How Good Can Utah Be At The Pac-12 Tournament?

It's been an up-and-down season for Utah, but none of that matters now. The Utes will enter the Pac-12 tournament as the biggest anomaly, capable of winning the tournament or losing in the first round — but which team will show up?

The last two weeks of the regular season are a perfect example of what sort of enigma the Utah basketball team has been this year.

Over the four games, the Utes took down the Pac-12's second-place team in USC and walloped Arizona State by 39 points in the conference finale.

However the other two games were as disappointing as they get. Utah lost by 15 to UCLA in a game that head coach Larry Krystkowiak questioned his team's competitive fight, and to an Oregon State squad where two turnovers in the final 30 seconds proved detrimental.

So, it's been an up-and-down season for Utah, but none of that matters now. The Utes will enter the Pac-12 tournament as the biggest anomaly, capable of winning the tournament or losing in the first round — but which team will show up?

“The analogy I have used for a number of years is you are never as good as you think you are and you are never as bad as you think you are,” Krystkowiak said. “So coming off a win felt good, and it is medicinal for our guys. ... It has been good. Loved the enthusiasm from our bench for the guys. It is definitely going to be enjoyed today, and then we have got to start some prep for Vegas and continue to build.”

Mar 6, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak and forward Timmy Allen (1) react on the way to the locker room at halftime against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Utah will enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed, facing No. 10 Washington on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. MT, with the winner advancing to play No. 2 USC on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. MT in the second round.

2021 Pac-12 Tournament Bracket

The Utes will enter the tournament as a team not many, unless your name is Oregon, would like to face at this point. Utah won two of three to end the season and showed how good it can be in the victories over USC and Arizona State.

Against the Trojans, the Utes were able to limit Evan Mobley — the Pac-12 player, freshman and defensive player of the year. Through their size and athleticism, they were able to force contested jumpers while still packing the paint in what was an impressive defensive performance.

The victory over the Sun Devils proved how dominant the offense can be when they're clicking on all cylinders. Sharing the ball to find the open shot opens up things down low, which allows Timmy Allen and Branden Carlson to go to work. That in return opens things up for sharpshooter Alfonso Plummer, and all of a sudden defenses have a real problem.

“It is going to help us to keep grinding,” Plummer said. “We know that when we move the ball, we are a really good team, and we are tough to beat. I feel like this game taught us that if we move the ball, and everybody gets touches, we can be really dangerous in the playoffs.”

Feb 27, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes guard Alfonso Plummer (25) shoot for a three against USC Trojans guard Ethan Anderson (20) in the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Allen is clearly Utah's star and one of the top layers in the conference after being named to the all-Pac-12 first team on Tuesday morning. He finished the regular season averaging 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, the only player in the conference to average in the top-10 of all four stats.

His game has really evolved this season as he's become much more than a low post scorer — he's now a bonafide playmaker who's capable of knocking down the outside shot if left open too many times. 

He's showcased the ability to take over games on ether end of the court while also being a finisher, something the Utes will need in the tourney. He's a player capable of either getting his own shot in the clutch or finding the open man, which is badly needed to win in the tournament.

While Utah will only go as far as Allen takes them, he won't be able to do it alone — And that's where Plummer enters the picture. 

One of the Pac-12's top three-point shooters, and arguably its most nuclear, Plummer is potential the most influential player in the Pac-12 when it comes to influencing the outcome of a game. 

Averaging 13.8 points per game and knocking down 37.3% of his shots from beyond the arc, when Plummer catches fire good things happen for the Utes. 

His second half performance against Colorado on Jan. 30 is the stuff of legends when he scored 21 points in the final 7:49 in leading the Utes to a come-from-behind 77-74 victory. He's hit at least three three-pointers in 11 of Utah's 18 gams, including four of his past six.

But what he did the last time he stepped onto the court at T-Mobile arena will arguably never be forgotten. He set a Pac-12 record with 11 three-pointers, obliterating the old record of eight by Washington State's Klay Thompson, and finished with 35 points.

If Plummer is a threat scoring the ball, it completely opens up Utah's offense and changes their dynamic. The combo of Allen and Plummer is more than enough to make a deep run into the tourney.

Mar 11, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Utes guard Alfonso Plummer (25) gestures after being fouled on a 3-point shooting attempt during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Utah is more than just those as Branden Carlson and Mikael Jantunen has really emerged late in the season. 

Carlson has scored in double-figures in 10 of the past 12 games, averaging 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. 

It's no coincidence that Utah lost four games in a row with Jantunen out of the picture but won two out of their past three games to close the season, putting up 15 points and seven rebounds against Arizona State in the finale.

Ian Martinez has been a great presence off the bench by putting up double-figures off the bench in three of the past four games. Pelle Larsson has grown into a very good defensive guard capable of running the offense and knocking down shots when needed.

Feb 20, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Utah Utes guard Ian Martinez (2) shoots the ball during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Utah could return to full strength with typical starting point guard Rylan possibly ready for the conference tournament. He has missed 7 of the past eight games with a shoulder injury, but Krystkowiak didn't rule him out of for the season for good when speaking with reporter a week ago.

The Utes will need to be at full strength if they're to make a run in the conference tourney, a possibility that's not completely out of the realm. But who knows which team will show up regardless... only time will tell.

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