The Wildcats were coming off a 1-point loss to BYU at home and needed a bounce-back effort. It was far from a successful night for Utah in its 83-66 loss Wednesday inside legendary McKale Center,

The Utes were one week removed from beating Kansas and Kansas State. They were a tick under .500 in Big 12 play, and they had a manageable stretch upcoming — so manageable that it was easy to envision the Utes, who were picked dead last in the Big 12’s preseason media poll, finishing as high as sixth or seventh place.

Many supporters of Smith highlighted his success at Utah State and felt he was not given a fair chance in Salt Lake City. A few noted his accomplishments with the Aggies, with the