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SALT LAKE CITY — In March, the NCAA Tournament selection committee made it clear that a strong nonconference schedule was paramount to any chance of playing in the Big Dance.
Utah’s Larry Krystkowiak paid close attention to the teams that were selected, including an Arizona State team that finished ninth in the Pac-12 but had a stellar nonconference schedule, and adjusted to make sure his Utes had a strong resume this upcoming season.
On Monday, Krystkowiak announced part of what is shaping up to be a tough nonconference schedule: a home-and-home series with Mountain West Conference favorite Nevada. The Wolfpack enter the 2018-19 season as a preseason Top 25 team and as No. 6 by both ESPN and CBSSports.com.
Utah welcomes the Wolfpack to the Huntsman Center on Saturday, Dec. 29 to likely end nonconference play in a tough battle before the Pac-12 slate begins. The Utes will play in Reno, Nevada, in 2019 in a date to be announced at a later time.
Nevada went deep into the NCAA Tournament earlier this year, ending its run in the Sweet 16 in a one-point loss against the underseeded favorite Loyola Chicago. The Wolfpack returns five of their six leading scorers while adding five-star forward.
“We are looking forward to the challenge of a very competitive nonconference schedule this upcoming season,” Krystkowiak said in a statement. “I believe it is time to take our program to a new level and with the schedule we have, it will help us get there.”
The first of the Utes' two preseason Top-10 team matchups in its nonconference schedule will see the Utes traveling to Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 15, in the first of a two-game series against the Wildcats. Perennial favorite Kentucky is ranked No. 3 by ESPN and No. 1 by CBSSports.com.
Utah has yet to release its full nonconference schedule for the upcoming year but has released it in the latter part of June in years past.
