Fort Collins – Jason Smith is glad he played against Andrew Bogut last year when Smith was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year for Colorado State and Bogut the top pick in the NBA draft. That said, Smith is happier not to play Bogut this time around.
“I learned from what he does on offense, and you learn how to guard a player like that on defense,” said Smith, a 7-foot sophomore who is drawing this year’s wave of NBA scouts to MWC arenas. “They miss Bogut a lot.”
The teams last met in the opening round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on opposite ends of the standings – top seed Utah, on the way to the NCAA Sweet 16, ended CSU’s season 62-49. But Smith blocked three of Bogut’s shots.
Heading into Saturday’s 2 p.m. home game for CSU, both teams are struggling in early MWC play. The Utes (8-6, 1-2) are coming off a rare home league loss to San Diego State, and the Rams (11-4, 0-2) can’t figure out a way to win a conference road game.
Most of Utah’s lineup from last season is gone. One of the few returnees, senior guard Tim Drisdom, is listed as doubtful with a bruised knee.
“I think we are a work in progress,” Utah coach Ray Giacoletti said earlier this week on the MWC coaches’ teleconference. “We’re relying so much on young kids.”
CSU’s progress through an 11-2 nonconference start was halted as soon as the Rams left home.
“It’s an opportunity for us to get back on the winning track and an opportunity for us to get back in conference,” Smith said.
Layer said he might change his starting lineup. Sean Morris has been coming in for freshman Stephan Gilling, but Morris has been playing better than Gilling. Likewise, Micheal Morris has provided a spark off the bench at small forward, but a chronic knee problem sometimes hampers him.
Footnotes
Tickets are $2 general admission, with school officials eager to boost the crowd while students are still on winter break. … Freshman forward C.J. Clark returned to practice this week after sitting out with a stress fracture in his foot.
