SALT LAKE CITY -- Kyle Kuzma posted career highs with 23 points and 19 rebounds as Utah defeated Northwest Nazarene 81-37 in its season opener Saturday evening. Cheap NFL Jerseys .Utah fans got their first full glimpse of the new-look Utes and their roster consisting of just two legitimate contributors from last season.This morning, I was just extra turned up, Kuzma said. I dont for whatever reason. Its game day.I tried to bring energy. I think that was the biggest thing. When we have energy-givers, then everybody feeds off of that.The Utes struggled mightily for the first 16 minutes of the first half until a 17-3 run basically put the game away after they led 36-20 at halftime. Utah shot under 40 percent most of the first half as the offense seemed to have no real direction.Kuzma started passively, like the rest of the team, but picked up the aggression and finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the first half alone. He highlighted the 17-3 stretch with a spinning floater while being fouled. Teammate Tyler Rawson added 13 points.Its a starting point for us, Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. We had guys that tried to push the issue a little bit too much. Didnt trust the offense. We cleaned it up a little bit and got some composure in the second half.Some of its jitters. Got to find some consistency and some roles.Northwest Nazarene, which was playing a back-to-back after defeating Simpson University 92-67 on Friday, shot just 16.4 percent from the field and 1 for 25 from behind the arc. Maurice Jones scored 11 points. The 37 points are the fourth fewest Utah has allowed since 1982.Obviously, we played a team that was much bigger and more talented to their level, Northwest Nazarene coach Scott Flemming said. I never would have thought we would shoot the ball so poorly tonight. We have a really good shooting team. We hit eleven 3s last night against different competition.Even the open looks we got, I think that was the biggest problem. Now when youre not making shots, all of the other things kind of are obvious, too -- their rebounding, their size, all those kind of things. It hurts in transition. It still is a good game for us to have.BIG PICTURENorthwest Nazarene: No harm, no foul for the Crusaders. As a Division 2 member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the loss doesnt count toward their regular-season record. Plus, they have to feel pretty good about the early parts of the first half against a Pac-12 program that has reached the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons.Utah: Theres lots of work to do for a Utah team with just two returners having played significant minutes. The offense had no flow for much of the game outside of the spurts when Kuzma took over. The defensive intensity came and went. The Utes must improve before Pac-12 play or they will live up (or down) to their preseason pick of finishing No. 8 in the league.SHORT STAFFEDUtah will be without newcomers David Collette and Sedrick Barefield until the Utes play face Prairie View A&M on Dec. 17. The two will miss the first eight games due to transfer rules, but are expected to be starters once they return. Sophomore Parker Van Dyke, freshman Devon Daniels and redshirt freshman Jayce Johnson started alongside returning starters Kuzma and Lorenzo Bonam.BALL CONTROLThe Utes had 19 turnovers, including seven from Bonam, who had six at halftime. Krystkowiak said the goal was 12. Bonam struggled all around with just five points and going 0 for 4 after making his first basket.UP NEXTNorthwest Nazarene: The Crusaders face Portland Bible in Caldwell, Idaho, in the Taco Bell Shootout.Utah: The Utes host Concordia on Tuesday and Coppin State on Friday as they open the season with three games in six days. Cheap NFL Jerseys China .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Authentic NFL Jerseys China .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.nflcheapjerseysfreeshipping.com/ . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Rihanna headlined the Made in America music festival in Philadelphia last month, and some of the national champion Villanova Wildcats wanted to go.The Wildcat who runs this town tonight -- and maybe forever -- just felt like staying home.Kris Jenkins needed a break from the fans who know him as Big Smooth. He just needed peace.Could it be, Jenkins bigger than Jay Z?In this town, teammate Josh Hart said, laughing, definitely.Hart made the show and bumped into fans who suddenly recognized the Wildcats, not just because they were the big men on the Main Line campus, but because of their increased visibility as the reigning NCAA national champions.Hart cant blame Jenkins for his desire to keep a low profile.Ill go out there and Ill get stopped a couple of times, Hart said. Im just like, Im happy Kris isnt out here. If Im with Kris, Im not going to be able to go nowhere.Jenkins is no longer just another Big East forward likely to be forgotten by all except to the programs diehards fans. He is the big man on campus. The Big Shot. He is the reason the Wildcats will raise a national championship banner in a ceremony Friday night at the Pavilion.His 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Wildcats to a 77-74 victory over North Carolina and the national championship.Jenkins joined Christian Laettner, Lorenzo Charles, Michael Jordan and Keith Smart on the March Madness highlight reel of greatest game-winners in tournament history.When it first happened, I watched it a couple of times, Jenkins said. Recently, I havent really watched it. Just trying to put it behind us and put that shot behind me.Put the shot behind him?Good luck with that.Jenkins timely 3 led him to the White House and the red carpet at the ESPYs.President Barack Obama made the traditional winners phone call to coach Jay Wright and said, Congratulate all of them, and tell Jenkins that he looked pretty cool out there taking that shot. Obama singled out Jenkins again when the team visited the White House and referenced him by his Big Smooth nickname. Of all the stars, athletes and other celebrities Jenkins met this summer, Obama left an imprint.President Obama was probably the only star-struck one, Jenkins said.But other All-Stars wowed Jenkins.Charles Barkley. DeAndre Jordan. Reggie Miller. All those guys, he said. That was pretty cool, too.Hartt attended the ESPYs and introduced himself to famous athletes and A-listers, finding polite greetings on the other end. NFL Jerseys China. But even the big shots knew Jenkins.I am an ant in their world, Hart said. Kris Jenkins, he dont really have to announce himself too much.He introduced himself to the college basketball world in April.The shot that made him famous came on a play Villanova practiced daily: Jenkins made the inbounds pass to guard Ryan Arcidiacono. He worked it up court and forward Daniel Ochefu set a pick near halfcourt to clutter things up, then Arcidiacono got set for the feed.Arcidiacono, cut this week by the San Antonio Spurs, made an underhanded flip to Jenkins, who spotted up a pace or two behind the arc and swished it with Carolinas Isaiah Hicks running at him.I was running hard enough to get close to him and get in his vision so he could see me and hear me, Jenkins said. I had to sprint pretty far because he had a little head start on me. I think Ive got a pretty good voice so the yells were pretty good.Wright calmly mouthed, Bang. Game over.Life changed a little bit, Jenkins said.Jenkins kept his sneakers from the game -- though Hart has tried prying them away for his collection.Hes not letting me get nothing, Hart said. I want a pair of compression shorts or something. A sock. I want to get something signed.Wright has talked with Jenkins about how to handle the popularity that smacked the humble senior out of Maryland.Anywhere he goes, everybody knows who he is, Wright said. Even everywhere I go, they ask me about him.Jenkins, who averaged 13.6 points last year, downplayed the shot.Im humbled by it, the 22-year-old said. Im just ready to go for the upcoming year.The Wildcats will raise the banner and former coach Rollie Massimino will attend to also raise a new and modern 1985 championship banner.Expect the loudest ovation to be saved for Jenkins.Im low key, so I dont really get caught up in being a star, or being what people say is a star, or the guy, he said. I just consider myself a young man who loves the game of basketball, who loves his teammates and will do anything to help out his guys.Especially if they need help on the last shot of the championship game. 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