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Utes’ Rylan Jones named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week

Washington guard Jamal Bey, left, guards Utah guard Rylan Jones, right, in the first half during an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

  | Jan. 27, 2020, 8:28 p.m.

Rylan Jones got the University of Utah back on track last week.

On Thursday against Washington, the Utes freshman point guard was the hero, going 9-for-10 from the foul line, finishing with 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in an improbable 67-66 win. Two days later, his game-high 24 points paced Utah to a 76-64 win over Washington State.

For his efforts, Jones was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week by the league office Monday afternoon. He is the first Ute freshman to receive the honor this season. Sophomore guard Timmy Allen was named Player of the Week twice in the month of December.

With Jones leading the charge over the weekend, Utah (12-7, 3-4 Pac-12) has now won consecutive games after losing four straight vs. Oregon, at Colorado, at Arizona and at Arizona State. The Utes sit eighth in the Pac-12, one of nine teams within 2.5 games of the league-leading Ducks.

Utah is back on the road this week, Thursday at USC and Sunday at UCLA. The Trojans, who have stepped forward as one of three or four teams with a legitimate chance to win the Pac-12 regular-season title, represent a Quadrant 1 opportunity for the Utes.