This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Larry Krystkowiak won't tell you who his starters are. At this point, though, his rotation is a bit clear.
"I think we have nine solid guys," Krystkowiak said. "Maybe 10. We have depth that we didn't have last season. We have guys that I'm not afraid of putting into the game and that's a good feeling to have."
With the exhibition opener against Simon Fraser a week away, this blog will take a stab at what Utah's starting five and rotation will look like. This is an educated guess from watching practice and Utah's intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday.
Point guard - Clearly Glen Dean will be the starter here and the leader of the team. The junior guard is compact, explosive, makes good decisions on the pick-and-roll and can shoot the ball. The one concern is his lack of height - he's 5-foot-9 at the most. Will he get swallowed up by Pac-12 big men when he penetrates the lane?
Shooting guard - Justin Seymour is just a freshman and has a long way to go with experience. But he has potential to be a dynamic scorer. At 6-3, he's athletic and can score on all three levels. Jarred DuBois can easily be the choice here. But with Aaron Dotson injured until December, the Utes need someone who can create offense from the wing and make plays. Seymour, despite his youth, is the guy who best fits this description.
Small forward - This would've been Dotson's spot pre-injury. Now it goes to Martin, who is solid all-around, but doesn't do anything great. Still, Martin knows the system, is a senior and is Utah's best perimeter defender by a good margin. He has gotten better offensively and is a glue guy. Everyone likes him.
Power forward - Jordan Loveridge is a rookie, but he's a matchup nightmare in the making. He can shoot from deep, run the floor, his long arms let him rebound with guys much bigger than him. He has the mentality of a scorer. In Krystkowiak's motion offense, Loveridge offers versatility and another shooter in the lineup. Loveridge, the freshman out of West Jordan, will get every chance to garner huge minutes this season.
Center - Jason Washburn is a true back to the basket guy. Better for him, Dallin Bachynski offers a great contrast. Those two will make a pretty good tandem this season.
Off the bench, DuBois will see 20-25 minutes per game, pretty much the same time if he starts. Plus, he's valuable because he can play the point, or slide over to shooting guard. He may be Utah's best player off the dribble as well.
Bachynski and Renan Lenz will see plenty of time. They offer size off the bench, and will play signifcant roles.
Tony Jones