High Post Hoops
Fansided

2019-20 Pac-12 preview: Oregon atop a deep conference

By Kim Doss

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 05: Oregon head coach Kelly Graves talks with Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) before the 2019 NCAA Women's Division I Championship Final Four game between the Oregon Ducks and the Baylor Bears on April 05, 2019 at Amelie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 05: Oregon head coach Kelly Graves talks with Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) before the 2019 NCAA Women's Division I Championship Final Four game between the Oregon Ducks and the Baylor Bears on April 05, 2019 at Amelie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 13
Next
SEATTLE, WA – JANUARY 13: Utah Utes guard Erika Bean (11) and Utah Utes guard Kiana Moore (0) reacts after a college basketball game between the Utah Utes against the Washington Huskies on January 13, 2019, at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JANUARY 13: Utah Utes guard Erika Bean (11) and Utah Utes guard Kiana Moore (0) reacts after a college basketball game between the Utah Utes against the Washington Huskies on January 13, 2019, at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The restart in Salt Lake

What happened last year?

The Utes were hurt by the early injury to Daneesha Provo, but they still put together a solid season behind the play of Megan Huff and Dre’Una Edwards.

They went 20-10 and finished at .500 in the league to place seventh in the regular season. Then, they became the first victims of Washington in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies put together a 64-54 victory that essentially ended the Utes’ season.

Utah was eligible for the postseason WNIT as the Pac-12’s automatic qualifier. They turned down the opportunity citing injuries.

Key losses

Everyone knew it was Huff’s last go-round in college basketball. It’s tough to know that you will be losing a player who made the All-Pac-12 first team during both of her years in Salt Lake City. It’s difficult to replace 19.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 37 percent accuracy from 3-point range, but Utah knew that was coming.

What they didn’t expect was to lose their Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Dre’Una Edwards. The Las Vegas native opted to go further from home after her freshman season when she announced that she would be transferring to Kentucky.

Edwards averaged 11.6 ppg and 6.7 rpg in her lone season at Utah. Both numbers trailed only Arizona’s Cate Reese among Pac-12 freshmen. Her loss means that the Utes lose two of their top three scorers, their top two rebounders, and their top two in blocked shots per game.

Key returners

The Utes will be thrilled to get Provo back. The redshirt senior played only 13 games before going down for the season with an injury. She was averaging 13.5 ppg at the time, which would have been second on the team if she had kept it up all year.

Provo is the only returning Ute who scored in double figures last season. She shot 38.7 percent from 3-point distance and 51.1 percent overall while starting all 13 games in which she played.

Fellow senior Kiana Moore is another crucial returning piece for the Utes. Moore was fourth on the team with 9.2 ppg last season. Like many of Utah’s players last season, she was a lethal outside shooter, connecting on 39.8 percent of her long-distance shots.

Dru Glyten will be the top returning underclassmen. The sophomore guard started all 30 games last season. She was good for 8.8 ppg and 5.5 apg.

Key additions

The Utes brought in two players in their freshman class. Guard Brynna Maxwell was Washington’s Ms. Basketball last season for Gig Harbor High School. She averaged 26.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 4.6 steals per game.

Post player Lola Pendande played high school ball at Ribet Academy in Los Angeles, where she won the 2018 John R. Wooden Southern California High School Player of the Year award. She is originally from Spain.

Pendande played for Spain in several summer FIBA events. She suited up for the world’s No. 2 girls basketball program at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Thailand and at the U20 Women’s European Championship. In Thailand, she averaged 11.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 1.6 apg. Overall, she accounts for 6.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 0.8 apg in FIBA competitions.

The Utes also added transfer Zuzanna Puc from UTEP. The senior will sit out her transfer year this season.

Outlook for 2019-20

It’s difficult to replace a player like Huff. Adding Edwards to the list of the missing isn’t encouraging for Utah. As long as Provo stays healthy, she should lead the team in scoring.

Where the Utes really need help, though, is rebounding. If Pendande can step up and perform like she did in Thailand this summer, she might be the answer to the loss of Edwards. The problem is that even with Edwards and Huff last season, the Utes couldn’t rise above seventh place in the league. It’s difficult to see them doing it without Huff, even if Pendande is able to replicate Edwards’ production.

Based on the point difference, the coaches see a fairly big gap between the top six teams and Utah. That’s not an unreasonable view considering their losses and the remaining personal. In short, Utah may need to make that WNIT decision again this season.

Others may struggle to even get that chance…

Home/NCAA