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Two of the hottest teams in college basketball will get together on Sunday evening when the Utah Utes and Fresno State Bulldogs square off in Denver, Colo. The Bulldogs have won nine games in a row — including a victory over San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament Championship — while the Utes were also on a nine-game winning streak until getting steamrolled by Oregon 88-57 in the Pac-12 tournament championship.
What To Watch For
Utah is led by Pac-12 Player of the Year Jakob Poeltl who averaged 17.6 points and 9.0 rebounds this season. The sophomore forward from Austria stands 7-feet and is a monster in the paint. If the Utes are going to go anywhere in this tournament, it’s going to be on the shoulders of Poeltl to take them there.
The Bulldogs are led by senior guard Marvelle Harris who averages 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, but the most important player in this game will be Torren Jones. Although he only stands 6-foot-9, Jones weighs 235 pounds which gives him the girth to play Poeltl. He’s the guy who’s going to have to cause problems on the block for the 7-footer and try and get him in foul trouble on the other end. Jones’ success at those tasks will have a direct impact on whether the Bulldogs are victorious.
Expect this game to be a pretty good battle despite the difference in seeding. Poeltl’s success is the key to the game for both teams. If he has his way inside, the Utes will move on to the Round of 32. But if Jones and the Bulldogs’ bigs can make it hard on him, Fresno State could pull the upset.
I’ll put my money on the Pac-12 Player of the Year and the Utah Utes.
Prediction: Utah 72, Fresno State 63
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