Takeaways From Utah Basketball’s 82-59 Loss To No. 3 Iowa State
Jan 7, 2025, 10:12 PM | Updated: Jan 10, 2025, 1:06 pm
SALT LAKE CITY —Utah fell 82-59 to No. 3 Iowa State, and there is plenty Utah needs to address, but there were some positive signs from the game.
It’s been a difficult beginning to Big 12 play, but Utah has played three of the top programs in the conference. The road ahead will still be difficult, but Utah will have more favorable contests moving forward.
Still, this is not just three consecutive losses; these are three straight losses by at least 23 points. There were positives tonight but Utah has a lot of work to do to close the gap between them and the top of the Big 12.
Here are the takeaways from tonight’s contest against the Cyclones…
This is the Gabe Madsen Utah needs
In the previous five contests, Utah’s been missing the aggression from their leading scorer. Tonight, Gabe Madsen’s aggressiveness returned, and it was good to see.
He ended the game with 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting, which obviously needs to improve. However, Madsen looked for his shot, attacked the rim, and just played with greater intensity overall, which is more important.
Utah needs this version of Gabe Madsen moving forward. He was assertive and looked like an actual go-to scorer. He needs to maintain this mindset and he’ll grow more and more comfortable with the mentality.
Again, he has to improve his efficiency but the aggressiveness tonight was a big positive.
Tonight’s effort and toughness have to be the standard
In the previous two games, Utah failed to play a full 40 minutes. Tonight, the effort and the toughness- both mentally and physically, were much better. Utah played much harder against the Cyclones for most of the game.
Following early challenges, Utah ultimately matched the Cyclones’ physical style. However, they were unable to match the defensive intensity, as the Cyclones featured four players scoring in double figures and committed just four turnovers among them.
Utah demonstrated resilience, both physically and mentally, and battled despite the deficit. Nonetheless, this level of effort and toughness has to be the standard for Utah’s future.
Long way to go for Utah basketball in the Big 12
Tonight, combined with the previous two contests made it quite clear how far Utah has to go in Big 12 basketball.
Not only do these other programs have more talent, but they also have a superior competitive culture.
One through thirteen, this roster seems to be the most talented one Craig Smith has had at Utah. Yet, three Big 12 games and three losses by at least 23 points.
Smith and his staff face challenges in bridging the gap with their conference opponents on the fly. However, there are talented players on this squad, and Smith has to get it done.
Utah lacks a source for easy offense
As good as seeing a more aggressive Madsen was, tonight’s game also highlighted how difficult it can be for Utah to generate easy points. Most teams have a source for an easy bucket, a staple, default type of play.
But Utah doesn’t seem to have that this season. There isn’t a post player they can dump the ball into for an easy jump hook. There is no dynamic athlete capable of beating his defender off the dribble. They don’t seem to have many offensive sets that consistently create open scoring opportunities.
Make no mistake: Utah has players who can score in a variety of ways.
Both Mike Sharavajmats and Miro Little have shown great ability to create with the dribble. Ezra Ausar has shown he can post up or attack off the bounce. They just seem to lack a go-to scoring option in their bag to finish. So, coaches need to identify something these players can go to and help them gain confidence in going to it.
Utah needs better ball security, defensive pressure
Tonight Utah failed to protect the basketball, which is priority No. 1 for ball handlers. Unfortunately, Miro Little led the team with four turnovers, Hunter Erickson gave the ball away three times, and Mike Sharavjamts turned it over twice.
All in all, the Utes turned it over 18 times, leading to 25 points off turnovers for the Cyclones. Simply said, Utah has to do a much better job of valuing and protecting the basketball.
Utah also failed to create the same sort of havoc on the defensive end. The Cyclones only turned it over 8 times, while Utah was also whistled for 20 fouls (Iowa State 15).
The Cyclones played stingy and physical on-ball defense for most of the game. They erased space on ball handlers and typically defended without hand-checking.
Tonight, combined with the previous two games, should provide Utah with a crystal-clear picture of the defensive intensity required to compete at the top of the league.
