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At best, a sleepy 92-60 blowout over Prairie View will be a footnote this season for the Runnin' Utes (7-2).
It was the game when sophomore guard Sedrick Barefield and junior forward David Collette made their Utah debuts after a year-long wait, and perhaps eventually — the Utes hope — will mark the beginning of when the team vaulted from promising to competitive.
There were a lot of moments to like in the start of the second act of Utah's season. Barefield tied for team lead with 18 points, including five 3-pointers. Collette was limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, but still managed 11 points and nine rebounds in his first game in 21 months.
Coach Larry Krystkowiak hummed and drummed his fingers as he looked at the stat sheet moments before addressing the media. Adding two key players to his mix has him feeling more comfortable than when he started the season.
"We're happy with who we have," he said. "We've got some young kids in our program right now that are ready to make some great strides."
In a game where Utah's lead swelled to 27 points in the first half, Barefield's and Collette's appearance shifted to the main stage.
Starting the game, Collette got out quickly to meet expectations. While he got called for a foul on the first Panthers possession of the game, he also scored Utah's first points with a layup off the glass. Collette made his first three shots, accounting for six of Utah's first nine points, before heading to the bench in foul trouble after only six minutes.
Barefield took longer to warm up, entering the game off the bench. His first 3-pointer missed the mark — and the rim, and the backboard, and everything else as it sailed out of bounds.
"I kind of expected it," Barefield recalled, with a bashful smile. "I came to the bench, and Dave and some other guys said, 'You got that one out of the way.' "
The miss seemed to clear off some rust: Barefield made his next three shots from beyond the arc.
But at its most breathtaking, Utah's offense wasn't settling for jumpers: Transition baskets took the cake. Kyle Kuzma had 18 points to match Barefield, twice finding the other end of long alley-oop passes for dunks.
Finishing with 22 assists on 32 baskets, the Utes looked more fluid on offense than they have for much of the season. Kuzma had a team high with six assists, while Bonam, Tyler Rawson and Barefield each had at least four.
"I think we have a dynamic team and a lot of athleticism," Barefield said. "Those opportunities will come a lot in the future."
The key to the victory itself was Utah's size: Prairie View had no answer for Utah's ability to score in the paint (50-22) or grab rebounds (plus-27 on the boards). Kuzma had 15 rebounds for the Utes to lead the way on the glass. Even sloppy second-half shooting didn't melt Utah's lead, as the team finished at 59 percent from the floor for the game.
The win ended the weeklong speculation of whether Barefield and Collette would be able to play, awaiting only the end of finals and the posting of grades. Both were cleared on Friday.
From there, instincts took over.
"I was a little anxious, a little nervous," Collette said. "But once the game starts, it goes away. It's game time."
Twitter: @kylegoon Utah 92, Prairie View 60
PRAIRIE VIEW (2-10)
Hamilton 9-18 7-8 26, Wallace 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 2-10 1-2 5, Blakely 2-6 0-0 4, Thompson 2-8 2-6 6, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Jett 1-4 0-1 2, Westbrook 0-0 0-0 0, Lomax 4-7 0-1 8, Giddings 3-6 0-0 7, Bellinger 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 24-63 10-18 60.
UTAH (7-2)
Kuzma 5-7 8-12 18, Collette 5-10 1-4 11, Daniels 0-0 4-4 4, Bonam 3-3 0-1 6, Zamora 3-7 3-4 10, Reininger 0-0 0-0 0, Rawson 4-6 1-2 9, Jokl 0-0 1-2 1, Johnson 5-6 1-2 11, Connor 0-2 0-0 0, Van Dyke 0-0 0-0 0, Barefield 6-10 1-2 18, Bealer 1-3 1-2 4. Totals 32-54 21-35 92.
Halftime—Utah 52-25. 3-Point Goals—Prairie View 2-19 (Giddings 1-2, Hamilton 1-5, Bellinger 0-1, Jett 0-2, Cook 0-4, Thompson 0-5), Utah 7-16 (Barefield 5-8, Bealer 1-3, Zamora 1-3, Connor 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Prairie View 22 (Blakely 5), Utah 47 (Kuzma 15). Assists—Prairie View 8 (Lomax 4), Utah 22 (Kuzma 6). Total Fouls—Prairie View 26, Utah 17. A—13,100 (15,000).