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(Press Release) SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah men's basketball team (12-7, 3-2 MWC) returns home for two games this week, beginning with a Tuesday contest against historic rival BYU (15-4, 3-2 MWC). Tipoff for that game is slated for 8 p.m. MT and the game will be televised live on The Mtn.
Utah enters Tuesday's contest looking to bounce back from a tough loss at UNLV last Saturday in which the Utes led by as much as 12 in the second half, only to fall by 10. Utah is 2-0 in Mountain West Conference play on its home floor and is 7-2 overall at home this year.
BYU is coming off of a 77-71 home win against San Diego State last Saturday, getting back into the win column after dropping consecutive games at New Mexico and at home to UNLV. The Cougars are 1-1 in conference road games and are 5-1 overall on the road this year.
MWC Preseason All-Conference selections Luke Nevill (Perth, Australia), Utah's 7-2 center, and 6-7 guard Lee Cummard of BYU will be on display together at the Huntsman Center for the final time as both are in their senior year. Nevill is averaging 17.2 points per game, third-best in the MWC, while Cummard is right on his heels at 17.0 ppg, fourth-best int he league. Nevill is the conference's leading shot-blocker (2.74 bpg), has the top field goal percentage (.610) and is tied for the lead in rebounding (8.4 rpg), while Cummard ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.552) and is seventh in rebounding (6.1 rpg). Both players also rank among the top 10 in the conference in free throw shooting.
Utah and BYU met twice last year, with the Cougars winning both contests by a combined 12 points. In the first game, a Jan. 19 meeting in Salt Lake City, BYU topped the Utes by a 55-52 score. The matchup in Provo a month later resulted in a 67-59 Cougar win.
Despite meeting on the hardwood nearly 250 times, only two games separates Utah and BYU in the all-time series. Utah leads the series 124-122, including a 72-48 mark at home.
BYU has gotten the better of Utah recently, winning the last four consecutive meetings. The Utes have not bested the Cougars since March 9, 2006, when they won a 74-70 decision on a neutral floor at the MWC Tournament. The last time Utah beat the Cougars in Salt Lake City was also in 2006 as the Utes captured a 79-60 victory at the Huntsman Center.
The Deseret First Duel
Tuesday night's matchup between Utah and BYU will mark the first basketball contest of the 2008-09 Deseret First Duel rivalry series. Utah currently leads this year's competition, 16-6.
The rivalry series includes competition in the 12 sports the two universities compete in head-to-head during regular-season play. The Deseret First Duel will use a system that awards points to the winner of each head-to-head competition. A team trophy will be awarded to the individual winner of each sport. Points won by the individual sports will count toward each school's overall total. A granite traveling trophy will be awarded to the overall series champion each year.
(Courtesy University of Utah Athletics Department)
