How to watch, listen to Utah vs. Mississippi State college basketball game

Utes battle the Bulldogs at the Delta Center

Utah Runnin' Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) leads the team in scoring with 21.6 points per game. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Alex Jensen and Chris Jans know they only have so many opportunities left to prepare their respective teams for rigorous conference schedules by playing quality nonleague games in December.

Both Utah (7-3) and Mississippi State (4-5) are hoping Saturday's contest at the Delta Center serves as another step in the right direction toward being competitive in the Big 12 and SEC, respectively, after neither was picked to finish better than No. 10 in their respective leagues in the preseason polls.

The Runnin' Utes — tabbed by the media as the No. 13 team in the 16-team Big 12 back in October — are still striving to iron out some wrinkles before they tip off conference play against No. 1 Arizona on Jan. 3. Crashing the glass and overall intensity on the defensive end of the floor haven't been to Jensen's liking so far, given his squad is allowing 78.7 points per game (No. 291 out of 365 Division I teams) and has been outrebounded in five of its first 10 games.

Utah's last outing against Cal Baptist underscored those deficiencies. The Runnin' Utes gave up 23 offensive rebounds and allowed the Lancers to score 85 points in a narrow 6-point win for Utah from the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It was the third consecutive game the Runnin' Utes lost the battle on the boards.

It'll take quite the effort from Utah if that streak is to end against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs boast size on the wing and in the frontcourt among Shawn Jones (6-foot-5), Achor Achor (6-foot-9) and Quincy Ballard (6-foot-11). All three average 6.0 rebounds or more per game for a Bulldogs team that ranks top 40 in the country in rebounds per game (41.3).

For Mississippi State, which was picked to end the season No. 10 in the SEC preseason poll, finishing close games has been easier said than done. The Bulldogs' last three losses have either been determined in overtime or by less than three points, including their most recent defeat, a 65-62 final against San Francisco from Tupelo, Mississippi.

Generating extra possessions off turnovers hasn't been a knack for Mississippi State, either. The Bulldogs are among the bottom 10 teams in the country in turnover rate (13.1%) and are second-last to non-steal turnover rate (4.4%) according to KenPom.com.

Saturday will feature quite the battle in the backcourt. Both squads are led by a couple of 20 point-per-game guards in Terrence Brown (21.6) for Utah and Josh Hubbard (21.2) for Mississippi State. Utes guard Don McHenry (17.4 points per game) and Bulldogs guard Jayden Epps (15.7 points per game) have a penchant for filling up the scoring column as well.

The return game of last season's neutral court meeting between the schools will also pit two former participants of the 1998 national championship game featuring Kentucky and Utah. Mississippi State assistant Scott Padgett suited up for the Wildcats in the matchup against Jensen and the Runnin' Utes.

Utah has another game against a power conference opponent on Dec. 29 at Washington. Saturday will be Mississippi State's last tilt against a high-major foe in nonleague play before SEC action tips off Jan. 3, though the Bulldogs do face one more test on Dec. 20 when they face Memphis.

How to Watch Mississippi State vs. Utah

• Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
• Game Time: 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
• Where: Delta Center | Salt Lake City
• How to watch (TV): ESPNU
• Radio: ESPN 700
• KenPom prediction: Mississippi State 78, Utah 76