Probable starters
UTAH
G Rollie Worster (6-4 junior)
G Marco Anthony (6-6 senior)
F Lazar Stefanovic (6-7 sophomore
F Ben Carlson (6-9 junior)
C Branden Carlson (7-0 center)
ARIZONA
G Kerr Kriisa (6-3 junior)
G Courtney Ramey (6-3 senior)
F Cedric Henderson (6-6 senior)
F Azuolas Tubelis (6-11 junior)
C Oumar Ballo (7-0 junior)
How they match up
The last time: The warm feelings Arizona brought home from its Maui Invitational title ended on Dec. 1 in Salt Lake City, where Utah won 81-66, beating the Wildcats for the fourth time in the past six meetings at the Huntsman Center. The Utes held the Wildcats to 35.2% shooting, including just 4 of 28 from 3-point range, while UA missed its first five shots and hit just 27.3% from the field in the first half.
Oumar Ballo led Arizona with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Azuolas Tubelis scored 20 on 7-for-20 shooting. Tubelis was 1 for 4 from 3-point range, while Kerr Kriisa (five), Pelle Larsson (three) and Kylan Boswell (three) missed every 3-pointer they attempted. Branden Carlson had 22 points and hit 5 of 9 3-pointers to lead Utah.
Last time at McKale Center: Without Kriisa, who was held out because of what UA coach Tommy Lloyd said was an injury suffered during pregame meal “horseplay,” the Wildcats initially struggled offensively in their eventual 82-64 win over Utah on Jan. 15, 2022. Arizona was only 1 of 12 from 3-point range in the first half but took a 34-31 halftime lead and kept the Utes scoreless for over seven minutes in a game-changing second-half run. Tubelis led the Wildcats with a then-career-high 32 points while hitting 14 of 24 shots.
Series history: Arizona hasn’t lost to Utah at McKale Center since the Utes joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 37-32, including their days together in the Western Athletic Conference, and UA is 16-4 against Utah in Pac-12 competition.
Tommy Lloyd discussed the Arizona Wildcats' loss to Stanford ahead of the UA's rematch with the Utah Utes at McKale Center on Thursday.
What’s new with the Utes
Picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12, the Utes have continued to surprise since their Dec. 1 win over the Wildcats. They won at Washington State three days later and have consistently beaten up on the Pac-12’s bottom seven teams. They are now in third place, a game behind Arizona, but have a difficult five games remaining in the regular season — at UA and ASU, then hosting UCLA and USC next week before finishing at Colorado on March 4.
The Utes are only mediocre shooters but instead get it done with the conference’s third-most efficient defense in league games along with careful ballhandling that results in a turnover on just 17.5% of possessions, the second-lowest turnover percentage in conference play. The Utes also set up their baskets with the second-highest assist-to-make ratio in Pac-12 games, 60.9%, behind only Arizona (68.4).
The Utes give up the fourth-lowest effective field-goal percentage (with 50% more value given to 3-pointers) in Division I, just 43.1%. In Pac-12 they are first in 3-point percentage defense (27.6) and third in 2-point percentage defense (46.3)
Utah lost one of its top two shooters, wing Gabe Madson, to a lower-leg injury suffered on Jan. 28, and Madsen isn’t expected back until late February or early March. In his place, the Utes moved Serbian sophomore Lazar Stefanovic into a starting wing spot, giving the Utes an even bigger lineup that goes 6-6, 6-7, 6-9 and 7-0 along with 6-4 point guard Rollie Worster.
Stefanovic, who started most of Pac-12 play last season before becoming a sixth man earlier this season, scored 26 points while hitting 6 of 14 3s in his first start in place of Madsen, against Stanford on Feb. 2. Since then, Stefanovic has had 15 points and six assists against Cal on Feb. 5 and nine points, four rebounds and four assists in Utah’s 73-62 win over Colorado on Feb. 11.
Key players
UTAH—Branden Carlson
A second-team All-Pac-12 pick last season, the 23-year-old 7-footer let it be known he’s reaching for a new level on Dec. 1 against Arizona, when he had 22 points in large part by pulling outside to hit 5 of 9 3-pointers. He also had five rebounds, two blocks and drew six fouls. Carlson is now averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in conference play while shooting 33.3% from 3-point range and 85% from the free-throw line.
Utah center Keba Keita, left, defends against Arizona guard Pelle Larsson during the second half of their game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, in Salt Lake City.
ARIZONA—Pelle Larsson
Maybe the Utes placed some sort of karmic curse on Larsson when he transferred to Arizona after one season in Utah (2020-21). The Swedish wing has scored fewer points for Arizona in three games against Utah than he did in one game against Arizona. Larsson had 14 points for Utah against Arizona on Feb. 4, 2021, but is a combined 3 for 15 from the field while averaging 3.0 points for the Wildcats over three games against the Utes.
Sidelines
Stars in their eyes (and in the gym)
The Utes are visiting Arizona and ASU this weekend, not only because the Pac-12 is telling them they have to, but also because they don’t have a choice.
The NBA All-Star Weekend has already invaded Salt Lake City. While the dunk and 3-point contests (Saturday) and the game itself (Sunday) are scheduled to be held at the Jazz’s home at Vivent Arena, the Utes’ Huntsman Center is scheduled to hold a celebrity game on Friday, the NBA All-Star practice and an HBCU game between Southern and Grambling State on Saturday, plus the G League Next Up game on Sunday.
“It’s busy up here. There’s no doubt about it,” Utah coach Craig Smith said Tuesday on a media Zoom interview. “People are moving and shaking all over the place.”
Smith said the Utes haven’t been able to access the Huntsman Center floor this week, but that they still could get in their locker room and practice at the Utah women’s facility.
“We’ve done (that) before in our early practices, so nothing too crazy,” he said.
Although the NBA All-Stars themselves weren’t scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake until after the Utes left for Tucson on Wednesday, Smith said it’s “very common” for them to run into NBA players at any time, being only 10 minutes or so away from Vivent Arena.
“And it’s very common for opposing teams to practice in our facility, so that part isn’t exactly new,” Smith said. “Obviously, it’s a who’s-who this week with the best players in the world being here. So it’d be cool for our guys, but what great is exposure (for Utah) in every way.”
‘Heartbreak hotel’ at NAU
Not only did Tommy Lloyd have to absorb the Wildcats’ 88-79 loss at Stanford as a coach on Saturday, but he also had to soak up NAU’s mind-blowing loss to Portland State earlier that day as a dad.
Lloyd’s son, Liam, hit what appeared to be a game-winning 3-pointer just before time seemed to run out, capping an apparent 87-86 win for the Lumberjacks. But while teammates mobbed Liam, officials began to review the shot and put 0.6 seconds back on the clock.
That’s barely enough time to hold the ball, much less dribble. But somehow, Portland State’s Hunter Woods lobbed the ball nearly the length of the court, and Isaiah Johnson tapped it in as he fell back, snatching the win for the Vikings.
“That’s heartbreak hotel right there,” NAU coach Shane Burcar said. “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
The highlight was shown on ESPN2’s halftime show during the UA-Stanford game and, for better or worse, Tommy Lloyd saw it, too.
“You want your kid to have that moment because it’s a pretty special moment, and he’s worked hard,” Lloyd said. “This wasn’t (meant) to be. They literally hit a Hail Mary. I don’t know how you guard it better. I don’t know what else you do differently. The kid made an incredible play and unfortunately took away a great moment from Liam and his team. But he’s a tough kid, and I know he’ll be fine.”
Zeke Nnaji, left, and Josh Green, right, are set to return to McKale Center this weekend to be inducted into the Wildcats’ Ring of Honor.
Ex-Wildcat weekend
Thanks to the time off created by the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, former Wildcats Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji are both scheduled to be on hand for their Ring of Honor inductions this weekend: Green on Thursday during the UA-Utah game and Nnaji on Saturday during the UA-Colorado game.
Both players spent only the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season with the Wildcats, but Nnaji qualified for the Ring of Honor by picking up the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award that season and Green later did so by earning a bronze Olympic medal while playing for Australia in the Tokyo Olympics.
Green visited McKale Center with his Olympic medal in August 2021.
Several other former Wildcats are expected to be on hand this weekend, including former UA guard Justin Kier, who is now playing for the G League’s Austin Spurs.
Numbers game
5 — Of Arizona’s eight Thursday-night games between Jan. 5 and March 2 this season that have been set for 9 p.m., with UA’s March 2 finale at USC added to that list. The other three Thursday games have been set for for 8:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 7 p.m.
8 — Utah’s national rank in average height (6-6.9) as listed by Kenpom, which weights the average listed height of every player on the team by minutes played.
45 — Years since Utah has swept Arizona in a season series, back when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
