Utes upgrading schedule

When Jim Boylen was named as Utah basketball coach, he vowed to upgrade the schedule.

He's off to a good start, although the home schedule may not reflect the upgrade in his first year.

Boylen has arranged for road games against two NCAA tournament teams from last year, Gonzaga and Oregon with another against California.

The Utes will play Gonzaga at the Bulldogs' home arena, while the other two will be played at neutral sites, the Rose Garden in Portland and the Oakland Arena, where the Golden State Warriors play.

The good news is that all three teams will return to Salt Lake City the following year with all three games being played in the Huntsman Center.

Utah will also play in the Preseason NIT in Washington in mid-November in a regional format with four teams playing at the same site. Washington will be in the opposite bracket with the other teams to be determined. Losers will play the second night with the winners playing for the right to go to Madison Square Garden. The last time the Utes played in the Preseason NIT in 2003 they advanced to New York after a pair of home wins.

Home teams on the Utes' schedule this year will include Fresno State, Santa Clara and Cal Irvine, in addition to Utah State and some other teams to be determined. The official schedule will likely be released next month after the Mountain West Conference makes out its schedule.

SCHOLARSHIP GRANT: Because of Daniel Deane's dismissal from the team last month and Nemanja Calasan being released from his letter of intent signed last fall, the Ute program is down two scholarships.

Boylen said he is happy to give one of them to Chris Grant, who initially joined the team as a walk-on and played one year with a scholarship.

"I felt he possesses all the qualities of the kind of student-athlete we're looking for," Boylen said. "He's a Ute and has great ownership in the program. He has a great work ethic and passion and is very loyal. It was the right thing to do. He's earned it."

The other scholarship will be saved until next year, giving Boylen three scholarships for the 2008-09 season.

GOING SMALL: With Deane gone, as well as backup centers Misha Radojevic (transfer to Hawaii Pacific) and David Foster (LDS Church mission to Charlotte, N.C.), who will be the backup center behind Luke Nevill?

Well, no one.

"We don't have anyone," said Boylen. "We'll probably go small and use Kim Tillie or Morgan Grim or Shaun Green. It will give us a different kind of look."