BYU vs. Utah: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
After a one year hiatus, the “Holy War” rivalry between Utah basketball and BYU is back on. Will the Utes survive the hostile environment in Provo on Saturday night?
TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 16, 11:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Marriott Center in Provo, Utah
The BYU Cougars (8-2) have been waiting over a year for this return game to Provo after what happened in 2015. It started when BYU’s Nick Emery and Utah’s Brandon Taylor were getting into it in the paint and then with Emery throwing a punch mid-game.
That moment caused him to be ejected from the game, along with Ute head coach Larry Krystkowiak ejecting his team from the rivalry and paying $80,000 to cancel to return game to Provo. The outcry was swift among everyone in the state, as even Utah legislators got involved.
Cooler heads seem to have prevailed with Coach K and Emery sharing texts this past summer, squashing whatever issues there may have been. Now, it’s on to the game.
Utah (7-2) is coming off a season that ended in the NIT and looks to get back into the Big Dance. The team has a couple of decent wins so far at the hands of Ole Miss and Missouri but suffered a 27 point setback to UNLV. The top players for the Utes include grad transfer point guard Justin Bibbins and the starting frontcourt of David Collette and Tyler Rawson.
For BYU (8-2), the Cougars have missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons and will be looking to avoid a third straight. The team has a few road wins, including at Princeton, Utah Valley, and Utah State. BYU doesn’t have a top-100 win on the resume and nearly lost by 30 to UT-Arlington, giving up 89 points in the process.
Dave Rose has three primary scorers to utilize with Elijah Bryant and Yoeli Childs tied for the team lead with 16.2 ppg. Childs, in particular, is one of the better players that the Utes will have to deal with.
Next: Utah vs. BYU by the positions
This is a must-win for BYU and the fans. Utah currently is riding a ten game winning streak in both football and basketball combined. Considering the issues that the football team had this past season, a win would be an early Christmas gift for Cougar fans. It also would be the first significant win of the season.
Prediction: BYU 80 – Utah 73