Utah notebook: Hill supports team, checks out Pac-12 facilities

UTAH NOTEBOOK

TUCSON, Ariz. — Utah athletics director Chris Hill and his wife, Kathy, made the Arizona State-Arizona road trip. Hill said his reason for doing so was two-fold.

"I want to be supportive of the team as they go through a tough year, and also it's a chance for me to come down and take a swing to each Pac-12 school," Hill explained while noting that he plans to make a rotation each year to different schools in the conference to see their facilities and compare them to Utah.

At Arizona State, Hill was impressed with the Sun Devil basketball practice area. In Tucson, he got a close look at construction of Arizona's new football center.

A variety of other facility issues were also discussed with both athletic departments.

"Each year we're going to take a trip and look at each school," Hill said. "I usually don't do that, but I think the first year in the conference I wanted to start that process."

RECORD-SETTING LOSS: For the first time in team history, dating back to 1908-09, Utah has lost 20 games in a season. Saturday's loss broke a logjam for the top (or low, if you will) spot in the school record book. The Utes dropped 19 games in seasons under Bill Foster (1972-73), Lynn Archibald (1993-84) and Ray Giacoletti (2006-07).

EARLY START: For the second time in Pac-12 play, the Utes played at noon on a Saturday. The other one was a 57-53 loss to Washington in the Huntsman Center on Jan. 7.

Krystkowiak told reporters on Friday that he didn't mind the arrangement.

"I'd just as soon roll it out and get it done," he said.

Besides the benefit of being able to get on an airplane and return from Tucson Saturday night, Krystkowiak noted that he gets butterflies in his stomach and a bit nauseous sitting around the hotel for late starts.

"I've never throw up," Krystkowiak said. "I've never been a puker, but I wish I could sometimes just to kind of unload it."

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