Utah Utes basketball: Two unfamiliar foes in Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After disposing of Green Bay Tuesday night, the Utah basketball team breathed a huge sigh of relief. Another loss, following the humiliation three days earlier, would have put the Utes in a hole that might have been hard to climb out of.

That's because the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Utes. Tonight at 4:30 p.m. they play a Mississippi team that went 24-11 last year and is picked to go to the NCAA Tournament by Sports Illustrated.

Then less than 24 hours later, at 2:15 p.m. MST Saturday, they'll face a Morgan State team that won its conference and went 22-11 last year. Both games will be played at the 8,362-seat Ocean Center as part of the Glenn Wilkes Classic.

The Utes are playing in the tournament-that-really-isn't-a-tournament, along with six other schools. Tuesday night's game against Green Bay also counted in the exempt tournament, which gives schools a chance to play an extra two or three games on their schedule.

"It's good to play on the road and play back-to-back games," said coach Jim Boylen. "We'll be out-athleticized in both games. It will be a contrast in styles."

Ole Miss is 2-0 on the season with victories over Arkansas State and South Alabama. The Rebels, who are picked to finish third in the SEC West, are led by junior guard David Huertas at 25.5 ppg. Another guard, Chris Warren, averages 14.5 ppg.

However the Rebels have been hit hard by injuries, losing two guards, Trevor Gaskins and Eniel Polynice, who both suffered serious knee injuries.

The Utes will have a definite size advantage with 7-foot-2 Luke Nevill and 6-9 Kim Tillie in the starting lineup.

Nevill is off to a great start in his senior season, averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds. He acknowledged he's playing with more urgency this year since it is his final year

Tillie has had a tough time shooting the ball (2-12), but is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game. Among the other starters, Luke Drca is averaging 12.0 ppg, Lawrence Borha 11.0 and Carlon Brown 10.5.

While Boylen was thrilled with his team's effort Tuesday and the way it bounced back from adversity, he also cautioned that it's just as important to handle success.

"We need to keep our edge, even though we had success," he said. "That's the key to playing at this level — keeping your edge and playing with maximum effort all the time."