Keep it simple: Utah looks to defensive strategy to combat Arizona

SALT LAKE CITY — A lot can change over a two-month period.

On Dec. 1, Utah played its most complete game of the season and beat Arizona by 15 points at home in what served as a marquee win for the program and put the team in the conversation as a potential NCAA Tournament team.

Not much was expected for Craig Smith's squad in his second season with the program, but a win against a perennial favorite in the conference went a long way to dispel the preseason perception of a Utah team that won only four Pac-12 games last season.

There was a reason to be skeptical of a quick rebound.

But in the more than two months that have passed since the Runnin' Utes beat the Wildcats on their home floor, Utah sits in sole possession of third place in the conference standings and has one of the best defenses in the Pac-12. The team even features the fourth-best defense in the country in effective field goal percentage.

By all accounts, Utah has exceeded its expectations of being picked to finish 10th in the conference standings in the preseason media poll. But the job isn't done just yet. With four of the final five games of the regular season being Quad 1 games — teams with some of the best resumes in the country — Utah has its work cut out before it.

And it all starts with that marquee opponent that started Utah's climb back to the top of the conference. Utah travels to Tucson, Arizona, for a Thursday night matchup (8 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks) in one of the most hostile environments in the Pac-12, with hopes of maintaining its current upward trajectory as a program.

Though much has changed since that December meeting, which includes the loss of Gabe Madsen to an ankle injury that could be season-ending, Smith isn't trying to overthink the opportunity.

There isn't a push to work any harder, watch more film, study harder, or anything that requires his players to put in even more work for one game against the eighth-ranked opponent in the country — each player has his own version of what helps him bring out his best on the court. It's just a desire to simplify.

"We've just got to be super sound, not overcomplicate, and know where our bread is buttered, so to speak, and that's on the defensive end," Smith said. "Trying to make life as difficult as possible that way, and then somehow find a way to score."

There's obvious strategy and a full game plan behind Smith's simplicity to the game — take care of the ball to "not allow them to get some momentum and some easy run outs that lead to dunks, which feeds their crowd" — but it's more about fully embracing what works well for Utah and hoping the rest of the plan, namely offensive production, will follow suit.

As it stands, Utah features the third-best defense in the Pac-12 in adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom.com, and the top spot in several other statistical measures, including effective field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free-throw percentage, and free-throw attempts per field goal attempts.

"We're gonna put our best foot forward. ... At the end of the day, we're one of the top five defenses in the country, and we've got to really defend and really got to rebound and somewhat try to neutralize that crowd," Smith said. "You've just got to be able to somewhat control the momentum of the game while still picking your spots to be able to run and transition and do what you do.

"It's easy to buy into offense; it's hard to sometimes always buy into defense and how diligent you've gotta be."

Utah still has to find a way to score to have any chance against Arizona, but that's been less predictable this season, especially in the absence of Madsen on the floor.

Branden Carlson, Marco Anthony and Rollie Worster have given solid offensive minutes this season, but Utah's offensive success will largely depend on the type of production players like Ben Carlson, Lazar Stefanovic and Wilguens Exacte Jr. have on the game.

Each have had their varying successes over the course of the season, but each has helped improve Utah's offensive profile as of late. They're players that can give Utah what it needs to contend with an Arizona team that features one of the best offensive teams in the country, especially when they have the home crowd and momentum on their side.

But another competitive game against Arizona this season could give Utah the jolt of confidence it needs to finish the season strong and peak as it enters the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. A demoralizing defeat, however, could be detrimental to where Utah hopes to finish the season as it attempts to show the progress it has made as a program in Smith's second season.

It starts with Arizona, though. Then the rest of the schedule will come into view one by one, with another opportunity for Utah to leave its mark on the season.

"We have a great opportunity," Smith said. "Great moments are born out of great opportunity, and we have four Quad 1 games and a Quad 2 game left, not to mention the Pac-12 Tournament. We'll be excited. It'll be a great challenge, but one I know our guys are ready for."

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