Author: Jesse

In a high-scoring, up-tempo affair, the Colorado Buffaloes pulled away late from the Utah Utes for their 12th win of the season. Neither team could guard each other, nor protect the rim, but it was the Buffs who made winning plays down the stretch to ultimately win 85-73.

Colorado had a balanced attack in the first half, running their motion offense through off-ball screens and backdoor cuts, with their guards finding incisive passes or drives. Sebastian Rancik did his usual best drawing fouls, Josiah Sanders had some shifty drives, and star guards Barrington Hargress and Isaiah Johnson hit timely jumpers.

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Utah’s scoring was more star-driven, but it was no hero ball. Don McHenry and Terrence Brown scored 30 of 38 first half points, with McHenry particularly hot making 7 of 9 shots. Where head coach Alex Jensen succeeded was countering CU’s 1-2-2 zone press. Utah kept the ball moving and worked their way to open shots, sometimes taking one or two dribbles total per possession.

CU switched to a 2-3 zone and found some success there, at least until the Utes cracked the code to that one too. During this brief stretch of solid defense, the Buffs enjoyed a 10-point lead for seven or eight minutes. Bangot Dak had some nice inside finishes and a triple, Felix Kossaras and Alon Michaeli hit catch-and-shoot threes, and the Buffs had some exciting fast breaks after causing turnovers.

Utah hung around a bit too long. That 2-3 zone didn’t last long before Tad Boyle oscillated between man-to-man and the same zone press as before. None of them worked, as the Utes’ sharp passing beat the zone, while CU’s lackadaisical help defense left the perimeter defenders exposed. The Utes cut the deficit to 65-63 and remained down 2 or 4 for the next five minutes.

That was as close as Utah got before the Buffs pulled away. They certainly had their chances, but were denied at the rim, twice by Kossaras, and then again by Dak who followed up his rejection with a put-back slam on the other end. Once CU had some breathing room, it was Rancik and Johnson getting to the rack and drawing fouls, just as they did last weekend in Tempe.

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There’s a lot to be desired on the defensive end, but it’s another deserved win for the Buffs. They’re now 12-3 on the season, 2-0 in Big 12 play, and looking like they can compete in a loaded conference. It helps when you assist more than half your baskets, even better when you shoot 19/21 from the free throw line.

Colorado will be tested on Saturday (5 PM, CBS Sports Network) when they host the #14 Texas Tech Red Raiders, an elite offensive unit led by consensus All-American JT Toppin and the shifty Christian Anderson who’s averaging 19.6 points and 7.5 assists per game.

For a half Wednesday night, Kansas had the Utah women’s basketball team out of its usual rhythm on offense.

That helped the Jayhawks take an eight-point lead through one quarter and lead by as many as 10 points.

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In the second half, though, the Utes began to better resemble themselves offensively, particularly from 3-point range, and it helped Utah earn a hard-fought 62-59 victory at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in the Utes’ first game since they knocked off No. 8 TCU last Saturday.

“We have to have a response every game. I mean, we lost a couple ones that we should have won early in the preseason,” Utah senior guar Lani White said in a postgame interview on ESPN+. “This entire season, we just try to respond every game, fixing the things that we need to change, and honing in on things that we’re really good at.”

The methodical comeback and victory still had a tense ending, though, after Kansas trimmed a 62-50 lead down to a single possession in the final minute, as Utah went the final four and a half minutes without a point.

It was reminiscent of Utah’s win over Arizona to start Big 12 play, when the Utes led by 16 but had to get a defensive stop on the final possession to win.

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Elle Evans’ 3 with 39.3 seconds to go made it 62-59, and the Jayhawks chose to play defense instead of foul on the next possession. White shot a fadeaway that didn’t draw iron, and it left Kansas with 7.9 seconds and with a chance to tie.

Following a timeout, S’mya Nichols, who had 19 points and five assists for Kansas, got a good look from straightaway, but her 3-point attempt came up short and Utah rebounded the ball.

The nerve-wracking moments weren’t over — Reese Ross was fouled after the 3-point miss and went to the free-throw line, but she missed both and gave Kansas hope with 0.8 seconds to play.

Lilly Meister’s 3 was well short, though, and Utah hung on.

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“We have been working all week on our defense. Kansas had a lot of sets, so we were just trying to be (connected) within our defense, switching everything, just trying to talk. But we’ve come a long way defensively,” White said.

White was a catalyst for the Utes’ second-quarter rally, when they turned a 20-10 game into a 20-all tie and eventually went into the half down two.

She scored seven straight for the Utes in just over a minute and a half, and it helped a once-moribund offense start to get on track.

White ended up scoring 17 points and finishing with five rebounds, two steals and an assist — to go with two turnovers — in pacing the Utes.

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Ross, the Utes’ hard-nosed front court player, nearly had another double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, and Chyra Evans had 10 points and six rebounds.

Those two, in particular, helped Utah finish with a 42-30 rebounding edge, and the Utes turned that into a 12-7 edge in second-chance points after grabbing 11 offensive rebounds to four for Kansas.

Utah’s second-half 3-point shooting, albeit inefficient, also played a big role in the win.

At one point in the third quarter, both Utah and Kansas had hit just two 3-pointers each — a rare poor shooting effort from two of the best 3-point shooting teams in the Big 12.

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The Utes, though, finally created some separation by hitting from outside. First, White made a step-back 3 to give Utah a then game-high four-point lead at 41-37.

Then, freshman guard LA Sneed drilled two 3-pointers, including one as the shot ticked down in the final seconds of the third quarter, to make it 47-41 Utes going into the final period.

Utah shot 57.1% in the third quarter and 4 of 8 from 3-point range.

The Utes ended up making 9 of 28 3-point shots — not the most promising outside shooting night, but far succeeding Kansas’ 3 of 16 struggles.

It was enough to helped offset the Utes losing the turnover battle 17-9 and getting outscored 14-6 in points off turnovers.

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In conference play, a win — no matter how it comes — counts the same way in the victory column, and for the Utes, they’ll take a two-game win streak into a road game at Kansas State on Saturday.

“It means everything,” White said, of winning on the road. “Our motto is, we’re down on the road always. I mean, it’s us against the crowd, it’s us against traveling, it’s us against the refs. Always. So (the) mentality for us, is we got to fight.”

Utah’s first Big 12 win is going to have to wait, after the Runnin’ Utes fell 85-73 to Colorado at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado, on Wednesday.

That dropped Utah to 8-7 on the season and 0-2 in Big 12 play.

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Here are three takeaways from the game.

Buffaloes made the plays at the start and the end

Colorado got out to a quick 11-1 lead, much like the 14-2 deficit Utah found itself trailing by last Saturday against No. 1 Arizona.

To the Utes’ credit, they rallied and made a game out of this one.

Colorado, though, simply was the more consistent team in earning the win.

The Buffaloes shot better from the field, 46.8% to 39.4%, outrebounded the Utes 41-35 and outscored Utah in bench points, 33-8.

The Utes made it tough, eventually whittling a 10-point Colorado lead down to two points in the last 10 minutes.

After a Keanu Dawes jumper made it 69-67 with 3:58 to play, the Buffaloes responded with a decisive 8-0 run over the next couple of minutes and Colorado pulled away for the win.

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The Buffaloes ended the game on a 16-6 run.

Utah’s Big 3 showed up big-time

As is becoming the norm, Utah’s top three players carried the effort for Utah.

Don McHenry led all scorers with 24 points, with 18 of those coming in the first half. He finished with seven rebounds and an assist, to just one turnover.

Keanu Dawes contributed across the board, with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Terrence Brown, meanwhile, also had 16 points and added three assists and two steals. He shot just 5 of 17 from the field, though.

There were some other bright spots for Utah. That included Utah finishing with seven turnovers, to 11 for Colorado, and the Utes owned a 15-11 edge in second-chance points.

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It wasn’t enough, though.

Colorado’s balance won out

The Buffaloes entered the night with five players averaging in double-figures.

They ended Wednesday night’s contest with four players scoring in double digits. That was led by Sebastian Rancik, who had 19 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Bangot Dak was big in the paint, as he posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds and added two assists.

Colorado also made more 3-pointers, eight to five, and was better at the free-throw line, going 19 of 21 while Utah was 16 of 23.

In a game where Colorado led for more than 39 minutes but Utah still hung around, too many little things went against the Utes.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — MJ Collins Jr. scored 20 points as Utah State beat Air Force 99-62 on Tuesday night.

Collins shot 8 of 14 from the field, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the line for the Aggies (13-1, 4-0 Mountain West Conference). Kolby King scored 15 points while shooting 4 for 7 from beyond the arc and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. Mason Falslev had 13 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. The Aggies extended their winning streak to six games.

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Caleb Walker led the Falcons (3-12, 0-4) in scoring, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds. Air Force also got 11 points from Kam Sanders. The loss was the Falcons’ eighth straight.

Utah State took the lead for good with 19:37 left in the first half. The score was 45-31 at halftime, with Adlan Elamin racking up 11 points. Utah State extended its lead to 58-35 during the second half, fueled by a 9-0 scoring run. Collins scored a team-high 11 points in the second half to close out the win.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided byData Skriveand data fromSportradar.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – Morgan Scalley has been a Ute since the day he was born. His father played for the Utes, and after graduating from Highland High, Scalley became an All-American safety at Utah.

Now, after 18 years as an assistant coach, Scalley has his dream job.

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“I’m one of you,” Scalley said at his introductory press conference Tuesday. “I’m a fan. I’m a Ute. I have been forever, and always will be.”

Scalley, who is already 1-0 as the Utes head coach after leading Utah to a 44-22 win over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl, has had opportunities to leave. But he couldn’t pass up his dream job.

Kevin McGiven named Utes offensive coordinator

“I never wanted to leave here,” Scalley said. “My family is here and I don’t want to ever uproot that as long as I felt valued. There have been opportunities. YDo you listen to those opportunities? Yeah. But then you tell those opportunities, thank you, but no thank you.”

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Scalley admits he wouldn’t be here without Kyle Whittingham, who stepped down as Utah’s head coach after 21 years last month. Scalley said he will be eternally grateful for what Whittingham has done for him.

“Kyle Wittingham has given me chance after chance after chance for my entire career,” Scalley said, fighting through tears. “I love Kyle Whittingham for mentoring me, tutoring me, breathing life into me when I didn’t necessarily love football.”

As for why Whittingham left, and eventually took the head coaching job at Michigan, athletic director Mark Harlan said they both agreed it was the right time.

Colton Swan named Utah defensive coordinator

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“I just think there was a peace that came over him,” Harlan said. “That’s that’s my own take. But maybe not enough for him to say, I’m going to step away. He did not want to use the word retirement, and I understood what that meant. The legacy of Kyle doesn’t change by by any of us. He was extraordinary for this university, and he trained Morgan to be the very best he can be.”

Scalley has been busy since taking over the program a couple weeks ago. He has already promoted linebackers coach Colton Swan to defensive coordinator, and brought Kevin McGiven over from Utah State to run the offense. As a defensive coach, Scalley has always loved McGiven’s offensive innovation.

“If you watch and study the film, you’ll see the issues that his offense can present,” Scalley said of McGiven. “Being the head coach in waiting, there is a lot of people who will reach out to you because they think any year is the next year. Every year, his name comes up.”

Scalley is now scouring the transfer portal and trying to keep the talent he has on the team.

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“You have to trust the process that we’re going to continue to reload and that we’re continuing to get the right people in here,” he said. “To those who are fearful and and want to leave, that’s OK. Because we will bring the ones that want to be here.”

Scalley says the identity of Utah football will not change, and they will continue to pursue the ultimate goal.

Morgan Scalley era begins with Las Vegas Bowl romp

“We are physical, we’re going to score and we’re going to play great defense,” Scalley said. “The goal now is playing in January, and getting the national championship. I’m not ashamed to say that we can do it here at the University of Utah.”

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.

Do you want to see a hilarious statistic? 6-6. In the past 12 games, this is the win-loss record of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the number one seed in the Western Conference and owners of the best record in the entire National Basketball Association. Having most recently lost to the Charlotte Hornets 124-90, the top-seeded Thunder and NBA Draft Lottery-bound Hornets share that 6-6 stretch.

So, what’s the big deal? Stuff like this happens all the time in sports, and especially so during an 82-game season, right? Well, yes, basketball teams go through cold spells all the time, but something about this tumble feels particularly curious when considering this season’s edition of OKC.

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Prior to this 6-6 stretch, Oklahoma City held a 24-1 record, having lost just one game in its first 25 contests. This is a feat shared by only one team in the history of the NBA: the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

Oklahoma City had the basketball community scrambling for answers. Just like the Warriors in 2015-16, the NBA had no response to OKC’s dominance, only this team was built to last another decade. Stuffed with young talent in MVP-winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, a ‘big three’ of that caliber has already proven capable of lifting the NBA Finals trophy in June, and all three of those players are still below the age of 27.

But suddenly — inexplicably — the Thunder began to flop. Losses to Charlotte, Phoenix, and Minnesota were one thing, but a pattern of failure against the San Antonio Spurs was truly eyebrow-raising. Three losses force-fed by Chef Wembanyama and friends painted a pattern of inadequacy and exposed gaps in what once seemed to be an impregnable defense around Castle OKC.

Enter the Utah Jazz on a four-game losing skid, with a no-refund ticket package into the Paycom Center. I’m no doctor, but this, to me, seems like an excellent remedy for losing.

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Utah, with a 12-23 record and the sixth-best odds on the NBA Lottery ladder, enters Oklahoma City with very little desire to show up the reigning champions. Finally back under the top-eight protection umbrella of their first-round pick, the Jazz are actively fighting to retain their first-round selection from the already bloated war chest of OKC’s draft capital.

The Jazz are winners in just four of their last 14 games, plummeting back to Earth in spite of the extra-terrestrial performance of breakout guard Keyonte George this season. George and Markkanen are averaging 24.3 and 27.7 points per game to this point in the season, respectively, which are both top 20 in the association, but Utah’s defense has been… how do I put this delicately? Utah’s defense has been an affront to the very sanctity of Dr. Naismith’s vision.

There are many reasons why Walker Kessler is such a coveted center on the trade market every season. This is what happens when Utah’s defensive anchor is absent. With Kessler out for the season, and the tanking Jazz finally returning to familiarity, this game is Oklahoma City’s for the taking.

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We’ll see what actually happens, though. These two teams — at least recently — have been complete mysteries.

How to watch Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Date: Wednesday, Jan 7, 2026
Time: 6 PM Mt
Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ
Odds: OKC -17.5

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.

In his first interview since Kyle Whittingham stepped down, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan addressed the former coach’s departure from the program.

Whittingham was careful to use the words “stepping down” in his statement about leaving Utah’s program on Dec. 12, with reports popping up soon after that the longtime coach could pursue other coaching opportunities.

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“I will say that he did not want to use the word retirement, and I understood what that meant. He might go coach again, whether it was a head coach, whether it was maybe in the NFL where his son (Alex) has been,” Harlan said.

On Dec. 26, Whittingham was announced as Michigan’s new head coach, a little more than two weeks after the job in Ann Arbor surprisingly came open late in the coaching cycle after Sherrone Moore was fired for having ”an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Suddenly, Utah’s all-time winningest coach was inking a deal with Michigan.

Harlan called Whittingham’s decision to step down a “mutual understanding.”

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“Kyle and I spoke about what he was thinking about the team, about the program, and of course where he was at with his decision-making. That conversation went on for a few days, I would say. And then after talking it through back and forth, we just kind of both came to a mutual understanding that now was just a good time for him to step down,” Harlan said.

Harlan said that Whittingham did not ask for a contract extension during his conversations with Utah. Whittingham, whose contract at Utah ran through 2027, inked a five-year deal with Michigan that runs through the 2030 football season.

“No, we talked about everything as it related to the program. He was already on his final — he had a few more years on his contract,” Harlan said. “So it was more about where the program is and what he wanted to do. But we didn’t change his contract or (he) certainly never asked for an extension. It was just more about what was his feeling about coming back for another year.”

In what would be his final interview with the Utah media on Dec. 18, Whittingham said he did not want to “overstay his welcome” at the school.

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“I’m at peace and I did not want to be that guy that overstayed his welcome and people just saying, ‘Hey, when’s this guy going to leave?’ That was not my intention ever, and I hope I didn’t do that. I’m sure with some people I did do that, but to me the timing is right,” Whittingham said.

In his introductory press conference at Michigan, Whittingham said he made a “mistake” by answering questions about his retirement.

“Well, I signed a five-year contract (at Michigan). What I made (as) a mistake at Utah is when they started asking me about retirement, and I started answering questions and giving my own thing,” he said. “I am not that old. I am 66. It is not that old. I feel like I got enough energy and juice to see this through.”

Asked if there was “miscommunication” between Utah and Whittingham about retirement, Harlan said no.

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“I go back to after last year where he was seriously contemplating (retirement) and we talked about it and he really was passionate about coming back and fixing it. I mean, what he said publicly is exactly what he told me privately,” Harlan said.

“He did not want to leave it this way (last year). And a part of me always felt because his love for Morgan (Scalley) and wanting Morgan to really take it at a healthy place. And so it was similar to this following cycle where — I can’t get in his head and I don’t think anybody but him can really say — but I just think he felt the time was right to do that.”

Harlan said that the former Ute coach will be honored by the university at some point.

“There will be a time and a place to celebrate everything he brought to this university,” Harlan said.