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Let's not rush to call it a fluke. Will Brandon Taylor miss all nine of his shots again? Probably not. Will Jakob Poeltl, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Loveridge have to score 73 points regularly? Doubtful.
But because the No. 16 Utes felt like they weren't themselves doesn't mean they're not a little concerned about how their first game went as they try to carve a path to the NCAA Tournament. Particularly when it comes to shooting from deep — outside of Loveridge, the team was 2 for 18 — Utah has to be closer to what it was last year, when the team was No. 7 nationally in 3-point percentage.
Larry Krystkowiak was cautious about labeling Utah's uneven performance in a 82-71 win over Southern Utah as an anomaly, but also felt his team is ripe to improve quickly.
"I've got to believe we're going to make more shots than that," Krystkowiak said. "So you know it's comforting to know they're not going to have a bunch of goose eggs."
Taylor and Isaiah Wright being held scoreless in the starting lineup was especially surprising. Krystkowiak said he felt like some of the shooting was "forced," but many shots appeared to just barely rim out.
Krystkowiak said the performances came as a bit of "humble pie" to start the season for Utah's guards, who have been touted as a strength of the team. For Taylor especially, a senior who is the team's most vocal leader, it could serve as a reality check.
"He's at the top of the opposition scouting report," Krystkowiak said. "He's going to have to be pretty good for us."
Still, Utah didn't let the ugly shooting dent their confidence too much. Kuzma, who was 10 for 12, said the best advice he has for his guards is to keep firing.
"We're not gonna shoot 8 for 29 every night," Kuzma said. "We're one of the best shooting team in the country, I believe. We've got great shooters on this team. It's all about bouncing back."
Kuzma steps up
In the forward spot alongside Poeltl, the Utes got production they didn't see much of last year.
That came from Kuzma, the bouncy sophomore who was once a four-star recruit and is now looking prepared to deliver on those initial expectations. His 23 points and 12 rebounds were huge for a Utah team that didn't get its usual production from the back court, and seemed to foretell promise ahead.
Kuzma spent the offseason bulking up, but the biggest change, Krystkowiak said, was his commitment to defense.
"He's really made a conscientious decision to guard," he said. "That's what kept him out of a lot of opportunities last year was he wasn't really committed to guarding. He's tried. He's really focused in on that. If the does that, he's got a lot of offensive skill."
In a game where many Utes were settling for 3s, Kuzma drove into SUU's defense and took a shot, making it more often than not.
Perhaps his best contributions came on the glass: He had seven of Utah's 25 offensive rebounds which led to 23 second-chance points.
The Michigan native said he was motivated from watching Utah win a lot of games last year from the bench.
"I put a lot of work in," he said. "I was happy how we ended our season last year, but I wanted more from myself. I really dialed in getting my body right and getting in the gym. I am just trying to be better."
Kuzma replaced Brekkott Chapman in the starting lineup (Chapman started the exhibition), but Krystkowiak still insisted that the starting lineup is fluid. He was impressed with Kuzma and Wright in practice leading up to the game, and they were rewarded.
"It's very flexible," he said. "I think in years past, we've gotten solidified with the starting group. But I don't think this is going to be one of those years."
Poeltl plays big minutes
Turns out Poeltl's best backup might be himself.
With a huge size advantage in the paint and Chris Reyes still dealing with a back issue, Poeltl played 33 minutes in his career-best 26-point scoring performance. It was tied for the second-most minutes he's played in a regulation game, made possible by only fouling once on the night.
"I felt good today," Poeltl said. "I guess it really depends on the day. If I'm tired, I'm going to let coach know, and I'm going to fight through it to the point where I can't or it doesn't make sense anymore. Then I'm going to take a rest. Today, 33 minutes was fine for me."
The decision was in part thanks to the mismatch Poeltl presented: At a bulked-up 250 pounds, he was able to muscle his way almost anywhere he wanted in the paint, hitting his first seven shots of the game.
But it was also in part because Reyes "tightened up" in the game, heading to the locker room briefly in the first half before returning. The junior played only 5 minutes, totaling one rebound. Krystkowiak said Friday night that he was waiting on a more complete assessment of Reyes' health.
The most minutes Poeltl played in a regulation game last season was 35 against San Diego State.
Twitter: @kylegoon