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A half-hour after the marathon NCAA Selection Show revealed Utah's next game, Larry Krystkowiak interrupted his press conference to shout down at his players, who were shooting on the practice court.
"Why aren't you guys home resting?" he chided.
The game prep machinery was clicking quickly after the Utes were picked as a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament, bound for Denver and first-round matchup Thursday with 14-seed Fresno State. While coaches were upstairs reviewing film of the Bulldogs, the Utes — who had returned hours before from Las Vegas — were directed to get their rest.
It's Utah's second straight year in the tournament, and the program's 29th appearance overall. Even though they still flew out of their seats when their seeding was announced just like last year, they know how to get ready.
"It's still as exciting as it was last year," sophomore center Jakob Poeltl said. "It's just another year of experience where we know what to expect and that might help us a little bit."
Utah's game will tip off against the Bulldogs in Denver's Pepsi Center at 5:27 p.m. on TruTV. And the Utes are hopeful that they can match and possibly build on last season's run to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champion Duke.
Their first test will come against the Mountain West Tournament champions, winners of nine straight games and led by the coaches' pick for conference player of the year Marvelle Harris. The 6-foot-4 senior averages over 20 points per game, the top offensive threat on a team that muscled its way past San Diego State for the conference title.
The Bulldogs are No. 16 nationally in steals per game (8.2) and No. 5 in turnover margin (plus-4.3).
"They have a great player, the player of the year in their conference," senior forward Jordan Loveridge said. "They get out in passing lanes a lot, kind of like Oregon does. They like to speed teams up. Lot of athletes. It'll be a tough challenge."
The Utes seemed recovered from their own missed opportunity for a league title after Oregon (which earned a No. 1-seed) beat up on them 88-57 on Saturday. However, it didn't slip them from the 3-line in Denver, where many bracket projections had them landing.
The players themselves said while it was a "humbling" experience, the opportunity of more March Madness to come has helped them refocus.
"Once we saw our name pop up on the board as a three-seed, it was like, 'OK, we've got something else to tackle now,'" senior Brandon Taylor said. "Last night was a tough stretch, a tough game, but it is what it is. Now we've got a very tough Fresno team that we have to be dialed in for."
Utah played in the WAC with Fresno State between 1993 and 1999, and is 10-4 against the Bulldogs all-time. Utah and Fresno State have never met on a neutral court.
The Utes share a region with No. 1-seed Virginia and No. 2-seed Michigan State. Should the Utes win, they would match up with the winner of 6-seed Seton Hall and 11-seed Gonzaga. The Denver first- and second-round site figures to boast strong fan representation for the Utes, who said they were excited to play close to home.
Utah received its highest seed since earning a No. 2-seed in 1999. The Utes have received a No. 3-seed twice since 1981, including their run to the NCAA championship game in 1998.
"Once we got going, I definitely knew we could have a special-type team," Loveridge said. "I wouldn't have said this high of a seeding [before the season], but we would've had a good chance to at least be in the tournament."
On their resume, the Utes were 9-7 against the RPI top 50 and had an 18-8 record against the top 100. While they were blown out against Oregon (which earned a No. 1 NCAA seed) in the last game of the tournament, the Utes made their first-ever Pac-12 final by beating USC and Cal.
In all, Utah was 10-7 against the NCAA field this year. The NCAA Selection Committee said it slotted Utah as the 11th overall best team in the field.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah vs. Fresno State
P NCAA Tournament first round at the Pepsi Center, Denver
5:27 p.m. Thursday
TV • TruTV
About the Bulldogs
Record • 25-9.
How they qualified • Mountain West Conference Tournament champion.
Wins of note • Swept season series with Utah State, winning 75-68 at home and 86-85 in Logan; won MWC tournament title game by beating San Diego State 68-63
Losses of note • 78-73 at Oregon; 85-72 at Arizona
The Skinny • Turnover margin could be crucial for the Bulldogs. They're at plus-147 in that department for the season.