Should Utah star Delon Wright start being more selfish?

PORTLAND — The first few times he played with Delon Wright, Utah forward Chris Reyes paid a price for not being ready to receive a pass.

"I got hit in the face a couple times," Reyes said. "I learned in a hurry to keep my hands up."

Stories like that are common among Wright's teammates because Utah's senior point guard might be college basketball's most unselfish star. He is the antithesis of a volume shooter, the rare All-American who can dominate a game without taking more than a handful of shots.

Seldom has that trait been more on display than in the final seven minutes Saturday when fifth-seeded Utah pulled away from fourth-seeded Georgetown for a 75-64 victory to earn a trip to the Sweet 16. Wright had a hand in most of the baskets his team scored during its game-clinching 22-11 surge even though he only contributed three free throws and didn't attempt a shot.

Time and time again, Wright would use a high ball screen to attack off the dribble, force the Hoyas defense to collapse on him and kick to an open teammate. That formula got Brandon Taylor a key left-wing 3-pointer with 2:47 remaining and Dakarai Tucker a layup on Utah's next possession. It also helped a handful of Utes get to the foul line late in the game.

"He makes us all a lot better," Utah wing Jordan Loveridge said. "He's a fun guy to play with because you know when he can't get to the rim, he is going to kick it out. He trusts us to hit shots."

While Wright's pass-first approach has been the engine for Utah's breakthrough 26-win season, a frequent debate in basketball circles is whether he is too unselfish. Wright shot 56.1 percent from the field last season and 52.3 percent this season, yet 20 times this year he has taken fewer than 10 shots.

Asked if Utah can win potential South Regional games next week against top-seeded Duke or second-seeded Gonzaga without Wright calling his own number more and forcing an occasional tough shot, both the senior point guard and Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak insisted the answer is yes. They both were adamant Wright's genius is his ability to assess what a defense is giving him when he drives and consistently make the right read.

Said Krystkowiak, "He actually has a knack that is not very coachable in terms of his feel."

Explained Wright, "I kind of read the defense. If they're coming to me, I try to bait them into coming to me so I can dish it off to a teammate. If they stay with one of my teammates, I'll take my shot. It's playing a mind game with the defense."

There's no mystery what gave birth to Wright's unselfish approach.

The Utah star played numerous pickup games growing up in the Los Angeles area with older brother Dorell Wright and his friends. He is six years younger than Dorell, so he had to find other ways to contribute besides hunting his own shots.

Wright wasn't a coveted recruit despite his NBA bloodlines and the versatility he displayed at Leuzinger High and City College of San Francisco. His ascendance into an All-American candidate at Utah jump-started Kryskowiak's rebuilding process and enabled the Utes to develop into a Sweet 16 caliber team a year or two ahead of schedule.

Wright has averaged an efficient 14.8 points and 5.2 assists this season while playing outstanding defense, yet he hears from everyone from fans, to analysts, to even his older brother that he could be shooting more. Reyes admitted he can see both sides of the debate Saturday evening, noting that Wright's approach is what makes him an amazing teammate yet also admitting the senior guard might be leaving points on the board.

"Honestly, we think he can get a bucket anytime he wants because he's such a big guard and he's defended by smaller guards," Reyes said.

Duke has small guards. Duke has been susceptible on pick-and-roll defense all season. Will Wright look to score himself more frequently if Utah meets the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16? Don't count on it.

"The team is doing well with me playing the way I do," Wright said. "I just have to continue doing that."