This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

What's listed here are five things to look forward to, things to examine, to follow closely, to spin and toss in the air like a pizzaiolo working his dough down at Domenico's, things to wait and watch for in 2016. They aren't predictions as much as highlights/lowlights/middle-lights-in-the-making:

1. Larry Krystkowiak's Utes.

How good will these guys be? Who will they be? Will they be the team that beat Duke in overtime at Madison Square Garden, defending like maniacs and hitting big shots when necessary, or the team that stumbled and bumbled against Stanford, losing the Pac-12 opener by turning the ball over 19 times and making 11 of 24 free throws?

It's a question and answer not even Kryskowiak himself knows at this point. The Utes lost to the Cardinal because they blew their own digits off, one by torturous one, handling and mishandling the ball as though it were filled with heated nitroglycerin. They missed pitches from the line down the stretch. They defended well, at times, but struggled to stop opposing guards when they had to be stopped. That won't fly at a level of basketball that ultimately comes down in the madness to winning ­­— or losing — one game on one night in order to advance or face elimination.

This team has too much promise to goof this opportunity up. But that certainly can happen, if fortune goes awry and potential is left unfulfilled. The Utes must play smart and find a way to keep Jakob Poeltl in the only place where he can do his damage — out of foul trouble and on the floor. College referees have a curious lean toward erraticism, and that's just the way it is. So, Poeltl will be forced to read and register that and adjust his game accordingly, night by night.

If the sloppiness is put away, Utah basketball could do and be something special in the months ahead.

2. Utah Jazz and the playoffs.

The first third of the season hasn't gone the way the Jazz had hoped, having suffered a plethora of injuries to some of their key players. They knew Dante Exum would be out. They had no clue Rudy Gobert would sprain his knee and miss more than half the games, that Derrick Favors would suffer back spasms, that Alec Burks would break a leg. Yet, they are soldiering on.

The measure for the 2015-16 season was always this: Making the playoffs. It is the next step for a developing team, finding that qualification. The Jazz are teetering on the West's last playoff spot, with a whole lot of games to play. If Gobert gets back by mid-January — he's been making encouraging progress — and Favors returns soon, the Jazz will be in position to get in. If they do, it will be fascinating to watch how they respond to the challenge of playing one of the conference's best teams in a first-round series.

They'd probably lose convincingly, but the lessons learned ­— both by the players on the court and by management — could be instrumental in where and how the club goes and moves from there.

3. Real Salt Lake's response.

For the first time in nearly a decade, RSL failed to make the MLS playoffs. The club had undergone major changes over the previous couple of seasons and the effects damaged the current effort. Players grew older and slower, some were shipped off, some of the new guys being counted on weren't what the club hoped they would be, and the front office was adjusting to new managers in new roles. New GM Craig Waibel says he gets all that, and has a plan. He's a bright guy, a competitive man who will attempt, bit by bit, to piece the thing, the winning, back together. All those season-ticket holders, gained over years of on-field success, are eager to see how that piecing goes. The burners under Jeff Cassar's seat are firing up.

4. Kalani's Cougars.

Bronco Mendenhall's established patterns — his odd public persona, his crafty defensive acumen, his new-age/stake president management style, his clunky glossary terms — have given way to Kalani Sitake's methodology and his new coaching staff at BYU. People inside the program say it was time for a cool change, and that the change has reinvigorated Cougar football. Ty Detmer's arrival as offensive coordinator has stirred excitement, as has Ed Lamb's and Ilaisa Tuiaki's presence.

At his introductory press conference, Sitake stressed recruiting, saying it was "everything." He's right, to the extent that, if BYU is going to reach its stated competitive goals, it needs more, better athletes. The other part, though, the new leadership, is equally compelling. The Cougars now are being piloted by a first-time head coach, a first-time offensive coordinator and a first-time defensive coordinator. When humans, no matter how gifted or smart, do things for the first time, there usually are bumps, big ones, in the road. It's the toll exacted en route to experience — and that's what makes the happenings in Provo so compelling.

What shape and form will Kalani's version of the Cougars take? Will he make mistakes along the way? Will his considerable strengths wash over the weaknesses?

Beats me.

But it's going to be a fun finding out.

Chances are good Sitake's influence will be both calming and challenging for his players. He will improve BYU's recruiting. He will go on doing what he's done in the past as a defensive coordinator — evaluate and recognize talent, put players in the best position for prospering, teach and motivate his players and be aggressive in doing so. He's tough and tender and real.

5. Kyle's next step.

Where does Utah football go from 10-3, 6-3 in the Pac-12?

Maybe downward, but who knows? The Utes lose a lot of key talent off this season's team. On the other hand, there's vast room for advancement on the offensive side — if a useful quarterback and receivers can be found. It's been said for years now that if the Utes could stabilize and accentuate their attack, with their consistently solid defense, that combination would take them to new heights. The offensive line is bound to be good. But the loss of Devontae Booker will be hard to overcome. Travis Wilson? Utah seems ready and eager to try something fresh at quarterback. Kyle Whittingham will miss linebackers Gionni Paul and Jared Norris, but the defensive front will be strong once again, and, at the back end, returns most of its corners and safeties.

Utah has proved itself to be a worthy player in the Pac-12 — with the aforementioned stability, with its weaknesses actually providing optimism that given targeted specific improvement at a couple of positions, it can go higher and farther.

All of which indicates that in Utah, 2016 sports will be every bit as riveting and captivating as the year just concluded.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.