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Here's a euphemism worth remembering: "conditioning incentives."
The Runnin' Utes are highly invested in improving their rebounding this year, which was just about average during conference play last season. They tally up rebounding totals during practice, especially among the big men.
For the guy who is lagging behind, who isn't going up for every possible board … well, that's where incentives kick in. It changes day-to-day: push-ups, running stairs or anything else that serves to motivate Utah's rebounders.
"It's just not fun, that's the only way to clarify it," center Dallin Bachynski said. "One of the reasons you wouldn't rebound is you might be out of shape. To help the guys who wouldn't go for every rebound — maybe I'm one of them, I'm not going to say — it will give us more incentive to go for it every time, or get us in shape so we can go every time."
Yeah, it's that serious.
Last year, Utah finished fourth in conference play among Pac-12 teams in defensive rebounding percentage, getting the defensive board 72.4 percent of the time. But Utah was further back in offensive boards, ranking ninth (29.6 percent).
Coach Larry Krystkowiak, who put up more than 1,100 rebounds in his own college career, expects those rankings to rise. Jordan Loveridge led the team in boards last year with 7.0 per game, Bachynski and Jeremy Olsen, both returners, are hoping to step up their combined 7.7 per game. Juco transfer Chris Reyes is carving out a reputation in practice as a gritty offensive rebounder, while freshmen Kyle Kuzma and Jakob Poeltl have stood out on the defensive glass.
Size may not be as much of an issue anymore, but fundamentals are: boxing out, chasing down missed shots and bumping in the post if need be.
"It really is an exclamation point on the end of a possession," Bachynski said. "If we play great defense but don't get a board, it's pretty much all for naught. And on the offensive side, it's an extra possession for our offense and the guys who can score. So it's a big thing for us."
Huntsman Center renovations get thumbs-up
Lights on, curtains drawn. Time to practice.
Utah basketball has enjoyed the first week of playing in the renovated Huntsman Center, which features subtle improvements that actually have a big impact.
ESPN noticed the new floor design this week, which features the Block U logo and is framed in black, and ranked it as one of the top 10 college hoops floor designs in the country. But the things the team notices are details like the black curtain that closes off the upper bowl, creating a more intimate practice environment. The somewhat infamous "cloud" structure above the center video board is no more, eliminating a strange echoing effect.
"I love it," Krystkowiak said. "Really, the cloud removal has opened things up a bit. The lighting is top-notch, acoustically it's easier to teach on the floor. … Everything tied together makes it fun."
In the old system, the arena lights took 15 minutes to warm up. But with new lights, the Utes will be able to cut the lights for pre-game introductions, perhaps the players' favorite improvement.
"It looks a lot newer, even though the building is the same," Olsen said. "They're going to turn out the lights here, which is going to be sweet."
Outside input on the schedule
Who ya gonna call? When it comes to designing a schedule that will get you into the NCAA Tournament, apparently you call ESPN "bracketologist" Joe Lunardi. And reporter Andy Katz. And commentator Fran Fraschilla.
Utah assistant Andy Hill burned through his contacts list this summer, getting input from anyone who was offering insight on building a Big Dance-worthy schedule. Krystkowiak did the same, asking fellow coaches for their thoughts on striking a balance between building a road to the NCAA Tournament and running into a non-conference wall. There was also extensive data analysis, Krystkowiak said, which included crunching numbers of RPIs and strength of schedules of teams that did and didn't make the field in years past, and examining the difference.
The Utes certainly have non-conference difficulty covered: They travel to San Diego State, BYU, Kansas and UNLV, while also hosting Wichita State.
"Now I'm fearful that we might've bitten off a bit more than we can chew," Krystkowiak said. "But we're going to try to control what we can control, and not worry about what the committee thinks in a process that is months down the road. [The schedule] was a big summertime project."
Twitter: @kylegoon