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With every win, the Runnin' Utes wipe away vestiges of their frustrating past few years.
One more trace of those struggles just a few seasons ago could disappear Sunday against the Washington Huskies, as coach Larry Krystkowiak stands to win his 58th game as Utah's head coach. It would push him to a .500 overall record for the first time since his second game in Salt Lake City.
There are more tangible signs that Utah is creating separation from seasons like the 6-25 2011-12 year. The stands are filling up, only trailing Arizona's McHale Center in Pac-12 home attendance. There's more TV time and more NBA scouts.
Then there's the added respect from opponents, who aren't just talking about the Huntsman Center's altitude when they discuss the challenges of playing at Utah's home court. It's impossible to mistake a glint of hunger in Washington sophomore Nigel Williams-Goss' eyes when he talks about what it would be like to end Utah's 14-game home win streak.
"It's going to be a great team matchup," he said. "We have a chance to make some noise and get this win on the road."
The Utes have become that team — a titan in the Pac-12. The team that opponents want to upset and that makes a resounding thud if it falls.
Utah may not have been able to beat Arizona on Jan. 17, but that hasn't changed a lot of minds around the country: In the Pac-12, there's Arizona and Utah. Then there's everybody else.
That kind of setup screams for "underdog motivation" tactics from everyone who plays Utah, including coach Sean Miller in that Arizona game. Krystkowiak is familiar with that style of motivation, resorting to it himself when he had a scrappy, undermanned squad that tried to use defense to compete with Arizona and UCLA.
With a role reversal, Krystkowiak said he doesn't want his players worrying about being "upset," but they understand other teams are revving up to knock them off.
"I just reminded our guys, if we want to be a good basketball team, there's some things that need to be sharper," Krystkowiak said. "You're gonna get the other guys' best punch or one of their better punches. You're not sneaking up on anybody, maybe in the way we have in years past."
Washington won't sneak up on Utah, either. The Utes coaching staff was watching portions of the Huskies' win over Oklahoma back in December at the MGM Grand, playing right before Utah's own win over UNLV.
The Huskies are a tough defensive squad, ranking No. 5 nationally in defensive field goals (35.6 percent). Junior center Robert Upshaw, with a freakish 7-foot-5 wingspan, leads the country with 4.1 blocks per game. Do-it-all-sophomore Nigel Williams-Goss will be a challenge in the backcourt as he looks to be an all-conference guard.
Utah's frontcourt has been outrebounded in the past two games, an area of concern for Krystkowiak, but is hoping to be bolstered by the return of freshman center Jakob Poeltl after he was out with an ankle sprain.
With the exception of the loss to the Wildcats, the Utes have won each Pac-12 game this year by 17 points or more. The team expects the success to continue, even with a target on its back.
Washington coach Lorenzo Romar knows how tough it will for his Huskies. He's seen Utah's build — brick-by-brick — and foresees the Utes' newfound status not being stripped away easily.
"Now [Krystkowiak] has a group of kids who want to buy in, who are invested in this program, and now look what's being accomplished," he said. "That's what's really impressive to me: what it took to get this program off the floor, and get it to where it is."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Washington at No. 12 Utah
P Jon. M Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 6:30 p.m.
TV • ESPNU Radio • ESPN700
Records • UW (14-4, 3-3); Utah (15-3, 5-1)
Series history • Series tied at 8-8
Last meeting • March 12, 2014, in the Pac-12 tournament; Utah 67, Washington 61
About the Huskies • Nigel Williams-Goss is the only Pac-12 player averaging at least 14 ppg, 5 rpg and 6 apg. … Robert Upshaw leads the nation in blocks with 4.1 per game. … Washington leads the Pac-12 in both field-goal-percentage defense (35.6 percent) and 2-point field-goal-percentage defense (38 percent), ranking No. 5 nationally in both categories.
About the Utes • Coach Larry Krystkowiak stands to win his 100th game as a college head coach against Washington, and, with a victory, would move to 58-58 at Utah. … Delon Wright was named a midseason candidate for the Oscar Robertson Award, given to the nation's player of the year. … Utah leads the Pac-12 in conference play in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.59) and is second in turnover margin (plus-3.33 per game).