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With a game coming up against one of the nation's tougher defenses, the Utes want to be at full strength.
They're a step closer in that direction: Freshman center Jakob Poeltl practiced Friday afternoon and joined the team for lifting, giving No. 12-ranked Utah (15-3, 5-1) hope that their Austrian ace will be ready to play Sunday against Washington.
Poeltl missed Wednesday's 86-64 win over Washington State, his first missed start in his career. Poeltl leads the team in rebounding (7.9 per game), field goal percentage (65.3 percent) and blocks (2.1 per game), a critical cog in Utah's rise this year.
"He practiced today, so that was good, and I'm sure he'll practice tomorrow," Delon Wright said on Friday afternoon. "It's a big thing, because he defends the rim. He's a guy we can pass to on a slip or rolling to dunk it. He's a good presence."
The Utes are also hopeful Kenneth Ogbe, who has missed the last five games with a groin injury, will be able to play and add depth at the guard spots.
Sunday's game pits two of the country's best interior defenses against one another. Washington is the only Pac-12 team with a better 2-point field goal percentage defense (38 percent) than Utah's (39.3 percent). They're ranked No. 5 and No. 6 in the country respectively. The centerpiece of the Huskies' unit is junior transfer Robert Upshaw, who leads Division I with 4.1 blocks per game.
Whatever Poeltl's status is for Washington, senior center Dallin Bachynski said, the Utes feel prepared.
"Whether they need me to play 25 minutes or 5 minutes, it's all whether I'm ready to go," he said. "I know I'm ready to go, with or without Jakob. Of course we would miss Jakob, but we were able to get a win the other day without him. I don't think we need him to get a win, but it certainly makes it easier to have him."
Wright named a Robertson finalist
Give Delon Wright just a little break: He's on a lot of lists. His name decorates the midseason Wooden Award list, midseason All America lists, and numerous other Player of the Year watches.
So Oscar Robertson Award - who does that go to again?
Once he was informed that the award goes to the national player of the year in college basketball, and that he was one of 17 midseason candidates, Wright rediscovered his bearings.
"Oh, it's good," he said. "I'm glad to be on that."
Averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 55 percent, Wright continues to carry a reputation as one of the top players in the nation. The list includes some familiar faces as well, like Wichita State's Ron Baker and Arizona's Stanley Johnson.
Missing the cut was Washington's Nigel Williams-Goss, who could've easily been included. He's averaging 14.7 points, 5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game shooting 42 percent. Going against the Huskies sophomore should be a primetime pairing for Wright.
"We're kind of similar in some ways," he said. "We're big guards. We look to get into the paint and make plays. It'll be a fun match-up."
Bachynski over brush-up
After arguing on court in the second half of Wednesday's game, Bachynski got grilled a bit in the post-game press conference by Larry Krystkowiak, who suggested he should have listened to some criticism by teammates instead of yelling back.
After Friday's practice, a nonchalant Bachynski suggested the episode was water under the bridge.
"It's just emotion, from me and from them," he said. "We moved past it, particularly me. I believe in them. No harm done."
Twitter: @kylegoon