This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For a team called the Runnin' Utes, this basketball season starts off slowly.
There's no exhibition, but the opening two games come against Division II Northwest Nazarine and NAIA Concordia before Utah gets its first DI opponent in Coppin State, which was 9-22 last year.
It's not sexy for a team that has played San Diego State, Kansas, Miami, Wichita State and Duke in nonconference schedules past. But with few returners and so many newcomers, Utah is willing to take its time.
"We're trying to work out our kinks," junior forward Kyle Kuzma said. "It's very important for our nonconference schedule to be the way it is to get everyone acclimated to playing together and playing in front of a crowd."
November and December figure to be a waiting game for Utah men's basketball: waiting for bigger opponents, waiting for players to become healthy and/or eligible, waiting for a team stocked with newcomers to gel. As coach Larry Krystkowiak is fond of saying, there are things one only learns about a team "when they're out there with the bright lights and the popcorn popping."
There are 12 Utes who didn't play a game for the team last year, and at least three new starters. Two players who are anticipated to be among Utah's best, forward David Collette and guard Sedrick Barefield, won't be eligible until Utah plays in Hawaii on Dec. 22, and guard Tim Coleman and forward Chris Seeley are both rehabbing from recent shoulder surgeries.
But no time on the court is time wasted in Utah's eyes. And in a quest to land the program's third straight NCAA Tournament berth, even the slow start of Utah's season will have a focus: get a young but athletic core to play unselfish, energetic basketball and surprise the skeptics.
"We've got a lot of great talent here this year," said sophomore guard Parker Van Dyke, back from a two-year LDS Church mission. "Everyone's gotta play and expand a little more in their roles and play the best they can."
It won't look like last year. Utah lost an All-American center, as well as three senior guards who were adept 3-point shooters and shared the ball with ease.
But Krystkowiak said while he thinks Utah has some shooters this season, there are more athletic players who can create off the dribble and get to the rim. Returners Kuzma and senior guard Lorenzo Bonam did it last year, each averaging 10 points per game last season but are expected to bump up that average. Newcomers such as Jojo Zamora and Devon Daniels are also expected to bolster Utah's ability to slash inside.
While Utah doesn't figure to have any one player to take over for Jakob Poeltl's workload last year, there are more big bodies on the roster. Freshman Jayce Johnson is a true center, a relentless rebounder and energetic defender who will offer a physical presence down low. Junior forward Tyler Rawson can work inside and out, stretching the floor with 3-point shooting. When Collette is eligible, he figures to be a reliable scorer in the paint — giving Utah a flexibility in the post it didn't enjoy last year when Poeltl headed to the bench.
It won't necessarily be easy to get this group to play together, and it hasn't been so far. Krystkowiak talked to the team two weeks ago about playing more unselfishly by passing up scoring opportunities if a teammate has a better shot. With 12 newcomers all attempting to prove they belong, it hasn't always come naturally.
"I said to them, 'I don't think any of you are selfish, but I think some of you are putting the offensive weight on your shoulders and not trusting your teammates,' " Krystkowiak said. "In the last two weeks, we've made growth with guys willing to give it up and pass. It's a fun way to play."
Would Krystkowiak rather have a group of anchoring returners, guys grounded in the program's culture and their roles? Even he acknowledges it would be easier.
But discovery is a journey in itself. And while the expedition will have a languid pace at the start, the Utes hope by the end that this is a team that they — and their fans — will find surprising.
"We're all kind of chomping at the bit to get to play, break down film on an opponent," Krystkowiak said. "We've got an enthusiastic and pretty high energy group of guys."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah at a glance
Key Additions • Sedrick Barefield* (6-2, 190), David Collette*(6-10, 220), Devon Daniels (6-5, 190), Jayce Johnson (7-0, 235), Tyler Rawson (6-10, 225), Parker Van Dyke** (6-3, 185), JoJo Zamora (6-2, 170)
Key losses • C Jakob Poeltl (17.2 ppg), F Jordan Loveridge (11.6 ppg), G Brandon Taylor (9.7 ppg), G Dakarai Tucker (5.4 ppg), F Brekkott Chapman (4.4 ppg), F Chris Reyes (2.6 ppg)
Projected starters • G Lorenzo Bonam (Sr., 6-4), G JoJo Zamora (Jr., 6-2), G Parker Van Dyke (Soph., 6-3), F Kyle Kuzma (Jr., 6-9), F Jayce Johnson (Fr., 7-0)
Bottom line • Built around returners Kyle Kuzma and Lorenzo Bonam, the Utes will have to acclimate a young core quickly, then assimilate David Collette and Sedrick Barefield when they get eligible in December. It's a lineup with few proven pieces but with more athleticism and versatility than in previous years.
*Ineligible until December; **Returned from LDS Church mission
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Season opener
N.W. Nazarene at Utah
Saturday, 5 p.m.
TV • Pac-12 Network