can throw down on dunks, but also rebounds (8.1 rpg) and blocks shots (1.8 bpg) better than any other Trojan. After a rash of transfers and early departures that was bested in-conference only by Utah last year, USC needed help in the freshman class: They're getting it from rookie guards Jonah Matthews (7.1 ppg) and De'Anthony Melton (10.2 ppg). Shaqquan Aaron, a transfer from Louisville, brings 6-foot-7 size at one of the guard spots and could be a tough match-up. Watch for the outside shot: Five of USC's top six leading scorers hit 33 percent or better from beyond the arc.

Behind Enemy Lines • The L.A. Daily News has this story about how http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20170108/struggles-at-free-throw-line-prove-costly-for-usc-mens-basketball-team";>a tough night at the free throw line cost the Trojans in a one-point loss to Cal.

Something's Gotta Give • It will be an intriguing match-up in the post between one of the best-shotblocking teams in the country and one of the least-blocked offenses. Utah has been tremendous this year at getting to the rack, boasting a 5.2 block percentage that is the 4th-lowest in the nation. Three starters — David Collette, Devon Daniels and Bonam — are all shooting above 66 percent on 2-point tries against DI competition. They'll have to contend with a fluid defender in Metu, who leads the Trojans in blocks with 31. USC's block rate is 15.5 percent, which is 15th-best nationally.

USC's Edge • The growing maturity of USC's guards is evident in one particular stat: turnovers, or lack thereof. KenPom rates the Trojans as the No. 15 team at taking care of the ball, only allowing turnovers on 15.9 percent of possessions. Utah's defense doesn't do much in particular to create turnovers, which likely means that USC will be winning the turnover margin on Thursday night with its experienced guard play.

Utah's Edge • The Utes have to win the glass, particularly with the Trojans at less-than-full strength in the front court. Kyle Kuzma has been tenacious so far in this respect, with seven double-doubles this year. Others such as Daniels and Bonam are capable of adding rebounding in the backcourt. If USC's edge will come in turnovers, Utah has to create its own extra opportunities while rebounding against a Trojans team that has a lot of trouble keeping opponents off the offensive glass.

Injury Watch • Sophomore Bennie Boatwright has missed 12 games this year with knee injury. The Trojans could use the 6-foot-10 forward if he's healthy: He had 17 points when Utah visited the Galen Center last year. No injuries on the Utah front, but something to watch: http://bit.ly/2i7J7ns";>After Krystkowiak had his back "lock up" on him last Saturday, it will be telling to see if he can be his usual demonstrative self on the floor, or if he remains seated to rest. Assistants may play a deeper role on Thursday night if he's struggling to move around a bit, although this video ofhttps://twitter.com/kylegoon/status/819307820977823744";> gymnast Mykayla Skinner standing atop a nail board on top of him might indicate he's doing fine.

Watch Out For • How does the Utah backcourt execute? Kuzma has been a leader for the team since the season started, and http://bit.ly/2iHwcGw";>Collette has been Utah's most consistent offensive weapon. But Utah needs to find stability among its guards. Against Arizona, the Utes had only 11 assists on 25 baskets. Against ASU, it was 20 assists on 34. When the assisted basket ratio is over 50 percent, Utah hasn't lost. When it records more assists than its opponent, it is 10-0. Players like Bonam, JoJo Zamora and Sedrick Barefield will be charged with taking care of the ball against an experienced USC backcourt, but also looking to create for others and make Utah's offense run more smoothly.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon