Takeaways From Utah Basketball’s 76-61 Loss To Baylor
Jan 25, 2025, 9:43 PM | Updated: Jan 27, 2025, 11:18 am
SALT LAKE CITY—The Baylor Bears made their first trip to the Jon M. Huntsman Center and, unfortunately, defeated Utah, 76-61. With the loss, the Runnin’ Utes fall to 11-8, 3-5 on the year.
Though it’s clear that Utah has improved since the last time these two teams played, it was also clear they still have a ways to go to close the gap.
FINAL – Utah falls to Baylor, 76-61.
Utah showed improvement but not nearly enough to protect the home floor against the Bears. https://t.co/rU17LAEazI
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) January 25, 2025
Here are some takeaways from the game…
Takeaway: “Ball didn’t go in the hoop”
There wasn’t a glaring issue like the 26 turnovers Utah had against Houston, each team turned it over 11 times. The Utes nearly matched Baylor’s offensive rebounding, as they grabbed 14 to Baylor’s 15 offensive rebounds. Simply said, Baylor put the ball through the hoop slightly more frequently than Utah did.
Baylor knocked down 25-of-57 shots, a 44% clip, while Utah finished at 40% on 22-of-55 from the field. The difference in this one can be found at the charity stripe and behind the 3-point line.
Baylor went 17-of-20 from the free throw line, while Utah went 12-of-20. Free throw shooting has been an issue for Utah, and eventually, it would cost them another game if it did not improve. This loss doesn’t come directly from free throw misses, but the fact that free throw shooting continues to be an issue is worrisome.
Unfortunately, Utah’s struggles from behind the 3-point line in conference play continued in this one. Baylor knocked down 9-of-24, and Utah only hit on 5-of-23 from deep.
Due to the defensive prowess of many Big 12 programs, genuinely clean looks are hard to come by. When opportunities are created, they have to be capitalized on. Utah failed to capitalize on three, four, or maybe five genuinely clean looks from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Baylor shooters did a better job of that in this one.
But what allowed Baylor to do that and not Utah? It seemed that Baylor’s shooters had a better understanding of when and where their opportunities would be available. Whether it was a kickout from the post, a drive, or ball movement creating a specific opening, Baylor just did a better job capitalizing on them.
Utah obviously has to shoot it better, and converting on clean looks would make a difference.
Takeaway: Ezra Ausar is now Utah’s go-to guy
With tonight’s performance, it’s become clear that Ausar is the team’s top offensive option. There are pros and cons to this development, which will be addressed.
Starting with the positive, Ausar’s offensive ability has become increasingly evident over the last five games. He’s scored 75 points on an average of 15.0 points per game, including games of 19, 26, and 21 points. Today, he looked like the only guy capable of going toe-to-toe with the man across from him.
He’s pretty efficient from the field, and though he’s been limited to points at the rim, he’s shown the ability to get those shots in different ways. Against Baylor, Ausar finished 7-of-12 shooting from the field, highlighting his efficiency. He scored off of post-ups, cuts to the rim, isolations, and in transition.
His free-throw shooting continues to be a bit of a roller coaster ride. Today, he finished 5-of-11 from the line. That obviously has to improve, and Ausar would be the first to tell you that. Still, he’s getting to the line, which speaks to the difficulty opponents have defending him.
His overall production has been a little up and down, so becoming more consistent night in, night out is the next phase of his development. What he’s done to this point should not be taken for granted. He’s come into one of the best conferences and has emerged as a top offensive weapon for Utah.
Takeaway: Miro Little showed he belonged on the floor
It hasn’t been an easy couple of weeks for Utah’s point guard. Minutes have been inconsistent, and that’s probably been a difficult thing to experience. However, he never let it impact his engagement with the team and stayed ready for his opportunity, which came in the last two games.
Baylor and Houston are loaded with talented and experienced basketball players. When playing inferior talent, those players can make it look quite apparent. Little showed today, and even against Houston, that he belonged on the floor with them.
It’s important to still remember that this is Little’s first season of significant playing time. He’s had to fill a significant role on the squad, which has led to ups and downs. However, that’s all part of the process of gaining experience.
Little clearly needs to clean up some things in his game, but coming into this one and making a positive impact is a big deal for him. Now, he just needs to keep building on this positive outing.
Takeaway: M.I.A. – Gabe Madsen, Mike Sharavjamts
Ausar’s emergence as the go-to guy also points to Gabe Madsen’s inability to be that guy. The Big 12 has been a tough experience for Madsen, who struggled again today. He finished with just 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-7 from behind the 3-point line.
Madsen has experienced funks before, but this has been different. In the second half, he seemed to genuinely lose confidence. He looked hesitant and made uncharacteristically poor decisions with the ball. As a shooter, confidence is nearly everything. With it, the hoop can sometimes look as big as the ocean. Without it, it’s almost like playing darts from 22 feet away. And the tricky thing about confidence is that it’s entirely on the individual himself to find it and raise it.
Madsen seems to shoot at his best when he knows when and where to shoot it. Designed plays that create opportunities for him is when he seems most comfortable. He also thrived last season as a second and third option. With Ausar’s emergence, perhaps that will take some of the heat off of Madsen, but Utah may even need someone else to step up too.
As for Sharavjamts, his production and impact have been hit or miss during Big 12 play. He’s only reached double-digits once, 10 points against TCU, and has totaled just 15 assists through eight gmaes. For as much criticism as Madsen is receiving, Sharavjamts must also start making a greater impact for Utah.
Assertiveness was always going to be the key to unlocking his potential, but that assertiveness was completely absent today. Sharavjamts needs to be more aggressive, he’s an obvious talent, and his impact is crucial for Utah competing in the Big 12.
Utah needs everyone to step up their level of play, but these two are particularly important to figure out.
Takeaway: Big picture in the Big 12
If Utah’s win over BYU felt like a significant victory that could pay dividends down the road, this loss feels like the air being let out of a balloon. Despite being home underdogs, Utah let a good opportunity slip through their hands today, and that could be costly for Craig Smith and the Utah basketball program.
Calling for Craig Smith’s job isn’t going to gain traction any time soon. Maybe his seat is warming, but his players are bought in and playing hard for him. Not to mention, there are bigger issues than Smith as the head coach contributing to these big losses to top contenders in the Big 12.
Remember, Utah has only lost two straight. Kansas and West Virginia also lost today, each for their second consecutive loss. This is life in the Big 12; each game is a challenge. It’s vital not to get too high or too low. So, as frustrating as this loss is, Utah has to digest it quickly and move forward. On Tuesday, a preseason-ranked Cincinnati team will be in Salt Lake City, which presents a new challenge.
UP NEXT – Cincinnati vs Utah
Utah wraps up the two-game homestand against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Tuesday, Jan. 28, inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The two programs square off for the first time since 1965. Rich Waltz and Pete Gillen will call the action for fans on CBS Sports Network as the two programs duke it out for the first time as conference foes starting at 8 p.m. (MST).
