For what is likely the last 10 p.m. ESPN Big Monday game ever at the Huntsman Center, the Utah basketball team will be fielding a lineup that won't be recognizable to most Ute fans.
Only two starters from the beginning of the season will be in the starting lineup for the opening Mountain West Conference game of the season against preseason favorite UNLV tonight.
In what is coach Ray Giacoletti's biggest game yet at Utah, he'll start leading scorer (20.2 ppg) and rebounder (11.5 rpg) Andrew Bogut and point guard Tim Drisdom, who has started 79 of 81 games in his career.
However, the other three starting positions will include two players making their first-ever starts and another starting for the fourth time this year.
Chris Grant, a walk-on from East High School, who isn't even listed in the Utah media guide will start at guard along with Drisdom, while Jonas Langvad will start at forward with Bogut. Chris Jackson will make his fourth straight start at the center position.
Injuries have plagued the Utes this year, but only Richard Chaney, who has a broken hand, will not play tonight. Justin Hawkins, who has missed a week of practice with back spasms, will come off the bench.
The other changes in the lineup are because of Giacoletti's hard-and-fast rule that anyone who misses a practice for whatever reason, won't start the next game.
Marc Jackson, who is averaging 11.5 points on 56 percent 3-point shooting, missed practice Friday and Saturday because his wife, Brooke, gave birth the couple's first child. Giacoletti understands and even went to the hospital to see the baby, but Jackson will still begin on the bench, although he'll likely play major minutes.
"It's just the way it is," Giacoletti said.
Marc Jackson was getting slaps on the back from his teammates Sunday after returning to practice and was beaming like a proud papa talking about his son, Kolbyn, who checked in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
Asked if missing a couple of days of practice would make a difference, Jackson said, "I was gone a year ? two days is not going to kill me."
The 6-foot-2 Grant got the nod over Casey Iverson and Jermaine Calvin, who both struggled in the win over Whitworth last week. Grant played a season-high 16 minutes and scored six points and played strong defense.
Markson has played very well lately with Chaney and Hawkins sidelined but was late for a team meeting. So Langvad, who has played well the past three games, will start at the forward spot, giving the Utes a formidable front line of the 7-foot Bogut, 6-11 Chris Jackson and the 6-9 Langvad.
UNLV, picked by he media to win the MWC title, comes into the game with a 7-5 record against a tough schedule. A week ago, the Rebels went to Texas and played the Longhorns right down to the wire before losing by seven points. However, they came home and barely beat Fort Lewis, a Division II team from Colorado. The Rebels led by just one point with under five minutes to go, before pulling away for a 92-80 win.
The Rebels, under first-year coach Lon Kruger, are led by senior forward Odartey Blankson, who averages 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and senior guard Romel Beck, who is right behind with a 16.8 scoring average on 45.3 percent from 3-point range. In senior point guard Jerel Blassingame, the Rebels have the top assist man in the league with 7.6 per game.
"They're extremely athletic," said Giacoletti. "We've got to do a great job of stopping their transition and getting matched up with their shooters. They'll set a boatload of ball screens, so we need to make sure we're on the same page on how we're going to play them."
After tonight's game, the Utes head out on the road for games at Wyoming Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.) and Monday night at Colorado State.
Only two starters from the beginning of the season will be in the starting lineup for the opening Mountain West Conference game of the season against preseason favorite UNLV tonight.
In what is coach Ray Giacoletti's biggest game yet at Utah, he'll start leading scorer (20.2 ppg) and rebounder (11.5 rpg) Andrew Bogut and point guard Tim Drisdom, who has started 79 of 81 games in his career.
However, the other three starting positions will include two players making their first-ever starts and another starting for the fourth time this year.
Chris Grant, a walk-on from East High School, who isn't even listed in the Utah media guide will start at guard along with Drisdom, while Jonas Langvad will start at forward with Bogut. Chris Jackson will make his fourth straight start at the center position.
Injuries have plagued the Utes this year, but only Richard Chaney, who has a broken hand, will not play tonight. Justin Hawkins, who has missed a week of practice with back spasms, will come off the bench.
The other changes in the lineup are because of Giacoletti's hard-and-fast rule that anyone who misses a practice for whatever reason, won't start the next game.
Marc Jackson, who is averaging 11.5 points on 56 percent 3-point shooting, missed practice Friday and Saturday because his wife, Brooke, gave birth the couple's first child. Giacoletti understands and even went to the hospital to see the baby, but Jackson will still begin on the bench, although he'll likely play major minutes.
"It's just the way it is," Giacoletti said.
Marc Jackson was getting slaps on the back from his teammates Sunday after returning to practice and was beaming like a proud papa talking about his son, Kolbyn, who checked in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
Asked if missing a couple of days of practice would make a difference, Jackson said, "I was gone a year ? two days is not going to kill me."
The 6-foot-2 Grant got the nod over Casey Iverson and Jermaine Calvin, who both struggled in the win over Whitworth last week. Grant played a season-high 16 minutes and scored six points and played strong defense.
Markson has played very well lately with Chaney and Hawkins sidelined but was late for a team meeting. So Langvad, who has played well the past three games, will start at the forward spot, giving the Utes a formidable front line of the 7-foot Bogut, 6-11 Chris Jackson and the 6-9 Langvad.
UNLV, picked by he media to win the MWC title, comes into the game with a 7-5 record against a tough schedule. A week ago, the Rebels went to Texas and played the Longhorns right down to the wire before losing by seven points. However, they came home and barely beat Fort Lewis, a Division II team from Colorado. The Rebels led by just one point with under five minutes to go, before pulling away for a 92-80 win.
The Rebels, under first-year coach Lon Kruger, are led by senior forward Odartey Blankson, who averages 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and senior guard Romel Beck, who is right behind with a 16.8 scoring average on 45.3 percent from 3-point range. In senior point guard Jerel Blassingame, the Rebels have the top assist man in the league with 7.6 per game.
"They're extremely athletic," said Giacoletti. "We've got to do a great job of stopping their transition and getting matched up with their shooters. They'll set a boatload of ball screens, so we need to make sure we're on the same page on how we're going to play them."
After tonight's game, the Utes head out on the road for games at Wyoming Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.) and Monday night at Colorado State.
