Wild West Basketball Roadtrip – Episode 1 – Salt Lake City Red Alert

Our photographer Thomas Savoia is back in the United States to experience the start of the collegiate season, and his first stop is in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY (UT), Nov. 20, 2025 — Fresh off the plane after an 11-hour flight, I settled in for a few days in the capital cityUtah. Installed in a “typical” downtown motel, I enjoy the soft autumn light flooding the downtown skyline and the snow-capped mountains of the Wasatch Range. The salt lake makes a strange impression on me, at once calm, mystical, austere and raw; in all cases it is in a community with the surrounding nature that can only impress.

To combat jet lag, I make a quick detour to “Temple Square,” the spiritual and historical heart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. There we find the emblematic Salt Lake Temple, which is unfortunately under construction, and the Tabernacle known for its exceptional acoustics. In the garden of the temple, I am approached by two charming young women in traditional dress who skillfully try to introduce me to the virtues and fundamentals of their church, but there is no time for debate because the serious stuff begins for me in the late afternoon with the coverage of the NCAA match.

Undebeaten Utes

Even if it hosts an NBA franchise, Salt Lake City is clearly not a stronghold of American basketball. It’s still a small media market, but the region benefits from an extraordinary density of universities: the University of Utah, which sits atop the city, Brigham Young University (BIU), its big Mormon sister a good half hour south in Provo and further north, the Utah State Aggies in Logan.

In this landscape, the Utah Utes basketball program is one of the great stories to begin the season. Currently undefeated (5-0), the team prepares to close out its home streak at its Jon M den. Huntsman Center vs Cal Poly Mustangs and I will be a privileged witness.

The light begins to fade as I leave the hotel behind the wheel of my 4×4 SUV, heading towards the heights of the city and the university district. I walk past a gigantic American football stadium that is buzzing tonight because it is hosting the finals of the State Football Championship that honors the best high schools in the state.

Salt Lake City is a city where the tranquility of the Rocky Mountains hides a fierce sports passion. For basketball fans, the beating heart is here at the University of Utah. As you climb towards the campus, the atmosphere changes completely, student life is in full swing and the excitement is palpable. Going to the John M. Center. Huntsman means prepare yourself for an experience that’s more raw, more visceral than the NBA. As I approach this special enclosure, I can already feel the heat of the Runnin’ Utes building. We have an hour until the match and the red “hoods” are approaching the room en masse.

A stadium in the shape of a flying saucer

The Utes, who play in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference, are in the midst of a rebuild under new coach Alex Jensen. A former star at Utah in the 1990s, Jensen returned to campus after a significant stint in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks. Considering the delicate 2024/25 (16-17) season, the Runnin’ Utes are not favored by pundits who have projected them to finish second to last in the conference. To shake up these predictions, Jensen completely changed the team, welcoming twelve new players and keeping only three old ones! And against all odds, the Utes began their season with an unblemished record (5-0) that puts them atop the Big 12 so far.

The Huntsman Center is a kind of amazing flying saucer. I enter the service tunnel at the same time as the Utes players. When I step out into it, I discover a red crater where the players warm up for a moment without an audience.

Here we are, taking my spot on the baseline at the three-point line. The show can begin. From the very beginning, the student band, “Muss”, makes as much noise as possible to accompany its players. The student section is organized like a mini soccer field and they display a giant standard in the stands.

But the enthusiasm of the public will be quickly extinguished by the clinical performance of the visitors. Far from intimidating, the Mustangs actually started the matchup with a veritable three-point fest (they finished 14/25 from long range). Led by Kaden Ward (28 points) and Hamad Musa (26 points), they led by 11 points at halftime (50-39), which stunned the Utah crowd. The cheerleaders then take to the floor to encourage the crowd. The audience is very family friendly. All generations are represented and Utah obliges, it is predominantly white.

Returning from the locker room, the energy returned to the Runnin’ Utes. Carried by 29 points from Terrence Brown, impressive in their explosiveness, they went on a desperate attack to get back to 76-74 six minutes from time. The audience explodes, convinced that the hardest part is done. The mascot is clapping my hands, but against all odds, Cal Poly delivers the final blow with a 12-2 run that will seal their victory.

This “Mid-Major Upset” I’m witnessing is already the highlight of the early season, proving that in the intensity and madness of the NCAA, anything is possible on a nightly basis. But watch out for the Utes season, I have no doubt they can do great things!

All photos are here