Which makes today's regular-season finale against UNLV all the more important.
"We definitely need to get a couple of wins," forward Shaun Green said. "We need this next win and at least a couple - one or two - in the league tournament to have any postseason hopes."
The 16-12 Utes have not played in the postseason in three years, and beating the 22-7 Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center would go a long way toward ending that drought by making them much more attractive to the NIT or the new 16-team College Basketball Invitational, should it come to that. Otherwise, the Utes risk finishing the season with barely a winning record and having lost six of their last seven games - not exactly the swimsuit issue of postseason résumés.
"It's a huge game," guard Luka Drca said, noting that the Rebels are ranked 29th in the Ratings Percentage Index, according to RealTimeRPI.com. "If we beat them, then even if we don't win the conference tournament - win, like, a couple of games in the tournament - we have a chance to play in the postseason games."
The Utes also are still in a fight for a promising seed in the Mountain West tournament. Winning today would assure them the fifth seed and a first-round date with probably San Diego State, while losing would put them in jeopardy of falling all the way to seventh - Air Force needs to beat San Diego State and TCU must upset Brigham Young, for that to happen - and into another matchup against the Rebels on their home floor.
"Every game is important for us right now, for a lot of different reasons," coach Jim Boylen said.
Boylen believes the Utes can build for next season with a strong finish. With eight of nine regulars returning next season, "and five new guys coming in, you've got to establish something now," he said.
The Utes are facing a team they beat at the Huntsman Center earlier this season, but the Rebels are playing their regular-season home finale and coming off a stunning loss at New Mexico that could have them motivated for revenge. The Rebels also have won 11 straight games at home.
At least, the Utes have a chance to get familiar with the arena in which they will play the conference tournament in only four days.
mcl@sltrib.com
Utah at UNLV
At the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
Tipoff: 2 p.m. MT
TV: Versus
Radio: 700 AM
Records: Utah 16-12 (7-8 MWC), UNLV 22-7 (11-4 MWC)
Series: Utah leads, 19-18
Last meeting: Utah 81, UNLV 73 (Feb. 6)
Line: UNLV by 5 1/2
About the Utes: Riding a three-game road losing streak, they're hoping to clinch the fifth seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament. . . . Junior C Luke Nevill and senior G Johnnie Bryant each scored a career-high 26 points in the last meeting.
About the Rebels: They're riding an 11-game home winning streak. . . . Senior G Wink Adams averages 16 points and 4.0 rebounds, while junior F Joe Darger of Riverton averages 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.
