Utah returns to nonconference play against visiting Jacksonville State on Thursday after showing it will be a factor in the Pac-12 Conference this season.
The Utes (7-2) won two straight to open league play last week, beating then-No. 4 Arizona and Washington State.
It marks the first time Utah has opened 2-0 in Pac-12 play since 2017-18 — when the Utes finished as NIT runner-up at season’s end.
Utes guard Rollie Worster played a huge role in both victories. He averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists over the two-game stretch while earning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.
Utah led wire-to-wire in their 81-66 victory over the Wildcats on Dec. 1 and then needed overtime to edge the Cougars 67-65 on Sunday.
“We found a way to win, and that is what counts,” Utes coach Craig Smith said. “When you win on the road in Pac-12 play, you take it.”
Stifling defense played a big part in both victories. The Utes held Arizona and Washington State to a combined 8-for-58 shooting from 3-point range. Eight of Utah’s nine opponents so far have shot under 40 percent from the field.
Jacksonville State (4-4) faces a significant challenge in trying to get the school’s first-ever victory over a Pac-12 opponent.
Still, the Gamecocks are trending in the right direction. They enter Thursday’s contest with a two-game winning streak after edging East Tennessee State 63-61 on Saturday.
The Gamecocks are finding success because of hot outside shooting. They are making 41.6 percent of their 3-point field goal attempts through their first eight games, which ranks in the Top 10 among NCAA Division I teams.
Skyelar Potter scored a career-high 27 points and drilled five 3-pointers, including a go-ahead basket in the final minute, to lead Jacksonville State past East Tennessee State.
Potter averages a team-high 14.5 points per game, with Demaree King right behind at 14.0 points per game. Both are shooting better than 45 percent from long distance along with Peyton Daniels.
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
–Field Level Media