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SALT LAKE CITY — After a disappointing 14-17 season, the Utah basketball team has had nearly a complete makeover for this season with nine new players. The two most heralded of the newcomers, JC transfers Josh Watkins and Will Clyburn, didn't disappoint in Friday night's exhibition game at the Huntsman Center.
Clyburn, a 6-6 forward finished with a double-double — 28 points and 11 rebounds — while Watkins, a 6-foot point guard scored 22 points as the Utes defeated Adams State 84-74.
Coach Jim Boylen liked the fact that the Utes had a challenging game from the scrappy Division II team from Colorado, although he would have liked to be able to relax a little sooner.
"We have a lot of lessons in this game and a lot of things to learn, but I'm encouraged by our talent level," he said. "I like the fact that we can score the ball and I do think we have improved talent on the team."
Boylen said he couldn't remember the last time, if ever, one of his teams had two players score over 20 and combine for 50 points as Clyburn and Watkins did Friday.
Clyburn, who is originally from Detroit, scored 18 points in the first half on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 3-pointer. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game was his offensive rebounding as he had six on the night, several leading to put-back baskets.
"Clyburn's an offensive rebounding machine," said Boylen.
"I just came out to play hard and hit the glass like coach told me to do," said Clyburn
Watkins got most of his points on drives to the basket and made 10 of 13 free throws.
"It was good, I needed that," said Watkins of his first Division I experience. "It's obviously new to me and I'm a work in progress."
Sophomore center Jason Washburn, who was forced to play more minutes than usual because David Foster was sitting out with tendinitis, finished with 15 points and seven rebounds after a slow start.
The Utes had a hard time shaking the Grizzlies, who led off and on in the first half before going into halftime trailing 38-34
Adams State led as late as 13:32 left in the game at 50-49. That's when the Utes finally put some space between them and the Grizzlies with an 11-0 run over a two-minute span. Jay Watkins tied the score with a 3-pointer and Clyburn hit a 3-pointer from the right angle.
Then over a dizzying 43-second stretch, the Utes scored seven points off three fast breaks, on two follow shots by Washburn and a driving basket and-one by Watkins to push the lead to 10.
The Utes might have put the game away earlier if they could have made their free throws. On the night, they missed 14 free throws, finishing 25 for 39
Adams State was led by Marqs Richards and Jason West with 12 points, Rayland Robinson with 11 and Shayar Lee with 10.
Utah shot 43.8 percent from the field, but only made 3 of 15 from 3-point range. The Utes outrebounded the Grizzlies 47 to 37.
The Utes officially open the season Friday against another Division II team, Grand Canyon at the Huntsman Center.
