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All the talk of "soft rims" at Arizona State mattered little to David Collette.
The junior forward wreaked havoc on the student-side basket in the second half against the Sun Devils, dunking it twice (and once drawing a technical foul for boosting himself off the rim).
It was a late surge that flashed something mean from the 6-foot-10 Collette, who is Utah's leading scorer since he hit the floor seven games ago. He insists it wasn't personal.
"Oh yeah, we were putting it out there," he said. "Some of those came in a fast break situation, so yeah, I was coming in hard. But we were going hard. We were all getting a little excited."
The Utes (11-4, 2-1) have plenty of reason to be excited about Collette (15.4 ppg), who has improved dramatically the team's ability to finish inside. He's scored in double figures in every game so far, never once shooting under 50 percent. He's tied as the second-best shooter in the league after starting Pac-12 play at 20 for 30 shooting.
It puts into perspective why coach Larry Krystkowiak said there wouldn't be a problem incorporating Collette, who missed the first eight games of the season, into the team. The Utes were eager to add a low-post finisher of his caliber, and he hasn't let them down.
"We knew it would be really good for us because in practice he dominates like he does in the game," freshman Devon Daniels said. "We know that when we throw it in the post, something good is going to happen."
Collette is shooting 66.2 percent as a Ute. For context, Jakob Poeltl shot 64.6 percent as a sophomore.
The Murray native was 6 for 7 against Arizona, shooting the majority of the time against 7-footer Dusan Ristic. At McKale Center, he showcased a set of spins and hooks that kept the Wildcat bigs off balance, but also was able to pass out of double-teams when needed and didn't commit a turnover. Utah's offense took a clear hit when he was forced off the floor with foul trouble.
No one would confuse Collette with a bodybuilder, but his wiry frame belies a strength Krystkowiak said has been critical to him establishing offensive position in the post (he called Collette "strong as an ox"). He also plays with a steadiness and evenness that Poeltl had to learn between his freshman and sophomore years.
Collette "understands the game, plays at the right pace," Krystkowiak said. "Seems to be on-balance an awful lot of times. It was an issue with Jakob, and something that Jayce [Johnson] continues to get better at."
Being a high-percentage shooter in the post is nothing new for Collette, who led his Utah State team with a 59 percent shooting mark as a freshman two years ago on the way to third-team all-Mountain West honors. But in the year-and-a-half since he last played, he said, he's gotten a feel for staying patient and finding his shot.
He credited his practice reps against Johnson, Utah's own physical 7-footer, for helping him find ways to score around bigger players such as Ristic.
"I think the biggest thing is getting good position early: You don't want to be posting up five feet from the block," he said. "For me with bigger guys, I can use more quickness and make some moves around them. You've got to be a little crafty."
Which isn't to say Utah is wholly satisfied with Collette to this point. He admitted the technical foul "probably shouldn't have happened" against ASU. He struggled defensively against Arizona, and committed a few fouls he wish he could have back. As a center, his six rebounds per game mark needs to be better, acknowledging he's still finding the mentality necessary to be a solid rebounder.
But offensively, it would be hard for Utah to ask for more. In the post-Poeltl era, Utah has found another post answer.
"All the scouts, they're starting to scout him and see what he's capable of doing," senior Lorenzo Bonam said. "When he's on the court, he opens up a lot of things."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Fast start for Collette
• Leads team in scoring, with 15.4 ppg, since joining the team
• Shooting 66.2 percent from the field, which would be good for sixth nationally if he qualified for NCAA rankings
• Shooting 66.7 percent in three Pac-12 games, third in the conference
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No. 25 USC at Utah
P Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 7 p.m.
TV • Pac-12 Network
Radio • ESPN 700
Records • USC (15-2, 2-2); Utah (11-4, 2-1)
Series history • Utah leads 21-17
Last meeting • Utah won 80-72 (March 10, 2016 at Pac-12 Tournament)
About the Trojans • With 6.2 blocked shots per game, USC is No. 8 nationally in blocks, but only fourth in the Pac-12. ... The Trojans average 11.4 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 32 in the nation. ... Sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright has missed the past 12 games for the Trojans with a knee injury and it is unclear when he will return.
About the Utes • Utah has won seven straight meetings against the Trojans, including six straight against USC coach Andy Enfield, by an average margin of 14 points. ... Junior forward Kyle Kuzma is ranked in the top six in the league in both offensive (2.7) and defensive (6.7) rebounds per game. ... The Utes, who are shooting 50.2 percent this season, are ranked No. 11 nationally and No. 2 in the league behind UCLA.