Ok, corny title...but live with it. After stunning #11 Air Force earlier this week, the Utes will look to keep it going against their rivals to the north, as Wyoming rolls into Salt Lake City for today's afternoon game. This game will be a test for the Utes, as they've struggled this season at following up a solid win with that of another one. A loss here will probably undo everything the Air Force win did for Utah and throw Giacoletti's butt right back on the hot seat -- if he's left it in the first place.
The Cowboys enter today's game with an 11-7 record and they're 2-2 in conference play. Wyoming is coming off an 89-81 loss to BYU Tuesday night. In fact, the Cowboys have dropped two straight in conference after starting their Mountain West schedule 2-0, with wins over San Diego State and UNLV.
Once again the Utes will face a tough test on the defensive end, as the Cowboys enter today's game averaging 76 points per game. They shoot 47% from the field and only 36% from behind the arc, however Utah probably couldn't defend a retirement home recreational team and I'm willing to bet even Abe Simpson could shoot above 50% from three point range against the Utes. Luckily for Utah, opponents still haven't figured out how to stop the Utes three point shooting. The Utes 44% from three point range this season ranks 4th in the NCAA and has been a major reason as to why Utah's been able to stay in games for most of the year. Their success will also depend on Nevill's ability to get an inside shot. If Wyoming is successful at pushing the Utes into an outside game, they should be capable of controlling the flow, though if Nevill can find his game within the paint, the Cowboys will pay.
Wyoming's leading scorer is sophomore forward Brandon Ewing, who is averaging 21 points per game and has a three point shooting percentage of 35%. Junior guard Brad Jones is second in scoring with 16 points per game, while Wyoming's leading rebounder is Daaron Brown at 7.6 a game.
The Cowboys defense is less impressive than their offense and Utah should have little difficulty scoring. Because of this, and the fact Utah has a poor defense as well, this game should be a high scoring contest that's extremely close. With Utah's recent struggles in close contests, this style of game is a definite advantage for Wyoming. But, and I may be completely out of my mind here, I think Utah wins. It'll be close with Utah finally winning a tight game. The game starts at 1:00 and can be seen on The mtn.