TAKEAWAYS: In Loss To Mississippi State, Utah Basketball Looked Very Competitive

SALT LAKE CITY—Craig Smith’s Runnin’ Utes program fell to 3-1 on the season after a 78-73 loss to Mississippi State. However, they proved pretty competitive against a tough Bulldogs squad. 

Final from Southaven…
Utah 73#RV Mississippi State 78

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 17, 2024

Ezra Ausar led the team in scoring with 15 points, but the game’s story was Utah’s foul trouble. Three key players—Ausar, Mike Sharavjamts, and Keanu Dawes—fouled out, which also impacted the rotation throughout the game.

RELATED: Utah Basketball Battled, Come Up Short In 78-73 Loss To Mississippi State

Utah built an 11-point advantage by the intermission but learned a tough lesson in the second half. The Bulldogs are a very good squad, and Utah held tight but could not make the plays it needed on either end to hold onto the lead.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

The Runnin’ Utes Are Going To Be Competitive

Mississippi State is a good basketball program. They’ve gone to the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons and have another good squad this season.

The Bulldogs were ranked No. 27 in Kenpom coming into the game. Again, this is a good basketball program.

Though the loss is disappointing, the Utes looked very competitive. They built a double-digit lead in the first half but watched an experienced Bulldogs squad surge back into the game in a matter of minutes.

RELATED: Assertiveness Is The Key For Mike Sharavjamts, Utah Basketball

After the first few minutes of the second half, Utah settled in and battled back. The two teams went back and forth for most of the second half. Utah’s got to make more plays down the stretch but the fact this game came down to a couple of plays is significant.

As mentioned, key figures were hampered by foul trouble, and yet Utah found offensive production from others. If Utah can maintain its depth, the balance on this roster will lead to positive results.

Utah started the day ranked No. 55 but has moved up to No. 54 despite the loss. Utah has more to prove but this squad looks capable of battling it out in the middle of the Big 12 Conference race.

Gabe Madsen Needs To Be Better

Utah’s veteran leader finished with just 9 points in this one. To make things worse, he took 15 shots to get those 9 points.  That sort of inefficiency is costly, and it hurt Utah’s chances at a win today.

Madsen is the sort of shooter that can get hot in an instant. Coach Smith always wants him to continue shooting the ball when struggles hit, as he should.

Utah will feed him opportunities; however, because so much hinges on his scoring ability, Madsen must quickly recognize when to change his approach.

He did not convert a 3-point attempt until his 10th shot from deep. When a shooter struggles like he did today, the best fix is typically getting to the free-throw line just to see the ball go through the hoop.

Madsen attempted zero free throws in this one, which has to be the lesson from this one.

Ezra Ausar Is A Talent, Needs To Improve Efficiency

Ausar led the team with 15 points in this one. He was truly dynamic at times. He had a couple of drives off the dribble; one he simply blew by his man with an explosive first step; the second, he showed off a little crossover to get to the rim.

Given his combination of athleticism, size, and skills, he’s an exciting talent. He’s a big-bodied athlete with good ball-handling ability. He’s also tough and skilled in the post, where he’s primarily worked.

Though he led the team in scoring, he was inefficient, shooting 4-of-13 from the field.  Diversifying his scoring will be key to improving his efficiency. Ausar needs to develop comfort with his jump shot and add that to his repertoire.

Need To Be Tougher Second Half Defenders

Foul trouble and how this game was officiated certainly impacted Utah’s ability to defend. They did a tremendous job in the first half of limiting Mississippi State to 23% shooting overall and 7.7% shooting from deep.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs converted 50.0% overall (16-of-32) and 41.7% (5-of-12) in the second half.

The Bulldogs proved why they are one of the top basketball programs in the country. They’re a very competitive group of athletes. They attack the rim and defend on the perimeter at a high level. They have an experienced group of players that have been in a number of tight games.

Utah did not match that level in the second half. That has to be the lesson moving forward.

When he returns, Lawson Lovering will help Utah’s defense by adding rim protection. That will not only help Utah’s interior defense but should also allow Utah’s perimeter defenders to be more aggressive.

Mason Madsen’s Veteran Presence

Despite his brother’s struggles, Mason was a good source of production today. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, while adding 5 rebounds.

He was a spark off the bench, not only with his scoring, but he brought a bit of an attitude to the floor. Utah will need that in a lot of games moving forward.

Having a veteran like him who can score and compete confidently against quality opposition is a key element of Utah’s season.

Keanu Dawes Looks Legit

A key addition in Utah’s offseason makeover was met with a bit of criticism. Dawes was a freshman at Rice last year and had a modest production, so there were questions about how he’d adjust to a greater level of competition.

Today’s contest was the toughest non-conference game on Utah’s schedule, and Dawes proved plenty capable.

He made an instant impact off of the bench for Utah. He finished the first half with 9 points and 8 rebounds, which included a couple of impressive finishes at the rim.

He was tough inside and his length impacted a number of shots around the rim. On the other end, he finished a number of shots around the rim as well.

Unfortunately, he, too, was hampered by foul trouble in the second half and finished with just 13 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal.

However, he’s shown a lot of game and potential through Utah’s first four contests. He’ll be a big factor in Utah’s successes this season.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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