Utah basketball vs. UCF by the numbers

Runnin' Utes are back in Salt Lake City as they host the Knights

Utah Runnin' Utes guards Obomate Abbey (21) and Don McHenry (3) celebrate after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Hope Coliseum. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Coming off its first road in over a year, Utah returns to the Huntsman Center for a Saturday night contest against UCF.

Tipoff between the Runnin' Utes (10-16, 2-11 Big 12) and Knights (18-7, 7-6 Big 12) is set for 7 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

Here's a look at the matchup through the lens of some notable statistics and trends.

Utah vs. UCF By The Numbers

66.6: Points Allowed Per Game By Utah In Last Five Games

Whether it was Alex Jensen's pleading or a schematic change in game planning, something has the Utes playing like a completely different team on the defensive end of the floor as of late. The mental lapses and lack of effort that hindered them throughout November, December and January haven't been apparent since the calendar flipped to February, which has to please Jensen considering Utah was near the bottom of the Big 12 in scoring defense for the first three months of the season.

Since yielding at least 80 points in seven of their first eight conference games of the season, the Utes haven't give up more than 71 and have allowed just one team (Kansas) to shoot 50% or better from the field. They've been tougher on the boards and more connected on their rotations, creating a much more cohesive unit on that end in comparison to what they looked like just a few weeks ago.

Admittedly, Utah's production on offense has taken a step back as a result of the concerted effort put into the defensive end. The Utes themselves haven't crossed the 65-point threshold in each of their last five games and are shooting 39.7% from the floor in the month of February. Their 3-point numbers have dipped as well, though the pace in which they had to play with against Houston (No. 354 in tempo, per KenPom) and West Virginia (No. 362) could've certainly had an impact on those numbers (fewer possessions means fewer chances to score).

Perhaps against a UCF squad that's not particularly stout on the defensive end, Utah can strike a better balance between offense and defense.

30: Terrence Brown's Field Goal Percentage in February

Jensen tried warning everyone that Big 12 teams wouldn't just let Terrence Brown score 20 a game like he did nonconference play as the Utes approached the thick of their league schedule. As opponents became more aware of his tendencies, putting the ball in the basket would grow more and more difficult against the Houstons, Arizonas and Texas Techs of the conference, and would likely force Brown to change up his play style a bit in order to make a positive impact for his team.

To his credit, Brown has been more involved on the boards and as a playmaker over the last few games, though largely because Jensen's forecast has proven to be correct. As teams key-in on Brown, his efficiency and overall scoring production has taken a bit of a dip.

Since scoring 20 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 31, Brown is putting up 12.2 points per game on 30% shooting from the field. That's well below his season averages of 20.2 points per game on 44.1% shooting. He is, however, grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists.

Would Jensen prefer his point guard to be more efficient? Absolutely. But it's also important for Brown to be more than just a scorer, which is why is his eight rebounds, three assists and timely charge in the second half of Wednesday's win over West Virginia were so crucial to Utah pulling out that victory on the road.

10: UCF's Projected NCAA Tournament Seed

The Knights enter Saturday's contest looking to keep their at-large bid aspirations intact as one of Joe Lunardi's projected 10-seeds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Beating a Utah team that checks in at No. 115 in the NET wouldn't move the need that much in that regard, though it would still go down as a Quad 2 for Johnny Dawkins and company and improve UCF's road record to .500 (4-4). And it goes without saying, anything helps the Knights at this point considering they're right near the cut line as the No. 46-ranked team in the NET with a 4-5 record in Quad 1 games.

On the other hand, a loss would be disastrous for UCF's NCAA Tournament hopes. West Virginia is beginning to grasp the ramifications of what losing to the Utes can have on their postseason outlook; time will tell if the Knights ever join them.

28.9: Riley Kugel's Field Goal Percentage in February

Turns out neither of the leading scorers for Utah and UCF are on a hot streak going into Saturday's tilt.

Against similar competition as Brown, UCF's Riley Kugel struggled mightily from the floor in losses to Houston (1-for-10), Cincinnati (5-for-11) and West Virginia (3-for-10), averaging 10.7 points on 29% shooting, including 6-for-19 (31.6%) on 2-pointers, in that stretch. The 6-foot-5 guard opened conference play with eight consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, but he heads into Saturday having failed to reach 10 points in three of his previous five games.

Luckily for UCF, it doesn't have to solely rely on Kugel to carry the load offensively. Themus Fulks (13.6 ppg), Jordan Burks (13 ppg) and Jamichael Stillwell (12.1 ppg) are capable of leading the Knights in the scoring column on any given night as well. Burks in particular is a threat because of his prowess from behind the 3-point line, where he's shooting 38.7% from on 4.7 attempts per game. Stillwell is a handful to keep off the glass, as evidenced by his per-game average of 3.4 offensive rebounds.

Let's take a deeper look into the statistics for both teams.

Utah's Offense vs. UCF's Defense

Adjusted efficiency

Utah: 114.1 (No. 93 nationally)
UCF: 105.9 (No. 114)

Scoring

Utah: 75.8 points per game (No. 186)
UCF: 77.4 points allowed per game (No. 278)

Effective field goal percentage

Utah: 51.9% (No. 156)
UCF: 52.6% (No. 245)

3-point field goal percentage

Utah: 35.2% (No. 105)
UCF: 33.4% (No. 154)

3-pointers per game

Utah: 8 (No. 165)
UCF: 8 (No. 219)

2-point field goal percentage

Utah: 51.3% (No. 197)
UCF: 54.3% (No. 283)

Turnovers per game

Utah: 11.3 (No. 156)
UCF: 11.5 (No. 209)

Assist rate

Utah: 50.8% (No. 226)
UCF: 52.5% (No. 181)

Utah's Defense vs. West Virginia's Offense

Adjusted efficiency

Utah: 108.7 (No. 170)
UCF: 121 (No. 36)

Scoring

Utah: 78.6 points allowed per game (No. 305)
UCF: 81.8 points per game (No. 62)

Effective field goal percentage

Utah: 52.7% (No. 246)
UCF: 53.8% (No. 77)

3-point field goal percentage

Utah: 33.5% (No. 159)
UCF: 37.3% (No. 29)

3-pointers per game

Utah: 7 (No. 84)
UCF: 8.2 (No. 144)

2-point field goal percentage

Utah: 53.9% (No. 274)
UCF: 52.6% (No. 144)

Turnovers per game

Utah: 9.7 (No. 338)
UCF: 11.5 (No. 167)

Assist rate

Utah: 46.9% (No. 45)
UCF: 54.1% (No. 142)

Play Styles

Utah

• Percentage of points from 3-pointers: 31.5% (No. 179)
• Percentage of points from 2-pointers: 49.7% (No. 152)
• Percentage of points from free throws: 18.7% (No. 248)

UCF

• Percentage of points from 3-pointers: 30.2% (No. 215)
• Percentage of points from 2-pointers: 52.2% (No. 87)
• Percentage of points from free throws: 17.6% (No. 287)