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SALT LAKE CITY — Senior guard Delon Wright is making a case for becoming arguably one of the best players in the country. His skill set and ability to shift the momentum of a game has caught the attention of the national media and fans alike following Utah's 63-60 loss to Kansas Saturday.
Despite a 21-point deficit, Wright gave Utah a spark at the end of the first half with a big slam dunk, setting Utah up for a strong second half where the Utes went on to take a lead late in the game. Utah ended up falling short at the end, but Wright gained a lot of respect in the process.
My man, @milessimon said that Delon Wright is best PG in the country. After watching today, I'm not sure who I'd take ahead of him. — Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) December 14, 2014
> Despite close loss to KU in Kansas City, really impressed by Utah. Delon Wright can ball. Poeltl nasty on boards. Defend. Will be tough out. > > — Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) [December 13, 2014](https://twitter.com/YahooNoise/status/543896228400885760)
> Fun KU-Utah game today. Most impressive thing about Utes' Delon Wright was his basketball acumen. Extremely aware on both ends of court. > > — Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) [December 13, 2014](https://twitter.com/franfraschilla/status/543916120525533184)
> I feel comfortable saying this since we won...Delon Wright is awesome! Can't wait to see what he does at the next level. Dude can ball! > > — Michael Garrett (@MGarrett4) [December 13, 2014](https://twitter.com/MGarrett4/status/543894167923875840)
“He likes big games,” Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak told KUsports.com. “And I think he rises to a different level for us when he's in this type of environment. He was the one guy that was ready to play from the beginning.”
This season, Wright hasn’t necessarily done anything different than his first season with Utah, which included any combination of scoring, rebounding, blocking shots or facilitating other players with a pass. But his confidence and the quality of opponents Utah has faced this year has opened up Wright to a national fan base.
Wright showcased his skills in the Wichita State and BYU wins, but it took a performance against No. 10 Kansas to really bring Wright to the forefront of college basketball.
"I’m feeling much better,” Wright said about his progress this season. “I think it was tough from the beginning just trying to get used to the young guys and getting used to what I’m trying to do this year. I feel like I’m adjusted now, but I’m still trying to get better.”
And through it all, Wright remains poised and humble, but confident as Utah's leader on the court.
"I know that every game we play I have to play good in order for us to win," Wright said. "I’ve got to make sure I do my part cause I’m a big part for this team. I just have to try to do my best and not get caught up in what people are saying about me."
"He’s a guy for us that we depend on an awful lot on both ends of the floor," Krystkowiak said. "He distributes the ball, can rebound it and score it."
Utah's two losses so far this season came at the hands of two ranked teams by a combined seven points. Wright has been a major reason for Utah's success, but where Utah's potential is as a team is still unknown, according to Wright.
"Right now we’re still looking to see where our limit is," he said. "We’re going to go as far as this takes us."
How far Utah goes will likely depend on Wright’s ability to take over a game. This season he is averaging a team-high 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He has also improved his 3-point shooting from 22.2 percent to 35.0 percent and is shooting 59.8 percent overall.
