Cal had an ugly, ugly win yesterday. But a win is a win! I'll take it! Tomorrow, we have what will hopefully be an easier time. Cal takes on a really, really bad Utah team. Cal should win this one, but then again....we are Cal! Should has no meaning for any of us. Any! This is especially true considering Utah almost knocked off Stanford on Thursday. Hopefully, it means they are wiped out and not, yknow, improving. Hopefully!
So, to get to the source, we talked with Jazzy Ute over from Block U. He has all the Utah information we need! So, check out his answers after the jump. Thanks for the awesomeness, Jazzy Ute. GO BEARS!
1. Utah finally won its first Pac-12 game. How did Utah pull it off and what can it tell us about this game?
1. It's taken a poor effort by the opposing team to give Utah a shot at winning. It doesn't hurt that, in their last three conference games, their opponent has shot awful from the free throw line. Thursday night against Stanford, a three-point loss, the Cardinal shot only 5-17 from the line. That has allowed them to keep games closer than they probably should be.
But it's also effort. There has been an increased intensity from this team the last three games and it showed in their win over Washington State - who, of course, is struggling. It doesn't hurt that the Pac-12 is extremely down this year.
2. Who is the player on offense that Cal fans should know?
2. Jiggy Watkins is the best player on the team. He's a senior and is a big reason they they're as competitive as they are these last three games. If he's not on his game, it's unlikely the Utes can be competitive.
3. What is the player on defense that Cal fans should know?
3. I'd like to say there is a specific player, but I just don't know. Utah has been erratic at times on the defensive end, so your guess is as good as mine.
4. What are your impressions of your new league so far? Is the Mountain West a better conference than the Pac-12 this year?
4. Unfortunately, it's looking like it. The Mountain West has some solid teams at the top (UNLV, New Mexico, SDSU) and their middle is much stronger this year than I would have expected (Wyoming and Colorado State). But I still like this conference. It's definitely got more prestige than the Mountain West, even if its name is taking a hit this season. Still, I think most Ute fans still miss trips to the Pit and Vegas.
5. Which Cal player scares you most from a matchup standpoint?
5. Whoever can rebound. That's been Utah's weakness all season (awful rebound margin) and any player that can do that, especially on the offensive end, will hurt the Utes.
6. Predict a score!
6. Cal wins 72-59