Utah Utes basketball: Tough times have unified the Runnin' Utes

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah center Jason Washburn is convinced that adversity makes you stronger.

"Absolutely. That was something my dad taught me when I was young and I still believe it today," Washburn said before relating it to the Runnin' Utes. They enter Thursday night's home game against California with a 5-21 record and a seven-game losing streak.

"I think our team has improved immensely as the season as went on. I think you can see the changes in us. We've embraced what it takes for us as a team to compete, be in games and win games," Washburn said. "Our team has bought in and we've become closer and closer. The adversity has done nothing but make us draw more and more together. Sometimes you get teams that split apart. I think it did the complete opposite. This team has done nothing but get closer and closer."

The Utes, he added, compete their hearts out and have made him proud. Despite having just two players from last season still on the active roster and a short bench, they've gone down to the closing minutes in their last three setbacks — Arizona State (57-52), Arizona (70-61) and Colorado (55-48).

"I don't want to say its exhaustion or fatigue. As an athlete I don't think fatigue is a viable excuse. All teams are beat up. All teams are tired at the end of the season," Washburn said. "I think it's always just one little play here and there that puts the game just out of our reach to where we can't get it. It's heartbreaking to know we were there and that we could have won."

In that sense, he explained, it's more demoralizing than a 20-point loss because of the emotional investment of coming close.

"It's tough," said teammate Chris Hines, the only other returning veteran on the roster.

The Utes, though, are making progress. Games against Colorado prove it. Utah dropped a 40-point decision to the Buffaloes on Dec. 31, but battled them down the stretch last weekend.

"So obviously we've shown that we can bounce back," Washburn said, while noting that the Utes are still practicing and competing hard in an effort to finish the season off on a good note.

There's no time, he explained, to worry about anything else. The situation, which followed the coaching change from Jim Boylen to Larry Krystkowiak, is what it is and "just the hand that's been dealt."

Washburn has no regrets about his decision to stay with the program.