The Utes have had a big problem with dropping games to teams that they should easily beat. They have already lost to Idaho, Seattle and Weber State. This team has shown that it can be a good team though, when they came from behind to beat a ranked Illinois team and defeated the WAC power Utah State.
I honestly don't know what to expect in this one. Utah should crush the (2-5) Bengals but you never know what is going to happen with Utah basketball teams as of lately. Utah is (21-4) all time against ISU and has never lost to them at home, but anything can happen. They are only a 9 point favorite over the struggling Division II team at home.
Last season Utah had won five games in a row and was sitting at (5-1) when they faced the lowly (1-5) Idaho State Bengals. The Utes were embarrassed losing 72-68. This game will be at home, but the Utes have lost easy games at home over the past few seasons. The Utes are (2-2) at home this season.
Obviously the Runnin' Utes must avoid overlooking Idaho State. Coming off a loss to Weber State I really have a hard time seeing them doing that.
Utah head coach Jim Boylen has said that this team is a "work in progress." They have the athleticism needed to win games, but do have a very young basketball team. Sophomore David Foster showed potential in last games loss, blocking a school record 10 shots in the loss against the Wildcats. The addition of Jay Watkins has been nice with his assist in their win over Illinois. The team does have the potential to make a MWC run, but really needs to pull things together.
Despite the poor record, Idaho State has played teams tough. They lost by only 5 to Bradley, and are coming off a 10 point loss to Notre Dame. They did lose by 33 to Utah State, a team Utah beat by 1.
This is "Utah Uth Night" at the Huntsman Center, meaning any child under the age of 12 can get in free.
The Utes must not overlook another poor team to avoid a letdown. The game is at 7:00 PM at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will not be on TV, but will be on 700 AM radio in Utah.