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College Basketball Bubble Watch: Arkansas fighting for a position early

By Nathaniel Reeves

ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 17: Yante Maten
ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 17: Yante Maten /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: Tyler Rawson #21 of the Utah Utes looks to pass under pressure from Charlie Moore #13 and Grant Mullins #3 of the California Golden Bears during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. California won 78-75. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: Tyler Rawson #21 of the Utah Utes looks to pass under pressure from Charlie Moore #13 and Grant Mullins #3 of the California Golden Bears during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. California won 78-75. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Utah Utes

The Pac-12 once again is suffering from a lack of depth in 2017-18, with most projecting the conference to only get four bids to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. A couple of teams are starting to emerge as fringe Big Dance threats from the Pac-12 in the early going, starting with Utah.

Larry Krystkowiak has done a terrific job turning around the struggling Utes since arriving in 2011, culminating in a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and top 20 finishes in the AP Poll in 2015 and 2016. The Utes regressed to 20-12 last season, weren’t expected to be much of a factor in the Pac-12 after losing Kyle Kuzma to the NBA.

Utah has impressed in the early going with a 4-0 start to move up to No. 44 in Kenpom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. Senior Tyler Rawson is improved across the board with 11.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, with Long Beach State transfer Justin Bibbins is looking like a nice pickup.

The Utes had little trouble with Missouri last week, which will count for something by the end of the year even with Michael Porter Jr. out due to injury, and took down Ole Miss in the MGM Resorts Main Event on Monday. That gives Utah a crack at a UNLV team that has blown out all four opponents its faced this season in what should be a good early season measuring stick.

Those are all good if not spectacular wins, and beating the Running Rebels would move the needle a little more in the Utes’ favor. Utah will also need to be careful with a quick turnaround on Friday night against an Eastern Washington team that has already beaten Stanford this year.