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Utah steps into the 2024-25 college basketball season looking to make its presence felt in the Big 12 as one of its newest members. The Runnin' Utes missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament in their last stint in the Pac-12. However, they were selected to compete in the National Invitation Tournament and made a good account of themselves, acing their first three assignments before losing to Indiana State in the semifinals.
Craig Smith will appear in his fourth season as Utah coach, hoping to lead the program to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. Here's a deeper look into the Runnin Utes' upcoming campaign, from their biggest games to key players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season.
Utah's biggest games in the 2024-25 season
Utah will make its debut in the Big 12 after spending 13 years in the Pac-12.
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The Runnin' Utes are set to play home and away games against Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
The team will host Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech and meet Arizona, Houston, Iowa State, TCU and UCF on the road.
Utah will release its non-conference schedule at a later date.
Top Utah players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
Utah parades a competitive roster made up of six holdovers, eight transfers and three freshmen.
The Runnin' Utes aim to make their presence felt in the Big 12 in its first year with the conference. Here are the three Utah players that fans should keep an eye on in the 2024-25 season:
#1. Gabe Madsen
Gabe Madsen is playing in his fourth season with Utah and looks to continue his sudden rise to prominence. The 6-foot-6 Madsen played 37 games for the Runnin Utes' this past season and averaged 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.
He is expected to be the team's top offensive option this coming season as he looks to lead the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.
#2. Ezra Ausar
Ezra Ausar transferred to Utah after two seasons with East Carolina. The 6-foot-8 forward is coming off a good sophomore season with the Pirates, where he tallied 11.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He shot 51.4% from the field and made 65.3% from the free-throw line.
Utah will rely on Ausar's inside presence to score more points inside the paint and help the Runnin' Utes make some noise in their first year in the Big 12.
#3. Ibi Traore
Ibi Traore was a three-star freshman out of West Oaks Academy. The 6-foot-9 player out of Bamako, Mali, had a great senior year when he put up 18.0 points per contest.
Traore will form a frontcourt partnership with Ezra Ausar to help Utah achieve its objective this coming season.
Utah's predictions for the 2024-25 season
Utah would rely heavily on the offense of Gabe Madsen and Ezra Ausar to compete in the Big 12. As a new team in the conference, the Runnin' Utes will be in for a slow start, but expect them to finally get their bearings back and win 18-20 games in the regular season.
Coach Craig Smith's wards would need to win the Big 12 Tournament to make it to the NCAA Tournament, as the competition is fierce with Houston, Kansas, Arizona and Baylor battling for the conference's top spot.
Will Utah make the NCAA Tournament? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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