Utah basketball game guide: Offensively balanced BYU will challenge Utes in Huntsman Center

A year ago, Larry Krystkowiak walked into the packed Marriott Center with a bright red corduroy jacket, custom fitted for his 6-foot-9 frame.

This year, if he has any surprises lined up for the Utah-BYU game, he'll keep us guessing.

"I don't have my wardrobe sorted out quite yet," Krystkowiak said Tuesday. "Trust me, I've got other things I'm trying to figure out."

The Cougars offer plenty of puzzles: How to stop Chase Fischer and Nick Emery from draining threes. How to keep Kyle Davis and Corbin Kaufusi off the glass. How to stop Kyle Collinsworth from doing … well, everything.

The Utes already have played two quality teams in Miami and San Diego State, splitting those games. BYU represents another crack at a program that's likely to have a winning record and a shot at the NCAA Tournament by year's end.

When you add the history and rivalry factor to the equation — the Cougars are smarting from a pair of defeats in the last two meetings — there's plenty of fire in this one, whether Krystkowiak wears his Utah crimson or not.

Getting to the game:

Time, Place and [radio waves in] Space • The Deseret First Duel rivalry game tips off at 8 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks (if you're a BYU fan with DirecTV, tonight is when you start understanding why your Utah fan neighbors are complaining). It's a Bill Walton game, everybody, so get ready for extensive overtures into art, folklore, the Grateful Dead and possibly politics. Others can tune into ESPN 700 or KSL 1160 depending on your fan persuasion. For Utah fans, it's a "Red Out" game, so fans are encouraged to wear red (like Larry Krystkowiak may or may not be).

The line • As of Wednesday morning, the Utes are favored by 8.5 points according to Vegas Insider.

Opposing coach • You know him. Dave Rose has won 74.6 percent of hits games at BYU, giving the program a stamp with his high-tempo, high-scoring brand of basketball. The Cougars have won at least 20 games in 10 straight seasons under Rose, and they've been to the Big Dance eight times in the last 10 years. Until recently, he was dominant in the BYU-Utah series, and he still boasts a 12-5 record in the rivalry despite losing the last two. Last time the Rose-led Cougars came to the Huntsman Center, the Utes smashed BYU 81-64.

Pregame quotable • For my preview, I talked to Chase Hansen a fair amount about Jordan Loveridge and Nick Emery, two of his good friends. Nothing at all to do with the game, but a fun story nonetheless: "[Jordan and I] have a few friends in common. Seeing him all around campus is kinda fun. I've never played with him,but I've watched him at the Life Center playing pick-up. He was just whooping up on kids. I kinda ended up calling him out. But that's who he is. He's so competitive, he's just tearing them up."

Telling Stat • Calling it now: This one could be a high-scoring affair unlike the last muddled game between the two. The Cougars' average offensive possession length is 13.6 seconds, which is third-fastest in the country, according to KenPom. The Utes' offense is also pretty fast (16.3 seconds per offensive possession) and is KenPom's No. 26 offense by adjusted efficiency through six games (1.115 points per possession).

Cougars Roster Overview • As it was alluded earlier, the Cougars pose a myriad of problems, not the least of which is their lightning-fast offensive tempo that is built to strike quickly in transition. Collinsworth is the ringleader, the triple-double threat who averages 15.6 ppg, 9 rpg and 6.2 apg — the "head of the snake" in Krystkowiak terms. While he can score as well as any BYU player on the floor, it's tough to double-team him because he's such a capable passer. Fischer and Emery are on the wings, and while they haven't hit at above 34 percent from outside the arc, they have 23 combined 3-pointers in five games. Davis is a long-armed rebounder who is capable of easy putbacks and dunks if overeager defenders let him fly unguarded to crowd Collinsworth. Kaufusi is a big body at 6-foot-10 and is a physical match-up for Jakob Poeltl, if not as polished. While BYU hasn't faced the toughest opponents yet, the team boasts an extremely stingy interior defense allowing only 39.5 percent shooting inside the arc. That will be tested by Poeltl, but Poeltl will be tested by a team that is No. 11 nationally in rebounding percentage (63.6 percent). These guys crash the glass and get second chances.

Something's Gotta Give • It's been noted that Utah's perimeter defense has been poor this year (41.7 opposing 3-point percent). BYU's 3-point shooting percentage has been surprisingly mediocre (32.8 percent). Who wins that battle? The Utes have to be alert at the 3-point line, because Collinsworth and the bigs specialize in finding open shooters at the perimeter. Anyone who has watched Fischer and Emery knows they are capable of getting hot quickly. Brandon Taylor, Lorenzo Bonam and other perimeter players will have to be ready to contest — and not foul — the attackers on the perimeter.

BYU's Edge • Balance. While the Cougars were arguably better with Tyler Haws teaming with Collinsworth last year, it's a lot harder to pick up on one or two guys this season. All five starters are credible scoring threats, averaging between 15.6 ppg and 10.6 ppg. To a degree, they all have different skill sets. It's not as much how a team stops the Cougars from getting shots off as who a team lets take the shots. But even that isn't easy: Do you give more attempts to Davis and Kaufusi, who are both shooting above 58 percent? Or do you take a risk that Fischer and Emery won't catch a hot streak behind the arc. Emery and Collinsworth are also drivers, and collapsing on them opens a risk that someone else on the floor gets open.

Utah's Edge • Going out on a slight limb here: Utah has been able to use the new emphasis on foul rules to their advantage this year to a great degree. Only in one game — unsurprisingly Utah's only loss of the year — have the Utes committed more fouls than their opponents. The other five times, the Utes have made more free throws than their opponents attempted, one of Utah's goals in every game. The Utes also are shooting free throws at a 74-percent clip, led by Poeltl's vast improvement (72.2 percent). BYU has been good so far in this area, committing only 18 fouls per game (No. 63 nationally). But that was what swung the 65-61 game last year: Utah took three times as many foul shots as BYU.

Watch Out For • I wrote extensively about the local talent in the game, focusing in on Jordan Loveridge and Nick Emery. It's worth remembering that Loveridge missed the game last year with a knee injury. Two years ago in the Huntsman Center, he lit up the Cougars early and finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He's started the year out well, and he's as good in this rivalry as anyone Utah has. Emery is a newcomer to the series, but he's been extremely hot recently averaging over 21 points in his last three games. One wonders if he takes on the Fredette/Haws role of sharpshooter that Utah fans everywhere love to hate.

Only one way to find out: watch.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon