BYU guard Nick Emery was ejected from December's game for punching Utah's Brandon Taylor, an incident that Krystkowiak called "the straw that broke the camel's back.'' He has refused to meet with BYU coach Dave Rose to find a solution.

This has been a rivalry played since 1909, but Krystkowiak says it has turned into a "venomous and toxic environment'' and that he's concerned for the well-being of his players.

It looks like there's no way to save another great rivalry game, and it seems to me there's just one person to blame. Utah has ended its series with BYU, and it's being driven by Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak.


Talk about taking the easy way out. The idea that these two schools won't play is ridiculous. There are plenty of ways to reduce the tension. Xavier and Cincinnati, every bit as heated at Utah-BYU, solved the problem after a big brawl. They now play without incident.

I think it's an easy way to avoid a difficult game, and by that I mean Krystkowiak would rather play an opponent (at home, of course) that he knows he's going to beat. I'd bet Krystkowiak would rather play Utah Valley or Sacramento State than deal with BYU. He wouldn't be the first coach to do that and, sadly, won't be the last.

As for me, I'm rooting for every Utah opponent because of this. Unfortunately, I couldn't get Oregon State home last night as the Utes prevailed, but I was trying.

A look back at last week:

ELEVATOR GOING UP

Alabama Birmingham: The Blazers are going to be a tough team to deal with in the NCAAs. Right now, they're 14-3 and have won 12 in a row, their longest winning streak since 1991-92.

Clemson: I've always thought Brad Brownell was a good coach, but things started poorly this season as theTigers went 3-4 in their first seven games, and I wondered if he would be on the hot seat. Now, I'm back on board as the Tigers have consecutive victories over Louisville, Duke, and Miami and are 5-1 in the ACC, which last happened in 1997.


Hawaii: Hang loose, baby. Surf's up. The Rainbows won two straight on the mainland and are now 15-2, their best start since 2001, and 4-0 in the Big West. The key matchups with UC Irvine won't occur until February.

James Madison: The Dukes, led by nifty senior guard Ron Curry, have established themselves as the team to beat in the CAA by going on the road and beating league favorites Northeastern and Hofstra.

Texas A&M: The Aggies, incredibly, are the best team in the SEC (not that that's saying much; this isn't football). They've won eight straight and are 15-2 overall and 5-0 in the league.

Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams were 5-5 and we all were wondering if the program could be slipping quickly since Shaka Smart left for Texas. New coach Will Wade has things going, and the Rams have won eight in a row and are at the top of the Atlantic 10.

Virginia Tech: There's life in Blacksburg, where Buzz Williams has had little success until recently. The Hokies broke an 18-game ACC road losing streak by winning at Georgia Tech Saturday and are now 4-1 in the ACC for the first time since 2008-09. All the games have been close; the loss was by 4 points to Duke, and they've beaten North Carolina State by 5, Virginia by 2, Wake Forest by 2, and Georgia Tech by 1.


ESCALATOR GOING DOWN

Akron: After winning 10 straight, the Zips came back to earth in the competitive MAC, losing road games to Central Michigan and Toledo.

Duke: It's obvious that this is not a vintage Dookie team. Maybe Coach K doesn't play the one-and-done game as well as John Calipari (oh, wait, he's having his problems too). Anyway, Duke had an awful week, losing to Clemson and Notre Dame.

Louisiana Tech: The Fightin' Mailmen should be contenders in Conference USA, but how can you believe that when they had an awful road trip to Florida, losing to Florida International and Florida Atlantic.

Michigan State: Sparty is not doing well. Even the return of Denzel Valentine from injury hasn't helped as they lost two straight, to Iowa in East Lansing and Wisconsin in Madison.

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack are 0-5 in the ACC, and that hasn't happened since 1996-97. Things are not going to get better soon with Pitt and Duke next on the schedule.

Northern Iowa: The heady days of beating North Carolina and Iowa State seem pretty distant now. The Panthers have lost four of five, including allowing Loyola of Chicago to win its first league game (and that was in Cedar Rapids).

THIS WEEK'S FINAL FOUR: Kansas, Xavier, Maryland, Purdue. I'm worried about the Boilers and their lack of a consistent outside game, but for now they remain.


THIS WEEK'S NATIONAL CHAMPION: Maryland

Joe Sullivan can be reached at joseph.sullivan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeSullivan