Young Utah basketball team opens play with exhibition game Wednesday against UT-Tyler

The University of Utah men’s basketball team scrimmages during Night with the Utes at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah basketball team is tired of playing among themselves and will get a chance to play an official opponent Wednesday night when UT Tyler, a Division III school east of Dallas, plays the Utes at the Huntsman Center at 6:30 p.m.

It will be Utah’s only exhibition game before the start of the regular season Tuesday night against Nevada in Reno.

After some injuries a month ago, the Utes have gotten healthier, and coach Larry Krystkowiak feels his young team of mostly freshmen and sophomores is progressing.

“We’ve been banging bodies against ourselves since June, so we’re ready to get out and play somebody else.” — Utah sophomore Timmy Allen

“We’ve gotten a few things figured out here the last 10 days and we’re ready to get after it against somebody new,” he said.

Actually, the Utes did “get after it” against a different team last Saturday in the team’s annual “secret” scrimmage that is played with real officials, but no fans or official stats released.

Krystkowiak was able to say that the Utes played Boise State in the Huntsman Center and lost by 2 points. He felt his team played good transition basketball, which the Utes will be trying to do more this year, but was disappointed by a slew of turnovers, 10 more than their opponent.

The Utes have three players back from last year’s starting lineup: sophomores Timmy Allen, Both Gach and Riley Battin, who are the core of the team. Among the newcomers expected to play are point guard Rylan Jones, 7-foot freshman and recently-returned missionary Branden Carlson, junior-college transfer guard Alfonso Plummer and 6-5 returned missionary Jaxon Brenchley, who Krystkowiak said “is shooting the ball as well as anybody.”

Allen, the top returning player from last year, has lost 25 pounds since last year and will play more on the wing than inside this year with all the big men on the team.

“We’ve been banging bodies against ourselves since June, so we’re ready to get out and play somebody else,” he said.

After playing at Reno next week, the Utes will return home for their first regular-season home game against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 8.

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