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The Utes were down big in Kansas City and had no business coming back.
OK, maybe there was a chance, said Fran Fraschilla, calling the Utah-Kansas game for ESPN. If the Jayhawks kept getting rolled by Delon Wright, he said, the Utes had a sliver of hope.
Even as his words proved prophetic as Wright led a second-half charge to erase an 18-point lead, Fraschilla was still overwhelmed. Utah came away with a loss but still made the case it merited a top-15 ranking, and Wright — 24 points, four assists, four steals — shined in a game with four potential first-round NBA Draft picks on the floor.
"I remember saying Delon Wright has to be less unselfish: He needs to go in the paint more and make some plays himself," Fraschilla said. "He kind of did that. From a coaching standpoint, I saw him dominate the second half. His ability gave them a chance."
Basketball observers around the country are saying that about Wright more and more this season.
Already on the Wooden Award and Naismith Award watch lists, Utah's star senior guard was recently ranked the No. 2 point guard in the country by ESPN. Among players who are used on at least 24 percent of possessions, Wright lands at No. 7 in stat guru Ken Pomoroy's player-of-the-year rankings.
The word is getting out there: The 9-2 Utes are good, and the 6-foot-5 guard who leads the team in points (16.4 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), steals (24) and is shooting nearly 58 percent from the field is among the nation's best.
"I think he's one of the all-around top players of the league," Pac-12 commentator and former coach Kevin O'Neill said. "He just needed major college basketball experience, and he's got that now. He looks like a confident player; he appears to be a good leader. I think he's going to have a special year."
It's not just the numbers — Wright has played his best on the biggest stages: 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists against Wichita State; an 18-11 double-double against BYU; a team-high 17 points against UNLV. In the past seven games, Wright is averaging 19 points per contest and has led Utah in scoring in four of those games.
Then there's the big moments. A steal-and-dunk move at BYU made SportsCenter's top 10 highlights, and a one-handed dunk before halftime at Kansas helped spur the second-half comeback. The most telling thing about Wright is his high expectations: He simply shrugged his shoulders when a reporter inquired about his near-triple-double against South Dakota State.
Wright's success has bloomed since one of his personal disappointments. After shooting 2 for 13 in a 53-49 loss to San Diego State, Wright said the defeat and his subpar offensive night left him re-examining his contributions in big games. He felt he could've penetrated more for either lay-ups or to get to the foul line.
"I'm just more focused, I guess," he said. "It was something I knew I needed to do, get inside for those easy baskets and just be more aggressive."
Wright gets calls and texts after every game, but mostly keeps his own council. He watches film to figure out his mistakes himself.
But that doesn't mean he's above outside suggestions and criticism. Fellow senior Dallin Bachynski said one of Wright's underrated qualities is that he's easy to play with.
Maybe that's a result of years of playing pickup with his brother, Portland Trail Blazer Dorell Wright, and NBA-caliber players. Whatever the reason exactly, Bachynski said, Wright is always willing to tweak his game for his teammates.
"You can tell him, 'I was open, you didn't pass to me,' and he'll pass to you next time," he said. "He's not very vocal, but he's very open with us."
What makes him so hard to guard? In addition to his quick driving ability and sure hands, teammates say it's his sense of improvisation. When Wright steps into the lane, he keeps his options open. He won't make his decision to shoot, pass or drive until the last possible instant — often too late for the defender to react.
"He's attacking, and if somebody's open, he's going to give him the ball," Bachynski said. "He doesn't have it made up in his mind, whether it's a spin move or whatever. It really is kind of a flow to his game."
Fraschilla said he sees Wright as one of the 15 best players in the country and already on the shortlist for Pac-12 player of the year. Various NBA Draft boards see him moving up in the first round of next year's draft.
Wright acknowledged that it was a tough call to stay for his senior year over going pro this spring. But now that he's in the heat of the season, and the No. 14 Utes appear to be a rising power, he's enjoying being back on the college court.
"I'm glad I came back now, the way our season is going and how things might go potentially next year," he said. "I don't really know how all it all will happen, trying to get to the tournament, but it is my goal. I'm happy with my decision."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
By the numbers
• Utah senior guard Delon Wright is continuing his reputation as a stat sheet stuffer this year
• 16.4 points per game (No. 6 in Pac-12)
• 2.2 steals per game (No. 3 in Pac-12)
• 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 3 in Pac-12)
• 5.2 assists per game (No. 5 in the Pac-12)
• 57.7 shooting percentage (No. 6 in the Pac-12, highest-shooting guard)