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Source: Utah News
Back in 2022 when Will Hardy was making the decision on whether he would remain with the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach or take the job as the new head coach of the Utah Jazz, there were a lot of things to consider.
Obviously the opportunity to be a head coach in the NBA is one that is hard to pass on, but there was a lot of unknown in Utah. The Jazz were looking at what a tear down and rebuild might look like, they were under new ownership and in general, the future of the team was uncertain.
In Boston, Hardy wouldn’t be running the show, but the team had just been to the NBA Finals. The Celtics were a team on the rise, one that looked destined to win a title, which they did in 2024.
But there were a number of ways the Jazz appealed to Hardy, despite some of the unknowns, and one of the reasons was Danny Ainge.
“I didn’t know Danny before,” Hardy said, “but his reputation speaks for itself. His level of success and the work that he’s done speaks for itself.
“It gave me a lot of comfort that he’s seen the league from 360 degrees — player, coach, GM, media — and so there’s not a lot that surprises D.A.”
There has to be a level of buy in from a new head coach. They have to believe in the vision of those that are making decisions on players and contracts and strategy, and Ainge has a wealth of knowledge to pull from when it comes to making basketball decisions.
Ainge was a player for 14 years and worked as an assistant coach and head coach before becoming the long time front office guru in Boston.
He was the person who created the Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen team that won the 2008 NBA title and was the person responsible for drafting a number of players on the Celtics roster who went on to win the 2022 title.
Many of the same players from that 2022 team whom Ainge drafted — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard — have helped the Celtics to a 50+ win record this season, including a 121-99 win over the Jazz on Friday night, and they look poised to once again compete for a title.
Ainge stepped away from his position with the Celtics in 2021 before eventually taking a job with the Jazz.
The situations that led up to Boston’s two recent titles and the current rebuild in Utah are massively different in a number of ways — market, assets, draft capital, coaching, conference, roster makeup, types of players available etc. — and there are certainly those who would disagree with the way the Jazz have approached the last couple of years.
But there are many who believe in how the Jazz are attempting to create a team that can be successful long term, and one of those people is Will Hardy, though it’s not just the presence of Ainge that has Hardy bought in.
“It’s the totality of Danny, (team owner) Ryan (Smith), (general manager) Justin (Zanik), like that gave me all the comfort in the world that I was going to go work with three people who were not only intelligent and successful, but are driven to try to make this place a championship level organization…and they also let me do my thing,” Hardy said.
“They let me coach. They’ve let me hire a staff. They’ve let me have a lot of discussions with them as it relates to draft, free agents, all those types of things. They keep me very included in all the conversations.”
Buy in, of course, does not guarantee success. There is no guarantee in professional sports, but when Hardy surveyed the landscape and saw that Ainge was going to be a part of executing the vision that all of the Jazz decision makers had, it made for an easy decision.
“It was daunting in that moment,” Hardy said of the interview and decision process of becoming the Jazz head coach. “Like, that’s where you’re forming those relationships and you’re interviewing, and it’s just uncomfortable in general, but Danny was, for sure, a big part of being comfortable.”
Source: Utah News
The Boston Celtics kicked off their six-game road trip with an emphatic win over the Utah Jazz, sweeping the series against a rebuilding team out of the Western conference. With Jaylen Brown sidelined for Friday and Sunday’s game at minimum, the Celtics needed their other top stars to step up and they did just that in the 121-99 win where Kristaps Porzingis (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Jayson Tatum (26 points, 6 rebounds) paved the way for victory.
Boston’s win was their fourth straight overall, and their ninth win in the past 10 games, only losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month. Showing their true championship form, Boston got ahead and never looked back against a team they were supposed to beat, and look to keep their momentum going during the late stretch of the season.
Here’s a quick recap of the Celtics’ 22-point victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Road warriors: With their win on Friday night, the Boston Celtics are now 27-7 on the road, tying them for the best road record in the NBA along with the Oklahoma City Thunder. While their home of TD Garden is a sacred place, especially come playoff time, Boston has time and time again gone into opposing team’s arenas and took all the energy out of it as they cruise to victories throughout the year. The defending champions being stellar on the road will only make them a tougher opponent once the playoffs come around.
Rebounding and opportunities: On paper, the Celtics won the rebounding battle 48-38 over the Jazz, but the stat sheet doesn’t tell the entire story. Of their total rebounds on the night, 14 of them were offensive rebounds and with those offensive rebounds, Boston scored 29 second chance points. Keeping their energy on the glass and creating more opportunity is what opened the door for the blowout victory.
The second of their six-game trip continues on Sunday as Boston once again meets with a young rebuilding team in the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers hung around in their first meeting and made the game much closer than it should’ve been on paper, but the Celtics were able to hold off and secure the victory back in Boston earlier this month. The Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown in the matchup as they look to extend their current four-game winning streak.
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Source: Utah News
After one day of spring camp, there were a lot of things to be said about Utah’s new offense.
“I think it’s going to be electric,” junior defensive end Logan Fano said.
“I like this offense,” junior cornerback Smith Snowden added. “That’s what I want to say. This offense is really good. We have a lot of crafty players. Obviously, having [Devon Dampier] out there controlling the O is going to be a great thing. I love it.”
For now, newly-hired offensive coordinator Jason Beck has passed his first test.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) New University of Utah football offensive coordinator Jason Beck talks about kicking off the first quarter of the 2025 offseason during a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
So has quarterback Devon Dampier, who transferred from New Mexico to Utah this offseason. He’ll bring a dynamic new direction under center. The junior is a dual-threat quarterback, passing for 2,798 yards and running for another 1,166 in 2024 with the Lobos.
Dampier is likely to be the face of Utah’s new offense. But some of the other pieces are starting to come together, as well.
“He put up some pretty good numbers, throwing the football, rushing the football last year,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said of Dampier. “So, it was a very prolific offense. Wayshawn Parker, he’s a dynamic running back. We’ve got a very good offensive line, at least we think we do.
“Obviously you want to play to the quarterback’s strengths, which is what we’ll do, and we know exactly what those are based on his production last year.”
With an influx of new talent, the Utes have renewed energy as well.
It comes at a critical time after their disappointing 5-7 campaign.
“There’s a lot of energy on this football team right now,” Whittingham said. “That was evident all throughout the winter conditioning. This team really has a lot of positive energy. That’s a good thing.
“The guys that are new to the program and the new coaching staff [are infusing] a lot of energy, and so I think that is very apparent. That’s a big difference.”
The jury will still be out until the Utes hit the field this fall, but early impressions are positive.
Utah needs that, especially after its offensive unit finished third to last in the Big 12 in 2024.
“Coach Beck and the staff did a great job of moving things around,” Fano said.
(Anna Fuder | Utah Athletics) Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham coaches players during spring football practice in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
After an offseason of turnover, the Utes will have a new-look defensive line in 2025.
Former defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa — who was one of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12 last season — went portaling before joining forces with BYU. Junior Tafuna is going to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Defensive ends Van Fillinger and Connor O’Toole are testing their draft luck, too.
The Utes will now shift their focus to new defensive end transfers Lance Holtzclaw (Washington) and Jaxson Jones (Oregon), who were both reserves at their previous schools. Logan Fano is also returning, and he finished with 35 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2024.
He was complimentary of Utah’s new transfers.
“They are ballers,” Fano said “It’s always been like that here in Utah. Ever since my first season here, just from top to bottom. There’s so much talent here, and Jackson and Lance fit right into that.”
With the loss of Tafuna and Tanuvasa, the Utes will hand the keys to defensive tackles Aliki Vimahi and Dallas Vakalahi, who combined to have four tackles for a loss last season.
Whittingham is confident in the depth at the position.
“The D-tackle room is solid, we’ve got Aliki Vimahi, who is the real veteran in the room, and then Dallas Vakalahi played a lot of snaps for us last year,” Whittingham said. “But beyond that, we’re going to have to have a couple of young guys step up as contributors this year.”
Last season, the defensive line was one of the Utes’ biggest strengths. Their defense finished third in the Big 12, behind Houston and BYU.
They’ll hope to have that carry over through the spring and, ultimately, the 2025 season.
“Say what you want to about it,” Fano said. “That’s why you play for Utah football, and you don’t just come play defensive line here unless you’re really good at it. So that’s kind of how we’re pushing it.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) as the Utah Utes host the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
With the losses of cornerbacks Zemaiah Vaughn, Cam Calhoun and Kenan Johnson this offseason, Smith Snowden is ready to step up as a leader.
The now-junior cornerback played in all 12 games for the Utes last season, starting in 11 of those contests at nickel. He quickly established himself as one of the best corners in the conference, racking up two interceptions, eight pass breakups and 48 total tackles last season.
Snowden plans to use 2024’s performance as something to build off of.
“Having a full year of starting, obviously, I was able to make mistakes and learn from them,” Snowden said. “I feel like going into this season, I want to learn from what happened last year and build off of it.”
He also knows that passing down Utah’s culture to the new transfer and freshman players matters.
“We’re just building on our culture, that’s a big thing here,” he added. “The culture of Utah in general, is about putting your head down and going to work every single day. … I feel like those guys are really starting to take that in.”
Another player looking to take the next step is Elijah “Scooby” Davis, who is entering his sophomore year. Not only has he seen growth in himself but also new transfer corners like Blake Cotton and Don Saunders.
“A lot of new guys are coming in,” said Davis, who finished with 29 tackles and two interceptions a season ago. “They are learning the playbook fast. And right now, we are not really judging them too much because they are still learning, but I feel like it’s gonna be a good cornerback room. I like the new guys we brought in.
“I feel like we have a lot of length, but we haven’t been able to see a lot right now, so we’ll see what happens in 15 days.”
Both Davis and Snowden, and Utah’s bevy of new cornerback transfers, will be integral to carrying over Utah’s defensive success from last season.
“We are competing every day,” Davis said. “We’ve been competing all winter. So, I’m excited to see what’s up in the spring.”
Source: Utah News
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Source: Utah News
The No. 9 seed Indiana Hoosiers (19-12) will aim to defeat the No. 8 seed Utah Utes (22-8) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at Colonial Life Arena. This contest tips off at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Their last time out, Indiana lost 84-79 to USC on Friday. Utah dropped its last outing 75-64 against Texas Tech on Thursday. Yarden Garzon scored a team-leading 23 points for Indiana in the loss. Gianna Kneepkens put up 23 points, six rebounds and six assists for Utah.
Indiana and Utah match up at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Watch Utah vs. Indiana with Fubo
In its last 10 games, Indiana has been scoring 71.2 points per game, an average that’s slightly higher than the 70.3 it has scored over the course of the 2024-25 season. In its previous 10 games, Utah is putting up 74.9 points per game, 1.8 fewer points than its season average (76.7).
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
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Source: Utah News
Source: Utah News
All Dylan Guenther does is score big goals. With all of Utah Hockey Club’s main wild-card competitors earning points on Thursday, none was bigger than Guenther’s 25th of the season.
That goal at the 14:13 mark of the third period came off a hustle play by Michael Carcone and a set-up by Barrett Hayton. It lifted Utah to a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Delta Center.
Six of Guenther’s past eight goals have given Utah a lead, and 14 of his 25 this season have done the same. In each game he has scored, Utah has earned at least a point, and his nine game-winning goals are one off the league lead.
“He’s unbelievable,” center Logan Cooley said. “He can probably score from anywhere on the ice.”
Defenseman Mikhail Serghachev had a pair of goals including the second empty-net goal of the game, and Utah stayed within four points of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Sergachev’s 13 goals are a career high and he is tied for seventh among NHL defensemen in goals.
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves in a great bounce-back game after the team’s lopsided loss in Edmonton on Tuesday. Utah is 8-2-3 in the past 13 games at Delta Center.
“All season long, we’re really demanding of ourselves and we believe in ourselves and we know we can achieve great things,” coach André Tourigny said. “We talked about the process of a young team to live with that expectation and that pressure. What’s going on here, it’s a lot of learning. It’s learning on steroids and we need to keep going.”
Playoff picture: It was all bad news for Utah Hockey Club on the out-of-town scoreboard. Calgary (75 points) won at New Jersey and the red-hot St. Louis Blues (77 points) beat Vancouver (76 points) in OT in the dreaded 3-point game. Utah (73 points) got a badly needed win at home to keep pace with those three teams that it is chasing for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Maccelli returns: Utah forward Matias Maccelli returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 8 at Carolina. He has been a healthy scratch as Tourigny looks for the spark that made Maccelli such a dangerous playmaker the past two seasons.
“There’s two ways you can look at it,” Tourigny said. “You can feel sorry for yourself, or you can jump in this game and prove what you can do.
“We want Celli to be himself and what he’s been for us for a long time. I believe he’s in a good frame of mind. I think at the beginning when he was scratched a little, he was maybe not at the right place mentally. I like his mindset [now]. I like his desire to prove [himself.]”
Maccelli was sharp in the first period against the Sabres, creating two scoring chances on his trademark, pinpoint passing. He also had a great scoring opportunity by cutting to the front of the net early in the second period. He logged 10:46 of ice time and had two shots on goal. The Alex Kerfoot-Kevin Stenlund-Maccelli line had an eye-popping Corsi For Percentage (shots for vs. shots against) of 82.2.
Quotable: Sergachev was asked about Vejmelka’s strong play after the second period. “He’s a goalie, he has to play,” the Utah defenseman quipped. Sergachev got the chance to clarify that comment after the game. “I didn’t want to jinx him. That’s why I had a stupid answer.”
Up next: Utah hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning. The teams have not played this season. After winning back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021, and making it to a third straight Final in 2022, Tampa has renewed Cup hopes that most analysts thought were dead. Entering play Friday, the Lightning were two points off the Atlantic Division lead.
Source: Utah News
The limited-time offer creates opportunity for more fans to subscribe and stream all remaining regular season games and first round games of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, if Utah qualifies.
Subscribers also gain 24/7 access to engaging content that chronicles Utah’s inaugural NHL season
SALT LAKE CITY (March 20, 2025) — Today, Smith Entertainment Group introduced a limited-time, $1 subscription option for UtahHC+ – the official streaming service of Utah Hockey Club – that includes the ability to stream all of the team’s remaining 14 regular season games and any games Utah would play during the first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, if they qualify. The offer is open to fans across Utah, along with six neighboring states, inviting them to tune in and support Utah Hockey Club as they continue their push for the playoffs during a historic inaugural season. Utah is currently four points out from securing a wild card position in the NHL Western Conference and would be the 13th franchise to qualify for the playoffs in their first year in the NHL.
Fans can secure the $1 “Push for the Playoffs” UtahHC+ subscription offer now through March 31 at 11:59 P.M. MT by visiting www.segplus.com. In addition to live games, the subscription includes access to video-on-demand (VOD) content, game replays, game-specific alternative broadcasts, and other engaging behind-the-scenes content. Users who take advantage of this limited-time $1 offer will have access to the platform from the date of subscribing until May 14, 2025.
Utah’s remaining regular season NHL games conclude on April 15 against the St. Louis Blues. The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin in the second half of April, with a full schedule of games available in the coming weeks.
More than 16.8 million plus hockey fans can subscribe to UtahHC+ including all 3.5 million Utahns, as well as those living in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, and parts of Nevada.
Fans can learn more about subscription availability and sign up for the promotional offering by visiting www.segplus.com.
Source: Utah News
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Delta Center – Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (30-27-11) gears up for the start of a three-game homestand tonight against the Buffalo Sabres (27-33-6). Utah is 5-1-1 in its last seven games at home and returns to Delta Center after three games on the road. The team is four points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference, and with 14 games left the season including tonight, points are at a premium.
ONE-TIMERS
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Buffalo sits last in the Eastern Conference with 60 points on the season, but the Sabres have picked up some quality victories and have won three of their last four entering tonight. Head coach Lindy Ruff’s team opened a four-game road trip on Monday with a 3-2 overtime win against the Boston Bruins, snapping an eight-game road winless skid.
The Sabres won on Monday despite missing Josh Norris, JJ Peterka, and Jiri Kulich from the lineup. Norris was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline and gives Buffalo a scorer who has 35 points (21G, 14A) in 56 total games this season.
Tage Thompson is Buffalo’s headliner up front with a team-best 34 goals that ties him for the fifth most in the NHL. With Thompson leading the attack, the Sabres score the 12th most goals in the league at 3.12 per game.
STANDINGS UPDATE
WC1: Minnesota Wild – 81 points
WC2: Vancouver Canucks – 73 points
—
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #53 MICHAEL CARCONE – Carcone picked up an assist on Utah’s only goal against Edmonton on Tuesday. The winger now has helpers in three straight games and has points in four of his last five. In 48 games this season, Carcone has totaled 17 points (6G, 11A) for Utah.
BUFFALO: #25 OWEN POWER – Power logged a goal and two assists in Buffalo’s last game against Boston on Monday. The former first overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has 35 points (7G, 28A) this season- tied for a career high.
LOOK BACK
Utah suffered its worst defeat of the season on Tuesday at Rogers Place in a 7-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored shorthanded for the Oilers to open the scoring in the first period. Edmonton scored two more goals to close out the first, including a goal that deflected in off of Zach Hyman and a highlight-reel score from Connor McDavid.
Edmonton scored two more goals in the second and then in the third. Hyman scored his second of the night, while Vasily Podkolzin, Mattias Ekholm, and Viktor Arvidsson all found the back of the net. Sean Durzi scored Utah’s only goal.
LAST MEETING
Utah poured in five goals on Dec. 7 against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in a 5-2 victory to pull back to .500. Trailing 1-0 after the first, Michael Kesselring, Mikhail Sergachev, and Nick Schmaltz all scored in the second period to flip the script.
Jack McBain and Kevin Stenlund added goals in the third period to cement the win, and goaltender Karel Vejmelka picked up his fourth win of the season with 23 saves on 25 Buffalo shots.
BOUNCING BACK
Tuesday’s 7-1 defeat to Edmonton marked Utah’s worst defeat of the season, but the Mountain Blue has proved to be a strong bounce back team throughout the year. Following games this season in which Utah has allowed four or more goals in a losing effort, Utah is 12-10-0 in the next contest. When Utah last allowed seven goals (7-3 loss to Carolina on Feb. 8), it came back the next day with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals.
Utah has also shown resiliency when faced with adversity within games this season. The club’s 16 comeback victories are tied for the ninth most in the NHL, and Utah’s seven third-period comeback wins are tied for the third most.
AGAINST THE EAST
Utah is 12-12-3 against the Eastern Conference this season compared to 18-15-8 against the Western Conference. Over the last seven games against Eastern Conference teams, the Mountain Blue is 4-2-1 with wins over Detroit, Washington, Columbus, and Philadelphia in that span.
Tonight is the first of five straight matchups against Eastern Conference opponents. After the current stretch, the final nine games on Utah’s schedule will come against Western Conference teams, including six games against Central Division foes.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah continues its three-game homestand on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
Source: Utah News