Big task ahead for Bibbins against two elite point guards

Utes senior guard Justin Bibbins knows he’s up against two of the top point guards in the country as UCLA’s Aaron Holiday and USC’s Jordan McLaughlin visit this weekend.

Holiday came into Thursday as the Pac-12′s third-leading scorer (19.4 points per game) and second in assists (5.7 assists per game). He’s been the engine for a UCLA offense which leads the conference in scoring (82.3 ppg).

McLaughlin, a senior who will lead USC into the Huntsman Center on Saturday afternoon, leads the conference and ranks fourth in Division I in assists (7.7 per game). He’s also averaging 12.4 points per game and is one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard.

“You’ve got two great guards coming in here,” Bibbins said. “People are going to compare me to them, and it’s going to be a challenge. That’s why I came here, to be challenged, to play against them and to see how I do. The first time we played them, the results didn’t go our way, but I’m happy that we get them here and just to test my abilities and come out with a win.”

Bibbins, McLaughlin and Holiday all share a common thread as being former California prep standouts. Bibbins went to Bishop Montgomery, while Holiday attended Campbell Hall and McLaughlin went to Etiwanda.

Bibbins matched up with Holiday twice while at Long Beach State, and Bibbins and McLaughlin met in AAU. McLaughlin got the better of that matchup.

“When you’re on the circuit in California everyone pretty much knows each other,” Bibbins said. “Whether you’ve seen them at a tournament or played against them.”

Barefield out on Thursday

Utes junior guard Sedrick Barefield did not dress for Thursday night’s game. Barefield played four minutes in Saturday’s win at Washington State due to discomfort in his ribs he felt during warmups. Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak said he decided to pull Barefield out of the game after Barefield’s first shot fell short of the rim and he continued to wince on the court.

Barefield, the team’s third-leading scorer (11.2 ppg), has played the third-most minutes on the team this season behind seniors Justin Bibbins and Tyler Rawson. While he has played mostly off the ball this season, Barefield has also been the team’s primary ball handler besides Bibbins.