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Utah isn't looking for answers. It knows them all.
They were written on the team's whiteboard before the Utes took the court in a 63-57 loss to Arizona. Afterward, coach Larry Krystkowiak ticked off the items in his mind, the unchecked goals adding up to dissatisfaction.
Win the rebounding battle. Didn't happen, as the Utes were beaten by nine boards.
Finish at the rim. Didn't happen enough, with layups missing the target.
Don't foul. That did happen, which was unfortunate for Utah.
Was he happy with the physicality his team brought? "It wasn't bad at the beginning," Krystkowiak said, lukewarm.
The Utes coach said he had tried to get his players' minds off the magnitude of the game, with first place in the Pac-12 on the line, and into the basics. He took a line out of former NFL coach Tony Dungy's book, asking his players to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.
But having the answers didn't help Utah (22-6, 12-4) prevail in a disappointing — though hard-fought — defeat to the Wildcats. An opportunity to do something no Utah team has done before slipped through the program's grasp.
"It was real disappointing," said Delon Wright afterward, seeming to take a few extra seconds to form his words. "It was a chance at a Pac-12 title."
In the regular season, that dream is done. But the game plan doesn't change. Utah knows what it must do — it must simply do better.
Toughness, physicality and finishing opportunities were all strong themes in February. In the handful of losses the Utes had, they've been exposed for lacking those qualities. The players continue to strive to be a more well-rounded team in those areas, and falling again to Arizona leaves them as motivated as ever.
Now they know just how well they have to play to win at the game's highest level.
"I know we're going to come back Monday to make sure we're ready for Washington and Washington State," Dallin Bachynski said. "We're going to finish the season strong to get some momentum for the Pac-12 tournament, and see what we can do postseason."
Moving forward, it appears Utah will also make some adjustments.
After a motivated Senior Night performance by Bachynski, when he scored 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, Krystkowiak said the Canadian 7-footer had earned more playing time as long as he continues to hustle on rebounds. Jordan Loveridge played at power forward to help compensate for some foul trouble in the post, and it might be a more frequent move as Utah seeks consistent offense from that position.
It also seemed notable that freshman Isaiah Wright, whose role this season has been nebulous at best, played significant minutes and helped in the rare game where Brandon Taylor struggled offensively.
But the main focus is more of the same: Be a tougher team, and be better finishers. The close margin of defeat suggests there's a bridgeable gap between Utah and the best teams out there. But reaching that next plateau requires a gear the Utes haven't hit yet.
"That's what the whole season's about," Krystkowiak said. "You get exposed in some areas. You wake up in the morning, you try to fix it, and don't make those same mistakes. You get back in the saddle and do it again."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
No. 13 Utah at Washington State
O Thursday, 9 p.m. MST
TV • ESPNU