Irvine game a must win for Utah

As the Utah basketball team gets away from the snow to sunny California for a couple of days, it has a chance to get the program back on the winning track. The Utes are playing a bad UC-Irvine team that stands 2-9 on the season and lost by 54 to Idaho, of all teams.
I’ve been disappointed in the Utes this year, even if four of their five losses were by four points or less. I figured the Utes would be 9-4 heading into the start of MWC play, but at 6-5 right now, the best they can do is be 8-5. That would include a victory over nationally-ranked Gonzaga next Wednesday. And don’t forget they still have a game against 9-1 LSU on Jan. 6.
By playing a tough schedule, the Utes should be battle-tested once league play starts. But not knowing how to win close games could haunt them also.
Saturday’s game at Irvine should be the most automatic W of the season next to the opener against Southwest Baptist and we all know what happened there. If Saturday’s outcome is the same as the opener, the Utes could be in for a long season.