This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Like any great competitor, the Runnin' Utes look to pick their battlefield.
In a 73-64 win over Cal on Wednesday night, they showed where they believe they can win: in the paint.
Utah's last 10 made field goals against the Golden Bears were all either dunks, layups or very short jumpers. On the other hand, Cal struggled to drive inside. While Jaylen Brown got to the free throw line, the Bears as a team missed 10 of their final 12 shots, including three missed layups.
Minutes after putting the cap on a 21-point night, sophomore center Jakob Poeltl leaned back in a chair and suggested that his opportunities, and Utah's, had been there for the taking.
"I am going to try and do whatever the defense gives me or us as a team," I feel like we are a very balanced team and if I feel that I need to try to take over the game I am going to try to do that and call for the ball."
But it's not simply that Cal allowed Utah to win the paint: Utah's advantage there Wednesday night — as well as the rest of Pac-12 play — is very scheme-driven and very intentional.
The Utes have employed a variety of tactics to feed the ball into the post in recent weeks, some of which were featured against Cal's starting lineup of a 7-foot-1 center and a 6-foot-11 forward.
High screens opened up drives for Brandon Taylor and Lorenzo Bonam. The team ran successful pick-and-rolls with Poeltl. Kyle Kuzma and Poeltl both did well at establishing position near the baseline and then playing off of one another to score.
Utah's offense has evolved from tossing the ball to Poeltl and letting him work. It's become more kinetic, and Utah has scored at least 20 baskets inside the arc in each of their last three games. It was particularly apparent on a second-half play as Taylor threaded a ball through a double-team, and Poeltl got the pass and quickly tossed it up off the glass while being fouled.
It struck a different chord than the earlier meeting with Cal, when centers Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks held Poeltl to 6-for-14 shooting by sitting on his right hand when he had his back to the basket. In the rematch, Poeltl didn't even post up all that much on many of his scores.
" I don't think I scored a lot today out of the post," he said. "It was more off like pick-and-roll, I tried to move away from the ball and tried to get open for my teammates and maybe score without going to a post move. I just try to go to a different part of my game and try to maybe exploit my quickness."
Utah's post advantages have played out well in Pac-12 play: The Utes are finishing at a 49.8 percent clip inside the arc, while only allowing 44.5 percent shooting themselves on two-point attempts in eight games. Only once have the Utes been outscored in the paint: a lopsided 36-18 mark in a dismal loss to Oregon that the team identifies as its turning point.
A lot has changed since then — and not just on offense. Utah also held Cal to under 40 percent shooting inside the arc, taking advantage of the absence of Tyrone Wallace and sometimes switching schemes mid-possession. Cal's only big run came when it nailed a few 3-pointers shortly before halftime, sparking a 16-5 run to close the first.
Poeltl said he thought Utah's defensive rotations were much more fluid than earlier in the year, and that the Utes were in control of their responsibilities.
Cal coach Cuonzo Martin had to agree.
"I felt that we really weren't establishing the post, especially in the second half," he said. "We needed Kameron to post up some, Jaylen [Brown] to post up some, force those guys to make plays. ... We needed to make plays off the ball screens and attack downhill, but we just didn't do a very good job tonight."
The Utes did a good job — again. Post presence has guided them so far to a 5-3 record in the Pac-12. It's what you might expect for a team with an elite center. But it hasn't been just Poeltl: The Utes have worked as a unit to make the arc tough for opponents to penetrate, while creating offense for easy looks inside themselves.
There are few things as demoralizing as watching an opponent dunk on you when you can't score near the basket yourself. Coach Larry Krystkowiak said that effect can definitely slow teams down at home.
"In this building, when you get stops, you can see there is a fatigue factor playing at elevation," he said. "If we make teams really earn something and get stops, then I think that is an advantage and that really gets the arena energy and hopefully that can happen again Saturday."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
An edge inside the arc
• Utes have outscored opponents in the paint in six of eight Pac-12 games, and tied once
• In league play, Utes are shooting 49.3 percent on two-pointers
• Utah is holding Pac-12 opponents to 44.5 percent shooting on two-pointers
• Stat site KenPom.com ranks the Utes No. 15 in two-point percentage (54.9) and No. 18 in two-point defensive percentage (42.2) for the season