The present, not the past, is the Utes’ concern as they visit longtime nemesis Kentucky

When he entered the NBA in the mid-1980s, Larry Krystkowiak was eager to visit the Boston Garden and the Forum, homes of the teams that dominated the league in that era: the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

Utah's basketball coach has a similar feeling about taking his team into Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. “That's going to be an unbelievable environment,” Krystkowiak said of Saturday's game at No. 19 Kentucky.

The game is the centerpiece of Krystkowiak’s upgraded 2018-19 schedule, but Utah’s experience in front of about 22,000 fans will be conditional. A good performance could revive the Utes; a blowout loss would knock them down even further. A team that is struggling to sustain any momentum during the nonconference schedule faces the potential of being overwhelmed by a high-scoring opponent, unless Utah plays better offensively and becomes tougher defensively.

Krystkowiak keeps saying the two ends of the court are connected, and he’s convinced that a more efficient, team-oriented offense will help Utah (4-4) stay engaged on defense. He’s hoping Utes will do a better job of sharing the ball, rather than trying to force anything individually. “Maybe I haven’t been as clear as I wanted,” he said. “It’s a fine line between trying to make a play and trying to make a ‘team’ play.”

Something will have to change after the way the Utes played in last Saturday’s 74-59 loss to BYU at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Kentucky may not be the ideal place for a recovery.

Ordinarily, the theme of Saturday’s game would be Utah’s history vs. the Wildcats. Six times, from 1993-2005, Kentucky knocked Utah out of the NCAA Tournament — including a comeback victory in the 1998 championship game.

But the Utes' current issues top any of those haunting memories of the past. Saturday's game is part of a home/neutral package, with the teams meeting next December in Las Vegas. The deal made sense for Kentucky, with the Wildcats already booked to play Ohio State in Las Vegas that week.

Kentucky is staging an anniversary observance for Utah’s visit, a 25-year reunion of the ’93 Final Four team. Those 'Cats beat Utah 83-62 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Nashville, Tenn.