SALT LAKE CITY — The No. 9 Runnin’ Utes stand atop the Pac-12 Conference standings as the only undefeated team in league play after No. 7 Arizona fell to Oregon State, 58-56, Sunday night.

Now the rest of the teams in the league will take aim to dethrone the leader.

Utah (13-2, 3-0) will open its first conference road trip of the season this week at struggling Arizona State (8-8, 0-3) Thursday, followed by a Saturday date with the vulnerable Arizona Wildcats (14-2, 2-1), who are ready to prove their muster against top competition after two less-than-impressive losses. Their first loss of the season came Dec. 23 to UNLV, 71-67.

In its three conference games, Utah has an average winning margin of 27 points — a feat that will be more difficult in hostile environments without the support from a home crowd.

But this week's games will do more to prove Utah’s legitimacy as a Top 10 program than likely any other week this season.

Utah is in the driver's seat with two paths of travel: continue to dominate as an elite team and solidify a spot as a legitimate top program in the country, or become a team that still has a ways to go before earning elite status and the praise.

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Defense propels Utes in strong conference start

The Runnin' Utes have played like a top 10 team since opening up conference play, beating each of their three opponents by an average of 27 points. And although Utah has found a way to put points on the board recently, it's the defense that's winning in Utah's strong conference start.

The season has already been a success with 13 wins, a Top 10 ranking and a following that continues to grow after each win. However, Utah needs to put distance between itself and the remainder of the Pac-12 to prove its value in a conference that is losing its grip and competitiveness nationally.

A win over Arizona State is a start, but the dreaded test against Arizona is where Utah will earn its keep.

All the hard work head coach Larry Krystkowiak and his coaching staff have done the last four years will culminate this week, proving how hard the process has been to build a top program but showing the reward of sticking to a plan and executing it with patience.

That's not to say a loss will diminish Utah's success this season or the progress the program has made, but Utah needs wins to forge a path to dominance in the conference.

That path, however, will become increasingly difficult. As a Top 10 program, every game Utah enters will be a challenge, where it’ll see the best an opposing team has to offer. Every program in college basketball dreams of knocking off a top team, and that's why March Madness is a beloved tradition for sports fans.

Now, Utah will play with a target on its back for as long as it continues to win. No longer can Utah skate by as the underdog, hoping to make a splash against the best the nation offers. Utah is a top talent and will have to prove it day in and day out for the remainder of the season.

Krystkowiak is fond of saying: “you’re never as good as you think you are, and you’re never as bad as you think you are.” With just over half the season played, Utah appears to be a "good" team. Whether Utah merits its ranking is up to personal interpretation, but the Utes can make their case with wins this week.

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