Plenty will still be on the line for Cougars and Utes

PROVO — Is the BYU-Utah game, with all its instate fire come Wednesday, kind of an anti-climactic exercise, something to do while waiting for the conference tournament in Las Vegas? The Utes are fighting to stay above .500 and the Cougars lost a chance at a fourth straight MWC title by losing to New Mexico in the Marriott Center last Saturday.

Some could view this week as the twilight zone, something to kill time over while waiting for next week, where an NCAA automatic bid is on the line for the Utes and an NCAA tournament high seed for the Cougars.

Of course, this rivalry game is never relegated to average. It's always got plenty of juice.

BYU senior Chris Miles used a football analogy to describe what should happen at the tip in the Huntsman Center come Wednesday. The game is not devalued.

"A good story representing what we're facing and what Utah's feeling going into this game is similar to what happened to our football teams this fall," said Miles.

"Normally, both our football teams are trying to win a conference title when it comes to that game. But TCU had the inside track when they beat BYU and Utah. Now New Mexico came into Provo and took chances for a title way. But I don't think that will distract from our game with Utah, just like it didn't take anything away from that game for both teams in football."

While the Utes are fresh off a spanking of Wyoming, BYU players tried to reload emotionally Monday with Jimmer Fredette sidelined following a weekend bout with a stomach ailment.

The Cougars have not lost back-to-back games this season. Utah could deliver that sting with a victory.

"This is a really important game for us, "said Miles. "It's one we really want to win. It's been a staple of Dave Rose since he took over the program to not lose back-to-back games. So, it's really important to us when we take a loss to get up for the next game."

Miles said the way every BYU player handled the Lobo loss is different. "But I had an immediate resolve to look forward and make more of this season. There is a lot of important basketball still to be played."

Dave Rose and Jim Boylen know this is cross the swords time.

For Boylen, his squad has proven to be extremely salty. The Utes took New Mexico into overtime in Salt Lake City — something BYU couldn't do twice. His squad beat UNLV in Las Vegas, something Dave Rose has never done. The latest setback at the Thomas & Mack Center was a convincing 88-74 whipping at the hands of the Rebels.