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San Diego, Calif. • An early afternoon game on a Tuesday isn't kind to attending fans. It may well be when Utah takes the Viejas Arena court. The Utes will be in a half-filled venue that typically is regarded as one of college basketball's toughest places to play.
But that matters little in comparison to the notoriously difficult San Diego squad they'll face, a team that is the class of midmajor basketball and plays at a frenetic pace. And then there's the audience the Utes will entertain: millions of college basketball fans tuning in on ESPN's College Hoops Tip-off Marathon to see if they are all they're cracked up to be.
For his fourth season with the Runnin' Utes, coach Larry Krystkowiak wanted tougher opponents, more exposure, more road success and a chance to prove his squad is NCAA Tournament-worthy. All those elements begin to converge Tuesday — an early-season gut check for a program that many consider a contender.
"It's a really good team," Krystkowiak said of the Aztecs. "First of all, they've got one of the best basketball environments in the country. They're ranked in the top 25 for a reason: They've got incredible athletes."
Some of those athletes helped quash the Utes plenty of times back in the Mountain West days: Kawhi Leonard won't be getting a lot of Christmas cards from Salt Lake City anytime soon. Coach Steve Fisher also has plenty to do with it: He has gotten the better of Utah in the last five meetings dating back to 2006 — two coaches ago.
For Utah, this is a potential credibility boost. While the Utes' talent influx is noticeable, there's still much for them to prove.
The greatest flaw of Krystkowiak's tenure is his road record — a dismal 4-31 in three years. That includes a lost season in 2011-12, but the Utes haven't won more than two true road games in any of Krystkowiak's seasons.
That figure is all the more painful because Utah's closest calls last year came on the road. The Utes could have stolen a few more games, surely, between a four-point overtime loss to Colorado, a nail-biting two-point game at Washington, or a regular season-ending one-point loss to Stanford.
In its nine road losses last year, the Utes fell by an average of only six points, and lost by four or less in seven of those games.
"There was a lot of them," Delon Wright said during preseason camp. "There's not one in particular that comes to mind. They all hurt just as much. We think we can do a better job this year at winning some of those close games."
Last time the Utes played San Diego State, it was the final act for then-coach Jim Boylen at the end of a sputtering 13-18 season. One of the players from that team, J.J. O'Brien, now plays for the opposition.
The Aztecs aren't typically a foe that's kind to a team as youthful as Utah. While having Wright and Brandon Taylor may help break down SDSU's pressure, freshmen from Jakob Poeltl on down to Isaiah Wright, will be sorely tested by a team that is constantly on the prowl for turnovers, forces bad shots and rebounds relentlessly. Krystkowiak called the Aztecs "certainly the best rebounding team I've seen."
So does Tuesday's game announce a new era of Top 25 basketball at Utah? Or do the Utes need a little more time in the oven?
By Thursday evening, there won't be any question left. They'll know — one way or the other.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
No. 25 Utah at No. 16 San Diego State
O Viejas Arena, San Diego Calif.
Tipoff • 2 p.m. MT
TV • ESPN
Radio • ESPN 700 AM
Records • SDSU (1-0); Utah (1-0)
Series history • Utah leads, 53-18
Last meeting • March 10, 2011, in Las Vegas, MW quarterfinals; SDSU 64, Utah 50
About the Utes • Freshman Jakob Poeltl notched an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double against Ball State, following a trend of newcomer double-doubles in Utah debuts (Delon Wright did it in 2013). … Although Utah was one of the best 3-point defenses in the conference last year, the team allowed the Cardinals to shoot ten 3-pointers on Friday. … The Utes managed 11 steals against Ball State with Wright leading the pack with four.
About the Aztecs • Senior forward J.J. O'Brien played his freshman year with Utah in the last season of the Jim Boylen era, averaging 6.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. … San Diego State was 4-3 against teams ranked in the AP top 25 last year. … Coach Steve Fisher and SDSU are 12-3 in their last 15 games against current Pac-12 members.