Things seem different now.
Riding a three-game winning streak into tonight's game at Missouri State in the new JQH Arena, Boylen has credited much of his team's early success - after that embarrassing opening loss to a Division II team, of course - to the broader range of capable players at his disposal.
"Our depth has showed," he said.
And that's not just because seniors Shaun Green and Tyler Kepkay have moved into reserve roles this season, helping the Utah bench outscore its opponents almost 2-to-1 so far. Freshman guard Jordan Cyphers - and to a lesser extent, fellow freshman Jace Tavita - has impressed Boylen with his ability to contribute despite his inexperience.
In essence, then, the Utes feel they can reliably go about 10 deep, counting forward Morgan Grim, something that was inconceivable last season.
"We have balance, both in our starting lineup and coming off the bench," Boylen said. "Cyphers and Tavita have helped our depth with the fact that we can put them in and they can help us."
The 3-1 Utes might need that depth again in their first real road game tonight, against a well-balanced team playing just its second game in its glistening new arena. The 2-1 Bears have four starters scoring in double-figures under first-year coach Cuonzo Martin - like Boylen, a former assistant coach in the Big Ten Conference, at Purdue.
"They run a Big Ten-style system with man-to-man defense and tough, physical play," he said. "It's a game that we need right now, going on the road and playing in a hostile environment to see what we're made of."
One benefit of the improved depth is the ability to play faster.
Boylen always has wanted the Utes to run more, but has said he held them back last year out of concern he would wear down the few players he had - something that Green said might have happened to him, anyway. Now, though, Boylen believes his team is better-equipped to push the pace, and the Utes are averaging nearly 77 points per game. That's almost 10 more than last season.
mcl@sltrib.com
Where: JQH Arena, Springfield, Mo.
Tipoff: 6 p.m. MST
Radio: AM 700
Records: Utah 3-1; Missouri State 2-1
Series: Utah leads, 1-0
Last meeting: Utah 66, Missouri State 54 (Dec. 15, 2008)
Line: Utah by 5.5.
About the Utes: Riding a three-game winning streak, they're playing their first true road game. ... Senior C Luke Nevill averages 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game. ... They're leading the Mountain West Conference by shooting 77.8 percent from the free-throw line.
About the Bears: Playing in a new arena under new coach Cuonzo Martin, they're coming off a home victory over Arkansas. ... Four starters average in double figures, with senior F Chris Cooks leading the way with 15.7 points per game.
