This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utes made their national television debut Thursday at the Battle 4 Atlantis. It was, uh, dubious.
The Utes were blasted by Hahhhvahhhd 75-47, just the latest in a growing string of losses for the Utes, although the Boston Globe was kind enough to Larry Krystkowiak & Co. to term it an "upset."
ESPN's Eamonn Brennan on the game: "Utah isn't a very good team — that much we know for sure — but it's hard to be unimpressed by the comprehensive beating the Utes received from Harvard on Thursday."
There seemed to be a consensus among my Twiter followers that the Utes should never lose to an Ivy League school, no matter how good the team nor how bad the Utes. This year's Crimson (4-0) is good. Krystkowiak pointed to Harvard as a blueprint for where he would like to see the Utes go, and it makes sense. The teams' offenses are similar (minus execution), and the Crimson plays with the same intensity Krystkowiak talks about the Utes needing.
Harvard was led in scoring by freshman point guard Corbin Miller, the former Brighton High School star who chose the Crimson over the Utes, among others. As we wrote yesterday, he has a bit of a history with Utah forward Blake WIlkinson, who scored 12 points to share top honors for Utah last night.
Anyhow, the Battle 4 Atlantis rages on. Harvard moves on to play No. 20 Florida State in a must-see semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on Versus. In the day's first semifinal, Central Florida upset defending national champion UConn, 68-63.
The Utes head to the losers' bracket and will take on UMass. The Minutemen are a 13.5 point favorite against the Utes and on Thursday played FSU tough before losing 73-53. UMass presses after every made basket which could cause fits for the Utes.That game will be at 7:30 p.m. and can be watched on HDNet.
— Bill Oram