Runnin' Utes Host Washington State for Thursday Night Tilt
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men's basketball team returns home for a pair of games inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center this week with Washington State up first on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. (MT).
Drew Goodman will have the call as Utah looks to secure the season sweep of the Cougars while Matt Muehlebach serves as the analyst on the Pac-12 Networks broadcast.
SATURDAY CEREMONIES
Will Saturday's game against Washington serving as alumni night, Runnin' Utes from several eras will make their return to the Hill and be recognized at halftime. In addition, the Runnin' Utes program will also be honoring the legacy of Arnie Ferrin with the Ferrin family at halftime.
SATURDAY TICKET SPECIAL
With 3 Saturday home games remaining, fans can now purchase tickets for ALL three remaining home games for $27 dollars via the Utah Ticket Office by phone 801-581-UTIX (8849) or online. The three games in the package include Washington (Jan. 21), Colorado (Feb. 11) and USC (Feb. 25) for senior day.
BC BLOCKS
Through games on Sunday, Jan. 15, Branden Carlson is 17th among active Division I players with 165 career blocks and 29th with his 1.70 career blocks average. When compared to all active NCAA Division I/II/II players, Carlson ranks 31st in career blocks.
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
Unofficially, Utah is 1-of-9 schools to have held opponents under 80 points this season and just 1-of-4 schools on that list from the Power 6 ranks through games on Jan. 15.
| SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
OVERALL
RECORD |
CONFERENCE
RECORD |
| Boise State | MWC | 14-4 | 4-1 |
| Dayton | A-10 | 12-6 | 4-1 |
| Hawaii | Big West | 13-4 | 4-1 |
| Iowa State | Big 12 | 13-3 | 4-1 |
| North Texas | C-USA | 14-4 | 5-2 |
| Rutgers | Big 10 | 13-5 | 5-2 |
| Saint Mary's | WCC | 16-4 | 5-0 |
| Utah | Pac-12 | 12-7 | 5-3 |
| Virginia | ACC | 13-3 | 5-2 |
APPLE STATE BITES
Heading into this season, Utah has swept the Washington schools six times at home – including a string of five-straight season from 2013-18. The Utes have only split the home series twice (2011-12, 2018-19) and was swept at home for the first time since joining the league last season. The 2020-21 COVID-19 season saw Utah just play Washington at home, a 76-62 affair in favor of the Utes as part of its season-opener. The Utes did not host the UW schools in 2012-13.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a 21-point performance from Branden Carlson in his return to the line-up and 12 points from Rollie Worster, the squad had trouble finding the bottom of the net. The Runnin' Utes kept things close in the first half, trailing just 39-34 after shooting .448 from the field but it was the complete opposite for Utah in the second frame with it shooting just 25-percent from the floor.
UP NEXT
Utah closes out the homestand hosting Washington on Saturday, Jan. 21, as part of its Alumni Night as the Runnin' Utes program welcomes back former players to be recognized at halftime. JB Long will have the call on the Pac-12 Network broadcast while Don MacLean serves as the analyst on the Pac-12 broadcast.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Utes hit the road once again at arguably one of its toughest road swings since joining the league when it heads to the PNW to face the Oregon schools. Utah first battles Oregon State on Thursday, Jan. 26, before taking on the Ducks of Oregon on Saturday, Jan. 28. Both games are scheduled to air on Pac-12 Networks.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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