Month: January 2026

Utah’s pursuit of a second straight Big 12 win came up short, as the Runnin’ Utes fell 81-78 to Kansas State at the Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, on Tuesday night.

Utah had opportunities to tie the game on its final two possessions, but Don McHenry made just 1 of 2 free throws on the first possession and Terrence Brown missed a 3-pointer on the Utes’ last-gasp try to tie it.

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Here are three takeaways from the loss that moved Utah’s record to 9-10 overall, 1-5 in Big 12 play.

A showcase of two high scorers

Tuesday’s matchup featured two of the Big 12 top scorers in Utah’s Brown and Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty, the latter of whom led the league in scoring going into the night at 22.8 points per game, while Brown was third at 21.6.

That matchup absolutely delivered.

Brown scored 14 points in the first half, shooting 6 of 11 with a pair of 3-pointers to go with three rebounds and an assist.

Haggerty got off to a slower start with six first-half points on 3 of 11 shooting, though he added four rebounds and four assists.

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Then, they both turned it up a notch in the second half — especially Haggerty.

Haggerty scored 28 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, while shooting 12 of 18 from the floor. That included the go-ahead jumper with 39 seconds to play to give the Wildcats the lead for good.

Haggerty also had eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win.

Brown, meanwhile, scored 33 points on the night, shooting 14 of 24 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3.

He added four rebounds, two assists and four steals, though he accounted for six of Utah’s nine turnovers.

It was fitting that both players had the ball in their hands at the end of a thrilling game.

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3-point shooting a key

One of the few statistics wherein there was a clear winner was 3-point shooting, and it favored the Wildcats.

David Castillo, who was in the starting lineup for injured guard Abdi Bashir Jr., broke his career-high for made 3s with six. He hit 5 of 7 before the break, helping him put up 17 first-half points.

The Wildcats shot 10 of 18 from 3 in the first half, which included Nate Johnson hitting 3 of 4 and Andrej Kostic 2 of 3.

By game’s end, the Wildcats made 12 of 23 from 3-point range, while Utah was 8 of 23.

That played a key role in Kansas State’s win, as it helped the Wildcats overcome losing the rebounding battle 34-29 to Utah and the Utes outscoring the Wildcats 40-32 in the paint.

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Utah got help in the front court

With Utah forward Keanu Dawes dealing with a foot injury and being held scoreless (though he did finish with seven rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot), the Utes had to rely on some other players to step up.

Seydou Traore had his second straight double-digit scoring game with 15 points, and he added six rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal.

Josh Hayes also had one of his best games of the season in the paint, scoring nine points on 4 of 5 shooting while adding three rebounds and a block.

It just wasn’t enough to overcome Kansas State, who also got 20 points from Castillo and 17 from Johnson.

The Kansas State Wildcats got 71 points from its starting guards to beat Utah 81-78 Tuesday night in Bramlage Coliseum.

Without the services of Abdi Bashir Jr. and Khamari McGriff, who both missed the game with injuries, the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) had to rely on P.J. Haggerty, David Castillo, and Nate Johnson to carry the scoring load. Their effort, along with 10 points from the supporting cast, proved just barely enough to beat the Utes (9-10, 1-5).

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Castillo did his best Abdi impression early on, scoring 11 of the Cats’ first 13, canning 5 of his 7 three-point attempts, and pouring in 17 points by halftime. Johnson joined in the early fun, making 3 of 4 from deep and scoring 15 in the first period. They finished the game with 20 and 17, respectively.

The second half featured P.J. doing P.J. things, setting up defenders and getting short-range jumpers and floaters to drop. He scored 28 of his game-high 34 in the second half. The only player other than Haggerty, Castillo, or Johnson, to score after halftime was Taj Manning, who took a nice high-low pass down the lane from Johnson for an easy lay-up.

The Cats shot 31-62 (50%) from the floor, including 12-23 (52.2%) from outside the arc. They committed only 10 turnovers and scored a robust 1.209 points per possession.

Though K-State led by as many as 10 in the first half, the Wildcats could never bury the Utes because (stop me if you’ve heard this before), they gave up far too many easy shots and second-chance points. Utah exploited defensive switches and help in the lane for many layups and stick-backs. They scored 40 points in the paint.

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Utah missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer to fall one shot short of 50% themselves, finishing 32-65 from the floor. They were only 8-23 (34.8%) from outside, but they kept pace by winning the second-chance battle 12-6 and earning a 14-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Wildcats could neither stop nor slow Utah’s Terrence Brown, who dropped in 33 points in 32 minutes of playing time. Two other Utes had 15 each.

For the second straight night, P.J. Haggerty was K-State’s leading rebounder with 8. As a team, the Cats were out-rebounded 34-29.

Three in the Key

1. After the gut-shot Saturday in Stillwater, it’s nice to win a game that came down to the wire. It would be even nicer to win a game without sweating late. As if we have the luxury of being picky.

2. At this point, calling for the defense to improve is futile. Let’s collectively hope the Cats can drop at least 80 in the rest of its games and see how many opponents they can keep to 79 or fewer. Dark humor or realism? You be the judge.

3. What cosmic curmudgeon did we offend, and how? As if the season were not disappointing enough, Bashir is lost for at least a month (word is he had surgery for a stress fracture in his foot and will miss 4-6 weeks). We don’t know about McGriff’s injury, but he has been the lone stalwart in the paint, and the lack of scoring from anyone not named P.J., David, or Nate and the lack of experienced size on the defensive end will make the task of earning more conference wins especially difficult.

NEXT UP:

No. 19 Kansas comes calling at 7:00 Saturday. The Jayhawks have played very well in easy wins against No. 2 Iowa State and Baylor. They are presently in a close contest at Colorado, a game that the absurdity of conference realignment and TV obligations dictated should tip off at 10:00 p.m. Central Time. But remember: We care about our “student-athletes.”

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Coach Tang has broken out some unexpected magic for KU in Bramlage during his tenure. The genie will need to rest up for this one.

Morgan Scalley made it clear during his introductory press conference as the Utah football head coach that player retention would be a top priority for him and his first-year staff.

Despite as seamless of a transition as the Utes could’ve hoped for between the Kyle Whittingham regime and the Scalley administration, there were a handful of Utah players who felt like testing their value on the open market.

Whittingham’s decision to take the Michigan coaching job influenced a few of his former players to follow him to Ann Arbor, Michigan, via the transfer portal, causing some outrage from Utah fans over the fallout of his departure.

All things considered, Utah was able to bring back a good majority of the key pieces from last season’s 11-2 squad. Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin both announced they’d be back in Salt Lake City, giving the Utes options at the quarterback position for 2026 and potentially beyond. They’ll be joined in the backfield by Wayshawn Parker, Utah’s leading rusher in 2025.

Defensively, the Utes returned Jackson Bennee, Rabbit Evans, Elijah “Scooby” Davis and Levani Damuni, along with a few other key members of the Utah defense.

That said, the Utes weren’t exempt from the mass roster turnover going on around the country, which meant Scalley and company had to go to work in the portal to fill the voids created by some of their outgoing talent.

Here’s a look at the Utes’ biggest portal losses.

1. JJ Buchanan (Michigan)

There wasn’t much contemplation over who was the most deserving of the No. 1 spot on this list; JJ Buchanan proved how valuable he could’ve been to Utah’s future while showing great potential as a freshman in 2025.

The former four-star and top-10 athlete recruit in the 2025 class was listed as a tight end early on but operated more like a wide receiver over the course of the season, developing into one of Devon Dampier’s top targets by the end of the campaign. Buchanan finished with 427 receiving yards — third-most on the team — and five touchdowns on 26 receptions, including a career-high 76 yards on four catches in Utah’s 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

With the Utes’ top two options in the passing game — Ryan Davis and Dallen Bentley — departing in the spring, it was expected that Buchanan would return to Salt Lake City and compete for the role of No. 1 receiver in 2026. But following the changes to the Utah coaching staff, Buchanan decided to test his value on the open market, becoming the biggest portal loss for the Utes in the current transfer cycle.

2. Jonah Lea’ea (Michigan)

Given the attention Utah’s edge rushers garnered and the struggles the Utes faced while defending the run, Jonah Lea’ea wasn’t always talked about as one of the key pieces of Scalley’s unit in 2025.

That said, the jump Lea’ea made as a redshirt sophomore was quite noticeable.

After appearing in six contests in 2024, the 6-foot-5, 285 pound defensive tackle started all 13 games and recorded 34 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack for the Utes this past season. He also deflected a pass against Cincinnati and forced a fumble against West Virginia.

The increase in Lea’ea’s production — which drew high praise from Scalley during his introductory press conference — pointed toward a bright future ahead for the former three-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School (Nevada). It also earned Lea’ea a grade as the No. 42 defensive lineman in the portal, according to 247Sports.

3. Dallas Vakalahi (Penn State)

Dallas Vakalahi didn’t necessarily take a massive step forward in his development after showing promise as a freshman in 2024, as his playing time and backup role to Aliki Vimahi were likely influenced by Vakalahi not being 100% healthy for the whole season.

With Vimahi set to graduate, Vakalahi could’ve been in position to compete for a spot in the starting lineup as a junior; instead, his trajectory with the Utes will be more “what ifs” than anything else.

4. Smith Snowden (Michigan)

Eligibility played a vital role in determining the order of this list — Smith Snowden’s entry was an exception.

Snowden, who completed his third year of college ball in 2025, played a key role for the Utah defense, which ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in pass defense efficiency (102.3) while allowing the lowest completion percentage (49.4%) and the second-fewest yards through the air on average (177.8) in the league. He finished the season with 37 tackles, including two for loss, and 11 passes defended (nine pass break-ups, two interceptions). That effort earned the Lehi, Utah, native All-Big 12 second team honors.

Snowden had done a little bit of everything over the course of his Utah career, wearing hats as a returner, cornerback, nickel back and even as a wide receiver early on in the 2025 season. He would’ve been an important player for the 2026 squad given his experience and pedigree, especially considering the Utes lost more depth at the cornerback position during the transfer cycle.

5. John Henry Daley (Michigan)

Finding the right spot on this list for John Henry Daley required balancing the All-America season he put together in 2025 with the question marks surrounding his reported Achilles injury he suffered in late November.

If the star pass rusher returns to action in spring like he claimed on social media, then he’d have a chance to be a real force for the Wolverines in 2026. But if he’s still not 100% healthy by the start of next season and follows the typical recovery timeline for an injury of that magnitude, it could be a while before Daley is back to his normal self.

Whether Daley missed all of next season or played and put together another massive stat line, his departure would still loom large for Utah. He’d have at least two more seasons of eligibility (if he doesn’t get another redshirt for 2026) and would’ve been a cornerstone of the Utes defense when healthy.

Admittedly, those are a lot of “ifs.” It’s clear, though, that at full strength, Daley can be one of the best pass rushers in the country.

MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS

Southern Utah transfer wide receiver Shane Carr has committed to Kentucky, On3’s Pete Nakos reports.

This past season, the Bakersfield native hauled in 50 receptions for 744 yards and four touchdowns. Over the past two years, Carr boasts 81 catches for 1,371 yards and 10 touchdowns. He becomes Kentucky‘s fourth receiver addition out of the Portal, joining Louisville‘s Brock Coffman, UAB‘s Xavier Daisy, and Arkansas‘ Ja’Kayden Ferguson.

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Carr was tabbed as the No. 934 ranked player (No. 127 wide receiver) in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

The former Southern Utah receiver is the latest addition out of the Transfer Portal for newly hired Kentucky head coach Will Stein. Stein, who pulled double duty as Oregon‘s offensive coordinator until its loss to Indiana in Semifinals of the College Football Playoff, explained his recruiting philosophy at his introductory press conference.

“Guys still want to be recruited old school,” Stein said. “You have to know mom, grandma, aunt, coach. Have you to be completely entrenched in these people’s lives. When you can do that, you don’t always have to be the highest bidder. If the first conversation is about money, probably not the place for you. Not because lack of it. We have plenty of that here.”

“I talked to about 10,000 people at the basketball game, all willing and supportive of the program. I know we have that. But that can’t be the first thing you talk about. I want guys that love football, that want to compete every single day, be the best version of themselves and win.”

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Carr becomes another target for Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey, who originally committed to Nebraska following his transfer from Notre Dame, but flipped his commitment to Stein and Kentucky the following day.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Mammoth had a Utah-born NFL star in attendance at their win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, who grew up in Kaysville, Utah, attended the Mammoth game at the Delta Center on Saturday, where he threw signed footballs into the crowd.

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He was also donning a custom Mammoth home jersey.

Dart gave fans a “Tusks Up” on X before throwing footballs into the crowd, caught on the big screen at the Delta Center here. See him throwing an autographed football to the crowd and hanging with Tusky, the Utah Mammoth mascot, below.

Dart, who was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has been named a finalist for the NFL’s fan vote for Rookie of the Year. And he’s got big things ahead, as the Giants also recently hired Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh to be head coach of the team next year.

Growing up in Utah, Dart was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year after throwing for nearly 4,700 yards and set a state record of 67 touchdowns, with only four interceptions.

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We’ve finally passed it: the halfway marker. 42 games are officially filed away, and just 40 more contests remain. So set up camp, pitch your tent, fill your water reserves, light a fire, roast a s’more, burn a marshmallow beyond recognition, try again, same result, cut your losses, and ingest the charcoal-esque blackness of a failed marshmallow roast between two graham crackers. Take your rest, because if you thought the first half of the season would be challenging, it would be best to learn to disconnect from your emotions, and simply allow the remaining season to wash over you like the tide.

We’ve witnessed the rebirth of the 2023-24 era Lauri Markkanen. We’ve celebrated the emergence of rising star Keyonte George as he knocks on the door of All-Star consideration. We’ve been brought to tears by the majestic flight of rookie Ace Bailey, and we’ve likewise been brought to tears by the incorporeal return of Taylor Hendricks. Brice Sensabaugh scored 43 points in a game — that was real.

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We’ve mourned victories and applauded defeat. We’ve watched with bated breath as Utah dangles its first-round pick inches from the fangs of the rabid dog that is OKC. We’ve made new friends, and we’ve forged new rivalries.

The Dallas Mavericks’ fanbase has signed a declaration of war against the Utah Jazz (for… losing to them? Tanking better than the team with Cooper Flagg? I’m not entirely clear), which is something that Spurs fans should be able to empathise with, being Dallas’ storied in-state rival.

This season, San Antonio is everything that Utah is not. They boast certifiable stars in Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. They have nailed their recent draft picks like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Utah hopes to compete in the distant future; San Antonio promises to confront them in the Playoffs if that day ever arrives.

The result of this basketball game shouldn’t really be in question (the Spurs are home favorites by 16.5 points at the time of writing this), but the dichotomy between these two teams compels me toward introspection.

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The Utah Jazz (14-28) visit the San Antonio Spurs (29-13) with near-perfectly inverse records. The visitors lose nearly as often as the hosts win, and vice versa. This is true despite the fact that these two are virtually identical in average age of their players, Utah (25.3 years old average), the eighth-youngest roster in the NBA, and San Antonio (26.3 years), just one year older (per NBAage.com, which is a phenomenal URL for exactly this type of data). The fundamental difference between these two teams is the quality of their depth chart, where the Spurs are so age-efficient with their roster that they possess a player whose mere existence threatens the dynamic of basketball at large.

Their most apparent advantage over the likes of Utah? Draft position. The Spurs have selected second, fourth, and first in the past three drafts, while the Jazz were left with scraps, picking fifth, tenth, and ninth in the same years.

And with a larger margin for error, the Spurs have hit the bullseye every. Single. Time. Is Utah cursed with poor lottery luck? Will the Jazz ever be rewarded for their misery with a top pick, or are they doomed to circle their goals in perpetual motion? This question will gradually be answered as the season reaches its twilight, but for the moment, Utah faces yet another challenge.

So here we sit at the midpoint of the 2025-26 journey. Staring into the face of a team miles ahead of the Jazz despite beginning in the same place just a few years ago. Set in the southern end of the Lone Star State, the Utah Jazz square off against the San Antonio Spurs.

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How to watch Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs:

Date: Monday, Jan 19, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM MT
Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ
Odds: SAS -16.5

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

The Utah Utes football program has been on the wrong end in recent days of a player recently signing only to change his mind and sign with another school, but the Utes have now flipped the script.

On Sunday, defensive end Nicholas Igwe announced on social media that he has committed to Utah, a decision that comes just six days after he signed with Boise State.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, Igwe will join the Utes by way of Kilgore College in Texas, where he played one season before entering the transfer portal and signing with Boise State last Monday.

Igwe is originally from Houston, which is about three hours south of Kilgore.

In his lone season at Kilgore, Igwe tallied 35 tackles (27 solo, eight assisted), 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.