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Tucson, Ariz.

So maybe this is not quite like Keith Van Horn and Tim Duncan dueling in the Huntsman Center, but it is close enough.

When the University of Utah joined the Pac-12, I'm not sure anyone's mind immediately turned to this possibility: the Utes playing Arizona in a regular-season matchup of top-10 basketball teams.

Such a convergence has happened only seven times in Utah's proud history, most recently with Wake Forest's visit on New Year's Eve of 1996. Duncan's No. 2-ranked Demon Deacons took a 70-59 victory over the No. 7 Utes behind his 24 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, overcoming Van Horn's 23 points.

Saturday's game at the McKale Center in Tucson is another program-defining moment for Ute coach Larry Krystkowiak. Imagine if all of this happened in one night: Utah beating the Pac-12's flagship program on the road, making itself the clear favorite in the conference and giving Krystkowiak a .500 overall record in his fourth season.

A high-profile game like this is something the Utes could only have imagined, when they arrived on campus.

"It's a great opportunity that lies ahead of us," Ute guard Brandon Taylor said after Friday's practice. "A great opportunity to do some very big things. … It's that much more fun, because it's that much more intensified."

Regardless of what happens, this game will tell us a lot about the 2014-15 Utes. Their season hardly would be ruined with a loss on Arizona's court, because the Pac-12 championship still may come down to the final game of the regular season, Feb. 28 at the Huntsman Center. But some lasting impressions will be formed, based on these 40 minutes.

"Everybody kind of knows that this one is different," Krystkowiak said. "I think our guys are kind of soaking it up a little bit."

This is an intriguing game for Ute guard Delon Wright and center Jakob Poeltl, especially. They'll have to be outstanding to give Utah a shot at beating Arizona with NBA prospects Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

After losing 76-59 to the Utes on Thursday, Arizona State coach Herb Sendek marveled about Wright's all-around game and was impressed with Poeltl's passing out of double-teams. Such poise will be critical in the McKale Center's revved-up environment.

The Utes' defense should keep them in the game with the Wildcats, as has happened each of the previous three years in Tucson — even during Krystkowiak's initial 6-25 season. My curiosity involves how far the Utes have come offensively.

If they play efficiently and hit shots against Arizona, I'll believe they can threaten any team they'll face in the NCAA tournament. Utah's offensive struggles — particularly in first halves — at San Diego State and against Kansas in Kansas City are its only real blemishes this season.

The Utes went 5 of 22 from the field at SDSU in the first half, scoring 18 points. They were 9 of 26 against Kansas, producing 21 points. That's not going to work against the Wildcats, even though the Utes came close at the end of those other games.

Rebounding is another big factor. All the defensive work the Utes do can be undone if they give up too many offensive rebounds to Arizona.

Krystkowiak was happy to hear that Arizona beat Colorado on Thursday, after the Utes encountered an angry Arizona team last March in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas. The Wildcats appeared overwhelming in a 71-39 victory that defied Utah's degree of improvement.

The Utes can change all of that Saturday, if they can thrive in that environment.

Twitter: @tribkurt —

Top 10 matchups

Utah's regular-season history when both teams were ranked in The Associated Press Top 10:

Season Site Result

1954-55 Road No. 1 Kentucky 70, No. 2 Utah 65

1955-56 Neutral No. 4 Dayton 77, No. 3 Utah 73

1959-60 Home No. 5 Utah 77, No. 8 Utah State 75

1967-68 Neutral No.5 North Carolina 86, No. 7 Utah 84

1967-68 Road No. 6 New Mexico 72, No. 5 Utah 66

1995-96 Neutral No. 2 Kansas 79, No. 10 Utah 68

1996-97 Home No. 2 Wake Forest 70, No. 2 Utah 59