Utah Utes basketball team hoping for three wins in a row

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah men's basketball team hasn't won three straight games to open a season since 2005. The Utes will be trying to match that feat when they take on Weber State today at 4 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.

The 2-0 Utes are coming off an 80-71 victory over Montana, which knocked off the Wildcats for the Big Sky Tournament championship last year. The Wildcats are 1-1 with a victory over Colorado Christian and a loss to Utah State.

Coach Jim Boylen has several new players this year, but he was pleased with his team's victory over Montana. He knows Weber State was picked ahead of Montana to win the Big Sky this year and that his team will have its hands full.

"We are concerned about their speed and quickness and ability to shoot the basketball," said Boylen. "Obviously they are very well-coached."

Utah is led by JC transfer Will Clyburn, who averages 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Another JC transfer, Josh Watkins, averages 15.5 points a game and leads the team in assists at 4.5 per game.

Other expected starters for Utah are junior center Jason Washburn (11.0 ppg), senior forward Jay Watkins (10.5 ppg) and sophomore forward Shawn Glover (4.5 ppg).

Center David Foster (3.0 ppg), guard Chris Hines (6.5 ppg) and guard Jace Tavita (1.0 ppg) will be the top reserves off the bench for Utah. The Utes lost freshman starter J.J. O'Brien to a stress fracture in his foot and he'll be out four to six weeks.

The Wildcats are led by junior guard Damian Lillard, the Big Sky's Player of the Year last year, who is averaging 26.5 points in two games and has made 9-of-14 3-pointers this year. The other expected starters are Kyle Bullinger (7.0 ppg) and Darin Mahoney (5.5 ppg) at forwards, Trevor Morris (10.5 ppg) at center and Lindsey Hughey (9.0 ppg) at the other guard. Guard Scott Bamforth is the top reserve, averaging 11.0 points per game.

After today's game, the Utes will go on the road for the first time and play at Utah State on Wednesday night. The Wildcats will take off next week for the Great Alaskan Shootout, where they'll face Alaska-Anchorage in the first round of the tournament Thursday night.

GAME NOTES: Utah leads the overall series 25-13 and is 15-3 in games at the Huntsman Center... Last year, the Wildcats overcame an early 14-point deficit and 10 blocked shots by Foster to win 83-76 in Ogden. In 2008 in Salt Lake, the Utes beat the Wildcats 74-64. ... WSU head coach Randy Rahe, who is 78-48 in four seasons in Ogden, was an assistant coach at Utah in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Utes, Wildcats on the air

Weber State (1-1)

at Utah (2-0)

Today, 4 p.m.

Huntsman Center

TV: none Radio: 700 AM, 1430 AM

e-mail: sor@desnews.com