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SALT LAKE CITY — Is it possible the Utes may be the underdog as a five seed going into the second round of the NCAA Tournament?
Many around the country seem to see it that way.
The Runnin’ Utes will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years behind the leadership of premier guard Delon Wright — an All-American among the likes of Duke’s Jahill Okafor and Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky. But the lack of recent experience in the tournament, and a dreaded 5/12 matchup against an explosive Stephen F. Austin, has many questioning whether Thursday’s game is ripe for upset.
“I don’t think Utah scores as efficiently against really good defensive teams,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said following the Selection Sunday announcement. “I don’t think Stephen F. Austin is a great defensive team, but I think they got an edge to them. … They are a tough group. Thomas Walkup is a good player. They are undersized but they fight. They’re going to fight Utah and I think they can beat them”
Why is Utah considered an underdog?
#poll
“The Lumberjacks bring back the nucleus of the squad that upset VCU with the same seed last year,” USA Today’s George Schroeder said.
The Lumberjack feature the Southland Player of the Year Thomas Walkup, an unselfish junior guard who averages 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Walkup has lead the Lumberjack to its third consecutive regular season titles and an upset victory over VCU last year in the NCAA tournament.
Most importantly, the Lumberjack like to shoot the ball, and they’re pretty good at it, too. This season, the Lumberjack are shooting 49.1 percent from the field, which is good for fifth best in the country, average 79.5 points per game and score 1.20 points per possession. The Lumberjack also lead the country in average assists per game with 17.8.
Stephen F. Austin moves the ball well and is consist with its shot — a dangerous combination in March. But before fans pencil in an upset victory over the Utes, it should be remembered that Utah features one of the best defenses in the country. This year, Utah has held teams to an average shooting percentage of 38.2 — sixth best in the country — and an average score of 56.9.
- RPI: 19
- RPI 1-50: 3-7 overall
- RPI 51-100: 5-0 overall
- RPI 101-200: 10-1 overall
- RPI 201+: 7-0 overall
- RPI:: 36
- RPI 1-50: 0-3 overall
- RPI 51-100: 4-0 overall
- RPI 101-200: 6-0 overall
- RPI 201+: 16-1 overall
Utah also has the national record for most victories over 20 points — 14 — and averages 72.1 points per game. Utah ranks among the top 15 in the country in field goal percentage, averaging 48.5 percent, and is a top 10 team in the country for 3-point field goal percentage, averaging 40.4 percent behind junior guard Brandon Taylor.
When firing on all cylinders, Utah is a very difficult team to stop. Utah methodically attacks a team with its offense and eliminates the opponents’ attack with its stingy defense. But Austin moves quickly and distributes the ball better than anyone in the country, maximizing every opportunity and possession on the court.
If anything, Thursday’s game should bring a lot of excitement. Matt Norlander of CBS Sports believes the Utah-Austin matchup will be one of the best second round games this season.
“This is going to be fun," Norlander wrote. “SFA is going to try and push this game, while Utah will go half-court and rely on Wright to do the right things. It’s my favorite game scheduled for Thursday or Friday.”
So is Utah an underdog? It depends on which side of the fence you’re on.
