Utah's Craig Smith after loss to No. 7 Houston: 'This is big boy basketball'

Utes coach wasn't happy with his team following a huge road blowout

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah Utes men’s basketball coach Craig Smith did not hold back after his team’s humbling 70-36 loss to No. 7 Houston on Wednesday night at the Fertitta Center. The 34-point defeat brought an abrupt end to Utah’s three-game winning streak, which had included an emotional overtime victory against in-state rival BYU just days earlier. Smith emphasized the need for improvement and resilience following the blowout.

“You have to eliminate losing to win,” Smith said postgame. “We have to get better. ... This is big boy basketball, and we didn’t get to that point tonight.”

The Runnin’ Utes struggled mightily against Houston’s aggressive defense and relentless energy. Smith highlighted the importance of making good decisions and putting in maximum effort against a top-tier opponent. “Basketball is a game of decisions and multiple efforts,” he said. “When you play these guys, you have to put in multiple efforts. And they play with multiple efforts all the time in everything they do—whether it’s boxing out, going to the glass, getting in the gap and having active hands and feet ... they’re just so quick to the ball.”

Turnovers were a significant issue for Utah, as they coughed up the ball 26 times, leading to 29 points for the Cougars. The Utes also struggled offensively, shooting just 13 of 43 (30.2%) from the field and 5 of 17 (29.4%) from beyond the arc. Smith attributed much of the offensive struggles to Houston’s length and physicality.

“When we take care of the ball, we do some great things,” Smith noted, but the high turnover rate and Houston’s offensive rebounds proved insurmountable on this night. “Those turnovers and some of those offensive rebounds were hard to overcome.”

Smith acknowledged the challenges of adapting to life in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference. “You can learn from this,” he said. “We’re new to the Big 12. We were picked at the bottom. We’re working to climb, and you have to be able to adapt and adjust. This is game seven [in the conference] for us. You have to learn, grow, and then move on.”

Despite the lopsided loss, Smith praised his players for their resolve. “I thought our guys stuck with it. It will test your willpower when you’re getting embarrassed.”

The Utes will look to bounce back when they host No. 25 Baylor on Saturday, needing a stronger showing to keep their postseason hopes alive.