This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

No big surprise by now that the Utah Utes are a terrific basketball team.

They have size. They have versatility. They have depth. They have the inclination and ability to play defense. They have shooters. They have a couple of NBA first-round picks on their roster. They have toughness. They have rock-steady coaching. They have promise. And they and their fans have reestablished the Huntsman Center as an impressive college basketball palace. Utah is 15-0 at home so far this season. Mayhem is sure to meet and greet the Arizona Wildcats there when they arrive next week.

What might yet surprise is this: how far this team can go come tournament time.

Utah is good enough to make it to the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight, maybe the Final Four.

It might not happen, but it could. And the latter is a major threshold to cross, even if the former turns out to be what's real.

Let's geek out a little here:

The Utes are 20-4 overall, 10-2 in the Pac-12, which is not a strong league this season. They've outscored their opponents, 74.3 points to 56.4. They've been much more efficient than their opponents, making nearly 50 percent of their shots, while holding opponents to 37 percent. And they commit fewer fouls on defense, taking and making a lot more free throws than the other guys: 381 of 549 versus 273 of 422.

Study the team's four losses, all on the road, and those numbers get flipped. Against San Diego State, Kansas and Arizona, Utah shot 30-some percent from the floor. In all four defeats, they were beaten and bested at the free-throw line, typically in decisive fashion.

At UCLA, for instance, the Utes, who made 48 percent of their field goals to the Bruins' 46 percent, hit only six foul shots and took only nine. UCLA, in contrast, made 18 of 24 from the line, and won by 10 points. Utah also made more mistakes than the Bruins, turning the ball over more than double the number that UCLA gave up.

At Arizona, Utah got killed on the boards, 40-19, but the Wildcats also made more free throws than the Utes even attempted. All told in its losses, Utah has gone 41 of 56 from the line, while its opponents have converted 73 of 98 free throws. Utah's Achilles heel flares up when it shoots poorly from the field and becomes less aggressive on offense. Sometimes, it lacks inside scoring, and when the Utes get bumped around in the post, they double clutch. With the one-and-done nature of tournament play, Utah will have to do everything in its considerable power to earn good shots and flush them when it gets them. And also: find ways to get to that line.

The Ute defense is formidable enough, typically, to keep them in games, to give them a shot at winning, even when the offense struggles a bit. When the offense finds its rhythm, Utah is unlikely to lose. That's the really promising part for the Utes and their fans. If the space under a team's tall ceiling is substantial, that's what captures the attention and imagination of those who want to be a part of it and those who already are.

Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl are unique talents. Poeltl, in particular, has caught the eyes of NBA guys, some of whom see him as a pup with a lot of room for good growth. He seems to have solid self-awareness and to be in no rush to make his ascent. It will become increasingly necessary for the veteran Wright to impose his will — and his talents — at the end of games, taking over when his team needs him. But Utah's success goes far beyond just them. If Wright and Poeltl, as well as Brandon Taylor and Jordan Loveridge, Dakarai Tucker, Brekkott Chapman and Chris Reyes, get their proper flow, this could be a memorable stretch from the back end of February through the mad weeks of March.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.