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One of the Runnin' Utes drills — "the quiet drill" — has been used over the past few years to illustrate why communication is so important.

In practice, the Utes would run a shell drill scheme without speaking. They'd bungle it. They'd lose track of their assignments, each other on rotations and be a jumbled mess. Then, the coaches would allow the players to communicate, an opportunity they would embrace with gusto.

"You see this incredible difference of the energy and the enthusiasm and typically production out of your defense when you add your voice to it," coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "Guys start validating and saying, 'Yeah, this makes sense.'"

One of the chief problems for this Utah (17-10, 8-7) squad is it has been running the quiet drill unwittingly for 27 games this season. The Utes haven't reached the part where they start talking to each other.

That was one of several frustrations Krystkowiak aired during a Tuesday morning news conference — his first media opportunity since falling 68-67 at five-win Oregon State, Utah's second straight collapse in Corvallis. It was the latest and lowest in an eight-game stretch that has seen the Utes go 3-5 and watch their NCAA Tournament hopes crash and burn.

Krystkowiak's comments pointed to a lack of vocal leadership among players, a frustration with mental errors and perhaps a disconnect between the sixth-year coach and his team. He said he didn't say much to the team after the loss on Sunday night, then "just about blew a gasket" when he heard laughter on the bus on the way to the airport.

"A half hour after that game, I don't care what was said," he explained. "Nothing's funny."

Since starting out 5-2 in Pac-12 play, Utah's season has sputtered with turnovers on the rise and the defensive intensity wavering. The loss to Oregon State was Exhibit A of this phenomenon: The Utes gave up 17 turnovers, including three in the final minute-and-a-half, and couldn't cover Stephen Thompson Jr., who scored 11 of his game-high 31 points in the final five minutes of the Beavers' comeback.

Junior forward Kyle Kuzma said he was "over" the loss, as did his coach. But the lingering problems that have dogged Utah throughout the season — particularly communication — have yet to be fixed. No one seems sure they will be.

"That kind of hurts us, because in the game of basketball, you have to talk," Kuzma said. "We can't have guys go mute. … We haven't really been a talkative team for the majority of the year, so how could you really change it with three games left in the regular season? It's kind of tough."

One of the reasons Utah was picked in the preseason to finish eighth in the Pac-12 (to which the Utes took umbrage) was the number of new pieces: Utah has 11 players on the roster who didn't suit up in a game for the team last year. Late in this season, it's clear that Utah is missing veteran presence.

Krystkowiak openly pined for one of his seniors from last year, Brandon Taylor, who brought a motor as well as vocal leadership to the team.

"I don't know we're having a whole lot of fun," he said. "I don't see a guy with a motor. ... I don't know who that is on our team. I'm not pleased with it."

Krystkowiak has also shown his restlessness with his roster by rotating lineups: In the backcourt, Lorenzo Bonam, Parker Van Dyke, Sedrick Barefield and JoJo Zamora have each gotten at least one start in the last four games. While Krystkowiak said he wasn't much concerned with who starts, he also is shutting out any outside opinions on the matter except that of his coaching staff.

"That's not an area to get bogged down in and get complicated for our team, and I don't think you gain much confidence by starting," he said. "That's a cop-out. If any of our guys are lacking confidence because they've been yo-yoed around and 'Oh my God, they're not starting,' — No, sorry. Maybe in high school, but not here."

Of course, if Utah was 5-3 in its closing stretch instead of 3-5, maybe these topics wouldn't be so heated, Krystkowiak said. Winning has a way of smoothing over kinks in the system.

The cracks are showing late in the season more than ever, the Utes acknowledged. But that's what makes the upcoming game at Colorado so important: a chance to wipe the slate clean once again.

"It's a heck of a lot more easy to be shining and look connected when you're winning," Krystkowiak said. "But I think you bring that consistently before you win or lose. I'm going to ask our guys to bring more enthusiasm this week."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Utah at Colorado

P Thursday, 9 p.m.

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