Utah Utes men's basketball: Boylen is determined to turn things around

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah coach Jim Boylen didn't expect to be 5-7 at this point of the season. And he's certainly not very happy about it.

Still, he's trying to see the big picture as his team wraps up its non-conference schedule this week with games against Texas-San Antonio tonight at the Huntsman Center and Saturday against LSU in Baton Rogue.

"We've practiced hard and watched a lot of film and put in a lot of preparation, not only for Texas-San Antonio, but for the rest of the season," Boylen said. "My goal is to make these guys better every day and improve … Where we have to grow is to carry over our practice and effort into games."

The Utes are coming off a couple of disappointing losses, to Illinois State 10 days ago and to Pepperdine last Wednesday, where they didn't have two of their most productive players most of the time.

Jay Watkins has been out with a recurring groin injury, while center David Foster missed the second half of the Illinois State game and all of the Pepperdine with an ankle sprain.

"Both players are day-to-day and will be game-time decisions," said Boylen.

Boylen said he wants to get everyone healthy by the start of league play on Jan. 9, but said, "I won't save them if they're cleared to play."

If Watkins and Foster are out, the Utes will go with freshmen Jason Washburn at center and use Shawn Glover and Matt Read as the backup big forwards in place of Watkins. Boylen said he plans to start Jace Tavita again in place of Carlon Brown to give the Utes a stronger defender in the starting lineup.

Most fans around here haven't heard much about Texas-San Antonio, which plays in the Southland Conference.

The Roadrunners have a veteran team that is off to its best 10-game start since 1989. They have defeated Iowa on the road and played Oklahoma State, a team that beat Utah by 22 points, to a six-point game on the road.

"This is a very good team we're playing," said Boylen. "They have speed and quickness, are a veteran team with their best six players being five seniors and a junior. It's another situation where we have to guard another undersized, quick team and try to use our size and length against them."

The Roadrunners start three guards, led by 6-foot junior Devin Gibson, who averages 13.6 and 5.4 rebounds per game. The other guards are 6-4 Morris Smith (12.4 ppg) and 5-7 Omar Johnson (10.4 ppg). The other two starters are 6-7 seniors Terry Fields (10.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Demarco Stepter (7.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg).