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Dallin Bachynski knows he can fly off the handle occasionally.

But when you invite him over to play "The Settlers of Catan," what else can you expect?

It's a regular event for Bachynski, his teammate Jeremy Olsen, and their respective wives to get together for a double-date board game night. And when you put four competitive people in that situation, including three Division I athletes, well, sometimes it gets heated.

"The Settlers board moves around a lot so you can't really mess with it," he said with a wide grin. "But the dice will go somewhere, and the cards will go everywhere."

To be fair, that playful competitiveness pales in comparison to when Bachynski takes the hardwood, and he thinks of practice as a war unto itself. The 7-foot, 260-pound Utah senior has no problem throwing his weight around between the lines of the court, something he has in common with coach Larry Krystkowiak when he was in his playing days.

Bachynski and Olsen, the two married members of the of the team, spar over and over again.

As Olsen puts it: "When I'm on the court, Dallin is one of my least favorite players."

Off the court, however, is a different story. The two roomed together when Olsen returned from his LDS Church mission to London in 2012, and they hit it off quickly. For all his emotional eruptions during his playing career, Bachynski is a caring and easygoing roommate, Olsen said. They had a lot in common as big men and returned missionaries, and Bachynski's cooking really helps grease the wheels.

"I love his chicken enchiladas," Olsen said. "He makes some really good steak. He knows how to make it nice and medium rare just like we both like it."

Their living situation changed when they each got married last year, Olsen to Utah volleyball player Chelsey Schofield-Olsen, and Bachynski to his wife, Sarah. Bachynski was a groomsman in Olsen's wedding, and the only reason Olsen couldn't be in Bachynski's was he was playing with the Pac-12 All-Stars in China.

But they didn't move far: Olsen put in a good word with his landlord for the Bachynskis, and now the two couples are next-door neighbors at an off-campus apartment building. When they aren't practicing or playing board games together, sometimes they'll just hang out together at church.

"For sure, he's one of my friends here that I'll be keeping in touch with for the rest of my life," Bachynski said. "I'll definitely be keeping track of how he does next year."

The end of Bachynski's own career is fast approaching, although he hopes he can extend it with a strong postseason run. He's averaging about 12 minutes, 4 points and 2 rebounds per game as a senior, but his grit in recent games has Krystkowiak convinced that he merits more playing time.

"We need his presence," the Ute coach said. "He's had plenty of chances to look at me and tell me to take off. He hasn't. He stands for a lot of what's right with stick-to-it-ness."

Getting married has changed Bachynski, Olsen said. When he used to have a bad game, negative feelings would snowball and pile up until he would explode. Even Bachynski thinks having a partner at home has made him less self-conscious and hurt by what others might say.

"I know I have a wife who loves me," he said. "I don't get caught up in social media and stuff like that anymore. It doesn't matter."

The Utes will look to get tougher in the post to finish out the season, and Bachynski will likely be a big part of that ­— bringing his practice toughness into games more and more. Krystkowiak said any postseason goals Utah has will require the frontcourt to play better.

Many of those players will take cues from Bachynski. Even if he's sometimes a little heated, they know where his heart is.

"The big thing about Dallin is he cares so much that sometimes people construe that for selfishness," teammate Austin Eastman said. "That's not the case. He really cares. He really plays hard for this team."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

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