ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 3 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
T-10. Utah Utes
After a 1-1 start to the year, Utah returned to its winning ways against Mississippi Valley State, cruising past the Delta Devils with little resistance, 98-63.
While MVSU is now 0-4 and anticipates to be one of Utah’s least challenging games this season, the result was a dominant one. The Utes controlled all facets of the contest, shooting efficiently, crashing the glass and spacing the floor well.
What stood out most from the performance was Utah’s collective presence from beyond the 3-point line. Beyond the arc, it went 17-for-36 on Thursday.
Generally speaking, the offensive showing appears to have improved from the first two games, but issues at free-throw line lingered. Seven points were left off the scoreboard for missed free throws, resulting in a 61.1 percent mark from the charity stripe.
Leading the scoring for Utah was guard Parker Van Dyke. The senior came off the bench for coach Larry Krystkowiak to score 16 points, one of five Utes to finish with double-digit points.
Next for Utah is an opportunity to pick up a solid non-conference win or two at the Wooden Legacy tournament. It’ll face Hawaii in the opening round and, depending on results, will either play Grand Canyon or Seton Hall in the following game.
Though GCU and Seton Hall are respectable opponents, the brunt of Utah’s nonconference schedule is yet to come. On the horizon remain games against Kentucky, BYU and Nevada.