This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

There's been a point made painfully clear in Utah's two losses to major conference opponents: The team needs someone who can set up teammates and handle the ball.

An answer emerged in Utah's 92-60 win over Prairie View A&M. More precisely, several answers.

Matching a season-high with 22 assists on Saturday afternoon, Utah passed as well as it has all season. And no one person was responsible: Kyle Kuzma had six assists; Tyler Rawson and Lorenzo Bonam each had five.

Newcomer Sedrick Barefield, billed as a guard who would make a difference with the ball in his hands, had four assists. His presence adds to a mix that Utah's coaches feel can be, at its best, dangerous.

"Sometimes it's a load to be responsible to be the point guard," coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "You have a little flexibility in your lineup."

That was clear on Utah's 13 fastbreak points, many of which came in the first half. On one possession, Bonam threw up a pass from halfcourt that Kuzma was able to dunk. Later, it was Barefield making the dish to Kuzma, who was able to cash it in.

But one of the smoothest moments came as Bonam whipped a pass down low to Kuzma, who found a streaking Barefield for an easy layup.

The strength, Krystkowiak said, is Utah hasn't been a true point guard offense: They don't need a moment to get the ball to a one-guard to run all their plays.

"Everybody's running, and one through four can push it on their own," Krystkowiak said. "We're going to try to sprint and be opportunistic transition-wise. Everything we do, really, is interchangeable."

It helps also that Utah's half-court offense is improving. Playing his first game as a Ute, David Collette was able to find open spots down low and finish against Prairie View's undersized lineup. Freshman center Jayce Johnson had his second straight solid offensive game, finishing with 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.

It helps that two of the three top assist-men this season for Utah are forwards. Kuzma and Rawson both have found ways to distribute creatively when defenses come at them with double teams. With Collette and Barefield in the equation, those options only increase.

And that, Utah hopes, could be a frightening prospect indeed.

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon