Two teams tied in the middle of the Pac-12 standings meet on Sunday with a matchup between the Utah Utes (12-4, 3-2 Pac-12) and the Stanford Cardinal (8-7, 3-2 Pac-12). Utah just blew out UCLA 90-44, winning by 46 as just 8.5-point favorites. Stanford snuck out with a road win in Oregon State, pulling out the win in overtime 88-84, just missing the cover as 4.5-point favorites. These teams met three times last season, with Stanford taking two of the three matchups, including a meeting in the Pac-12 Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 EST from Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California and can be found on the Pac-12 Network.
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The Utah Utes may not have beaten UCLA by exactly a million, but it sure felt like it. Utah beat UCLA by 46 points, doubling up the Bruins point total, as UCLA only scored 44 in the game. Utah only led by 10 at half, but opened up their lead in the second half where they won the period 57-21. This brings Utah to 3-2 in conference play, they swept the Washington teams, lost to the Arizona teams, then defeated UCLA. In the game against the Bruins, Utah was led by center Keba Keita with 14 points in the easy win.
Utah is led by their 7'0, 220 pound senior center Branden Carlson, he leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks with 17.3 PPG, 6.9 RPB and 1.6 blocks per game. He can step out and hit the three, as he has 24 makes from deep on the season, and can finish well above the rim. Carlson had a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double in their win over UCLA. Their top shooter is 6'6 guard Gabe Madsen, he has 48 made threes on the season and is connecting on 45.3% of his attempts. Madsen averages 13.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Rollie Worster is the primary ballhandler for the Utes, he leads the team in assists with 5.5 per game, and also adds 9.9 PPG. Keba Keita is a 6'8 sophomore adding another 9.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG on the inside.
The Utes are currently ranked 22nd overall according to KenPom. They rank 19th in the nation in offensive efficiency, and 48th in defensive efficiency. Utah plays fast on offense, they rank 58th in tempo based on their pace of play.
Injury Report: None listed