​Utah guard TJ Burch drives to the basket during the Utes’ first official practice ahead of the 2026-27 season at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
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Anna Fuder, Utah Athletics
A new group of Utah basketball players got its first taste of facing someone else Wednesday night, as the Runnin’ Utes opened exhibition play with a 79-69 win over UNLV in Las Vegas.Here are three takeaways from Utah’s victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.“The exhibition games are great for us because you get to play against somebody else. And I don’t think it’s changed where we need to get to, but with a whole new team, it’s good to play together,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said.Guard play was encouragingIt was a good day all around for the Utes’ guard lineup.A few hours before tipoff, a school spokesperson shared that Trey Campbell was granted a temporary restraining order in his legal battle with the NCAA over eligibility and is eligible to compete.Campbell, who played the past four seasons at Northern Iowa, spent the offseason pursuing a fifth year of eligibility in the wake of the NCAA’s new eligibility model that will allow student-athletes five years to compete in up to five seasons.That included filing a lawsuit against the NCAA last month in Utah’s Business and Chancery Court, seeking an additional season of eligibility.It didn’t take long for Campbell to make an impact on the floor for Utah in Las Vegas. He hit a pair of early 3-pointers and knocked down two free throws in the game’s first six minutes on his way to scoring 11 first-half points.Campbell had a solid night overall, scoring a team-high 17 points, hitting 3 of 7 3-pointers and adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes of play.While Campbell led Utah’s guard line from the starting lineup, TJ Burch came off the bench and sparked the Utes.Burch was active on both ends, scoring 16 points while adding five rebounds, one assist and four steals. He made 8 of 10 free throws, leading the Utes’ 21-of-25 effort from the free-throw line.Defensive effort comes with gains and things to improveSince taking over the program last season, Jensen has preached the need to set the pace defensively, and that was apparent against the Rebels.Utah was active defensively throughout the night, and while they struggled at times to finish out defensive possessions, the Utes forced 18 turnovers and converted those into 18 points.Burch, the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year at Wright State a season ago, was excellent at directing his teammates, and former Utah Valley guard Jackson Holcombe, a former WAC all-defense honoree, showcased his toughness defensively.T