SALT LAKE CITY-Wednesday evening, Utah men’s basketball unofficially commences the season by hosting the NCAA Division II Texas-Tyler Patriots of the Lone Star Conference at the Huntsman Center.

The Utes are coming off of a 17-14 campaign (11-7 in the Pac-12) in 2018-19 and have undergone a significant makeover from last season.

Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak (155-111, 583) enters his ninth season at the helm of the program and welcomes in 12 newcomers from 2018-19. Overall, Krystkowiak is 197-131 (.601) as a head coach and needs only three wins for #200 in his coaching career which also consists of a stint at his alma mater, Montana (2004-2006).

Among them are redshirt freshman center, Senegalese national Lahat Thioune and Puerto Rican Alfonso Plummer, a guard out of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Utah is tied with Tennessee-Martin for the most newcomers on a squad in Division I men’s basketball.

The only Division I squads with more newcomers than the Utes are Texas Christian (the Horned Frogs have 15 new faces), Nebraska (14) and East Carolina (13).

The Utes’ most successful returning starter is sophomore forward Timmy Allen. The 6-6 Mesa, Ariz. product netted 12.2 points and 5 rebounds per game for the Utes last season.

The Patriots were 8-17 last season and their returning standout is sophomore guard Darius Alford. The Houston native netted 18.6 points and 4 rebounds per game last season for Texas-Tyler