The Big 12 released its opponent schedule matrix for men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday, giving a full picture of what the University of Utah will face during its first season in the league.

Utah men’s basketball 2024-25 Big 12 opponent matrix

• Home-and-away: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, West Virginia
• Home-only: Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech
• Away-only: Arizona, UCF, Houston, Iowa State, TCU

What stands out?

The Utes’ 20-game conference schedule is highlighted by getting blue blood program Kansas to come to the Huntsman Center in the only matchup between the two schools during the upcoming season.

Utah and BYU will play a home-and-home, and the Utes will also play twice against two other teams appearing in early top 25 projections, Baylor and Cincinnati.

Utah travels to Arizona in the lone matchup with the Wildcats this season, and also must play Houston and Iowa State — two other projected top 25 teams — in their only games against the Cougars and Cyclones, respectively.

The Utes also host Kansas State and Texas Tech in their only matchups this season, as well as two other programs, Arizona State and Colorado, also jumping from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 this year.

Utah women’s basketball 2024-25 Big 12 opponent matrix

• Home-and-away: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU
• Home-only: UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State
• Away-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

What stands out?

Utah’s 18-game league schedule includes home-and-away matchups with three teams, and they’re all longstanding rivals with the Utes: former Pac-12 compatriots Arizona and Arizona State, as well as in-state rival BYU.

The Utes will play three of the four Big 12 teams ranked ahead of them in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 on the road only — Baylor, Iowa State and West Virginia.

Of the five teams Utah will face at home, Colorado (who finished last year ranked No. 15) and Kansas State (another projected top 25 team) highlight that list.

Craig Smith had multiple opportunities last season to conduct a scouting report on Cody Williams, the Utah Jazz’s first selection in Wednesday night’s opening round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

That’s because Williams’ Colorado Buffaloes faced Smith and the Utah Runnin’ Utes three times during his lone collegiate season, with Williams playing in two of the contests.

Williams and the Buffaloes got the best of Smith and the Utes the two times the 6-foot-7 wing played against them. They beat them by 24 in late February, then blew them out again during the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals.

Williams missed the teams’ first meeting last season, when Utah edged the Buffaloes in Salt Lake City. Still, getting familiar with Colorado gave Smith several chances to check out film on the future Jazzman.

Before the teams played in February, Smith talked about what Williams brings to the floor.

“He can get it going in any number of ways. At his size and his length, when he gets around the rim, he’s able to finish at all kinds of angles, over shot blockers,” Smith said at the time.

Williams averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season for Colorado, a squad that included fellow first-round draft pick Tristan da Silva (he went 18th overall to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night) and guard KJ Simpson, who’s projected to be a second-round selection on Thursday.

Williams also shot 55.2% from the field during the 2023-24 season and 41.5% from 3-point range in limited attempts.

The talented wing never made much of an impact against the Utes. in Colorado’s two wins over Utah, he averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

Smith was also impressed with what Williams does defensively.

“He’s a good defender because he’s so long,” Smith said. “You can get deep and you might have a half a step advantage, but with his length, he can catch up and make those plays.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Fans of the Utah Jazz waited with bated breath at the 2024 NBA Draft watch party, hosted by the team Wednesday night at the Delta Center.

Entry was free to the public, with the broadcast of the draft on the jumbotron. While some sat in the stands to watch picks 1-9, others occupied their time playing games like cornhole, taking photos in front of the Jazz’s “Mountain Basketball” logo, shopping for team merch and hitting the concession stands.

Fans in attendance said they’re optimistic, with most saying they hope the Jazz front office selects someone to help complement Lauri Markkanen.

Utah ended up picking Cody Williams, a freshman forward from the University of Colorado, as their first draftee of the night (10th pick overall). The team also has the 29th pick.