PAC-12 basketball: Defense has keyed Utah’s late-season run

Right now Utah is one of the hottest teams in the PAC-12, and it’s all due to one key factor: defense.

Utah has picked the right time to start playing their best basketball of the season.

The Utes have won their last four games and seven out of their last nine, including big wins over Arizona State and Washington (twice).

After a loss at USC on January 14th, Utah sat toward the bottom of the league standings at 2-4. They’d lost four in a row, giving up 80 or more points in all four losses.

They looked like a team far from NCAA Tournament at-large contention.

Now they’re firmly on that bubble. Busting Brackets’ current projections have them as one of the first four out. Joe Lunardi of ESPN has them as one of the next four out.

So what changed?

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Utes are giving up 68.8 points per game this season, 71st in the nation.

But it’s been a rollercoaster for the Utah defense.

For example, in their first six conference games, the Utes gave up an average of 76.8 points. That would be 270th in the country.

In their last nine, they’re giving up only 64.4 points per game. That’s a Top-15 defense.

It’s far and away their best defensive stretch of the year.

Utah’s offense hasn’t been markedly better during this streak. In fact, it’s been consistently average throughout the year.

But the improvement on the defensive side of the ball has been drastic, and it has turned the Utes’ season around.

Sustainable Success

There’s the old adage that defense travels.

It’s traveled to Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. It can travel to Las Vegas and beyond.

Utah has a chance this week to move themselves into the field of 68. Wins against UCLA and USC would likely be enough to earn them an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.

They didn’t play well against either team in Los Angeles last month. But they’ll have home court advantage this time around, as well as a much-improved defense.

Next: 10 teams who could make a run in the NCAA Tournament

They’re in position to earn a first-round bye in the PAC-12 Tournament, and they’re a team that can make a deep run in Las Vegas if they continue their defensive dominance.

Right now, the Utes are a team that nobody wants to play.