No. 5 Utah to play No. 12 S.F. Austin in NCAA Tournament

(Ravell Call/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah will be playing the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in Portland in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Utes will be a five seed in the South region, playing the Lumberjacks, who will enter the tournament as a 12 seed. The Lumberjacks have won nine of their last 10 games and are a viable 12 seed looking for an upset, averaging 49.1 percent from the field. The Lumberjacks are efficient with the ball and score 1.2 points per possession, which ranks them the fifth best team in the country.

The Utes, who have struggled as of late to get the offense going, will be forced to focus on a team that shoots well and will take advantage of any offensive slumps. However, the Utes feature one of the best defenses in the nation, holding teams to an average 38.2 percent shooting.

The invitation is the first time the Utes will be in the NCAA Tournament since the 2008-09 season, when the team lost in the first round to Arizona. The Lumberjacks played in the tournament last season, losing in the third round to UCLA.

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Josh Furlong

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