Devils in Detail
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ASU WBB: Devils in Detail Pac-12 WBB Rankings, 8-5

By Sam Ficarro

Mar 5, 2016; Seattle , WA, USA; General view of the Pac-12 womens tournament center court logo with the outline of the Space Needle at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Seattle , WA, USA; General view of the Pac-12 womens tournament center court logo with the outline of the Space Needle at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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T5. Utah Utes

March 5, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Pacific Tigers head coach Lynne Roberts (left) argues with an official against the San Francisco Dons during the second half in the quarterfinal round of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 5, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Pacific Tigers head coach Lynne Roberts (left) argues with an official against the San Francisco Dons during the second half in the quarterfinal round of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Utah Utes have been one of the surprise stories in the Pac-12 this season. Last season, head coach Lynne Roberts took over as the Utes head coach and went 18-15, securing their first winning season since 2012-13 and earning a berth in the WNIT for their first postseason berth in three years. This season, Utah is one of two remaining undefeated teams in the Pac-12. The Utes are 11-0, but haven’t faced a challenging non-conference schedule with wins versus Fresno State, St. Mary’s, Nevada and BYU.

Utah is led by redshirt junior forward Emily Potter. After missing all of the 2014-15 season with an injury, she bounced back as the go-to player for the Utes. She was named to the All-Pac-12 Team last season after averaging 15.1 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game on 49.8 percent shooting. This season, Potter is putting up even more impressive numbers as she’s averaging a team-high 17.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG on 60.3 percent shooting. She is joined by two others averaging double-digits in juniors Malia Nawahine and Tanaeya Boclair. Nawahine is averaging 12.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.1 assists per game. Boclair is averaging 11.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG.

It’s been an incredible turnaround for Utah under Roberts, but the question will be whether Utah can sustain their success versus much stiffer competition in the Pac-12. Utes are already only seven wins away from matching their win total from last season. We know what we will get from Potter, but does she have enough help around her to help Utah take the next step. The Utes will begin conference play this weekend at No. 10 UCLA and USC.