This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Oregon coach Dana Altman showed off one of his great talents while addressing local media Tuesday: artful deflection.
Asked about his 10-1 record against Larry Krystkowiak, he side-stepped.
"I'm not 10-1 — Larry would kick the heck out of me," Altman said. "He's bigger, stronger, NBA guy. That wouldn't be a match. Hell, I barely even made my junior college team."
What Altman let whoosh by is that his team, the No. 10 Ducks (18-2, 7-0), has been the real bully going against Utah (14-5, 5-2) in the Pac-12 era. As much as the native Nebraskan would like to downplay his program's dominance — "we've had some good teams and just been lucky" — it hasn't even been a match most season.
That was the case in 2016, when Oregon got the better of the Utes three consecutive times by double digits. While Utah was the No. 2 team in the Pac-12 to the Ducks, Oregon whipped the Utes in an 88-57 defeat in the league title game that has been hard to stomach since.
"Me having to sit there and watch that game, it was bothersome because I thought our team was better than that," said freshman Jayce Johnson, who was redshirting during that drubbing. "But I think we're gonna get 'em this year. I'm excited to play them. I can't wait."
If there were ever a time to break the streak against Oregon, which spans seven consecutive losses in four years, it's now. Utah has both an opportunity and a great need for a win Thursday night at the Huntsman Center.
Offensively, the Utes are on the rise. Since entering conference play, the team is leading the conference in shooting (54.1 percent) while scoring 82 points or more in five consecutive games. The Utes also have been one of the better defensive teams in Pac-12 games, holding opponents to 67.7 ppg (third in league) and 41.5 percent shooting (third).
Krystkowiak said Utah's recent string of offensive success will face its biggest challenge since traveling to Arizona. Oregon's defensive efficiency ranks No. 13 nationally, according to the analytics site KenPom.com. Utah has struggled against the Ducks in the past, particularly turning over the ball against the zone scheme — the chief reason why eight of Utah's 10 most recent losses to Oregon have been by double digits.
"A lot of people know what Oregon wants to do, and they can't stop it," Krystkowiak said. "I'm a big believer that defense wins championships, and they've proven it."
There's potential for a slight advantage for Utah going against a team that has won 16 consecutive games. They may be without Dillon Brooks, who has destroyed the Utes throughout his career. The junior is averaging 20.4 ppg in five career contests against the Utes, but he sprained his foot against Cal and didn't finish the game last week.
After missing his last start against Stanford, Brooks was seen shooting at practice without a boot Tuesday. Altman called him "a game-time decision."
But Utah could be without its own forward, 6-foot-10 David Collette, who has anchored the low post game. He's missed two consecutive with concussion symptoms, and Krystkowiak said he wouldn't be practicing for a while. It's unknown if he has yet passed concussion protocol necessary to play.
One thing is sure: Utah really could use a win over Oregon.
The Utes find themselves without many remaining opportunities for signature wins the rest of the regular season, having already played their sole contests with Arizona and UCLA. The Utes get the Ducks twice this season, and only one game will feature the support of a near-sold-out Huntsman Center; as of Wednesday afternoon, Utah's athletics department said 445 tickets remained.
Utah's NCAA Tournament profile is lacking at the moment. The Utes have only one win against a top-50 RPI team (USC) after one of the weakest nonconference schedules in the country. Among 80 projections tracked by the Bracket Matrix, the Utes appear in 20. Bracket Matrix projects them as the sixth team outside the field.
A loss to Oregon wouldn't necessarily condemn the Utes to being left out on Selection Sunday, but a win would go a long way to burnishing their case to be on the right side of the bubble. Altman said Tuesday he thinks Utah is playing like a tournament team.
For once against the Ducks, the Utes would like to prove him right.
"We haven't had very good success for a variety of reasons, it was a different story every year," Krystkowiak said. "All that stuff goes out the window. I don't think we need any motivation dangling in front of us to get stirred up. I think our guys are dialed in."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
No. 10 Oregon at Utah
Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 8:30 p.m.
TV • Fox Sports 1
Radio • ESPN 700 AM
Records • Oregon (18-2, 7-0); Utah (14-5, 5-2)
Series history • Oregon leads 17-9
Last meeting • Oregon won 88-57 (March 12, 2016 at Pac-12 Tournament)
About the Ducks • Oregon ranks No. 1 nationally in blocked shots per game (7.7), and both Chris Boucher (53 blocks, 1st) and Jordan Bell (44 blocks, 4th) are among the top five blockers in the Pac-12. ... The Ducks only are letting opponents shoot 38.9 percent from the field, ranked No. 9 in the country. ... Oregon leads the league in Pac-12 play at forcing turnovers, getting a turnover on 22.5 percent of possessions per KenPom.com.
About the Utes • With 11 double-doubles this season, junior forward Kyle Kuzma is tied for No. 13 in the country and leads the Pac-12. ... Both Lorenzo Bonam and Devon Daniels rank in the top 15 nationally in effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage, according to KenPom.com. ... Utah leads the league in rebounding margin (plus-8.5) this season, ranking No. 9 in the country.