Washington Huskies vs. Utah Utes Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10
NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019
With the Pac-12 without a ranked team or clear favorite, Washington and Utah certainly rank among the leading conference contenders. And that prospect adds a little extra incentive to Thursday night's meeting between the Huskies and Runnin' Utes in Salt Lake City.
After the first week of conference play, a rebuilding Arizona team and UCLA under interim coach Murry Bartow joined USC with 2-0 Pac-12 records. Washington (1-0) and Utah (1-1) find themselves among the next four in the early standings. But even teams such as preseason-favorite Oregon (0-1) and struggling Stanford (0-2) definitely aren't out of it in a conference which went 92-58 against Division I nonconference foes - the worst showing by a power conference this season - and is in serious danger of landing only one NCAA Tournament berth. "It's cliché, but we can only control what we can control," Washington coach Mike Hopkins told the Seattle Times before last Saturday's 85-67 conference-opening win over Washington State. "... What's done is done. Nonconference is over. There's no such thing as an ugly win anymore. Forget it. You just want to get as many (wins) as you can and move on."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
ABOUT WASHINGTON (10-4, 1-0 Pac-12): The Huskies shot a season-best 56.6 percent from the field against the rival Cougars while receiving a season-high 23 points from senior guard David Crisp and 20 from sophomore backcourt mate Jaylen Nowell. Crisp (10.5 points per game) and Nowell (17.3) are joined in double figures by 6-8 forward Noah Dickerson (14.5), who also averages a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game. Washington will certainly will try to build on its season-best offensive effort - its 85 points also were a high-water mark for the year - versus Washington State as it enters the week tied for last in the conference in scoring (72.1) and 3-point accuracy (32.2 percent).
ABOUT UTAH (7-7, 1-1): The Utes nearly pulled off a surprising Arizona road sweep last week, beating the Sun Devils 96-86 before falling 84-81 in overtime to the Wildcats two days later. Utah entered the week averaging 73.5 points, but topped 80 in back-to-back outings for the first time this season while shooting a combined 53.8 percent in the two contests. Leading scorer Sedrick Barefield (16.4) has been on a serious tear of late, averaging 27.8 points while shooting 59.6 percent over his last three outings, but fouled out with 1:44 remaining in regulation Saturday in Tucson, helping turn the tide in Arizona's favor.
TIP-INS
1. Utah has swept the season series in each of the last three years and is 9-3 against Washington since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
2. Barefield paces the Pac-12 with 41 3-pointers on the season and has gone 16-of-30 from long range during his last three games.
3. The Huskies have lost both of their true road games so far and will certainly be tested over the next three weeks with four of their next six contests away from home.
PREDICTION: Utah 75, Washington 71
NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019
With the Pac-12 without a ranked team or clear favorite, Washington and Utah certainly rank among the leading conference contenders. And that prospect adds a little extra incentive to Thursday night's meeting between the Huskies and Runnin' Utes in Salt Lake City.
After the first week of conference play, a rebuilding Arizona team and UCLA under interim coach Murry Bartow joined USC with 2-0 Pac-12 records. Washington (1-0) and Utah (1-1) find themselves among the next four in the early standings. But even teams such as preseason-favorite Oregon (0-1) and struggling Stanford (0-2) definitely aren't out of it in a conference which went 92-58 against Division I nonconference foes - the worst showing by a power conference this season - and is in serious danger of landing only one NCAA Tournament berth. "It's cliché, but we can only control what we can control," Washington coach Mike Hopkins told the Seattle Times before last Saturday's 85-67 conference-opening win over Washington State. "... What's done is done. Nonconference is over. There's no such thing as an ugly win anymore. Forget it. You just want to get as many (wins) as you can and move on."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
ABOUT WASHINGTON (10-4, 1-0 Pac-12): The Huskies shot a season-best 56.6 percent from the field against the rival Cougars while receiving a season-high 23 points from senior guard David Crisp and 20 from sophomore backcourt mate Jaylen Nowell. Crisp (10.5 points per game) and Nowell (17.3) are joined in double figures by 6-8 forward Noah Dickerson (14.5), who also averages a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game. Washington will certainly will try to build on its season-best offensive effort - its 85 points also were a high-water mark for the year - versus Washington State as it enters the week tied for last in the conference in scoring (72.1) and 3-point accuracy (32.2 percent).
ABOUT UTAH (7-7, 1-1): The Utes nearly pulled off a surprising Arizona road sweep last week, beating the Sun Devils 96-86 before falling 84-81 in overtime to the Wildcats two days later. Utah entered the week averaging 73.5 points, but topped 80 in back-to-back outings for the first time this season while shooting a combined 53.8 percent in the two contests. Leading scorer Sedrick Barefield (16.4) has been on a serious tear of late, averaging 27.8 points while shooting 59.6 percent over his last three outings, but fouled out with 1:44 remaining in regulation Saturday in Tucson, helping turn the tide in Arizona's favor.
TIP-INS
1. Utah has swept the season series in each of the last three years and is 9-3 against Washington since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
2. Barefield paces the Pac-12 with 41 3-pointers on the season and has gone 16-of-30 from long range during his last three games.
3. The Huskies have lost both of their true road games so far and will certainly be tested over the next three weeks with four of their next six contests away from home.
PREDICTION: Utah 75, Washington 71

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