What’s different since Utah and BYU last faced off this season? This time, the Cougars are the clear favorite, despite the Utes winning the last two matchups.
It’s rare for a BYU-Utah rivalry game to be overshadowed by other news, but that’s the case as the 23rd-ranked Cougars prepare to host the Runnin’ Utes Saturday night (8 p.m. MST, ESPNU) for their second meeting this season, marking the regular season finale for both teams.
BYU enters the game on a seven-game winning streak, including three victories over ranked teams, most recently an 88-85 double-overtime win over No. 10 Iowa State on Tuesday. The Cougars have been one of the hottest teams in the nation as the regular season concludes.
Meanwhile, Utah is coming off a tough two-point loss to West Virginia in their home finale on Tuesday. However, the biggest news surrounding the Utes is the hiring of their new men’s basketball coach, with Runnin’ Utes legend Alex Jensen taking over for Craig Smith, who was let go less than two weeks ago.
This news has somewhat overshadowed the rivalry game, even though it is still a major matchup.
Utah interim coach Josh Eilert said that Wednesday was a rest day for the players to recover from their emotional loss on Senior Night when six senior Utes were honored, ahead of the season finale.
After the rivalry game, both teams will head to Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament.
“It was a decent practice, but we try to avoid contact. I’m trying to save as much energy as possible so we can go into Saturday with fresh minds and fresh legs, knowing we’ll travel on Sunday and compete early next week in Kansas City,” Eilert explained on Friday.
“For a coach, it’s a balancing act this time of year, figuring out how much you can do in practice. The players have had a great attitude, and we’re excited to get after it today and be ready for tomorrow,” he added.
Since their first meeting in January during the Big 12 conference schedule, both teams have changed.
“They’re on the rise. They’re playing as well as anyone in the country. Some of that is due to consistency. We’ve had some struggles in recent weeks with everything going on,” said Eilert, reflecting on the first meeting between the teams.
The Cougars are currently on a seven-game winning streak and have resolved early-season issues under first-year coach Kevin Young.
Utah, though, has secured impressive victories over teams like Kansas and Kansas State and enjoyed a five-game home win streak before Tuesday’s loss. However, their struggles on the road have continued, with a 1-10 record away from home.
This has BYU trending toward a strong NCAA tournament seed, while Utah looks to finish a challenging season on a positive note.
“They’re playing as well as anyone in the country right now,” Eilert said of BYU. “They’ve had consistency, while we’ve dealt with challenges in the past few weeks.”
In the first meeting, Utah was a slight favorite according to metrics like ESPN Analytics, KenPom, and Haslametrics, while Bart Torvik had BYU as the slight favorite. This time around, the Cougars are the clear favorite at home.
“But that doesn’t mean we’re not coming out with full discipline and effort,” Eilert said ahead of Saturday’s game. “We’re excited for another rivalry matchup just down the road.”
Despite being the underdog, Utah enters the game with a two-game win streak in the series.
In addition to their win this year, the Utes defeated then-No. 13 BYU last season in a thrilling game at the Huntsman Center.
Utah senior center Lawson Lovering, who transferred from Colorado, has never lost to BYU, with two victories over the Cougars at the Huntsman Center.
This will be his first time playing at the Marriott Center, and Lovering is eager for the rivalry game. “You get a lot of adrenaline from those games because of the energy in the building,” he said.
“I’ve heard a lot about how intense it is there. I’m excited to experience it firsthand and see what that atmosphere is like,” Lovering added. “Rivalry games are always fun, and this one should be a great experience.”
