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Utah’s Van Dyke happy to see rivalry game renewed

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars forward Luke Worthington (41) grabs a rebound over the top of Utah Utes guard Justin Bibbins (1), in basketball action Utah Utes vs. Brigham Young Cougars at the Marriott Center in Provo, Saturday, December 15, 2017.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars forward Luke Worthington (41) grabs a rebound over the top of Utah Utes guard Justin Bibbins (1), in basketball action Utah Utes vs. Brigham Young Cougars at the Marriott Center in Provo, Saturday, December 15, 2017.

Provo • Utah junior guard Parker Van Dyke, a Salt Lake City resident and graduate of East High, grew up watching the BYU-Utah rivalry. He had his first chance to be part of it during the 2013-14 season, and he’s a certainly a fan of the series being resumed this season.

“I really did [miss the rivalry game],” said Van Dyke, who served an LDS Church mission before rejoining the program as a sophomore last season. “I love the in-state rivalries. I had a lot of fun playing against Utah State. Any time you get to play some in-state schools is a lot of fun. You know a lot of guys on the other team, and Utah-BYU is a big rivalry. To be part of that as a fan growing and now as a player, its something that I’ve always looked forward to.”

The Utes won the match-up during Van Dyke’s freshman season to snap a seven-game win streak by the Cougars. Van Dyke, who came off the bench and made a pair of 3-pointers in that 2013-14 game, believes that game helped change the dynamic of the rivalry. Parker called it a big win for a Utah program early on in Larry Krystkowiak’s tenure as coach and a little more than two seasons into its transition to the Pac-12 Conference.

“Being in Pac-12, that just made a big jump for us in every sport at the university,” Van Dyke said. “That was Coack K’s third year in the program. He had to kind of establish himself, and I think that’s where we are now. I think we’re an established program.”

Tillman sidelined

Utes forward Donnie Tillman did not suit up for Saturday night’s game due to a left foot injury. The Utes likely won’t know the extent of the injury until next week. Tillman was on the bench with his foot in a protective boot.

Tillman, a 6-foot-7 freshman out of Findlay Prep in Nevada, went into the weekend tied for the team lead in rebounds (6.2 per game) and with the third-highest scoring average on the team (10.7 points per game). Tillman had shot 53 percent from the floor through nine games, and he’d scored 10 points or more in seven of his first nine collegiate games, including a 20-point performance against Butler on Dec. 5.

Tillman had played an average of 22.9 minutes per game off the bench.

Wild Childs

South Jordan resident and Bingham High graduate Yoeli Childs scored 12 first-half points on 6-of-10 shooting for the Cougars, including six of the team’s first eight points. Childs, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, did not receive a scholarship offer from Utah.

Krystkowiak said earlier in the week that the Utes didn’t see him as fit at the time. Krystkowiak admitted in hindsight the Utes had probably made a “mistake.” Childs came into the game averaging 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game.