Utah will look to establish a win streak for the first time since starting the season 5-0 when it hosts Mississippi State on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The game will be played at the Delta Center, not far from the Utes’ campus.
It also will feature two players from the 1998 NCAA national championship game — Alex Jensen, the head coach of Utah, his alma mater, and Bulldogs assistant coach Scott Padgett (Kentucky), who played against each other that night in San Antonio.
Guard Terrence Brown, a transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson, averages a team-best 21.6 points per game for Utah (7-3).
Utah’s Keanu Dawes collected 13 points and 12 rebounds in the team’s 78-73 setback to Mississippi State last season. He contributes 11.4 points per game to go with team-best averages in rebounds (9.8) and assists (3.3).
Jensen is in his first season at the helm of the Utes.
“(Winning) is a mindset. There is a learning curve,” Jensen told the Deseret News. “This is a different team and I’m trying to give everybody confidence. At times, we’re going to give up size, especially when we get into the Big 12. The hardest part is (player) rotation. Their job is to be ready.”
For Mississippi State (4-5), Josh Hubbard is averaging a team-best 21.2 points per game. He scored 23 points against Utah last season and has made 59 consecutive starts for the Bulldogs.
The two-time All-Southeastern Conference second team selection could miss the Utah game with an apparent ankle injury, however.
Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans did not have a clear update on the status of Hubbard this week.
“I know they’re going to be working around the clock to try to get him back as soon as they can,” Jans told SI.com. “But I don’t have a timetable.”
One thing is certain, however. Jans would like to see the team’s first winning streak of the season. The Bulldogs have not won back-to-back games, and they are coming off a loss to San Francisco.
“Consistency has been an issue for the whole team,” Jans said.
