Utah vs Arizona on 02/16 by Mike_Jones

Utah won the first meeting by 15. While many bettors seem to expect a different result, Utah achieved its victory by doing things that repeatedly and consistently bother Arizona. Specifically, the Utes used their length on both ends of the floor, and Arizona repeatedly struggles against long teams, with Stanford and Washington State being two lower-profile examples. Also, the Utes spaced the floor especially with their efficient shooter at center, the seven-footer Branden Carlson. Spacing the floor draws Arizona's top rim protector away from the basket, which opens up paths to the basket for Utah ball-handlers. Defensively, Carlson will mostly remain parked at the basket where he'll flex his elite block rate, while the Utes' highly-ranked perimeter defense -- also a product of its length -- will limit Arizona's shooting efficiency.