It's never too early to talk about the Big Dance, especially when Utah is already being considered by some to play this March.
Joe Lunardi's Bracketology has Utah just getting in with a 13th seed. They're predicted to play, though this will obviously change, USC. By the looks of his prediction, he believes the Utes will win the Mountain West, or at least finish in a tie for first place with BYU, as the Cougars too are predicted to go dancing as a 13th seed.
Now while I don't want to get excited yet, since no game of importance has actually been played, this has to show some level of respect for not only Utah basketball, but Jim Boylen as well. It's not like the Utes have been dominating recently, having two losing seasons in a row. And it isn't as if Boylen has a track record of success as a head coach (this is his first gig). Yet not only did Utah receive votes in the Coaches Poll, they're now being predicted for the NCAA Tournament. Pretty exciting for a program that came close to having a 20-loss season last year.