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SALT LAKE CITY — Nine years after the last time, the Utah and BYU men's basketball teams may finally play in the NCAA Tournament during the same postseason.
Both programs were impressive during their nonconference portions of the schedules, combining to go 21-3. Utah, which started conference play 9-2, handed the 12th-ranked Cougars their lone loss in 13 games.
"Those teams have been solid," said Ken Pomeroy, the creator of college basketball statistical kenpom.com. "The records aren't a fluke. The performance hasn't been a fluke. Certainly, I think some excitement here locally with both of those teams."
For both teams, the season to date represents a much-needed return to excellence after multiple disappointing years.
Utah has not qualified for the NCAA Tournament the last seven seasons, by far the longest drought in program history. BYU played in the tournament two years ago but last season ended fifth in the West Coast Conference, its worst conference finish since the 1999-00 season.
Taking a closer look, given the amount of returning experience for each team, their success is not all that surprising. Both groups are full of veterans who have had significant roles for their respective coaches.
Utah's nucleus — fifth-year center Branden Carlson, and guards Gabe Madsen and Rollie Worster — have played together for coach Craig Smith the last three years. Carlson, who started a total of 104 out of 110 games entering this season, is a viable candidate for Pac-12 Player of the Year.
BYU returns eight players who averaged at least 10 minutes per game last season. Fourth-year junior Trevin Knell, who sat out last season with an injury, and multiple transfers have added to the group.
"They've, obviously, gotten off to a sterling start and surprised a lot of folks nationally," Pomeroy said during an interview last week on The Zone. "I think almost everyone nationally is expecting them to face reality once conference play starts, and they will to some extent, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have a winning record in conference play."
Going into the season, going .500 over the 18 conference games was considered virtually impossible for the Cougars. Transitioning from the WCC after 13 years, they were picked next to last in the 14-team Big 12.
The lightweight WCC, minus Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, is light years behind what awaits BYU over the next several weeks. Raucous atmospheres against ranked Big 12 teams virtually every game is ahead for the Cougars, who are third in Pomeroy's poll.
"They've been the No. 1-rated league in my ratings for eight of the past 10 years, and the two years they weren't they were No. 2," Pomeroy said. "They're easily right now the No. 1-rated league heading into conference play. They'll finish the regular season as the No. 1-rated league.
"Almost every game is the potential for a quality win, and there are very few bad losses in league. You get a free pass almost every game. Now, you have to win some of those games, of course, but the standard is so low. It's really the opposite of the WCC."
The outlook for the Utes is slightly different in the Pac-12, which has only No. 10 Arizona in the Associated Press Top 25; six Big 12 teams are ranked.
Utah, which swept Washington and Washington State to start 2-0 in the Pac-12, likely must do well in conference play to make the tournament. Without an obvious favorite, the Utes should find success.
"It would be shocking if they didn't have a winning record in conference play," Pomeroy said. "Their challenge is having a winning record in Pac-12 play is not going to be simply good enough to get into the NCAA Tournament. They're going to have to be a few games over .500 in that conference to get a bid. Again, they're capable of doing that."
