So is this a due or die game for the Runnin’ Utes?! Well, not exactly, but a loss on your home court to a team you already beat on the road —whether the Utes escaped with a win in Seattle or not— and you wonder where the psyche of this Utes team will be going into the conference tournament, which at this point, the Utes are 5th in the Pac-12. What a fine line it is in the Pac-12 conference, but say the Utes lose, then all of a sudden, the top 4 in the Pac-12 begin to pull away from the rest of the pack. So to answer my own question, this isn’t a due or die game in terms of ruining your season, but it is a due or die game, if you want to play one less game in the Pac-12 Tournament. Top 4 don’t play until the second day of the tournament.
Now the other saving grace, if you will, is the fact that Utah only has two more road games and five home games. So, this would be the right time for the Utes to make a push into the top 3 or 4 of the Pac-12 with that advantage on their side. The Utes wrap up their Pac-12 road schedule next weekend at USC, easily the surprise of the conference, currently second in the Pac-12, behind cream of the crop, Oregon. After USC, the Utes close out there conference schedule with 3 more home games. Keep in mind, that Oregon loss at the Huntsman Center, still the only loss at home all year for Utah. However, with that being said, the Utes still have some demons to exercise, not only with the rest of the Pac-12 schedule, but specifically with a team that’s coming up on Utah’s schedule.
Arizona, though not the same dominant Wildcats team this season, has been that thorn in Utah’s side since joining the Pac-12. Utah only sees AZ once this season and it’ll be at the Huntsman, so if there is a time to finally break the Wildcats curse, you’d think February 27th would be the time to do it. Arizona is 3rd in the conference with a 7-4 record —they had 2 losses last season and 3 losses in conference the season before that— and had some injuries creep their ugly head, not that other programs don’t go through that too, but again, just another time to strike while the iron is hot. The only question, is Utah up for the challenge?! If so, a top 4 ranking in the Pac-12 tournament awaits, not to mention the obvious seeding in the NCAA Tournament.
