Utah senior forward/center David Collette feels like preseason practice has gone by fast for the men’s basketball team, and he credits that mainly to the chemistry among this year’s players for making each day fun.
While the vibe among the team surely doesn’t hurt, there’s no denying that not having to sit out the first semester has also contributed to that extra bounce in Collette’s step.
A 6-foot-10, 220-pound Murray native who transferred from Utah State in 2016, Collette wasn’t eligible to play for the Utes until after the first semester of last year. He played in and started 22 games last season, and he’s the leading returning scorer (13.6 ppg) and rebounder (5.1 per game).
“I remember last year, me and [Sedrick Barefield] were sitting on the side,” Collette said. “They’re all getting ready, game prepping and stuff. For us, it was just still grinding. We were still lifting hard, working out hard, running, staying in shape.
“It seemed like our grind was an extra three months. It was hard to have to sit out and have to watch all that because you put in all the work in practice, and it’s kind of like you don’t get a reward being able to play in games. This year, it’s a lot better being able to, right off the bat, get going.”
Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak expects that being able to play an entire season will lend itself to growth and improved consistency from Collette and Barefield (9.0 ppg) on what will be a different looking Utes team after losing four of its top six scorers from last season.
“We ended up with a couple guys that started for us that we didn’t have until halfway through,” Krystkowiak said. “You couldn’t make much of it at the time. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you go, ‘Man this is going to be hard.’ So you try to get through it, but there’s very few sports where someone joins you halfway through the season based on eligibility.”
Defense first for Barefield
When asked about his role on this season’s team, Barefield’s response started with defense.
“As far as my role, it starts with my energy on the defensive end and just being a vocal guy — somebody who gives off contagious energy on the defensive end,” Barefield said. “And allowing that to lead to our offense, whether it’s me pushing the ball up the court or getting a steal or whether it’s me setting up a teammate or getting into offense. Whatever it takes.”
Krystkowiak has said that there won’t be one designated point guard. While Barefield said that is “different” for him as a player who has always been the point guard growing up, the junior also said it’s “a positive” particularly with the added presence of graduate transfer Justin Bibbins.
A declined invitation
As part of the Milwaukee Bucks 50th anniversary celebration, the team played a “Return to the MECCA” game on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena in a game broadcast nationally on TNT. Former Bucks players were invited back for the game, and that included Krystkowiak. A former player (1987-92) and coach (2006-08) for the Bucks, Krystkowiak said he declined in order to be with his team.