What Utah basketball must fix to be more competitive in Big 12 in 2026-27

As realistic as Alex Jensen has been about how long rebuilding the Utah basketball program might take, the former Runnin' Utes standout probably didn't envision the kind of season the 2025-26 campaign he and the team would end up enduring when it tipped off in November.

Utah concluded a difficult first-year under Jensen with a last-place finish in the Big 12, going 2-16 in league play and finishing with its fewest total wins (10) in over a dozen years.

Essentially, it was a forgettable blip on Utah's proud basketball history. If the Utes are to prevent it from snowballing into an ugly trend, there are a few areas they'll need to improve for the 2026-27 season.

More Intensity on Defense

There were a few bad habits that reared their ugly heads into each one of Utah's losses, but none underscored just how far away the Utes were from being competitive in the Big 12 than the lack of intensity Jensen's group had on the defensive end of the floor.

The correlation between team success and playing sound defense is hard to deny when looking at the conference standings and the advanced metrics. The four teams that advanced to the semifinal round of the Big 12 tournament — Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas — ranked top five in the league in adjusted defensive efficiency (Cincinnati was the fifth team in that group). The Wildcats, Cougars, Cyclones and Jayhawks also led the conference in total wins in that order.

Utah, conversely, was dead last in the Big 12 in defensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage allowed and turnover rate. The Utes were also No. 13 in scoring defense, yielding 79.1 points per game, and No. 14 in block rate (7.7%).

All those stats point to what fans saw every night when they watch Utah: A lack of intensity, poor communication and a look of disinterest from players when tasked to stop the other team from scoring. The effort picked up down the stretch of the regular season, but it wasn't consistent enough for the Utes to really hang with the league's top competition for a full 40 minutes on a nightly basis.

Needless to say, Utah has to put more of an emphasis on guarding and protecting the rim if it wants to contend in year two of the Jensen era. Acquiring defensive-minded guards and wings via the portal would be a nice start, but becoming a truly dominant team on the defensive end of the floor requires a collective buy-in from the whole rotation — something that can curates in the culture and identity of the program.

Rebound, Rebound, Rebound

Sort of going hand-in-hand with the team's porous defense, Utah's rebounding efforts were subpar this past season. The Utes were second-to-last in the Big 12 in combined team rebounds (33.6 per game) and defensive rebounds (23.6). Only Arizona State and Kansas State had a worse rebounding margin than Utah, which was ourebounded by -1.4 boards per game.

Not having Babacar Faye in the mix probably didn't help Utah's rebounding efforts. The 6-foot-8 Western Kentucky transfer could've provided the Utes with more of a paint presence had it not been for his season-ending leg injury in September, considering he averaged 3 offensive rebounds per contest in his final season with the Hilltoppers.

Still, Faye's absence doesn't absolve the Utes of their inability to keep opponents off the glass. Their lack of effort was often apparent, and the size discrepancy between them and just above every other Big 12 team didn't help their cause.

Rebounding certainly isn't glamorous in comparison to scoring, but it certainly translates to winning. When looking at the top 15 teams in the country in rebounding margin, 12 are either projected to earn an at-large bid or have already locked up an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament heading into Selection Sunday. Specifically to the Big 12, eight of the top nine teams in rebounding margin will likely be dancing after conference tournament week (Baylor is the lone exception).

According to KenPom, 53.9% of Utah's total scoring came from its backcourt. Conversely, it got 11.4% of its points from the power forward spot, which ranked No. 364 out of 365 Division I teams, and 18.1% from its centers (No. 199 nationally).

Post Presence

It's no secret the Utes lacked a dominant post presence in 2025-26. A lot of Utah's offense revolved around guard play, and the numbers indicate as such. According to KenPom, 53.9% of Utah's total scoring came from its backcourt. Conversely, it got 11.4% of its points from the power forward spot, which ranked No. 364 out of 365 Division I teams, and 18.1% from its centers (No. 199 nationally).

A more balanced approach offensively would alleviate the stress off Utah's guards and force opposing defenses to play the post more honestly. The Utes didn't run many sets for their centers this past season, with most of their touches coming in the pick-and-roll game.

Coming from the NBA, Jensen surely recognizes the value guards have on a team's success. Having a solid post presence has its benefits too, though, especially at the collegiate level where traditional back-to-the-basket forwards can still thrive. And, of course, more size typically translates to better rebounding numbers as well.