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Utah freshman J.J. O'Brien didn't spend all his time on the bench daydreaming when he was sidelined with a stress fracture in his right foot. Instead, the wing kept a critical eye on his teammates, seeing where he could help them when he returned to the lineup.

All that studying is starting to pay off for him. O'Brien, who missed 10 games due to the foot injury, is gaining more and more minutes. He is averaging seven points and eight rebounds in the past three games and is feeling better and better about his game.

"I feel like I'm getting my touch back and the flow and conditioning is all coming back to me," he said. "I'm working hard. Conditioning at altitude and getting the feel for the passes has taken awhile."

Contributing defensively and with rebounding are among O'Brien's priorities after watching the Utes (8-10) struggle in those areas. He is starting to make an impact for the Utes in both aspects, coach Jim Boylen said.

"He is getting back to being what we envisioned he'd be," Boylen said. "He is a skilled, athletic wing. I know it was frustrating for him earlier and we had to force-feed him minutes and keep him out there when he was coming back, but he has the basketball IQ and the skill level we need. He just needs more time."

Breathing easier

Ending the seven-game winning streak by beating Wyoming took a lot of the pressure off the Utes, not that they ever lacked confidence in themselves, Boylen said.

"We didn't do a Gatorade bath or anything like that," he said of the Utes' 68-51 win at Wyoming. "There has never been a sense of doubt with this team but there is some relief. At the same time, we know we have a lot more games ahead of us and we need to get better. This team has a businesslike attitude, which I like."

Guard Chris Kupets said the Utes understand they have to duplicate Saturday's effort and avoid any lapses in the future, particularly with New Mexico visiting Wednesday.

"I know it's a rivalry game and they always have a good team," he said. "We finally put a full game together and if we keep doing that, we're going to win more games."

Senior out indefinitely

Senior Jay Watkins, who has missed the past three games due to his back injury, is out indefinitely.

Watkins, who is averaging 8.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, has missed six games this year due to the lingering problems.

He will remain with the team until he is healthy, Boylen said. "He will still be an active leader and our team captain and we hope he can be back in a Utah uniform later this season," he said.

lwodraska@sltrib.comTwitter: @lyawodraska; @sltributes