Utah Utes guard Matyson Wilke (23) defends against Oregon Ducks forward Grace VanSlooten (40) during a game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.
Marielle Scott, Deseret News
While No. 22 Utah is a virtual lock for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the Utes have an opportunity on Friday to make another statement when they host No. 8 Colorado at the Huntsman Center.
That will be the first of three straight games against top 10 teams — the Utes hit the road for games at UCLA and USC next week — and it will be the last time Utah hosts a ranked team this season.
The game could have postseason implications for Utah as well.
The Utes are sixth in the Pac-12 standings heading into this weekend’s action, a half-game behind USC and UCLA and three games ahead of the next-best Pac-12 team, California.
Utah has five games left in the regular season — after the three games against top 10 teams, the Utes finish the regular season with home games against Washington State and Washington.
There’s still a chance Utah could play its way into a top-four seed in the Pac-12 tournament, which takes place March 6-10 in Las Vegas, which would ensure a first-round bye, and a win over Colorado would bolster those odds.
There’s also the potential that Friday’s game could have implications for Utah in the NCAA Tournament as well.
Utah is currently a No. 5 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology, with five other Pac-12 teams hosting the first two rounds as regional hosts and top 4 seeds.
Stanford is projected as a No. 1 seed, while UCLA and Colorado are a projected No. 2, with USC a No. 3 and Oregon State a No. 4.
Getting a top four seed for the NCAAs would allow Utah to host the first two rounds like they did last year.
The NCAA women’s basketball committee released its first top 16 early reveal on Thursday, and Colorado came in at No. 4 — which would net the Buffaloes an NCAA No. 1 seed, along with second-ranked Stanford.
When Utah and Colorado played in Boulder at the end of December, the Utes held an eight-point fourth-quarter lead before the Buffaloes ended the game on a 23-4 run.
Getting a victory over Colorado would boost the Utes’ NCAA resume significantly.