Utah Utes will play Scottie Pippen’s alma mater Saturday afternoon

Utah still flying high after BYU victory

SALT LAKE CITY — You’ve probably never heard of Central Arkansas, Utah basketball’s opponent Saturday afternoon. But if you’re a basketball fan, you’ve probably heard of Scottie Pippen, who happens to be Central Arkansas’ most famous alum, starring for the Bears from 1983-87.

Pippen, or no one like him, will be available for Central Arkansas for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game at the Huntsman Center, which is unfortunate for the Bears, who come into the game at 1-7 on the year, following a 95-69 loss to Wichita State Thursday night.

Meanwhile Utah (6-2) is still flying high after Wednesday’s scintillating 102-95 comeback victory over in-state rival BYU. Coach Larry Krystkowiak gave his team a well-deserved day off Thursday before getting ready for Central Arkansas but knows there’s a lot of work ahead.

“To say we’ve arrived with this squad, it’s too early to do that,” he said. “We just keep chopping wood. (BYU) is a heckuva win for their scrapbooks and for the in-state rivalry and all that stuff. But there’s still a lot of meat on the bone and we’ve got to sort some things out.”

The Bears are led by sophomore Eddy Kayouloud leads at 15.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Junior Rylan Bergersen is second in scoring at 14.1 points a game and averages 4.8 rebounds.

Utah’s Timmy Allen raised his average to 20.4 points per game, while Rylan Jones averages 12.8 points and 5.8 assists per game. The other starters are Both Gach (12.0 ppg), Riley Battin (10.8 ppg) and Branden Carlson (7.4 ppg).

After Saturday’s game, the Utes will play three neutral-site games prior to starting Pac-12 play in January.

The Utes will play Weber State on Dec. 14, followed by games against Kentucky in Las Vegas on Dec. 18 and San Diego State in Los Angeles on Dec. 21.

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