Runnin' Utes still winless on the road

The Runnin' Utes lost to Arizona State on the road tonight in a close one. First off, I could have sworn that this game started at 8:30 p.m. MT. I thought that's what I heard all week, including at the Coach's Show on Monday night. Well, it started at 6:30 MT and as a result, I didn't realize it was going on until there were about 12 minutes or so left.

I was able to watch the end via an online feed on foxsportsarizona.com. Utah looked sloppy for a little while and it just made its push too late. Kareem Storey banked in a three to make things interesting toward the end, but the Sun Devils pulled it out. Utah looks to me like it will finish the season without a road win. Next up is another road one at Arizona on Saturday at noon MT (I think), a game which will be televised on Root Sports.

9:26 p.m.: Back on here, come to think of it, they may have said 6:30 at the Coaches Show on Monday, although I may have thought was incorrect at the time. I still thought I had previously seen 8:30 on utahutes.com. I guess I will need to do better at double-checking, particularly the day of the game. Quite a frustrating situation.

Jiggy Watkins dismissed from Runnin' Utes

Utah point guard Jiggy Watkins has been dismissed from the team. Watkins was clearly Utah's best player throughout the season on what is a struggling team. I don't imagine things will get much better for the Runnin' Utes the rest of the year. However, without knowing all the facts, it appears to speak highly of coach Larry Krystkowiak that he would be willing to stand up to his best player even when he has to know it could mean substantially more struggles the rest of the year.

It appears that Watkins repeatedly broke team rules. It's important for any coach to establish discipline on his team. I'm hoping the Utes do make some strides the rest of this year and have a better season next year. Utah (4-13, 1-4 Pac-12) hosts Arizona (12-6, 3-2 Pac-12) tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. MT. The game is not available on TV in Salt Lake City, although it will be televised on Fox Sports Arizona.

Utah football takes on Arizona today

Utah (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) football visits Arizona (2-6, 1-5 Pac-12) today at 5 p.m. MDT (Utah time). The game can be seen in Utah on KJZZ. The Utes looked better last week at home against Oregon State (2-6, 2-3 Pac-12), winning 27-8. The key to me was that Utah limited the mistakes on offense, particularly in the turnover department. This and some nice drives in the 2nd quarter allowed Utah to open up a big lead and cruise to victory.

However, I would like to see the offense move the ball more consistently; the second half against the Beavers was certainly nothing to write home about. But, the biggest key will again be to limit turnovers. The defense has played pretty well all year and I expect that to continue today. Arizona is a team Utah probably has more talent than and probably should beat, but that certainly is no guarantee, especially on the road. The offense, and particularly quarterback Jon Hays playing smart and limiting mistakes, will be the key to the game. Follow me on Twitter for in-game updates. Go Utes!

Opening weekend of Madness

What a weekend of madness it was. I enjoyed it and I guess I enjoyed it so much that I didn't have much time for blogging. Here are some quick hits from the weekend that was in college hoops:

- BYU looked very impressive Saturday and will be tough to beat if they keep shooting like that.
- Butler is at it again, pulling another improbable upset and looking like they could do some more damage. The finish to that game has to be one of the most bizarre I have ever seen; I feel really bad for Pittsburgh, but I'm still happy Butler won.
- Kansas State senior Jacob Pullen was unconscious in the Wildcats' loss to Wisconsin on Saturday, pouring in 38 points and shooting an outstanding percentage. It truly was difficult to see him get very emotional as the game wound down and again during the post-game press conference. I'm a big fan of Pullen's and love watching him play. Him showing so much emotion just says to me that he has a big heart and really does care. I liked that he said he didn't care that he got the K-State scoring record but just wishes they had won. He has nothing to hang his head about and had a great career.
- Ohio State looked very impressive in their blow out of George Mason yesterday. The Buckeyes look to me like the most complete team in the country and if they play like that, I don't think anybody will be able to beat them.
-VCU has looked dominant in their three wins so far and is going to be a tough out. I couldn't believe how easily they handled Purdue yesterday and how many points they were able to put up.
- San Diego State has its first two Tournament wins under its belt and is on to its first Sweet Sixteen. They topped Temple in double overtime on Saturday; I thought the Owls did a really good job of controlling the pace of the game and nearly pulled the upset. The Aztecs should be be playing in front of supportive crowds as their next two games would potentially be in Anaheim.
- Arizona's Derrick Williams is having a huge Tournament so far, getting a game-saving block in the first round against Memphis and following that with a three-point play in the closing seconds against Texas to give the Wildcats a one-point win. Williams is displaying on a national stage that he is one of the best players in the country -- an athletic big man with great low-post moves who is also a tremendous shot-blocker on the defensive end.