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Against Miami last week, there was a sequence that the Utes stressed over after the 90-66 loss: When the game was within 10 points late in the second half and the Utes made several stops, they turned the ball over.
Surely many fans watching had the same thought: It would've been a nice time to have Delon Wright.
There's no quicker way to fire up Brandon Taylor than to ask how the Utes (4-1) plan on filling Wright's sizable shoes.
"I just feel like, it's not about coming in and filling the shoes of Delon," Taylor said. "Delon had his role. He did a great job, and he's done with Utah basketball. He's onto Toronto. And everyone else is stuck on him."
It's not meant as a slight to Wright. Taylor and the rest of the Utes are simply weary of hearing about a player who isn't returning to the Huntsman Center. But among the current group, there's three players who have been put in charge of bringing the ball up the floor and getting the offense started.
Is there a player who can be the sure-handed playmaker that the Utes need? The results so far are inconclusive. And ideally, Larry Krystkowiak would like all three — Taylor, Lorenzo Bonam and Isaiah Wright — to take a step forward.
"I'm counting on all of them," Krystkowiak said. "The turnovers, we really got exposed against Miami, where we can't defend turnovers. It just puts too much heat on your defense. … It's kind of like raising a teenager. You give them a little bit of freedom, you hope they don't make many mistakes. If they don't make mistakes, you give them a little more freedom."
It's not that Utah lacks for capable players at point guard. Taylor hasn't missed a start since his freshman year, and knows the offense as well as any player. Bonam's length and ability to slash gives the team an added weapon. Wright is a solid defender and a self-described pass-first guy who is trying to take a next step as a sophomore.
The Utes anticipate that each players' differences make the team harder to game plan for. On a given possession, the opponent has to figure out who is bringing the ball up the floor, and what his talents are.
But there's the matter of making good decisions, and each player has had ups and downs so far.
With all due respect to Taylor, one more Delon Wright comparison: Last year, the senior had a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio with 5.1 dimes per game. So far, no Ute is averaging more than Taylor's 3 assists per game, and Isaiah Wright has the best ratio of the point guards (2.0) but only six assists in five games.
There may not be one player this year that begins to approach Delon Wright's assist production, and that's OK. But the mistakes have to be scrubbed, they acknowledge.
It's not the only issue Utah is trying to clean up: It would also help if the point guards could be more potent outside threats, something No. 55 never was. Taylor and Isaiah Wright have been struggling from long range, and Wright knows that's a problem when a defender can play off him and double Jakob Poeltl.
"I need to make sure people guard me," he said. "I need to look to score. In practice, I've been comfortable doing that, it's still gotta show up in the games."
The Utes all hope their practice work starts showing up in games. They know Delon Wright won't.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Pressure on point guards
The Utes are still looking for increased production and fewer mistakes from their three point guards this season:
• Brandon Taylor > 7.6 ppg, 15 assists, 11 turnovers, 28.3 FG percentage
• Lorenzo Bonam > 10.2 ppg, 10 assists, 7 turnovers, 47.2 FG percentage
• Isaiah Wright > 1.6 ppg, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 20.0 FG percentage —
Idaho State at Utah
P At the Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 7 p.m. MST
TV • Pac-12 Networks
Radio • ESPN 700
Records • Idaho State (2-2), Utah (4-1)
Series history • Utah leads, 25-4
About the Bengals • Idaho State is ranked No. 4 nationally and tops in the Big Sky conference with 11.8 3-pointers per game, hitting at a 39.2 percent clip. … The Bengals are 0-1 against the Pac-12 this season, losing 85-67 at Washington State. … Bengals guard Ethan Telfair, brother to former NBA guard Sebastian Telfair, is averaging 16.0 ppg.
About the Utes • Jakob Poeltl was named Pac-12 player of the week after averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in four games last week as Utah went 3-1. … The Utes are trying to protect a 22-game winning streak against non-conference opponents at the Huntsman Center dating to 2012. … Utah fans can bring a non-perishable food item to the game for a donation to the Utah Food Bank and receive a free upper bowl ticket.