Instant Takeaways From Utah’s 92-85 Loss To Cal Poly

SALT LAKE CITY— Utah’s 92–85 loss to Cal Poly was a combination of effort and execution, both of which Utah failed to meet necessary levels.

For a program promoting a new era under Alex Jensen, this one served as a painful reminder: this is a complete reset and rebuild.

The Utes showed flashes of offensive rhythm and energy, but every run was erased by defensive lapses and mismatches that turned into open threes or easy layups.  Until Utah defends with consistency and toughness, they’ll keep learning lessons the hard way.

Final from the Huntsman Center
Cal Poly – 92
Utah – 85

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 21, 2025

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the loss:

1. Defensive inconsistencies continue to haunt Utah

If you were looking for one stat that tells the story, here it is: Cal Poly shot 14-of-25 from three-point range. It’s not just that Cal Poly shot it really well—it was not an anomaly performance, it was a product of Utah’s poor defensive effort and mindfulness.

The breakdowns came in different forms: lackadaisical closeouts, miscommunication on switches, slow transition defense, and casual on-ball defense.

Intrusive Thought: This roster is a unique blend of players from the portal, high school, and international pools. All played in different situations with different schemes and varying levels of emphasis on that end of the floor. Defensive chemistry takes time but that’s not a commodity can afford. The only way this team will compete at the level it needs to is by establishing that chemistry and standard.

They really benefitted from Utah’s lack of urgency getting back on defense after made baskets. Especially when the Utes hit big shots, they gave up immediate answers — often after a made three-pointer, Utah surrendered one on the next possession. Then, at least twice, Utah allowed a follow-up three-pointer on the next possession.

Alex Jensen’s early emphasis has been building a defensive standard — five players on a string, all connected, all playing hard. Right now, it’s more like five loose threads.

The good news is that Utah’s offense is generating quality possessions; the bad news is that none of it matters if they can’t get stops. Until that changes, every game will feel like they’re chasing uphill.

2. Cal Poly’s backcourt size exposed Utah’s guard play

The Mustangs came in with a clear plan: attack Utah’s smaller guards and force switches. And it worked — relentlessly.

Cal Poly’s backcourt, led by 6-foot-8 Hamad Mousa and 6-foot-4, 210 pound Peter Bandelj consistently got into the paint and physically outplayed Utah’s backcourt.  They posted up Brown and McHenry, drove into contact, and used their length to finish over contests.

For as offensively explosive as those two can be, the lack of defensive effectiveness hurt them. Mousa, in particular, took full advantage, drawing fouls, creating mismatches, and triggering rotations that left shooters open on the perimeter.

Intrusive Thought: Utah seemed desperate for size and athleticism on the perimeter; Elijah Moore and Jakhi Howard seem to offer that. So how deep in the dog house can those two be if they didn’t seem time in this game? Trust has to be earned in practice and those two can play important roles for this squad if they buy-in. But if the effort isn’t there in practice, it’s hard to count on it as a coach in the game.

This is where Utah’s lack of perimeter length shows up and Seydou Traore’s early foul trouble didn’t help — his versatility is key to Jensen’s defensive schemes — but the bigger problem is the lack of lineup flexibility when he sits.

Utah doesn’t have much of a defensive interior presence, so it’s on the perimeter defenders to be sound and tough.

The solution isn’t simple, but it’s essential. Jensen and his staff have to figure out how to improve the defense from outside-in. Utah needs to become more aggressive and physical on-ball.

Jensen has to figure out how to draw that out of his guys, but it’s ultimately on the players to take ownership of the issue.

3. It’s meaningless without stops, but the Runnin’ Utes offense shows promise

Utah’s offense isn’t broken — far from it. When they move the ball and attack decisively, this team can score. They shot nearly 47% from the field, got to the rim, and created a number of open looks from deep. Brown can be a force downhill, Traore and Patrick hit timely threes.

The offense has generated a lot of quality looks for guys. Many of whom weren’t considered shooters, are shooting at a solid rate because the quality of shot is better. Utah has a pair of guards that can break down their defender and score in one-on-one situations.

The problem is sustainability. Every run Utah went on — every flicker of momentum — was immediately doused by a defensive lapse or turnover. That 7–0 burst early in the second half that cut the lead to seven? Gone in two minutes after back-to-back breakdowns and a transition three.

Intrusive Thought: Keanu Dawes can be such a force on the offensive end. The potential is there, he just has to become more assertive. He ended the night 3-of-5 from the field, and five shots just is not enough. He not only needs to recognize the opportunities, he needs to hunt for them. The offense creates opportunities for him to attack the rim, and he has often been more athletic than the guy defending him.

The Huntsman crowd tried to rally the team late after Patrick’s and-one three-pointer and back-to-back challenge wins, but the defense collapsed again once Cal Poly’s guards started hunting mismatches.

Offense may win headlines, but defense dictates wins — and right now, Utah doesn’t have it. Jensen’s system is designed for accountability: guards must communicate, bigs must rotate, wings must rebound. The spacing and scoring potential are clear, but the team’s maturity on the defensive end is lagging behind.

Keep the big picture

This is a painful loss. No two ways around it. But it is still only one game, one loss for a program in a complete rebuild.

Through six games, Utah’s story is simple: they can score; they just can’t stop anyone consistently. There size issues won’t be cured any time soon. This group has to figure out how to counter and overcome them.

Stronger defensive habits have to take root. Stronger on-ball defense, staying connected, contesting without fouling, boxing out and rebounding. Until those things happen more consistently, the Utes will remain vulnerable to any opponent— literally any opponent after tonight— willing to push the tempo and test their focus.

This loss isn’t fatal, but it’s definitely a wake-up call. Utah has some talent, but the effort has to improve. Jensen and staff demand it, and this game showed exactly what happens when that precision fades.

The next step: turn lessons into urgency. Because the next phase of the schedule they’re heading into won’t wait for them to figure it out.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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