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San Francisco • The 26 wins, the Sweet 16, the wonderful memories — Larry Krystkowiak has a place for them in a scrapbook.
"Everybody's got a scrapbook," the Utah head coach said. "When the season begins, they don't mean all that much."
Meeting with the Pac-12 media on Thursday, the Runnin' Utes arrived as a familiar contender. Utah was picked to finish No. 3 in the preseason media poll after finishing tied for second last year. And with a memorable NCAA Tournament run in the spring, no one will be surprised if the Utes finish at or near the top of the league next March.
But the biggest part of following up success with more success, senior guard Brandon Taylor said, is approaching the season with the same hunger the Utes had before they were winners.
"The only difference is that you have a little more pressure to get back to the tournament," Taylor said. "But you have to keep the same mentality. You can't be worried about trying to follow the same pathway as last season. We're not thinking of it as repeating what we did last season."
Taylor represented the Utes in San Francisco, and deservedly so. A year ago, he was a second team All-Pac-12 guard and an all-conference defender who averaged 10.6 points per game and was the third-best 3-point shooter in the league.
But Krystkowiak also said he could've brought seniors Jordan Loveridge, Dakarai Tucker or even sophomore Jakob Poeltl. All of them have emerged as leaders in fall practices, and Taylor said the Utes may have the best player accountability they've had under Krystkowiak.
"I may be the most vocal, but we've got a lot of leaders," Taylor said. "It's not one guy. That's part of being a player-led program."
Utah hopes its player-led program can take center stage in the Pac-12, where there isn't an obvious, overwhelming favorite.
Arizona was picked to finish first in the league, a reflection of the Wildcats' reign as back-to-back regular-season champions. But Arizona is replacing four starters, all of whom went to the pro ranks. Except for 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski — who has the chance to become Arizona's winningest player this season — many of the roles will be occupied by newcomers or former bench players.
Other teams have been built up by recruiting intrigue: Cal leapt up the preseason poll to No. 2, thanks to retaining star guard Tyrone Wallace and bringing in freshmen Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown. But while the potential is high, ultimately, the follow-through will be more critical. UCLA, with a number of returners and new recruits, and Oregon, after surprising last year, are other candidates who received at least one first-place vote.
The Utes, returning four starters and most of their top contributors last year, are as strong as any of the candidates on paper. While they lose Cousy Award-winning point guard Delon Wright, they have another potential first-round pick in Poeltl, who has added bulk to his 7-foot frame. Taylor, Loveridge and Tucker boast four years of experience each — the first time Krystkowiak has had four-year players who only played under him.
In a way, being picked third is a perfect place for these Utes: They understand they're held in high regard. But they still have room to prove they can do more.
They never mind having a chip on the shoulder.
"I don't feel like we're in any arena with any different expectations," Krystkowiak said.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Pac-12 media preseason poll
Team Points
Arizona (18) 406
Cal (9) 378
Utah (7) 360
Oregon (1) 338
UCLA (1) 304
Oregon St. 235
Colorado 188
Arizona St. 165
Stanford 145
USC 111
Washington 96
Washington St. 65
(first-place votes)