Basketball Hype Is Back In The State

Before the last decade, the state of Utah was known for its winning basketball teams. The Jazz made two runs to the finals in 1998 & 1999. The Runnin’ Utes made it to the National Championship in 1998 and BYU and Utah St. had success during this period, making multiple trips to the NCAA tournament and also Weber State making the big dance. But, as of late, football has taken over as the more popular sport in the state. With competitive in state rivalry games and bowl game success the state colleges have had increases in attendance and ticket sales.

This upcoming basketball season there seems to be more excitement around the state than in past years. The Jazz welcomed in new coach Quin Snyder and have young players with enthusiasm and confidence. The Runnin’ Utes boast an AP preseason ranking of No. 25. BYU is excited to watch their All-American, Tyler Haws and the rest of their team compete for the Western Coast Conference title. Utah State has many questions to answer after losing nine players from the previous year, but fans still expect the Aggies to compete for a spot in the tournament.

The expectations are not very high for the young Jazz but fans are excited about the potential and young talent. The Jazz have been in the playoffs only once over the past four years. While in the middle the rebuilding stage, the Jazz may not win many games or make the playoffs but fans are excited. The players are young and are full of energy and potential and that will fill some seats this season.

“The Jazz are very young and have a lot of potential in the upcoming years, it will be exciting to watch in years to come to see how they do,” Abe Olson said.

Now considered a 5-year veteran, Gordon Hayward is the leader of this young team and has high expectations after signing a max contract this past summer. He will have to lead the younger guys on the team, like rookie nineteen year old, Dante Exum. Coach Quin Snyder has hope and confidence in his young squad. He has been described as very vocal and the players love being around him. It is important that these young players can look up to him to bring confidence into their game. This season expect to see what is to come for the Utah Jazz with all of the young talent and athleticism. The win and loss column will not be as important as player development and team chemistry.

After a season of close agonizing losses in the PAC-12 and a bid in the NIT tournament, the Runnin’ Utes are on a mission for greatness. The Utes have made a tremendous amount of improvement since their 6-win season a few years ago and just competing in the PAC-12. Coach Larry Krystowiak is in his fourth season with the Utes and does not want to just be better than previous years, he wants to be great. With Delon Wright and Jordan Loveridge returning, the Utes have very high expectations, and fans are excited to fill up the Jon M. Hunstman Center. The Utes were picked to finish No. 2 in the PAC-12 behind Arizona and some national sports writers have picked the Utes as a dark horse for the Final Four.

“I am excited because we have literally everyone back this year, after only losing one senior this past year. I have extreme expectations for this year. Entering the season ranked and having a difficult pre season, we will know very soon if the hype is real,” Ute fanatic Zach Tucker said.

Being in the PAC-12 has brought a lot of excitement around the campus with new recruits and a tougher schedule. The football team has had success this season and close wins that have brought in record setting attendance. This has caused fans to be even more excited to watch the Runnin’ Utes compete for a PAC-12 title. Along with the tough PAC-12 schedule, Utah has scheduled a couple of noteworthy games against ranked non-conference opponents including San Diego St, Wichita St, Kansas and BYU. This could be a special season for the Utes. They need help from the young additions and off the bench. Rebounding and 3-point shooting is the main concern for the Utes. The Utes don’t want to just make the tournament; they want to make a run. Fans across the state are excited to finally see what all they hype is about.

BYU coach Dave Rose coached a decent cougar team last year that was able to get into the tournament, their seventh bid in nine years. Rose is looking for consistency this year and also a leader to rely on, which were absent last year. Rose believes the 5 seniors on the squad will fill the leadership role. There is plenty of hype around West Coast Conference player of the year, Tyler Haws, but he will need plenty of help from others like Kyle Collinsworth if the cougars want to get where they want to be. The faces will be similar after losing no seniors and only sending Freshman Eric Mika on a 2 year LDS mission.

“I am excited to watch BYU this year because they have one of the best players in the country in Tyler Haws and should have experience. I expect a win over Utah and a birth in the tourney,” John Hunter said.

After a disappointing football season, cougar fans are even more anxious to see the improvement Tyler Haws and the rest of the team have made. BYU was picked to finish 2^nd in the WCC behind No. 14 Gonzaga. The Cougars are looking to improve their defense, play more consistent and also stay healthy. The Cougars play in the Maui Invitational and also play Utah State, Weber State, and Utah before entering conference play. Coach Rose is trying to turn his program into a more defensive minded group but still maintaining the up tempo offense that he loves. Cougar fans have much to be excited for this season. Even behind Gonzaga, they are destined for another NCAA tournament bid.

There are many unanswered questions about Utah State and their basketball program entering the upcoming season. The Aggies lost nine players from the previous year including multiple leading scorers. Coach Stew Morill is not comfortable with anything because of the extreme amount of inexperience on his team. Coach Morill is impressed with his team’s hard work and he knows the importance of experience but his young squad is athletic is working hard to finish higher than expected.

Basketball fans across the state have much to be excited and look forward to this season. The state is now becoming known as a football AND a basketball state across the nation. There is an energy around the state that hasn’t been felt in previous years. The summers of training and workouts are over and the fans are excited to see what the state has to offer.