This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
A week ago, CBS Sports writer Gary Parrish admonished 13 writers who didn't rank Utah in the Associated Press top 25 poll.
"Have you not noticed what Utah is doing?" he wrote.
A week later, it seems everyone covering college basketball at once rubbed their eyes and saw Utah on their radar. After the Utes knocked off Arizona on Saturday, an ESPN headline read, "It's time to start paying attention to Utah." CBS's latest bracketology feature has the Utes as one of three "streaking" teams in the country.
In the latest AP poll, the Utes (23-7, 12-5) are ranked No. 13, with 12 of the 13 writers putting the Utes in their top 25 this week. Things are changing, and you can measure the interest in Twitter followers on Utah basketball's account.
"From the Arizona game, I think we've got 1,000 to 2,000 more followers," said Alina Rogers, the team's social media coordinator. "That's the way the social media world runs: You win, and everything is great."
It's not just social media that has seen a bump for Utah — it's esteem.
Bracket projections for the NCAA tournament have bumped up Utah's resume to a 3- or 4-seed, including ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today. Utah's RPI sits at No. 8 nationally, and it has a 16-7 record against top 100 RPI teams (7-6 against top 50 RPI). And still, there's room to move up with the regular-season finale on Saturday and the Pac-12 Tournament ahead.
Utah started out the year ranked, but slipped off the national picture after blowout losses to Miami, Wichita State and starting out Pac-12 play 1-3. But the 11-2 run since, including Utah's current six-game winning streak, has turned some heads and squashed some questions about the team.
For those who tuned in Saturday like NBC Sports' Rob Dauster, Utah's 70-64 win over the Wildcats was compelling watching. The Utes looked a lot different from the team that started the season.
"The whole year they've had Poeltl, and they can give him the ball down low," Dauster said. "Over the last three weeks, I don't know what exactly is happening with their guards, but they're finally kind of getting it. They're getting the kind of guard play they didn't have earlier this season."
Senior guard Brandon Taylor got special attention after his 19-point, five-steal performance when ESPN named him the National Player of the Week. Coach Larry Krystkowiak was also tapped for Coach of the Week by ESPN bloggers.
But Poeltl may be getting the biggest individual benefit of the attention, getting named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy on Monday, and looking more like the top candidate for Pac-12 Player of the Year.
The athletic department sensed the timing was right for a social media and T-shirt campaign, in the spirit of "Swipe Wright" last season for Cousy Award winner and All American Delon Wright.
Looking for something unique that would fit Poeltl, German-born Rogers pitched the idea of a T-shirt bearing the "Ö" character from the German spelling of his name. Poeltl loved the concept, and the Utes gave away the shirt on Saturday. Video and pictures of the MUSS wearing umlaut T-shirts were posted on websites across the country after Utah beat Arizona.
"It was kind of like, 'We have something big here, why not do something that represents him?'" said Rogers. "Everything kind of fell into place."
Now that Utah has the country's attention, it has the chance to keep it. If the Utes can skirt by Colorado at home on Senior Night, they'll have a top-two seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, and as good a shot as ever to win the weekend in Vegas.
While the Pac-12 is lacking a world-beating program that captures the nation's eye, its assembly of good teams makes it interesting, Dauster said. Maybe Utah is a team that emerges from the scrum — if it keeps winning, of course.
"You take away those two sneaky road losses at Stanford and Oregon State, and Utah would be all alone in first place," Dauster said. "Utah's right there, and it just seems like no one pays attention."
Until now.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Colorado at No. 13 Utah
P Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
TV • ESPNU
Kurt Kragthorpe • The Beehive State is enjoying a remarkable season in college hoops. > B3