SALT LAKE CITY — It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Although the start to a classic novel, that also sums up Utah’s season in near perfect form.
The 2016-17 basketball season was projected to be a season of progress and building, with the Utes expected to finish eighth in the Pac-12. For much of the season, Utah seemingly over-achieved with a young team, playing well and taking some of the top teams in the country down to the wire.
However, the highs of beating USC by 22 points and keeping it close against Arizona, Oregon and UCLA in the first half of conference play weren’t enough to sustain Utah’s growth and potential NCAA Tournament bid chances.