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In all fairness, the Runnin' Utes did promise to feed the post.
Utah opened the season with a dominant offensive performance in the paint - and an unsettling one everywhere else. While Utah's guards could hardly make a shot and the Utes defense was often missing in action, sublime nights from Jakob Poeltl, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Loveridge carried Utah to a 82-71 win on Friday night at the Huntsman Center.
"That was a little eye-opener for us, I thought — trying to keep up with a really well coached team," Larry Krystkowiak said.
The unit considered the most thin group held tough and then some for the Utes: Kyle Kuzma broke out for a career high 23 points and 12 rebounds on a confident 10 for 12 shooting night. Late in the second half, he helped Utah gain its first double-digit lead, rebounding two missed shots on one possession and making putback with a foul - a level of play he hadn't shown until that night.
His athletic, aggressive approach was matched by Poeltl's steady hand: The sophomore center rang up a double-double with a game-high 26 points and 11 boards, overpowering an undersize Thunderbirds front court. Loveridge was lethal from the wings: The senior nailed six 3-pointers on his own, giving Utah its only outside presence on offense while ringing up 24 points.
Those were the highlights, but there's much more to improve, to say the least.
Three of Utah's key guards - Brandon Taylor, Isaiah Wright and Lorenzo Bonam - were a combined 0 for 18 from the field and scored a single point between them. The aggressive guard play that helped Utah dominate their exhibition wasn't a factor early, as Utah settled and often rimmed out on 3-pointers.
Outside the three forwards, the rest of the Utes scored only nine points.
"Thank goodness for the big three," Krystkowiak said afterward. "But that's kind of the essence of the team. I reminded our guys that, with this schedule of five games in nine nights, we're going to need everybody on different nights."
But perhaps the most troubling aspect was the way Southern Utah seemed to run by Utah's defense, shooting 50 percent from the floor and better from 3-point range.
While Krystkowiak was disappointed with the way the Utes were beat off the dribble, he gave credit to SUU for being tough, smart and spreading their ranked opposition out. Poeltl said the energy which characterized Utah's play last year was missing.
"We didn't have the defensive edge we had last year," he said. "We gave them a lot of easy baskets, and we didn't have our defensive plan or rotations down sometimes. And they made tough shots. We've got to give them credit, too."
Utah's post won the rebounding battle convincingly, 41-29, including 16 offensive boards that gave Utah 23 second-chance points to SUU's three.
One of the best defensive teams in basketball last season was an open layup lane in the first half. The Utes had trouble switching on screens and finding cutters who met little resistance at the rim.
Between SUU's cruising offense and Poeltl pitching a 7-for-7 first half in the paint with 16 points, the game was a closer affair than most home fans were comfortable with.
As a team, the Utes were only 4 for 15 from long range in the first half, including a half-ending corner 3-pointer before the buzzer that didn't quite sink.
But there are plenty of problems to fix on both sides of the ball against San Diego State, a team that smothered Utah defensively for a 53-49 win last year and are coming to town on Monday.
"Everybody going to have those games." Poeltl said. "You've just got to be able to bounce back from that."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Storylines
R Jakob Poeltl, Kyle Kuzma, and Jordan Loveridge combine for 73 points.
• Poeltl has a career-high 26 points.
• Kuzma has a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds.