Kragthorpe: The state of college basketball in Utah? Dismal, in NCAA Tournament context

The state’s college basketball outlook was slightly better last season, when Utahns could order eight teams for delivery to Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Even in a year when no Utah schools made the NCAA Tournament field, having the first two rounds staged in Salt Lake City with Arizona and eventual runner-up Gonzaga in town last March kept us connected to the event. This season? Boise, Idaho, is 340 miles away.

I-84 looks like the only easy avenue to the tournament, from a Utah perspective. This update is not shocking, judging by what someone said in November: “This will be another season when no Utah teams make the NCAA Tournament.”

Good call, so far. But here’s the thing: I don’t always have to be right. I’m willing to have one or more local teams emerge in the next two months. Utah Valley University might be the state’s best hope at this point, followed by BYU.

Otherwise, men’s college basketball in Utah will have hit a 64-year low. This would be the first time since 1953 and ’54 when all of the state’s Division I teams failed to make the NCAA field in consecutive seasons. In those days, 24 teams were invited. And only three Utah schools were competing at that level, all in the same league — compared with six teams in five conferences now, creating more opportunities.

This is humbling. Utahns like to believe we invented basketball, and we’re in danger of being forgotten again in a season when the Jazz will miss the NBA playoffs and the Salt Lake City Stars have the NBA G League’s worst record (4-25). Westminster College is having a nice year, but the Griffins remain in the transition phase of NCAA Division II membership.

Only the Salt Lake Community College men’s team, 20-1 and ranked No. 4, is distinguishing itself among programs eligible for postseason play.

Bracketmatrix.com, a compilation of dozens of NCAA Tournament-projection websites, lists only Utah as a possible entrant from the state. And that one favorable forecast, from something called Carolina Sports Thoughts, was published before the Utes were swept by UCLA and USC.

The Utes stirred some interest when they swept Oregon and Oregon State to begin Pac-12 play, but then they lost to the Arizona schools at home and the Los Angeles teams on the road, falling to 10^th place. “We’ve got to fix a bunch of things that are broken,” coach Larry Krystkowiak said this week.

To have any reasonable NCAA shot, Utah would have to win three games from this high-profile menu: at Arizona and ASU, home for UCLA and USC. And that’s assuming the Utes beat several other conference opponents, during what’s looking like a bridge year for the program — or so Krystkowiak must be hoping, with a strong recruiting class on the way. His current roster is pieced together with four-year transfers. This team showed signs of coming together when Pac-12 play began, but not so much now.

BYU’s picture would look a lot better if Zac Seljaas had hit from the corner in regulation against Saint Mary’s, before the Cougars lost in overtime. The Cougars are improving defensively and they potentially have five more games vs. SMC and Gonzaga to improve their credentials, counting the West Coast Conference tournament. To earn an NCAA bid, though, they likely would have to beat both the Gaels and Bulldogs in Las Vegas.

Utah State created a stir by beating UNLV on the road, but regressed last week by losing at home to Colorado State and at Nevada in what coach Tim Duryea called “just an embarrassing effort.” Adding to their inconsistency, the Aggies led Boise State by nine points midway through the second half on the road Wednesday, only to lose 71-67.

Weber State will have an outside chance in the Big Sky Conference tournament, after blowing a a late lead in the championship game last season. The Wildcats may not catch first-place Montana (6-0), but they can grab one of the league’s top seeds.

Utah Valley is 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference with a seven-game winning streak overall. The problem is the Wolverines will have to beat New Mexico State, ranked highly among mid-major programs, in the WAC tournament. UVU will get a good gauge Saturday, visiting the Aggies.

Southern Utah remains a long way from Big Sky contention. The Thunderbirds lost Randy Onwuasor, who averaged 23.6 points and took 18.8 shots per game last season. For some reason, he moved to LSU, where he’s playing only 14.7 minutes as a graduate transfer.

LSU, at least, is considered an NCAA bubble team. If Onwuasor and the Tigers are assigned to Boise, maybe I’ll go see him play. He would be Utah’s closest thing to an NCAA contestant, unless something unlikely happens between now and Selection Sunday.