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Send Larry Krystkowiak an e-mail. Apparently he reads it. And sometimes he'll send back replies, too.
There was an e-mail, Krystkowiak said, sent to him from "one of the best writers in the country" that asked him to rank the Pac-12 teams from best to worst. He sent a curt response: That's your job.
Krystkowiak has seen plenty of prognosticating these past few months, many with positive things to say about his Utah basketball team. The Utes are a climber in the Pac-12, ESPN says. Delon Wright could be the most valuable player in the country, Fox Sports says.
But entering his fourth season with the most talented team he's had in his tenure with the Utes, Krystkowiak said he's not in the business of worrying about what others have to say. He's just trying to set his team on track to improve on a 21-12 finish last season.
"We didn't pay too much attention when we're were picked to finish 12th either," he said. "It wasn't very important then. We're just waking up every day and trying to make our team better."
The Runnin' Utes appeared internally focused in their first media session on Monday. They've spent an offseason upgrading the roster and ironing out their flaws, they've said. They hope the result of that work is the best basketball team the program has since the program last made the NCAA Tournament in 2009.
The biggest areas of emphasis: outside shooting, rebounding, limiting turnovers. The first 20-win season in the Krystkowiak era and an unceremonious first-round exit from the NIT merely whetted their appetite for more success. With the team's six top returning scorers, led by all-Pac-12 guard Delon Wright, they feel well-positioned to find some.
"We made big improvements I thought as a team, and this year we built on those improvements, especially with the guards coming back in there," guard Brandon Taylor said. "We kind of know what it takes. This year, we're going to go way further, but we understand it's going to be a step-by-step process."
One major step forward, the team hopes, is a new offensive style designed to allow for more improvisational freedom. Krystkowiak compared it to the Triangle offense popularized by the L.A. Lakers, saying coaches will call fewer set plays and athletes will read the defense to either pass the ball, drive or shoot. The goal is to utilize Utah's playmakers and make the offense less "robotic," he said.
Wright, who averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game last season, said Utah's unpredictability could be a major strength.
"You don't really know what's going to happen next [trying to defend it], so it's just more of a reaction type offense," he said. "I think it works best for us. We've got a lot of players who can make plays."
Those playmakers include second-leading scorer Jordan Loveridge, a tough junior who has been a leader since he arrived on campus two years ago. There's also Brandon Taylor, a short but effective guard who was one of Utah's top deep threats last year. Dallin Bachynski and Jeremy Olsen will provide depth and experience in the front court.
But even on a team with many returners, new faces could be the story of the season. Krystkowiak said the team's five newcomers are "ahead of schedule" on their development. He said it's unlikely that Wright and Loveridge will lead the Pac-12 in minutes played, as they did last year. Even in the few positions where Utah lost players, they may have talent upgrades.
One of the most intriguing players to watch is Kyle Kuzma, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Michigan who spent the last year with the team, but wasn't eligible to play. He's a versatile wing with length and ball-handling that could put him at a lot of places on the court. Krystkowiak also mentioned guard Isaiah Wright and junior college transfer Chris Reyes as players who could contribute early, and local four-star forward Brekkott Chapman has gotten positive reviews.
The newcomers have made an early impact on practices, which players describe as ultra-competitive compared to years past.
"You have to realize that every single one of these players is coming in here ready to play," Olsen said. "We're all really good athletes. You just have to go in everyday, give it your all, and know that no one's job is safe."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah men's basketball primer
Key returners • G Delon Wright (15.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg), G/F Jordan Loveridge (14.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) G Brandon Taylor (10.6 ppg, 3.5 apg)
Key losses • G/F Princeton Onwas (4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg), F Renan Lenz (4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Key additions • G/F Kyle Kuzma, F Chris Reyes, G Isaiah Wright, F Brekkott Chapman.