The only team in the Mountain West Conference that the Utah Utes have not beaten since coach Jim Boylen took over is only their biggest rival -- Brigham Young, which will visit the Huntsman Center on Tuesday shooting for its fifth straight win in the series.

"Don't think that's not on my mind," Boylen said.

"I get it every day," he added, "when I go get gas or go to the store: 'When are you going to beat BYU?' I get it every day, and it's on my mind. ... My goal is to build this program, and to do it, we have to win tomorrow."

The Utes are favored by 3 1/2 points, according to Covers.com, and played the Cougars to within three at home last season. But as much as Boylen would love to beat the Cougs, he knows it won't be easy. The coach spent much of his weekly press conference today complimenting his rivals.

Forward Lee Cummard is a "tough son of a bitch" and the "head of the monster," he said, guard Jackson Emery is a "great addition" and center Chris Miles has improved greatly. "What BYU doesn't get credit for enough is their defense," he added, noting that the Cougars lead the league in defending the three-pointer.

But he also believes the Utes are better than they were a year ago. "We're both good," he said. "And that makes it better."