SALT LAKE CITY — Following the departure of star guard Delon Wright last season, Utah was forced to adopt a new identity of sorts. In came a hot-handed Runnin' Utes team with a defense that was lacking its hard-nosed appeal of the season before.
Still, Utah managed to earn quality nonconference wins against teams like San Diego State, BYU and Duke. Before jumping into Pac-12 play, the season appeared to be heading in the right direction as a team on the path to being a Pac-12 title contender. However, a lackluster start to conference play left some doubt to Utah's title aspirations and overall season success.