Why the Runnin’ Utes aren’t moping after their 8th straight loss

USC guard Drew Peterson (13) drives through the recreation in opposition to the Utah Utes on the Huntsman Heart in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information

Having performed three groups the previous eight days which have been ranked within the prime 10 of the Related Press Prime 25 ballot — and one other above-average staff on the street — all with out finest participant Branden Carlson, the hard-luck Utah Runnin’ Utes can hardly be blamed for his or her shedding streak hitting eight video games.

However that doesn’t imply new coach Craig Smith has to love it, and even settle for it.

“I hate shedding greater than something on this world,” the coach stated Saturday evening after the No. 16 USC Trojans rolled previous the Utes 79-67 in entrance of seven,846 followers on the Huntsman Heart in a Pac-12 recreation that didn’t appear that shut.

The look on Smith’s face confirmed he meant it. Utah fell to 8-12 total, 1-9 in Pac-12 play and remained on the backside of the league standings.

The Trojans (16-2, 6-2) accomplished a sweep of the mountain faculties, having gained an in depth one at Colorado Thursday.

“I'm not saying (USC’s Drew Peterson) is Scottie Pippen, however he has that sort of recreation. That dude is nice.” — Utah basketball coach Craig Smith

Not since 2012, their first season within the Pac-12, have the Utes misplaced eight straight video games, though assist might be on the best way.

Smith stated the 7-foot Carlson, recovering from an appendectomy, may return subsequent week when the Utes play at Washington State and Washington.

Then once more, the staff’s main scorer may not return till Utah performs at Colorado on Feb. 12, Smith stated, maybe making an attempt to dampen expectations.

In different phrases, followers ought to most likely get used to some rocky occasions the subsequent two weeks, and the shedding streak may get even larger.

“We have to play nicely, and it might be good to get a dub,” Smith stated, insisting that hope shouldn't be misplaced.

Really, the Utes do appear to be enhancing. They took a light step again Saturday after pushing No. 9 UCLA to the wire in a 63-58 loss on Thursday, however the effort was nonetheless there.

Smith stated the Utes regarded “sluggish” of their fourth recreation in eight days.

And USC might be a harder matchup for Utah than UCLA and Arizona are, for no matter motive. Take into account that the Trojans crushed the Utes 93-73 in Los Angeles again on Dec. 1.

Utah was way more aggressive 52 days later.

“We're evening and day (higher) in comparison with that staff that misplaced by 20,” Smith stated.

And one other factor that can play nicely in some components of Los Angeles higher than others, or in Tucson, for that matter: Smith says USC may win the nationwide championship, one thing he didn’t utter after the Utes misplaced 82-64 at No. 6 Arizona on Jan. 15 or to the Bruins two nights in the past.

“I imply, that staff that may win all of it,” Smith stated. “Due to, like I stated, their rim safety, the best way they rebound.

“I believe they're so high-level on the defensive finish, after which they're so environment friendly on the offensive finish. They will do it in so some ways.”

Saturday, Drew Peterson, the 6-foot-9 guard who transferred from Rice, through Libertyville, Illinois, was an ideal 5 of 5 on his 3-point makes an attempt, and missed only one shot from the sector in racking up a game-high 23 factors.

The Utes had no reply for him.

“I'm not saying (Peterson) is Scottie Pippen, however he has that sort of recreation,” Smith stated. “That dude is nice.”

So are Chevez Goodwin (9 factors), Isaiah Mobley (10), Boogie Ellis (18) and Max Agbonkpolo (seven).

However on at the present time, Peterson stole the present from his more-ballyhooed teammates.

“USC is a really, superb basketball staff,” Smith stated. “There's nothing they don’t have. They've nice level guard play, nice athleticism up and down the lineup, elite dimension and flexibility.

“They simply play plenty of other ways,” he continued. “While you make errors, they make you pay. It's simply very tough to attain on these guys within the paint.”

Certainly, the Trojans outscored the Utes 40-20 within the paint and outrebounded them 42-31 inside.

“To even (be aggressive) you gotta make some 3s, and we did make some 3s, however not sufficient of them,” Smith stated.

Maybe the sport, from Utah’s perspective, will likely be referred to sooner or later as freshman guard Gabe Madsen’s coming-out occasion.

He was 5 of 11 from 3-point vary, together with some circus pictures from the deep nook, fading away, that discovered nothing however web.

The Cincinnati switch completed with a career-high 20 factors in 23 minutes.

“Gabe was actually good all weekend,” Smith stated. “I imply, 6 for 12 from the sector (Saturday). He hit some large ones that kinda acquired us again into it within the first half after we made our large run.

“That dude simply is aware of easy methods to play.”

Madsen hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left within the first half to ship the Utes into the locker room trailing simply 35-30.

And when Marco Anthony made two free throws seconds into the second half, Utah was inside three.

However that’s as shut because the Utes would get. The Trojans acquired a triple from Peterson that ignited a 21-6 run and dashed the Utes’ upset hopes.

USC led by as many as 18, however the Utes by no means threw within the proverbial towel. The group remains to be combating to the bitter finish, which most groups on lengthy shedding streaks at this juncture of the season typically don’t do.

Dusan Mahorcic’s 17-footer trimmed USC’s result in 65-56 with simply over 5 minutes left, however Agbonkpolo beat the drained Utes down the ground for a lob dunk and Trojans coasted from there.

“It didn’t really feel like we have been solely down by 9. It felt like extra,” Smith stated. “We have been simply kinda being in a harmful spot for them. I'm not certain they felt uncomfortable.”

Talking of uncomfortable, that’s how issues are getting with Utes guard David Jenkins Jr., the UNLV switch who was alleged to be one of many staff’s prime scorers this season.

Jenkins performed solely 2 minutes, 59 seconds, missed the one shot he tried, dedicated a foul and had a turnover.

He was held scoreless for the second-straight recreation for the primary time in his faculty profession. The Utes have been minus-11 when he was on the ground.

“I believed our younger guys performed very, very nicely,” Smith stated, crediting walk-on Eli Ballstaedt (career-high six factors and one help in a career-high quarter-hour) and Jaxon Brenchley for sparking the Utes off the bench for the second straight recreation.

“Our veteran guys have to be higher for us if we're going to beat a staff of this caliber,” he concluded.

A staff that he believes might be holding the gold trophy the primary weekend of April.