In lieu of a big intro today, I'm just going to honk the horn for this feature in Sunday's paper on Lorenzo Bonam and his extraordinary journey to Utah basketball.
Worth noting: He'll be facing a Gillette College (Wyo.) teammate Renard Suggs, who last game had 5 points to Bonam's 13. It's a minor subplot in a game with a few.
If nothing else, the Valentine's Day Kiss Cam should be intriguing viewing.
Breaking it all down:
The Line ? As of Saturday afternoon, the Utes are favored by 15 points according to Vegas . Utah is 9-13-1 against the spread this season, and haven't beaten the spread in the last three games.
Pregame Quotable ? CBS Sports recently named Josh Hawkinson an "L-American," one of the five best players in America for a losing team. It's a dubious honor, to be sure. Here's what Hawkinson said about it: "When I came here, I wanted to be a part of and cement my legacy as someone who brought this program up from the bottom. In our first couple of years though, we didn't do so good. But you always want to strive to continue to make your team better. I think your legacy comes first from how you do as a team and not as an individual, so it's kind of hard to look at individual numbers and things like that when your team isn't doing all that good."
Last Time Out ? The Utes pounded the Cougars in Pullman, 92-71, for the most points they had scored in the Pac-12 era (until dropping 96 on Stanford a week later). It was notable because Jordan Loveridge (22 points) and Brandon Taylor (21 points) led the way for the Utes in some of their best performances of the season. Utah had plenty of points in the paint, but also finished 11 for 22 on 3-point shots. Josh Hawkinson and Que Johnson each had 16 points to lead the Cougars, who shot 48.1 percent but also lost the turnover and rebounding battles.
Telling Stat ? In Washington State's current 10-game losing stretch, it has allowed 75 points or more in nine of those losses. According to KenPom, the Cougars are dead last in adjusted defensive efficiency in Pac-12 games (113.9 points per 100 possessions).
Cougars Roster Overview ? In the games he's played this season, Josh Hawkinson has only twice failed to reach double digits. The 6-foot-10 junior averages 16 points and 11 rebounds per game for Wazzu, and it's tough to keep him from getting his. The rest of the team is a different story. Ike Iroegbu is fleet footed and averaged 14.6 points per game, but also leads the team in turnovers (2.9 tpg) and had a rough outing against Utah last time. Que Johnson is the only other double-figure scorer (10.4). In all, the Cougars trail the Pac-12 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, losing their past 10 games. They shoot OK, but they don't get a lot of second chances by struggling on offensive rebounds and losing the turnover margin more often than not. Helping Wazzu's chances this time around is junior Valentine Izundu, who isn't much of a scorer but blocks 2.6 shots per game.
Behind Enemy Lines ? Jacob Thorpe of the Spokesman-Review looks at some under-the-radar storylines, including a possible change at point guard and the emergence of Que Johnson as a more viable scoring threat.
Something's Gotta Give ? Neither team is terribly efficient handling the ball: Utah's 18.3 turnover rate is No. 178 in the country, while Washington State's 19.7 percent mark is No. 263. Utah is ninth in the Pac-12 in turnover margin (minus-2.3) while Wazzu is 11th (minus-2.9). Last time this was a critical factor: Washington's 13 turnovers became 22 Utah points. The Utes turned it over 8 times, but the Cougars only had 3 points out of the deal. In a 21-point game, that's a huge statistic. Who wins the battle this time?
Washington State's Edge ? Wazzu's top three scorers all hit 38 percent or better from the 3-point line. Utah's three-point defense (36.8 percent) is still the worst mark in the conference. The Utes have buckled down to an extent, holding opponents to under 33 percent in four of their last six games, but they've still allowed seven 3-pointers in each of their last three. Bombs from beyond the arc could be a nuisance.
Utah's Edge ? The Cougars' defense is not good. This was true of the last meeting with Utah, and it's been true throughout the Pac-12 season. While Wazzu will enjoy the return of its best post defender, Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Kuzma have been red hot lately and are dominating most interior defenses they face. If Utah's 3-point shooters approach the hot streak they had in Pullman, could be a quick game for the Utes.
Injury Watch ? Kent is reportedly doing fine after an over-exuberant Colorado fan chucked an unknown object at his head in Thursday's game. His big men, Izundu and Hawkinson, appear to be healthy after missing a few games between them in the last few weeks. For Utah, Kenneth Ogbe and Jake Connor have missed the last few games, and the whole team apparently struggled through colds early this week.
Watch Out For ? Fatigue factor. Washington State is coming off a double overtime loss to Colorado in Boulder on Thursday night. The Utes dealt with some illness early in the week, but had Thursday completely off and two days of prep for the Cougars. This is one case where home court advantage could really be a big advantage.
Worth noting: He'll be facing a Gillette College (Wyo.) teammate Renard Suggs, who last game had 5 points to Bonam's 13. It's a minor subplot in a game with a few.
If nothing else, the Valentine's Day Kiss Cam should be intriguing viewing.
Breaking it all down:
The Line ? As of Saturday afternoon, the Utes are favored by 15 points according to Vegas . Utah is 9-13-1 against the spread this season, and haven't beaten the spread in the last three games.
Pregame Quotable ? CBS Sports recently named Josh Hawkinson an "L-American," one of the five best players in America for a losing team. It's a dubious honor, to be sure. Here's what Hawkinson said about it: "When I came here, I wanted to be a part of and cement my legacy as someone who brought this program up from the bottom. In our first couple of years though, we didn't do so good. But you always want to strive to continue to make your team better. I think your legacy comes first from how you do as a team and not as an individual, so it's kind of hard to look at individual numbers and things like that when your team isn't doing all that good."
Last Time Out ? The Utes pounded the Cougars in Pullman, 92-71, for the most points they had scored in the Pac-12 era (until dropping 96 on Stanford a week later). It was notable because Jordan Loveridge (22 points) and Brandon Taylor (21 points) led the way for the Utes in some of their best performances of the season. Utah had plenty of points in the paint, but also finished 11 for 22 on 3-point shots. Josh Hawkinson and Que Johnson each had 16 points to lead the Cougars, who shot 48.1 percent but also lost the turnover and rebounding battles.
Telling Stat ? In Washington State's current 10-game losing stretch, it has allowed 75 points or more in nine of those losses. According to KenPom, the Cougars are dead last in adjusted defensive efficiency in Pac-12 games (113.9 points per 100 possessions).
Cougars Roster Overview ? In the games he's played this season, Josh Hawkinson has only twice failed to reach double digits. The 6-foot-10 junior averages 16 points and 11 rebounds per game for Wazzu, and it's tough to keep him from getting his. The rest of the team is a different story. Ike Iroegbu is fleet footed and averaged 14.6 points per game, but also leads the team in turnovers (2.9 tpg) and had a rough outing against Utah last time. Que Johnson is the only other double-figure scorer (10.4). In all, the Cougars trail the Pac-12 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, losing their past 10 games. They shoot OK, but they don't get a lot of second chances by struggling on offensive rebounds and losing the turnover margin more often than not. Helping Wazzu's chances this time around is junior Valentine Izundu, who isn't much of a scorer but blocks 2.6 shots per game.
Behind Enemy Lines ? Jacob Thorpe of the Spokesman-Review looks at some under-the-radar storylines, including a possible change at point guard and the emergence of Que Johnson as a more viable scoring threat.
Something's Gotta Give ? Neither team is terribly efficient handling the ball: Utah's 18.3 turnover rate is No. 178 in the country, while Washington State's 19.7 percent mark is No. 263. Utah is ninth in the Pac-12 in turnover margin (minus-2.3) while Wazzu is 11th (minus-2.9). Last time this was a critical factor: Washington's 13 turnovers became 22 Utah points. The Utes turned it over 8 times, but the Cougars only had 3 points out of the deal. In a 21-point game, that's a huge statistic. Who wins the battle this time?
Washington State's Edge ? Wazzu's top three scorers all hit 38 percent or better from the 3-point line. Utah's three-point defense (36.8 percent) is still the worst mark in the conference. The Utes have buckled down to an extent, holding opponents to under 33 percent in four of their last six games, but they've still allowed seven 3-pointers in each of their last three. Bombs from beyond the arc could be a nuisance.
Utah's Edge ? The Cougars' defense is not good. This was true of the last meeting with Utah, and it's been true throughout the Pac-12 season. While Wazzu will enjoy the return of its best post defender, Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Kuzma have been red hot lately and are dominating most interior defenses they face. If Utah's 3-point shooters approach the hot streak they had in Pullman, could be a quick game for the Utes.
Injury Watch ? Kent is reportedly doing fine after an over-exuberant Colorado fan chucked an unknown object at his head in Thursday's game. His big men, Izundu and Hawkinson, appear to be healthy after missing a few games between them in the last few weeks. For Utah, Kenneth Ogbe and Jake Connor have missed the last few games, and the whole team apparently struggled through colds early this week.
Watch Out For ? Fatigue factor. Washington State is coming off a double overtime loss to Colorado in Boulder on Thursday night. The Utes dealt with some illness early in the week, but had Thursday completely off and two days of prep for the Cougars. This is one case where home court advantage could really be a big advantage.
