Deseret Duel adds another chapter tonight


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PROVO — BYU men's basketball is preparing for its one and only meeting with in-state rival Utah tonight at 8 p.m. MT at the Huntsman Center (KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM).

Losers of two straight in the Deseret Duel, BYU coach Dave Rose admitted the game means a lot.

"The opportunity seems a little bit more due to the fact you get one shot each year," Rose said. "I think the fact that we're on the bad end of this after dropping the last two, hopefully our urgency will be a lot better."

Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak has helped bring the Utes (5-1) back to prominence, with back-to-back 20-win seasons. Rose sees the Utes' balanced approach to the game as one of the major factors in their recent success.

"They're really consistent in what they do and how they play," Rose said. "Hopefully we can find a few things that we can do to go up there and score. And defensively it's a challenge because they're a really balanced team with a really good center. We've got our hands full here, but it's an exciting opportunity we're looking forward to."

BYU (4-1) will certainly have its hands full against Utah 7-footer Jakob Poeltl, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA draft. BYU forward Kyle Davis talked about what makes the Utes' five man so difficult to play against.

"Poetl brings a lot of challenges just with his height, and on top of that he has a great skill set," Davis said. "We're going to have to really be on our game to defend him and some of their other great players."

Unlike in past recent seasons with Jimmer Fredette and Tyler Haws, BYU does not feature a signature scorer. The Cougars currently have five players with scoring averages in double figures. Rose thinks the balanced attack could be a game changer to watch tonight.

"They're a really good defensive team with a great game plan every time," Rose said. "The last couple years we've had one big scorer that they've done a pretty good job on defensively. This year, hopefully we'll be able to balance it out more and maybe that will help us."

BYU is also much deeper inside this season, with Corbin Kaufusi, Nate Austin, Jamal Aytes and Davis each providing a significant post presence in the early going. Look for the BYU frontline depth to make a difference this year after the Cougars have been handled down low, especially on the boards, in each of the past two meetings of the series.

The Cougars are just 49-72 all time on the road against the Utes, but they do own a 129-127 overall advantage. BYU forward Nate Austin talked about what it will take for BYU to come away with a rare win in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.

"Utah is a really good team. They've beaten us the last few years. Our defense needs to be engaged for a full 40 minutes," Austin said. "I think if we play the same way we did against Belmont in the second half for a full game, then I think that effort and commitment to defense will be what we need as a team."


Blake Dorton is a BYU student studying broadcast journalism and French. He hopes to pursue a career in sports broadcasting following graduation. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeDorton.

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