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Mormon Red Death
03-27-2015, 11:17 PM
So what do we think for next year?

I say Chapman makes the leap
Kuzma provides some good minutes
Loveridge and Taylor are who they are
We start wright, Taylor, Chapman, loveridge and poetl
Olsen plays the batshitzinky role well

Mormon Red Death
03-27-2015, 11:42 PM
Forgot bealer. .. he will start

LA Ute
03-28-2015, 12:35 AM
So what do we think for next year?

I say Chapman makes the leap
Kuzma provides some good minutes
Loveridge and Taylor are who they are
We start wright, Taylor, Chapman, loveridge and poetl
Olsen plays the batshitzinky role well


Forgot bealer. .. he will start

Ahead of whom does Bealer start? Wright, Loveridge or Chapman? That'll be interesting.

Reyes will be 7th or 8th man unless he figures out how not to be such a liability.

Diehard Ute
03-28-2015, 01:12 AM
It'll be Wright or Taylor, Bealer is a 2. I imagine you'll see Brandon play more at the 1 next year with he and Wright spelling each other.

UtahsMrSports
03-28-2015, 08:04 AM
-I hope Jakob comes back. We could really use him.

-im excited to see what happens with Kenneth Ogbe. I think he could be anything from our starting 2 to a logjam transfer casualty.

-i wouldnt be surprised if there was an out of the blue signing as well.

LA Ute
03-28-2015, 08:14 AM
It'll be Wright or Taylor, Bealer is a 2. I imagine you'll see Brandon play more at the 1 next year with he and Wright spelling each other.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bealer play some 3.

UtahsMrSports
03-28-2015, 08:21 AM
Draftexpress currently has Jakob going 11th overall. I guess going toe to toe with Jahlil Okafor and holding your own will do that.

DrumNFeather
03-28-2015, 06:41 PM
ESPN's early look...one of the paragraphs will tell you how dialed in they are:


To return to the NCAA tournament (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament), a team needs contributions from both returning and incoming players. Here's a look at Utah (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/254/utah-utes) and its chances of dancing again in 2016 (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruiting/on-the-trail/tag/_/name/2015-recruit-and-return).Quick references:
2014-15 roster (http://espn.go.com/ncb/teams/roster?teamId=254)
2015 recruiting (http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/254)
Possible 2015-16 starting five
G Dakarai Tucker (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61741/dakarai-tucker)
G Brandon Taylor (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61740/brandon-taylor)
F Brekkott Chapman (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134905/brekkott-chapman)
F Jordan Loveridge (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61737/jordan-loveridge)
C Jakob Poeltl (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134908/jakob-poeltl)
http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/254.png?w=80&h=80&transparent=trueWho is lost: The Runnin' Utes will lose arguably the best player in the conference in Delon Wright (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/66236/delon-wright). He was not only the quarterback of the squad, but also the catalyst for their Pac-12 runner-up finish (tied with Oregon). The Utes also will have to replace Dallin Bachynski (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/48699/dallin-bachynski), a backup center and who provided rebounding, solid post defense and solid screens.
Who is added: Larry Krystkowiak didn't have to tap into the European market this time around as he added a terrific trio of prospects from the West Coast. Makol Mawien (http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/186969/makol-mawien) is quite raw, but he has the physical tools (length/bounce) to be a potential starter at the 4 position down the road.Noah Togiai (http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/189978/noah-togiai) is a quintessential glue type who affects the game in multiple ways with his relentless energy, strength and athleticism. The final piece of the trio, Gabe Bealer (http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/204024/gabe-bealer) (City College of San Francisco), arrived a year earlier than expected. Bealer, a slashing wing who can score from all three perimeter levels, is redshirting after suffering a knee injury.
What it means for next season: There is no one in the program who can duplicate Wright's all-around skills and savvy. Taylor is a solid point guard with a ton of moxie and Isaiah Wright (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134910/isaiah-wright) is a solid playmaker, but neither of the returnees have the innate playmaking ability that Wright possessed. However, Krystkowiak's club should be more productive at every other position other than point guard. Poeltl is a future lottery pick, and sophomore Chapman should mold into an all-conference performer next season with his point forward skill set. Tucker should provide timely shooting and Loveridge is another prototypical glue type who affects the game with his skill, savvy and strength. In addition, the Utes should be excited about the potential of Kyle Kuzma (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134907/kyle-kuzma), who showed flashes of his budding talent during his freshman campaign.
Trending: Down. The key for the Utes as they head into the 2015-16 season obviously will be the development at the point guard position. However, an upper-echelon finish in the Pac-12 should be expected considering how talented and deep the roster is heading into next season.

UtahsMrSports
03-29-2015, 11:07 AM
ESPN's early look...one of the paragraphs will tell you how dialed in they are:

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Lol on the togiai comment.

Ill be interested to see this class grow,

UtahsMrSports
03-29-2015, 04:47 PM
Sounds like the Aggies have hired internally, so Tommy Connor is safe.....for now.

NorthwestUteFan
03-29-2015, 08:36 PM
Sounds like the Aggies have hired internally, so Tommy Connor is safe.....for now.

Good for them.

...and for us!

Scorcho
03-30-2015, 01:38 PM
so much of the 2015/2016 success will depend on the strength of the PAC-12. I think overall the league will be better (UCLA, OR, WA should be much improved). AZ will still probably be the favorite in the conference, but they wont be as dominant as the 2014/2015 team.

Remember Utah basketball following the 97/98 team. Most of the predictions for Utah were down because Van Horn had left, but ...

Maybe Delon leaving will have the same affect?

U-Ute
03-30-2015, 02:29 PM
so much of the 2015/2016 success will depend on the strength of the PAC-12. I think overall the league will be better (UCLA, OR, WA should be much improved). AZ will still probably be the favorite in the conference, but they wont be as dominant as the 2014/2015 team.


I thought the same thing would have been said about the 14/15 team after Griffin and Johnson left and look at how that worked out. :/

Scorcho
03-30-2015, 02:29 PM
I know Arizona has a great class coming in full of more 1-and-done superstars.

UCLA - they lose Looney. Who is coming in?

UW - why should they be much better? Just because they couldn't be any worse? NWG is gone, right?

Oregon - do they have a strong class coming in? They lose Joe Young.

I know Oregon State has a ranked incoming class.

Others? CU, USC (one year older, maybe the experience will help), Wazzu (I know nothing), ASU (lost all their recruits when they fired Sendek), Stanford (loses Randle), Cal (I know nothing)

AZ, Oregon, Oregon St. Wash and UCLA are all supposed to have very good classes coming in from what I've read.

LA Ute
03-30-2015, 03:39 PM
Delon picked up a 2nd team AP all-american. Again, does anyone know if 2nd team is enough to get his name in the rafters?

I am pretty sure he has to be a consensus AA, and I think that means first team. SCP may know more about that.

SoCalPat
03-30-2015, 06:01 PM
I am pretty sure he has to be a consensus AA, and I think that means first team. SCP may know more about that.

Delon has a 1st team and three 2nds from the four A-A teams that determine your consensus A-A team. So it's not happening -- Kaminsky, Okafor, Grant, Russell and Cauley-Stein are your consensus A-As.

SoCalPat
03-30-2015, 06:03 PM
so much of the 2015/2016 success will depend on the strength of the PAC-12. I think overall the league will be better (UCLA, OR, WA should be much improved). AZ will still probably be the favorite in the conference, but they wont be as dominant as the 2014/2015 team.

Remember Utah basketball following the 97/98 team. Most of the predictions for Utah were down because Van Horn had left, but ...

Maybe Delon leaving will have the same affect?

Utah didn't necessarily get better after KVH left just because it made it to the national title game. Utah made it to the national title game because Kentucky finally wasn't in our bracket.

311ute
03-31-2015, 07:22 AM
I was thinking about this the other day... where does this 2015 Utah team rank in terms of all-time greats at the U? Not "most accomplished", but if you had to pick a team from Utah history to win one game, how would you tank them?

This is how I would rank the best Utah teams that I've seen in my lifetime:

1. 1997
2. 1998
3. 1996
4. 1991
5. 1999
6. 2015
7. 2005

LA Ute
03-31-2015, 10:04 AM
I was thinking about this the other day... where does this 2015 Utah team rank in terms of all-time greats at the U? Not "most accomplished", but if you had to pick a team from Utah history to win one game, how would you tank them?

This is how I would rank the best Utah teams that I've seen in my lifetime:

1. 1997
2. 1998
3. 1996
4. 1991
5. 1999
6. 2015
7. 2005

I think this team was a notch better than 1991, so I'd rank them this way:


1. 1997
2. 1998
3. 1996
4. 1999
5. 2015
6. 1991
7. 2005

I'm just ranking them from 1990 forward. If we go farther back then we have to think about the Final Four teams of the 1960s and the Vranes-Chambers 1981 team.

mpfunk
03-31-2015, 10:46 AM
People always want to use rule changes to define the "modern era" of a sport. Wrong. The modern era is always 25 years. If you have a 25 year old son who wasn't alive for it, it's not the modern era.

Speaking of the early nineties, as I re-watched the Fast and the Furious quarter mile, I noticed that the number on the train is 3134.

I didn't know that you lived your life a 1/4 mile at a time.

FountainOfUte
03-31-2015, 11:51 AM
I think this team was a notch better than 1991, so I'd rank them this way:


1. 1997
2. 1998
3. 1996
4. 1999
5. 2015
6. 1991
7. 2005

I'm just ranking them from 1990 forward. If we go farther back then we have to think about the Final Four teams of the 1960s and the Vranes-Chambers 1981 team.

That's how I'd rank them. I was serving a mission during the '95 and '96 post seasons, so I have no idea how good KVH's junior year team was. I too think this year's team was better than '91. I still don't know what to make of the 2005 team. That's got to be our most overrated team ever. If we could put that team against Britton Johnson's senior year team ('03?) before he went down with mono, I think Britton's team wins.

SeattleUte
03-31-2015, 01:34 PM
1999 may have been the best. It went undefeated in conference through the tournament, in a crazy engorged WAC, including with a good Bill Self coached Tulsa team. At the end of the regular season it was killing everybody. They were upset in the second round of he NCAA tournament, but I think Andre lost some abandon after he fell in the WAC tournament.

SeattleUte
03-31-2015, 01:36 PM
Also, I don't know how anyone could rank any team over 1998 after it beat up the two top seeds in the NCAA tournament and came within 5 minutes of winning the title. To say 1997 was better is just asinine.

SoCalPat
03-31-2015, 02:05 PM
1999 may have been the best. It went undefeated in conference through the tournament, in a crazy engorged WAC, including with a good Bill Self coached Tulsa team. At the end of the regular season it was killing everybody. They were upset in the second round of he NCAA tournament, but I think Andre lost some abandon after he fell in the WAC tournament.

Man, it's tough between 1998 and 1999. The 1998 team has the Final Four, but Utah had made Final Fours before (albeit not for a very long time). The 1999 team is the only one in schools (and WAC?) history to go undefeated in league and tournament play. That Miami loss is a crusher. It would've faced a weaker Kentucky team in the Sweet 16 and a Michigan State team that Utah fared very well against the following year when it won it all. (Incidentally, had Utah won that game, it would faced ... you guessed it! ... Kentucky in the Sweet 16). Even if the 1999 team doesn't get to the Final Four, beating Kentucky deep in the tournament would be good enough for me to rate it as the best of the expanded bracket era.

LA Ute
03-31-2015, 03:46 PM
1999 may have been the best. It went undefeated in conference through the tournament, in a crazy engorged WAC, including with a good Bill Self coached Tulsa team. At the end of the regular season it was killing everybody. They were upset in the second round of he NCAA tournament, but I think Andre lost some abandon after he fell in the WAC tournament.

It definitely wasn't the same Andre after the bang-up.

LA Ute
03-31-2015, 03:49 PM
Also, I don't know how anyone could rank any team over 1998 after it beat up the two top seeds in the NCAA tournament and came within 5 minutes of winning the title. To say 1997 was better is just asinine.

LOL. I think it's a close call. After beating a good Stanford team that also made the Final Four in 1998) the 1997 team ran into Kentucky and Ron Mercer in the Elite 8. Mercer was unstoppable. If that team, with both Van Horn and Miller, could have made the FF I think they'd have had an excellent shot at winning. You may be right about 1998. (But not about your typically colorful and empty hyperbole.)





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

U-Ute
04-01-2015, 09:56 AM
A lot of declarations for the NBA draft yesterday. Poeltl not among them.

According to this Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eligibility_for_the_NBA_draft#.22Early_entry.22_pl ayer), underclassmen have to declare for the draft no later than 60 days before the draft. The draft is June 25 this year, which puts the last day to declare as April 26th.

Can we keep Poeltl busy until then?

LA Ute
04-01-2015, 12:29 PM
A lot of declarations for the NBA draft yesterday. Poeltl not among them.

According to this Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eligibility_for_the_NBA_draft#.22Early_entry.22_pl ayer), underclassmen have to declare for the draft no later than 60 days before the draft. The draft is June 25 this year, which puts the last day to declare as April 26th.

Can we keep Poeltl busy until then?

I am thinking maybe a month-long excursion to the Australian Outback in a place with no cell service.

LA Ute
04-07-2015, 02:01 PM
ESPN's way-too-early poll has us 14th next year, assuming Poeltl returns.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12623594/kentucky-wildcats-headline-early-top-25-ranking-2015-16-men-college-basketball-season

DrumNFeather
04-07-2015, 02:16 PM
ESPN's way-too-early poll has us 14th next year, assuming Poeltl returns.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12623594/kentucky-wildcats-headline-early-top-25-ranking-2015-16-men-college-basketball-season

They accurately note that with him the team's ceiling is "Great" and without it is "Good."

Old Standing ute
04-09-2015, 12:54 PM
KY 7 players declare; no word yet on Stanley Johnson--why would he return? Or Gary Payton JR from OSU.

more in , then better chance Jakob out.

U-Ute
04-09-2015, 04:04 PM
Cauley-Stein, Lyles, Towns, Okafor, Kaminsky.

Lots of bigs in this draft. Could this be a reason for Poeltl to stay?

EDIT: Tarczewski (or however it is spelled) returning for his senior year.

LA Ute
04-09-2015, 04:28 PM
EDIT: Tarczewski (or however it is spelled) returning for his senior year.

I wasn't too impressed with Tarczewski. Kaminsky ate him alive in the Elite 8 game.

U-Ute
04-09-2015, 04:58 PM
I wasn't too impressed with Tarczewski. Kaminsky ate him alive in the Elite 8 game.

Kaminski made fools out of a lot of centers. Zeus is no Kaminski. Still he is a big guy that rebounds and defends well. He is better than a lot of big stiffs littering NBA rosters.

LA Ute
04-09-2015, 06:45 PM
Yeah, so he's no Kaminsky. He sure played well against us.

Pretty well. 13 points (7 of them from the line, thank you, referees), 6 rebounds in 33 minutes. His real opponent in that game was Bach -- who had 25 minutes, Poeltl only 12. Together, Bach and Poeltl tied Tarczewski in points scored and out-rebounded him, 10-6. His big body and physicality took the softer, skinnier Poeltl out of the game. Anyway, he's still a bit of a stiff.

Old Standing ute
04-09-2015, 06:57 PM
Tarc is as good as he will get---not much more upside as he is not that athletic. Decent backup if he can extend his range--if not Euro bound.

U-Ute
04-20-2015, 07:25 AM
Poeltl... Via @utahathletics

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/20/e56b4f7541659b24ef2182f82bad4c19.jpg

DrumNFeather
04-20-2015, 07:26 AM
I too am looking forward to next season!

Rocker Ute
04-20-2015, 07:30 AM
This is obviously huge for next season, but also long term for Utah. Another visit to the tourney will signal to recruits that Utah is the real deal and a place you want to play.

Kodiak's extension and the coaching staff apparent continuity is huge too.

Mormon Red Death
04-20-2015, 10:18 AM
Starting five
Taylor
Chapman
Loveridge
Reyes
Poetl

Scratch
04-20-2015, 10:44 AM
Starting five
Taylor
Chapman
Loveridge
Reyes
Poetl

Taylor
Bealer
Loveridge
Chapman
Poeltl

Solon
04-20-2015, 11:39 AM
Taylor
Bealer
Loveridge
Chapman
Poeltl

Can Bealer handle the ball? I love Brandon Taylor, but he's not the greatest handler.

chrisrenrut
04-20-2015, 12:03 PM
Can Bealer handle the ball? I love Brandon Taylor, but he's not the greatest handler.

I was thinking the same thing. I'm hoping for:

I Wright
Taylor
Loveridge
Reyes
Poeltl

Chapman and Bealer 1st off the bench with significant minutes each game.

UBlender
04-20-2015, 12:32 PM
Starters: Wright, Taylor, Bealer, Chapman, Poeltl
Key Reserves: Tucker, Loveridge, Reyes, Mawien
Wild Cards (could get big minutes, could be end of bench and transfer): Ogbe, Kuzma
No idea: Miller, Another backup big (could switch places with Mawien)

LA Ute
04-20-2015, 01:21 PM
Starters: Wright, Taylor, Bealer, Chapman, Poeltl
Key Reserves: Tucker, Loveridge, Reyes, Mawien
Wild Cards (could get big minutes, could be end of bench and transfer): Ogbe, Kuzma
No idea: Miller, Another backup big (could switch places with Mawien)

I like this. I think Tucker and Loveridge would get lots of minutes; perhaps Reyes too.

311ute
04-20-2015, 01:37 PM
My guess is:

I. Wright
Taylor
Loveridge
Chapman
Poeltl

While I do have concerns over the small back court of Wright (6-2) and Taylor (5-10), the fact that both are such good defenders (and Taylor often guarded the opposing team's larger guard with not much problem) I think we'd be ok. Like has been said, I just feel like Taylor is a 2/shooting guard, not a great "creator". That's where we'll have the biggest void left from Delon is creating open shots off the dribble. I think I. Wright and Bealer are the two guys who can fill in the best in that area. So I could see Bealer start alongside Taylor, but until I see him play I can't pass an accurate judgment on him. He seems like the biggest wildcard on next year's roster.

Couple questions I have going forward (regarding positions/lineup)are:

Is Chapman a 4? Or a 3 and a 4?
Is Kuzma a 3 or 4?
Is Mawien a 4? or a 4 and a 5?

If I had to guess I'd say Chapman is a 4, Kuzma a 3, and Mawien a 4 and 5.

Thus, I think we see Chapman start at the 4, seeing about 25 mpg there. I think Mawien and Reyes are the primary backups at the 4 and 5 positions, with JO (assuming for now that he stays) seeing spot minutes at the 5.

Scratch
04-20-2015, 02:09 PM
So if Taylor can't man the 1 then does Wright play 40 minutes a game? LK must feel comfortable with Taylor out there at the 1, otherwise we'd be hearing a lot about our staff looking at transfer PGs (speaking of which, it will be really important to land a solid PG in the upcoming class).

concerned
04-20-2015, 02:15 PM
So if Taylor can't man the 1 then does Wright play 40 minutes a game? LK must feel comfortable with Taylor out there at the 1, otherwise we'd be hearing a lot about our staff looking at transfer PGs (speaking of which, it will be really important to land a solid PG in the upcoming class).

when Delon injured his leg and couldn't play in the second half of that one game, K started Taylor at the 1 and Tucker at the 2. I would be surprised if Wright and Taylor started, becasue the backcourt would be so small and K clearly prizes length for defense if nothing else.

LA Ute
04-20-2015, 02:44 PM
My guess is:

I. Wright
Taylor
Loveridge
Chapman
Poeltl

While I do have concerns over the small back court of Wright (6-2) and Taylor (5-10), the fact that both are such good defenders (and Taylor often guarded the opposing team's larger guard with not much problem) I think we'd be ok. Like has been said, I just feel like Taylor is a 2/shooting guard, not a great "creator". That's where we'll have the biggest void left from Delon is creating open shots off the dribble. I think I. Wright and Bealer are the two guys who can fill in the best in that area. So I could see Bealer start alongside Taylor, but until I see him play I can't pass an accurate judgment on him. He seems like the biggest wildcard on next year's roster.

Couple questions I have going forward (regarding positions/lineup)are:

Is Chapman a 4? Or a 3 and a 4?
Is Kuzma a 3 or 4?
Is Mawien a 4? or a 4 and a 5?

If I had to guess I'd say Chapman is a 4, Kuzma a 3, and Mawien a 4 and 5.

Thus, I think we see Chapman start at the 4, seeing about 25 mpg there. I think Mawien and Reyes are the primary backups at the 4 and 5 positions, with JO (assuming for now that he stays) seeing spot minutes at the 5.

The problem with Chapman at the 4 is that he hasn't shown that he can rebound. I wonder what LK thinks about that deficiency in Brekkott's game.


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311ute
04-20-2015, 02:46 PM
So if Taylor can't man the 1 then does Wright play 40 minutes a game? LK must feel comfortable with Taylor out there at the 1, otherwise we'd be hearing a lot about our staff looking at transfer PGs (speaking of which, it will be really important to land a solid PG in the upcoming class).

I'm not saying Taylor can't play the 1, I just think he's better playing off the ball. He's our best shooter and I think we'd be better served giving him at least some time playing the "off-guard".

One of the main reasons I don't love a Taylor/Tucker back court is Tucker's inability to handle the ball. I liked how the last two years we had two guys who could bring the ball up the court in Brandon and Delon. Additionally, without Delon next year I think we'll really need someone on the perimeter to put the ball on the floor and penetrate the defense. I think Isaiah and Bealer are probably our best bets to do that.

I really wish Ogbe would get healthy and put it all together next year. I still think he has an enormous amount of potential. It's too bad his groin injury derailed his season, sort of felt like a wasted year for him.

Old Standing ute
04-20-2015, 02:56 PM
I'm not saying Taylor can't play the 1, I just think he's better playing off the ball. He's our best shooter and I think we'd be better served giving him at least some time playing the "off-guard".

One of the main reasons I don't love a Taylor/Tucker back court is Tucker's inability to handle the ball. I liked how the last two years we had two guys who could bring the ball up the court in Brandon and Delon. Additionally, without Delon next year I think we'll really need someone on the perimeter to put the ball on the floor and penetrate the defense. I think Isaiah and Bealer are probably our best bets to do that.

I really wish Ogbe would get healthy and put it all together next year. I still think he has an enormous amount of potential. It's too bad his groin injury derailed his season, sort of felt like a wasted year for him.

For D purposes I feel Ogbe will start at 2, at least at beginning of the year. Bealer will have to prove he can D up.
Tucker can't handle ball--we would get pressed to death with him at the 2.

UBlender
04-20-2015, 03:23 PM
when Delon injured his leg and couldn't play in the second half of that one game, K started Taylor at the 1 and Tucker at the 2. I would be surprised if Wright and Taylor started, becasue the backcourt would be so small and K clearly prizes length for defense if nothing else.

I think Taylor can be passable at the point and will most definitely see plenty of minutes there next season. As others have said, I think his most optimal position is playing the two guard where he can run off of screens and catch and shoot rather than having to try to facilitate for others (something that is a struggle due to his size).

I don't know that the "small" backcourt will be the hindrance that many suggest. As 311 noted, Taylor has historically been able to defend above his size. Wright is also able to play big for his size (meaning, he has a good build, is strong and plays physical). I also think that most coaches in the college game are not sophisticated enough to adapt their offensive system on the fly in a way that punishes a smaller backcourt (i.e. posting up a bigger guard against Taylor). Most college teams also lack the breadth of talent and ball skills among their bigs to punish a team for offering help to an undersized guard who requires help against a bigger opponent.

I see where the size of a Taylor/Wright backcourt could be a problem on occasion but don't see it as a big enough issue to avoid that lineup altogether, a lineup which appears to include the only "true point guard" and the best shooter and leader of the team.

UBlender
04-20-2015, 03:25 PM
The problem with Chapman at the 4 is that he hasn't shown that he can rebound. I wonder what LK thinks about that deficiency in Brekkott's game.


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This is very true. Utah also loses a very good rebounding guard in Delon so once again rebounding will be a major question for this team and Utah may have to sacrifice offense for rebounding if certain players are not able to elevate their game on the boards.

justaute
04-20-2015, 05:06 PM
Many good points have been raised here. I'll add two more.

1. As much as I enjoying watching Taylor playing D and shooting off a screen, he has neither the lateral quickness nor the ball-handling skill to be a good PG. I guess he could improve, but not sure.
2. Ball-handling -- this past season, when the opponent presses our team, Delon seemed to be the only player who has the ball-handling skill to break the press. I'm hopeful we can improve in that area -- we sorely need it.

jrj84105
04-21-2015, 08:16 AM
JakPot is a better NBA prospect than D Wright, but D Wright was a FANTASTIC college player. Even if JakPot progresses, he will probably still not have as huge an impact as Wright. We need the rest of the young guns to develop as well to truly replace what DW delivered. Then we can start talking about a deeper run.

The thing about the 2016 team is that it looks like we have 1 anchor (Poeltl) and a bunch of guys that I would call "role players" in that they are specialists (Taylor, Tucker 3pt) and tweeners (Loveridge, Chapman, Kuzma) who may go off or disappear depending on how they match up in a particular game. I think what we really need is one more anchor- a guy who is going to play a lot of minutes and whose production is consistent and not dependent on any kind of weird mismatch. I think I Wright could be that guy and Bealer could be that guy. Kuzma and Chapman seem like they're another year away from that consistency. I've never been hugely impressed with Ogbe or Reyes.

Assuming a starting 5 of Poeltl, Chapman, Loveridge, Bealer, Wright- our second team looks like Olsen, Reyes, Kuzma, Tucker, Taylor. No matter how you slice the starting lineups, I feel like we have one teoam that would come in third in PAC and a second team that would finish 2nd in the MWC. But I don't see how you mesh these guys into a starting five that doesn't have at least one glaring weakness.

Jarid in Cedar
04-21-2015, 08:30 AM
There is less than a 1% chance that Taylor will not be a starter next season. He isn't the best player on the team but he is the unquestioned leader, and the heart and soul of the team.

Utebiquitous
04-21-2015, 10:39 AM
Sancho,
Are you baiting us with a statement like 2nd in the MWC better than 3rd in the PAC? I'm not saying that hasn't been the case but look at the last couple of years. Last year, an up year for the PAC, had four teams in the Sweet 16 - Arizona, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon. This year the PAC, in a "down" year, had three in the Sweet 16 - Arizona, Utah and UCLA.

To Jarid,
Amen on Taylor. As important as it is that Jakob returns for this team, let's not forget that Taylor is the leader. I don't care whether he starts or not, he'll play the most minutes. The tournament experience was terrific for him as this team starts preparing for next year.

Regarding the starting conversations,
I don't know that speculations on starting fives is important. I see a starting eight on this team and depending on the development of Ogbe and Kuzma, we could see even more depth and more starting combinations throughout the season. Miller and Mawien will get time but it's going to be hard for them to spend a lot of time on the court given who's in front of them this coming season. Perhaps Mawien will surprise. Certainly someone who rebounds and defends at an elite level at the 4/5 spot would be welcome. I just don't know if he can have the physical strength to do either of those things at a Pac-12 level this season. As wrong as I was about Chapman being ready for Division 1 basketball at the beginning of last season, we saw in Pac-12 play and in the tournament that he was a hit and miss player. He really showed some flashes but never consistency the last half of the season. Could Mawien be similar?

Anyway, I love the mixing and matching that Larry can and will do with Taylor, Wright, Bealer, Tucker, Ogbe, Loveridge, Chapman, Kuzma, Reyes, and Poeltl. If we add the Saddleback College kid this gets even more interesting.

Couldn't we just start the season now?

SeattleUte
04-21-2015, 03:57 PM
Not baiting. I think if we look over the past 5 years, #2 MWC probably compares favorably to #3 PAC-12. I wouldn't judge it by Sweet 16 appearances either. Just use Sagarin. I think and hope that going forward, #3 Pac12 will be a clearly stronger team. But with SDSU, UNLV, UNM and now Boise and CSU playing well, the MWC is pretty tough.


BS. Except for Utah the WAC/MWC has been with maybe a couple of exceptions inconsequential, repeatedly a disappointment, in the NCAA tournament. Why do you throw out the Sweet 16? The tournament is where the proof is because of head to head games. Sagarin is garbage in garbage out; it starts with a set of media-generated assumptions and then does its computerized polls based on outcomes and those assumptions. Regardless, until the MWC starts to make any impact AT ALL in the NCAA tournament, to compare it to the Pac 12 is truly asinine. Not to mention that the Pac 12 is a lot stronger below the top three or four teams.

LA Ute
04-21-2015, 04:32 PM
BS. Except for Utah the WAC/MWC has been with maybe a couple of exceptions inconsequential, repeatedly a disappointment, in the NCAA tournament. Why do you throw out the Sweet 16? The tournament is where the proof is because of head to head games. Sagarin is garbage in garbage out; it starts with a set of media-generated assumptions and then does its computerized polls based on outcomes and those assumptions. Regardless, until the MWC starts to make any impact AT ALL in the NCAA tournament, to compare it to the Pac 12 is truly asinine. Not to mention that the Pac 12 is a lot stronger below the top three or four teams.

SU, I'm getting the strong impression that you disagree with Sancho.

311ute
04-22-2015, 08:14 AM
Well. we agree on some things. The Pac-12 is clearly the superior conference in every way. I never said otherwise.

Measuring conference quality using the tournament is a bad metric. If we played best of 7 series, it would make sense. But in individual games between quality teams, luck plays as large a role as anything else.

If I had more time, I'd look up the Sagarin (or RPI, or whatever) on Pac12#3 vs MWC#2 for the past 5 years. I'm curious. Maybe next week.

Alright... I was bored so I looked it up. I used KenPom.com (since I believe it's the most accurate and it was easy using his site to look up). Here are the past 5 years:

Pac-12 #3(bold) MWC #2 (Italics):
2015: 33, 42
2014: 29, 31
2013: 43, 30
2012: 52, 46
2011: 23, 13


Sancho wins. It's been close every year, but the top of the MWC has been strong. However (like Sancho said), the Pac-12 is clearly superior in every way. Top to bottom, especially talent wise, it's not close.


Here's a look at the combined NCAA Tournament records the past 5 years:

Pac-12: 28-21
MWC: 10-17


NBA Draft Picks per conference over the last 5 years:

Pac-12: 29
MWC: 9


Current NBA players:

Pac-12: 60
MWC: 15

SoCalPat
04-22-2015, 08:45 AM
Alright... I was bored so I looked it up. I used KenPom.com (since I believe it's the most accurate and it was easy using his site to look up). Here are the past 5 years:

Pac-12 #3(bold) MWC #2 (Italics):
2015: 33, 42
2014: 29, 31
2013: 43, 30
2012: 52, 46
2011: 23, 13


Sancho wins. It's been close every year, but the top of the MWC has been strong. However (like Sancho said), the Pac-12 is clearly superior in every way. Top to bottom, especially talent wise, it's not close.


Here's a look at the combined NCAA Tournament records the past 5 years:

Pac-12: 28-21
MWC: 10-17


NBA Draft Picks per conference over the last 5 years:

Pac-12: 29
MWC: 9


Current NBA players:

Pac-12: 60
MWC: 15

If you took away one-and-dones (players the MWC has no chance of getting), those NBA numbers wouldn't look so bad for the MWC. If one-and-dones stayed 3 years, the regular season numbers would benefit the Pac-12 more.

I would say the Pac-10 and WAC were pretty evenly matched in the first 10-15 years post-Wooden, and you can make arguments that the WAC was superior. Where the Pac-12 really gained separation was the emergence of Arizona as a national power, in the mid-late 1980s. In fact, it wasn't until 1982 before a non-UCLA team made a regional final (Oregon State, 1982). Counting Wooden's last year, three WAC teams made it to the Elite 8 (ASU, Arizona, BYU). 1983 Utah was probably the weakest WAC rep in this era, yet it beat UCLA en route to the Sweet 16, and the Pac-12 that year was only a two-bid league.

UCLA notwithstanding, the idea of the Pac-12 as a powerhouse basketball conference is a relatively recent phenomenon, and it has never had the year-in, year-out strength of the ACC, Big 10 or old Big East.

SoCalPat
04-22-2015, 09:15 AM
Expectations for 2015-16 season (Am I the only one who thinks this thread should be labeled "2016 Team"?)

Top 5 finish in the Pac-12.

NCAA bid.

One win in the tournament.

The league gets tougher next year.

Arizona and UCLA will have talent to replace NBA guys.

Oregon returns everyone of note save Joseph Young. Almost a mirror image of Utah in terms of returnees, but Oregon has size, we have shooters.

Cal returns everyone but Kravish.

OSU was very improved in Tinkle's first year and will clear a lot of dead wood for a dynamite incoming class (three 4-star players per ESPN)

ASU loses some guys, returns some guys and will have energy from a new celebrity HC in Hurley.

Wazzu loses Lacy and another part-time starter, but their incoming recruits will likely not make an immediate impact.

I don't expect much out of USC, Stanford or Washington, whose coaches each occupy the hottest seats in the league.

Colorado is a huge wild card. Returns everyone of note but Booker. Can't be this injury-plagued two years in a row. And Tad Boyle is a top 4 coach in this league.

My way-too-early preseason order of finish:

1. Arizona
2. Oregon
3. UCLA
4. Utah
5. Cal
6. Oregon State
7. Colorado
8. Arizona State
9. Washington State
10. USC
11. Stanford
12. Washington

311ute
04-22-2015, 09:48 AM
Expectations for 2015-16 season (Am I the only one who thinks this thread should be labeled "2016 Team"?)

1. Arizona
2. Oregon
3. UCLA
4. Utah
5. Cal
6. Oregon State
7. Colorado
8. Arizona State
9. Washington State
10. USC
11. Stanford
12. Washington

How many bids do we expect from the conference? I would say a minimum of 4, max of 6. I think Arizona, Utah, UCLA, Oregon are almost sure things. Cal and Oregon St possible.

Agree on your points about the league being better next year. But I'm more bullish on the Utes than you are. I think we'll be (slightly) better than we were this year. I expect a top-15 ranking most if not all year long, and a top 4 seed come tournament time. With 3 seniors who will anchor us, a top-10 pick, talented young guys (I expect big jumps from Wright, Kuzma, Chapman), plus our incoming class (Bealer, Mawien), I think all the pieces are there for a huge year.

Here's my way-too-early conference rankings:

1-Arizona
2-Utah
3-Oregon
4-UCLA
5-Cal
6-Oregon St
7-Colorado
8-ASU
9-Stanford
10-USC
11-Washington
12-Wazzu


Next year could be our best shot at a conference championship. Arizona will take a pretty big step back from what they've been the last two years, plus we don't play them in Tucson.

jrj84105
04-23-2015, 09:00 AM
I actually wasn't trying to compare the PAC#3 to the MWC#2. I think a starting five of Taylor, Tucker, Loveridge, Reyes, Olsen could finish second in the MWC because there is a lot of skill among that five, and the lack of elite size/athleticism wouldn't prevent them from succeeding in the MWC. Likewise, a starting 5 of Wright, Bealer, Kuzma, Champman, and Poeltl could hold up athletically in the PAC but wouldn't have the skill to be better than #3. We have some guys who are very skilled, and some guys with great athleticism/size, but we don't have enough guys with both size/athleticism and skill. Basically, we have a ton of depth, but we don't have a combination of any five guys that are going to beat the best five guys at the top of the conference. Unless, some of our athletic guys really progress from a skills perspective.

LA Ute
04-23-2015, 12:44 PM
I don't think we know enough about how much Poeltl will progress, how much Bealer will contribute, and which (if any) of the freshmen will step up to start putting us in the middle of the conference for next year. Norlander of CBS Sports (I think) says we will be a top 20 team, in the Dance, and 2nd or 3rd in the PAC-12. I hope he's right.


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Utah
04-23-2015, 02:10 PM
We have gotten better every year under Coach K.

The players have all improved every off season.

Coach K has been a wizard with big men.

We have a lot of big men that are more talented than we've ever had in Poeltl, Chapman, Kuzma.

Coach K took his second choice, a JC kid, and helped him become a top player in the country.

Given everything we've seen so far, why would anyone think we'd take a big step back?

We should be a top 15 team next year. We might have one of the FIVE best players in the country. We have a coach that has done wonders developing big men.

Why would we suddenly reverse trend and suck next year? If we were expecting that, why would we be paying Coach K so much?

This year will be awesome. We are going to explode. We will miss Delon, but we will be a better team with improvements from Chapman, Kuzma, Poeltl, Taylor, Wright, Bealer.

Also, why is it Coach K can coach up Delon, but we have no faith in him to coach up Wright, Bealer, etc?

I expect Utah to be #1 or #2 this year. Anything less would be a disappointment. Coach K is about to get paid. Coaches that make his salary don't finish third.

jrj84105
04-23-2015, 03:34 PM
We have gotten better every year under Coach K.

The players have all improved every off season.

Coach K has been a wizard with big men.

We have a lot of big men that are more talented than we've ever had in Poeltl, Chapman, Kuzma.

Coach K took his second choice, a JC kid, and helped him become a top player in the country.

Given everything we've seen so far, why would anyone think we'd take a big step back?

We should be a top 15 team next year. We might have one of the FIVE best players in the country. We have a coach that has done wonders developing big men.

Why would we suddenly reverse trend and suck next year? If we were expecting that, why would we be paying Coach K so much?

This year will be awesome. We are going to explode. We will miss Delon, but we will be a better team with improvements from Chapman, Kuzma, Poeltl, Taylor, Wright, Bealer.

Also, why is it Coach K can coach up Delon, but we have no faith in him to coach up Wright, Bealer, etc?

I expect Utah to be #1 or #2 this year. Anything less would be a disappointment. Coach K is about to get paid. Coaches that make his salary don't finish third.

Delon was a special college basketball player, and that was evident when he first stepped on the floor against St. Martins in a nearly empty Huntsman arena. I remember early in that game just turning and saying "Did you see that?" rather than cheering right away. The coaching prowess of LK showed in how he built a team around Delon rather than how he built/developed Delon. Poeltl may wind up being a top ten draftee next year, but I don't see him being the caliber of ball player that D Wright was at the college level, at least not as a sophomore. The main question is, with an established team and no open roster spots, can LK fashion a team around Poeltl in the same way he sort of dismantled and rebuilt the team around Wright.

U-Ute
04-23-2015, 05:24 PM
Delon was a special college basketball player, and that was evident when he first stepped on the floor against St. Martins in a nearly empty Huntsman arena. I remember early in that game just turning and saying "Did you see that?" rather than cheering right away. The coaching prowess of LK showed in how he built a team around Delon rather than how he built/developed Delon. Poeltl may wind up being a top ten draftee next year, but I don't see him being the caliber of ball player that D Wright was at the college level, at least not as a sophomore. The main question is, with an established team and no open roster spots, can LK fashion a team around Poeltl in the same way he sort of dismantled and rebuilt the team around Wright.

Delon was as savvy as they come, but he shines more as a facilitator. Poeltl should be able to just ram the ball down your throat by the time K is done with him.

Utah
04-23-2015, 05:42 PM
Delon was a special college basketball player, and that was evident when he first stepped on the floor against St. Martins in a nearly empty Huntsman arena. I remember early in that game just turning and saying "Did you see that?" rather than cheering right away. The coaching prowess of LK showed in how he built a team around Delon rather than how he built/developed Delon. Poeltl may wind up being a top ten draftee next year, but I don't see him being the caliber of ball player that D Wright was at the college level, at least not as a sophomore. The main question is, with an established team and no open roster spots, can LK fashion a team around Poeltl in the same way he sort of dismantled and rebuilt the team around Wright.

Delon was special. I think we forget/don't give enough credit to Larry for developing kids. Larry took Washburn from a tall guy who played basketball to a professional basketball player who has the potential to make over a million dollars playing basketball.

Look what he did with Bachynski. He was a guy no one wanted and ended up being a very key player in a sweet 16 team.

I think Poeltl takes a huge jump. As much as Washburn and Bachynski improved, they were never as good as Poeltl is now. And Poeltl is nowhere near his ceiling.

I also think Chapman takes a big jump forward. Throw Kuzma in there as well. We could have a very, very athletic front court with Poeltl, Kuzma and Chapman. The potential is there.

Losing Delon is big, but we still have a ton of talent on this team.

jrj84105
04-23-2015, 07:10 PM
Delon was special. I think we forget/don't give enough credit to Larry for developing kids. Larry took Washburn from a tall guy who played basketball to a professional basketball player who has the potential to make over a million dollars playing basketball.

Look what he did with Bachynski. He was a guy no one wanted and ended up being a very key player in a sweet 16 team.

I think Poeltl takes a huge jump. As much as Washburn and Bachynski improved, they were never as good as Poeltl is now. And Poeltl is nowhere near his ceiling.

I also think Chapman takes a big jump forward. Throw Kuzma in there as well. We could have a very, very athletic front court with Poeltl, Kuzma and Chapman.


If Chapman, Poeltl, and Kuzma ALL improve at the rate of Washburn and Bachinski, we will win the PAC and play in the final four.

SoCalPat
04-23-2015, 11:11 PM
I expect Utah to be #1 or #2 this year. Anything less would be a disappointment. Coach K is about to get paid. Coaches that make his salary don't finish third.

Some of your points in that post are good, others are debatable. This one makes no sense. There are three coaches in the league that all make as much or more than Larry. And Arizona, UCLA and Oregon will all likely be picked ahead of Utah in the preseason polls. By that line of reasoning, we should expect to finish fourth, maybe tied for third. Hell, we could finish third and be ranked in the top 15 and be a 4 seed or better in the Dance. If I gotta finish third in the league to get that, who cares?

SoCalPat
04-23-2015, 11:38 PM
Someone's gotta justify this Kuzma hype/hope. He doesn't belong in the same discussion as any of our underclassmen. For a guy that was in the program for a year, Chapman and IWright blew past him in the rotation. Tucker started the year hurt, and Loveridge and Ogbe missed significant time due to injury and he could never make a case to take any of those players' minutes. He looked best against either the dregs of D-1 or in epic blowouts against other team's scrubs (see Colorado, USC, Arizona State).

Probably his best game came against BYU, where he had 7 points in 9 minutes, but also had three fouls. Also had three fouls in six minutes at Arizona. Three fouls in five minutes vs. Cal. That 3 he hit against Georgetown? It was literally his first pressure 3 of the season. I'm not by any means ready to throw the towel on his career at Utah, but Kuzma underwhelmed spectacularly this year.

Bealer and Mawein play different positions and will get minutes immediately at the 2 and 4, respectively. Kuzma ain't surpassing Chapman or Loveridge at the 3. Kuzma might be our 11th man in the rotation next year, which would be no different than where he was this year. Am I wrong for thinking he's too skinny to play the 4, has a logjam ahead of him at the 3 and can't handle the rock well enough to play the 2?

Diehard Ute
04-24-2015, 01:15 AM
Someone's gotta justify this Kuzma hype/hope. He doesn't belong in the same discussion as any of our underclassmen. For a guy that was in the program for a year, Chapman and IWright blew past him in the rotation. Tucker started the year hurt, and Loveridge and Ogbe missed significant time due to injury and he could never make a case to take any of those players' minutes. He looked best against either the dregs of D-1 or in epic blowouts against other team's scrubs (see Colorado, USC, Arizona State).

Probably his best game came against BYU, where he had 7 points in 9 minutes, but also had three fouls. Also had three fouls in six minutes at Arizona. Three fouls in five minutes vs. Cal. That 3 he hit against Georgetown? It was literally his first pressure 3 of the season. I'm not by any means ready to throw the towel on his career at Utah, but Kuzma underwhelmed spectacularly this year.

Bealer and Mawein play different positions and will get minutes immediately at the 2 and 4, respectively. Kuzma ain't surpassing Chapman or Loveridge at the 3. Kuzma might be our 11th man in the rotation next year, which would be no different than where he was this year. Am I wrong for thinking he's too skinny to play the 4, has a logjam ahead of him at the 3 and can't handle the rock well enough to play the 2?

Just one minor quibble. He was at the U and could do individual workouts but could not participate in practice etc

Now is he at the point where he should be talked about as a major contributor? Not even close, but I'm not sure his year at the U really helped him much when it came to being game ready


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U-Ute
04-24-2015, 09:09 AM
He's a phenomenal athlete, but Kooz needs to get his head on straight if he wants to see any playing time. He looks lost every time he steps onto the floor.

I'm really getting tired of these guys we "steal" from Izzo.

Scratch
04-24-2015, 10:22 AM
I don't think he's as lost as all that. He put himself into position to grab boards, and he routinely ended up with open shots (yes, easier to do when the defense is not worried about you).

The biggest problem is that he's not a shooter but wants to be. If he could shoot, he could start.

The second biggest problem is defense, which should be easier to learn than shooting.

This is right. From a numbers perspective, he was more than respectable. If you averaged out his numbers, at a 25 minute per game clip he would have averaged over 10 points, 5.5 boards, and 2 assists (admittedly with 2 TOs) while shooting 55.6% from 2 and 32.4% from 3. This was as an athletic 6'9" freshman. He obviously has stuff to improve on, especially defensively, but the athletic tools are there and he was already a pretty solid player as a freshman. I think he has a bright future as a Ute.

FountainOfUte
04-24-2015, 10:27 AM
I think Kuzma will be fine as long as he's patient with himself. Not all kids are one-and-dones (to put it mildly). Most guys have to *gasp* come in, grow, learn, and develop year after year, and by the time they're seniors they're half decent players. We all want every recruit to be the next stud, and frankly, we overachieved last year with having three of our four freshmen (including Kooz) come in and decently contribute - one of whom could have bailed for the NBA. That's a PHENOMENAL class. But perhaps Kyle will be more like Tucker - a kid who has to work his butt off, but if he does gets a little better and effective each year.

He'll be fine as long as he doesn't give up and bail for seemingly "greener pastures."

SoCalPat
04-24-2015, 10:51 AM
This is right. From a numbers perspective, he was more than respectable. If you averaged out his numbers, at a 25 minute per game clip he would have averaged over 10 points, 5.5 boards, and 2 assists (admittedly with 2 TOs) while shooting 55.6% from 2 and 32.4% from 3. This was as an athletic 6'9" freshman. He obviously has stuff to improve on, especially defensively, but the athletic tools are there and he was already a pretty solid player as a freshman. I think he has a bright future as a Ute.

Those numbers would rival and/or surpass what Chapman would do over 25 MPG, so right away this assessment has major holes in it. I'm a big numbers guy, but 72 of Kuzma's 252 minutes (28 percent) and 42 of his 103 points (41 percent) came in four games of our 35 games (11 percent) -- UC Riverside, UT Pan-American, North Dakota and Alabama State. All four were at home. Average RPI of the four schools was 283. Kuzma's production was respectable only if you put equal weight on every opponent.

SoCalPat
04-24-2015, 10:56 AM
I think Kuzma will be fine as long as he's patient with himself. Not all kids are one-and-dones (to put it mildly). Most guys have to *gasp* come in, grow, learn, and develop year after year, and by the time they're seniors they're half decent players. We all want every recruit to be the next stud, and frankly, we overachieved last year with having three of our four freshmen (including Kooz) come in and decently contribute - one of whom could have bailed for the NBA. That's a PHENOMENAL class. But perhaps Kyle will be more like Tucker - a kid who has to work his butt off, but if he does gets a little better and effective each year.

He'll be fine as long as he doesn't give up and bail for seemingly "greener pastures."

This is true. The hype surrounding kids nowadays is unrealistic, and I think it plays a role in how a player views his worth to a program and/or his own ability. I don't think I swing completely in the opposite direction in trying to minimize it, but I often fail to consider that college hoops is a 4/5 year journey for a large number of players. That said, I adopt a jaded approach to player loyalty to a program -- they want to play and they want to contribute. If that comes at a lesser program, so be it. Kuzma very well could be a significant contributor as a junior or senior; my biggest concern for him is that there's nothing to suggest it will come next year.

SoCalPat
04-28-2015, 02:28 PM
Wilner's 15-16 Pac-12 predictions:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2015/04/28/pac-12-basketball-projections-for-2015-16-order-of-finish/

Nothing terribly unreasonable, although I'd have Washington and Stanford lower, Washington State higher.

NorthwestUteFan
04-28-2015, 05:15 PM
Do you think WSU is due for a breakout year this year? They skip us, so they will avoid one easy win. :banghead:

311ute
04-29-2015, 07:06 AM
Do you think WSU is due for a breakout year this year? They skip us, so they will avoid one easy win. :banghead:

?? We beat Wazzu both times last year....

They don't skip us next year. We play the Arizona schools once (in SLC), and we don't travel to the SoCal schools.

NorthwestUteFan
04-29-2015, 11:22 AM
?? We beat Wazzu both times last year....

They don't skip us next year. We play the Arizona schools once (in SLC), and we don't travel to the SoCal schools.

Oops I thought this was the football forum. It is hard to tell on Tapatalk...

concerned
04-29-2015, 11:36 AM
?? We beat Wazzu both times last year....

They don't skip us next year. We play the Arizona schools once (in SLC), and we don't travel to the SoCal schools.

Can that be right? How can we avoid a trip to both Arizona and SoCal?

DrumNFeather
04-29-2015, 01:24 PM
Maybe coach K will kick the tires on Rasheed Sulaimon

311ute
04-29-2015, 01:58 PM
Can that be right? How can we avoid a trip to both Arizona and SoCal?

Sorry, I meant we don't host the SoCal schools.

Diehard Ute
05-06-2015, 11:14 AM
Officially announced that Jeremy Olsen will be forced to retire due to a medical issue.


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Diehard Ute
05-06-2015, 11:29 AM
And the Utes add 6'4" JC transfer Lorenzo Bonam. Averaged about 16 points 7 boards and 3.5 assists at Gillette college. Shot 60% from the field, 31% behind the arc and 75% from the line. 2.1 A/TO ratio and 91 steals

Originally committed to Southern Miss but asked for his release after the NCAA started investigating their program.




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UTEopia
05-06-2015, 12:26 PM
And the Utes add 6'4" JC transfer Lorenzo Bonam. Averaged about 16 points 7 boards and 3.5 assists at Gillette college. Shot 60% from the field, 31% behind the arc and 75% from the line. 2.1 A/TO ratio and 91 steals

Originally committed to Southern Miss but asked for his release after the NCAA started investigating their program.




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This commitment and the glaring hole at center suggests to me that there will be one or more current players leaving or one returned missionary not returning.

concerned
05-06-2015, 12:38 PM
This commitment and the glaring hole at center suggests to me that there will be one or more current players leaving or one returned missionary not returning.

Otherwise it is hard to imagine the rationale for recruiting another guard, esp. a jc guard. Even is someone leaves, why do we think we need another one? B/c Wright and Taylor would be a small backcourt?

UBlender
05-06-2015, 12:51 PM
This commitment and the glaring hole at center suggests to me that there will be one or more current players leaving or one returned missionary not returning.

Paging utebiquitous....

UtahsMrSports
05-06-2015, 01:13 PM
I appreciate JO and his contributions to the team. Hopefully, he finds success in life (and steers his inevitably big kids toward the U!)

At face value, this is a somewhat odd swap. I think in an ideal world, you have two centers on scholarship, a third guy who can play there as well as the 4, and then a fourth guy who can handle himself there in a pinch.

I like a rotation of Poeltl and Mawien with Reyes there depending on matchups just fine..........but you are really hurting yourself if someone gets hurt. (Hence my ideal scenario above, which we were close to last year)

We have a lot of wings now, and it really does make you wonder if someone is thinking about transferring.

SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 01:55 PM
I appreciate JO and his contributions to the team. Hopefully, he finds success in life (and steers his inevitably big kids toward the U!)

At face value, this is a somewhat odd swap. I think in an ideal world, you have two centers on scholarship, a third guy who can play there as well as the 4, and then a fourth guy who can handle himself there in a pinch.

I like a rotation of Poeltl and Mawien with Reyes there depending on matchups just fine..........but you are really hurting yourself if someone gets hurt. (Hence my ideal scenario above, which we were close to last year)

We have a lot of wings now, and it really does make you wonder if someone is thinking about transferring.

I gotta redshirt someone here to reduce the logjam in the backcourt. Assuming the two JUCOs earn legitimate minutes, IWright is the odd man out. He also has three years left and a redshirt.

SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 01:57 PM
So...

Is Mawien now the backup center? Will we see some small ball?

1: Wright
1/2: Taylor, Miller
2: Bealer, Bonam, Ogbe
2/3: Tucker
3: Kuzma
3/4: Loveridge
4: Chapman, Reyes
5: Poeltl, Mawien

Loveridge might lose minutes this year, but he's not gonna be relegated to a backup behind Kuzma. I know you don't really believe that.

UtahsMrSports
05-06-2015, 02:04 PM
Loveridge might lose minutes this year, but he's not gonna be relegated to a backup behind Kuzma. I know you don't really believe that.

I think he was listing which players can play what positions, I dont think he was by any means trying to make a depth chart.

SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 02:05 PM
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was just listing our 13 scholarships at their positions. I wasn't trying to predict anything.

Gotcha.

Everything else looked reasonable as far as a depth chart is concerned. I didn't agree with it all, but it wasn't irrational, either.

UtahsMrSports
05-06-2015, 02:06 PM
I gotta redshirt someone here to reduce the logjam in the backcourt. Assuming the two JUCOs earn legitimate minutes, IWright is the odd man out. He also has three years left and a redshirt.

If Wright is the odd man out, we have nothing for a backup point guard.

concerned
05-06-2015, 02:06 PM
Larry said that Reyes will play back up center and Maewin too. He said Mawein may need to "exceed expectaitons."

UtahsMrSports
05-06-2015, 02:11 PM
I don't see it. He's the only PG among the bunch. The logjam is at the 2. My guess - we have two JC transfer lotto tickets. We hope one of them works out and earns significant minutes. The other will only be played sparingly.

On the redshirt thing, it is important to note that bealer and kuzma have already burned theirs.

SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 02:16 PM
I wish those stats would translate to the Pac-12, especially the rebounds.

The Good: Outstanding prep player in a cutthroat basketball environment and Southern Miss has traditionally been a respectable program.

The Red Flag: His numbers are inflated (and reported incorrectly). Gillette plays in a mediocre JUCO league and averaged 99 PPG. Per Gillette's NJCAA page, Bonam shot 57 percent from the field and only 64 percent from the line. The 3PT of 31 percent mentioned already is accurate and is probably the biggest concern about his game. Gillette also gave up 90 PPG or more 10 times. I don't know if that's volume based on tempo, or that their defense was really that bad. (Per another up-tempo team we're familiar with, if you give up a lot of points, you are automatically bad on defense).

Diehard Ute
05-06-2015, 03:59 PM
The Good: Outstanding prep player in a cutthroat basketball environment and Southern Miss has traditionally been a respectable program.

The Red Flag: His numbers are inflated (and reported incorrectly). Gillette plays in a mediocre JUCO league and averaged 99 PPG. Per Gillette's NJCAA page, Bonam shot 57 percent from the field and only 64 percent from the line. The 3PT of 31 percent mentioned already is accurate and is probably the biggest concern about his game. Gillette also gave up 90 PPG or more 10 times. I don't know if that's volume based on tempo, or that their defense was really that bad. (Per another up-tempo team we're familiar with, if you give up a lot of points, you are automatically bad on defense).

So you're saying his own teams stats are wrong?

He shot 96-128 from the line on the year. 75%. In conference he shot 69.4%

He was 231-383 from the field for 60.3%. Conference was 57.5%

He didn't take a ton of 3's.

http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2014-15/div1/players/lorenzobonamghe8


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Scorcho
05-06-2015, 05:25 PM
Any legs to this rumor that Eric Mika is home early from his mission and will be suiting up for Krysko instead of Rose?

LA Ute
05-06-2015, 05:38 PM
Bill Riley's take on the Bonam signing:

http://espn700sports.com/utes/runnin-utes-add-a-backcourt-piece/

My view is that Larry has shown that he can spot talent. So I am cautiously optimistic.

LA Ute
05-06-2015, 05:39 PM
I'm no insider, so I was assuming that utefans.net made that one up to mess with cb.com.

That's pretty funny. Turnabout.


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SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 07:27 PM
So you're saying his own teams stats are wrong?

He shot 96-128 from the line on the year. 75%. In conference he shot 69.4%

He was 231-383 from the field for 60.3%. Conference was 57.5%

He didn't take a ton of 3's.

http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2014-15/div1/players/lorenzobonamghe8


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Man, that's the page I looked up earlier. Double checked the numbers but I very easily could've misread his stats for another player.

The point about 3PT, competition and tempo still stands.

Diehard Ute
05-06-2015, 07:29 PM
Man, that's the page I looked up earlier. Double checked the numbers but I very easily could've misread his stats for another player.

The point about 3PT, competition and tempo still stands.

There's no doubt that point is very valid.

It could also play into his rebounding stats as they were up 2 from the previous year (he does get a lot of offensive boards for a 6"4" guy)


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SoCalPat
05-06-2015, 07:30 PM
Bill Riley's take on the Bonam signing:

http://espn700sports.com/utes/runnin-utes-add-a-backcourt-piece/

My view is that Larry has shown that he can spot talent. So I am cautiously optimistic.

Antonio DiMaria played in this league and had similar numbers to Bonam.

LA Ute
05-06-2015, 09:42 PM
Antonio DiMaria played in this league and had similar numbers to Bonam.

Hey, he's the star of the Glasgow Rocks!

http://www.glasgowrocks.co.uk/2013/09/meet-antonio-dimaria-final-signing-for-201314/

LA Ute
05-06-2015, 10:11 PM
Seriously, an insider I trust says the coaching staff is very excited about Bonam. So at this point all I can say is :blink:.

concerned
05-07-2015, 06:07 AM
Seriously, an insider I trust says the coaching staff is very excited about Bonam. So at this point all I can say is :blink:.
So which current player did he say they are not excited about or is leaving? There must be at least one.

UtahsMrSports
05-07-2015, 07:47 AM
Did anyone else listen to Bill on 700 yesterday?

It was really weird, he was acting very Wrubell-esque. This signing was HUGE! This is our new starting 2! Who cares about a lack of front court depth, we got a scorer! And like Wrubell, he was very combative with anyone who did not think that this signing was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

My hope is that we can find two out of Bonam, Bealer, Tucker, Ogbe, and Loveridge who can be consistent scoring threats/outside shooters/free throw getters.

chrisrenrut
05-07-2015, 08:35 AM
My hope is that we can find two out of Bonam, Bealer, Tucker, Ogbe, and Loveridge who can be consistent scoring threats/outside shooters/free throw getters.

It seems like the one or two guys in the group who are best at creating third own shot will be likely to get the most minutes (assuming their defense is all about equal). Guys who are content to just hover around the 3 point line aren't going to do as well next year, since we won't have a Delon that defenses will have to collapse the lane for.

There could be some in-and-out opportunities with Poeltl, but passing hasn't seemed to be Poeltl's strength.

Irving Washington
05-07-2015, 08:52 AM
So which current player did he say they are not excited about or is leaving? There must be at least one.

I agree with LA Ute (yes, it's been a long time.) I trust the coaching staff's eye for talent. Not saying he's going to be great, but I'm not going to assume he's a panic pick-up. DeMaria was signed at a different point in time. Larry was looking for bodies at that point. I guess DeMaria wasn't a turd.

In the paper this morning Larry was quoted as saying that no one expressed any interest in leaving in their exit interviews. I doubt Larry would have said that if he was planning to push someone out. No reason to make it public that he's going to force someone off the team. My guess is that we start the season with a skinny back up at center and hope for the best.

Diehard Ute
05-07-2015, 11:13 AM
I agree with LA Ute (yes, it's been a long time.) I trust the coaching staff's eye for talent. Not saying he's going to be great, but I'm not going to assume he's a panic pick-up. DeMaria was signed at a different point in time. Larry was looking for bodies at that point. I guess DeMaria wasn't a turd.

In the paper this morning Larry was quoted as saying that no one expressed any interest in leaving in their exit interviews. I doubt Larry would have said that if he was planning to push someone out. No reason to make it public that he's going to force someone off the team. My guess is that we start the season with a skinny back up at center and hope for the best.

DiMaria was signed by Boylen.

I think Pat is saying Dimaria averaged 17/7 in the same competition pool so he's skeptical of Bonam


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Two Utes
05-07-2015, 11:18 AM
That's pretty funny. Turnabout.


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The competition is as good or better than the league SLCC is in.

Two Utes
05-07-2015, 11:19 AM
Antonio DiMaria played in this league and had similar numbers to Bonam.


Show me the numbers. Not convinced he had similar numbers. had he, he would have been recruited more heavily.

Two Utes
05-07-2015, 11:28 AM
Show me the numbers. Not convinced he had similar numbers. had he, he would have been recruited more heavily.

And the JC leagues are set up as DI, DII, DIII. The league Bonham played in is DI. it's broken into regions. The best regions in DI are in Texas and Florida right now. But Bonham is playing at the highest level of JC and his team, if they win their region (about 16 teams), goes to the JC national finals in Hutchinson Ka. Not all JC leagues do that.

Cal has it's own JC league. Cal has some really, really good teams and some shitty teams.

To say Bonham is not in a good league is just wrong.

#1 Utefan
05-07-2015, 11:30 AM
Show me the numbers. Not convinced he had similar numbers. had he, he would have been recruited more heavily.

Just read the Trib article regarding Dimaria's signing. Said he averaged 17ppg and 6 rbg. his sophomore year at Casper JC (same league as Gillette). He was also first time all conference and region.

That gave me a little pause as we know Dimaria was not a great player (at least under Boylen). I trust this staff a lot more than Boylen and his staff but I am wondering why bring in a guy like this when you already have Ogbe, Bealer, and Wright.

Two Utes
05-07-2015, 11:32 AM
Just read the Trib article regarding Dimaria's signing. Said he averaged 17ppg and 6 rbg. his sophomore year at Casper JC (same league as Gillette). He was also first time all conference and region.

That gave me a little pause as we know Dimaria was not a great player (at least under Boylen). I trust this staff a lot more than Boylen and his staff but I am wondering why bring in a guy like this when you already have Ogbe, Bealer, and Wright.

Then I'm wrong. But I would love to see the actual numbers as players tend to exaggerate their stats.

Diehard Ute
05-07-2015, 02:08 PM
Then I'm wrong. But I would love to see the actual numbers as players tend to exaggerate their stats.

Having a hard time finding anything but these stats

http://njcaa.org/colleges_college_player.cfm?category=stats&sid=4&divid=0&slid=2&collegeId=1616&teamid=92117&athleteid=280331&seasonselect=471

Dimaria was far more of a sniper in JC, lots of 3's to get his points. He shot 36% from 3 point range. His FG % was only 40%.

Compare that to Bonam who shot 31% from downtown but 60% from the field (he also has a better FT% than Dimaria)

The other glaring stat was the 1-2 assist to turnover ratio for Dimaria. He committed almost 3.5 turnovers a game in JC.

Bonam has a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio.

Does any of this comparison mean anything? Nope. Haha


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LA Ute
05-07-2015, 05:56 PM
I will risk being a one-note Johnny by saying that this staff, and Krysko especially, have proven to be good at seeing talent in unlikely places. They must have seen something in Bonham. I'm holding on to that. Tightly. With a smile in my heart.

1455

SoCalPat
05-07-2015, 07:37 PM
The competition is as good or better than the league SLCC is in.

Total bullshit. Southern Idaho and North Idaho run laps around the league Gillette is in, not to mention SLCC.

SoCalPat
05-07-2015, 07:46 PM
Then I'm wrong. But I would love to see the actual numbers as players tend to exaggerate their stats.

If you think any reporter would take at face value what a player says his stats are without verifying it with another source, I can't help you. Especially with the accessibility of numerous documented sources. A better argument would be to say that stat-keeping at the JUCO level is not the science it is at the pro and college levels.

SoCalPat
05-07-2015, 08:04 PM
I don't think it really matters. What matters is that we got us another JC transfer, and none of us will know until November if he have an ace or a deuce or something in between.

Competition always matters, but JUCO ball is a strange bird. Some programs recruit nationally. Most recruit in their own backyard. California and the Pacific Northwest schools don't even compete in the NJCAA. Cleanthony Early was twice a D-III POY at a small upstate New York JUCO. Now he's with the Knicks. And everyone and anyone who has followed JUCO ball intensely will tell you prep schools have severely damaged the JUCO product. In the 1980s-90s, the Scenic West was an absolute monster. It's still one of the top 10 JUCO leagues in the NJCAA, but when it had Dixie, UVCC, Ricks, etc., it was one of the three best leagues in America.

UTEopia
05-08-2015, 09:35 AM
In watching this kids limited film, the guy he physically reminds me of is Onwas. IMO, the team lacked a physical, athletic player on the perimeter. A guy who can take the ball hard to the rack. A physical guy who can go to the boards and can defend the perimeter. This kid may or may not be that, but there are two areas where the Utes need to improve - athleticism and toughness - hopefully this guy provides one or both.

SoCalPat
05-08-2015, 09:48 AM
In watching this kids limited film, the guy he physically reminds me of is Onwas. IMO, the team lacked a physical, athletic player on the perimeter. A guy who can take the ball hard to the rack. A physical guy who can go to the boards and can defend the perimeter. This kid may or may not be that, but there are two areas where the Utes need to improve - athleticism and toughness - hopefully this guy provides one or both.

Can't disagree with that at all. Hopefully he's better from the line than Onwas was, and that's not a really high bar to clear.

UtahsMrSports
05-08-2015, 09:55 AM
In watching this kids limited film, the guy he physically reminds me of is Onwas. IMO, the team lacked a physical, athletic player on the perimeter. A guy who can take the ball hard to the rack. A physical guy who can go to the boards and can defend the perimeter. This kid may or may not be that, but there are two areas where the Utes need to improve - athleticism and toughness - hopefully this guy provides one or both.

This is a good point. If he can be a cedric martin/onwas type, ill take it.

LA Ute
05-08-2015, 10:01 AM
Can't disagree with that at all. Hopefully he's better from the line than Onwas was, and that's not a really high bar to clear.

Right. A guy who can get to the rim is severely limited if he can't make free throws.Marcus Banks made a living off getting fouled while driving to the rim.

SoCalPat
05-08-2015, 10:05 AM
This is a good point. If he can be a cedric martin/onwas type, ill take it.

Yeah, I was kind of surprised to hear Bill Riley's reaction to this. You would've thought we signed the second coming of Brandon Jessie. But I'm liking the Martin/Onwas comparison/need. In fact, I would say either Bealer or Bonam can fill that role. (As an aside, I think people are totally discounting what Dakari Tucker will and has done for this team). And despite our need for size, we don't need to be signing another Javon Dawson. If Bonam was truly the best available willing to commit to us, you gotta take him.

SoCalPat
05-08-2015, 10:10 AM
Right. A guy who can get to the rim is severely limited if he can't make free throws.Marcus Banks made a living off getting fouled while driving to the rim.

Excellent pull from the past. I looked up Banks' numbers. He was only about a 72 percent FT shooter at UNLV, but he was a 200-plus FTA guy both years there. That's better than anything Delon Wright ever did.

concerned
05-08-2015, 10:38 AM
so who's minutes is he taking? somebody or two is going to be the odd man out and either not happy or playing somewhere else.

SoCalPat
05-08-2015, 11:11 AM
so who's minutes is he taking? somebody or two is going to be the odd man out and either not happy or playing somewhere else.

Well, Delon's departure alone leaves 33 MPG out there. If you're talking about returning players, Ogbe's 13.1 MPG is a good place to start. That's 46 minutes right there, almost enough for three players. But there's a caveat to that. I don't expect the number of blowouts we had last year, and Larry will tighten his rotation. I like what Dakari Tucker does for us, but I doubt he's a 20 MPG player for us again next year. We had 10 guys average 12 MPG for us last year. I'd be surprised if we see that again next year.

Bach and Olson's departures leave another 19 MPG. I don't expect Mawein to take them all -- maybe 10. The rest will go to Chapman, provided he stays out of foul trouble. 5 DQs for a guy who only plays 15 minutes per game is absurdly high.

UtahsMrSports
05-08-2015, 11:25 AM
Yeah, I was kind of surprised to hear Bill Riley's reaction to this. You would've thought we signed the second coming of Brandon Jessie. But I'm liking the Martin/Onwas comparison/need. In fact, I would say either Bealer or Bonam can fill that role. (As an aside, I think people are totally discounting what Dakari Tucker will and has done for this team). And despite our need for size, we don't need to be signing another Javon Dawson. If Bonam was truly the best available willing to commit to us, you gotta take him.

All good points. I think Bill's Wrubellian attitude toward this kind of soured me on this kid, but as others have said, gotta give him a chance.

UtahsMrSports
05-08-2015, 11:32 AM
Well, Delon's departure alone leaves 33 MPG out there. If you're talking about returning players, Ogbe's 13.1 MPG is a good place to start. That's 46 minutes right there, almost enough for three players. But there's a caveat to that. I don't expect the number of blowouts we had last year, and Larry will tighten his rotation. I like what Dakari Tucker does for us, but I doubt he's a 20 MPG player for us again next year. We had 10 guys average 12 MPG for us last year. I'd be surprised if we see that again next year.

Bach and Olson's departures leave another 19 MPG. I don't expect Mawein to take them all -- maybe 10. The rest will go to Chapman, provided he stays out of foul trouble. 5 DQs for a guy who only plays 15 minutes per game is absurdly high.

At first I thought Id argue that Ogbe might see an increased role this year.........but then it occurs to me that you are probably right to cut his minutes. They did bring in two players at his position who are within one year of his class......

Scratch
05-08-2015, 11:58 AM
Well, Delon's departure alone leaves 33 MPG out there. If you're talking about returning players, Ogbe's 13.1 MPG is a good place to start. That's 46 minutes right there, almost enough for three players. But there's a caveat to that. I don't expect the number of blowouts we had last year, and Larry will tighten his rotation. I like what Dakari Tucker does for us, but I doubt he's a 20 MPG player for us again next year. We had 10 guys average 12 MPG for us last year. I'd be surprised if we see that again next year.

Bach and Olson's departures leave another 19 MPG. I don't expect Mawein to take them all -- maybe 10. The rest will go to Chapman, provided he stays out of foul trouble. 5 DQs for a guy who only plays 15 minutes per game is absurdly high.

The one small problem with doling out Ogbe' minutes in this way is that he sat out over 1/3 of the games, which doesn't go into the average number of minutes he played. The per game average only accounts for the games he actually played in, dropping to about 8 mpg.

concerned
05-08-2015, 12:06 PM
Well, Delon's departure alone leaves 33 MPG out there. If you're talking about returning players, Ogbe's 13.1 MPG is a good place to start. That's 46 minutes right there, almost enough for three players. But there's a caveat to that. I don't expect the number of blowouts we had last year, and Larry will tighten his rotation. I like what Dakari Tucker does for us, but I doubt he's a 20 MPG player for us again next year. We had 10 guys average 12 MPG for us last year. I'd be surprised if we see that again next year.

Bach and Olson's departures leave another 19 MPG. I don't expect Mawein to take them all -- maybe 10. The rest will go to Chapman, provided he stays out of foul trouble. 5 DQs for a guy who only plays 15 minutes per game is absurdly high.

Don't Bonham and Bealer essentially play the same position? Wasnt Bealer supposed to get most of Delon's minutes?

Diehard Ute
05-08-2015, 01:05 PM
Demarlo Slocum was on ESPN700 talking about Bonam as he recruited him.

Said he's a guard who can play both positions. He can fill up a stat sheet with points rebounds assists and steals

Said he can and does look to score but also has the good instincts to get his teammates involved.

He also talked about Kuzma for a bit. Mentioned he didn't get good fundamentals in HS and that's what they ended up having to spend most of last year on. He's hopeful he'll make a leap this year now that they've had a year to retrain his habits.


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U-Ute
05-08-2015, 01:22 PM
Demarlo Slocum was on ESPN700 talking about Bonam as he recruited him.

Said he's a guard who can play both positions. He can fill up a stat sheet with points rebounds assists and steals

Said he can and does look to score but also has the good instincts to get his teammates involved.

He also talked about Kuzma for a bit. Mentioned he didn't get good fundamentals in HS and that's what they ended up having to spend most of last year on. He's hopeful he'll make a leap this year now that they've had a year to retrain his habits.


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Slocum seems to really have a knack for finding talent. I remember hearing about him back when CSU seemed to get all these good players (Jason Smith et al).

SoCalPat
05-08-2015, 08:03 PM
The one small problem with doling out Ogbe' minutes in this way is that he sat out over 1/3 of the games, which doesn't go into the average number of minutes he played. The per game average only accounts for the games he actually played in, dropping to about 8 mpg.

Except Ogbe isn't credited for playing in every game. 288 minutes played divided by 22 games played in gives you 13.1 MPG.

Scratch
05-08-2015, 10:30 PM
Except Ogbe isn't credited for playing in every game. 288 minutes played divided by 22 games played in gives you 13.1 MPG.

Exactly. So his 13 mpg can only be distributed for 22 games. That's my point.

SoCalPat
05-09-2015, 03:16 PM
Exactly. So his 13 mpg can only be distributed for 22 games. That's my point.

Gotcha. This is somewhat related to my point about having so many players in double figure minutes next year. If Ogbe plays a full season and can tread water in the rotation, he'll take minutes away from others simply because of his availability.

LA Ute
05-26-2015, 11:35 AM
Sorry if this was posted already. Pretty upbeat analysis of the 2015-16 Utah team by an ESPN writer:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/107387/looking-ahead-utah-utes

U-Ute
05-27-2015, 02:55 PM
Sorry if this was posted already. Pretty upbeat analysis of the 2015-16 Utah team by an ESPN writer:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/107387/looking-ahead-utah-utes


But it could have created the conditions for a first half-step back of Krystkowiak's otherwise Napoleonic march.

The visage of a 6'9" Krystkoviak in a bicorne, one hand tucked inside his double breasted overcoat made me chuckle.

DrumNFeather
06-01-2015, 05:29 PM
Per Riley, schedule could be finalized by Fri. They plan to play Westminster after Christmas.

UtahsMrSports
06-02-2015, 08:07 AM
Per Riley, schedule could be finalized by Fri. They plan to play Westminster after Christmas.

I am not opposed to that. If we are going to have an annual post-christmas/pre conference game against a nobody, it may as well be against a local nobody!

Also, I heard Larry say that Phil Cullen has been promoted to take Norm Parrish's old job. Good for him!

FountainOfUte
06-02-2015, 11:03 AM
I am not opposed to that. If we are going to have an annual post-christmas/pre conference game against a nobody, it may as well be against a local nobody!

Also, I heard Larry say that Phil Cullen has been promoted to take Norm Parrish's old job. Good for him!

That is good news. I wonder if we'll ever see Chris Burgess back on the staff some day. He looked like a natural on our sideline.

DrumNFeather
06-02-2015, 12:35 PM
Another Walk-on, Austin Montgomery: http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofusports/2580122-155/utah-basketball-runnin-utes-add-walk-on

UBlender
06-03-2015, 01:04 PM
Wilner's updated projections:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2015/06/03/pac-12-basketball-updated-projections-for-the-2015-16-league-race-arizona-move-aside/

I agree with the theory behind what he says, but I feel like guys like Loveridge and Taylor and what they are by now. I hope they make some improvements but I don't expect massive gains over last year. It's Jakob, Brekkott and Isaiah Wright where we need to see the significant steps forward. That, along with solid contributions from at least one of the JuCos, is how Utah will remain competitive with the top of the PAC despite losing Delon and company.

concerned
06-03-2015, 04:08 PM
I agree with the theory behind what he says, but I feel like guys like Loveridge and Taylor and what they are by now. I hope they make some improvements but I don't expect massive gains over last year. It's Jakob, Brekkott and Isaiah Wright where we need to see the significant steps forward. That, along with solid contributions from at least one of the JuCos, is how Utah will remain competitive with the top of the PAC despite losing Delon and company.

Kuzma too, esp. with the thinness at center.

LA Ute
06-03-2015, 06:13 PM
On his 2-hour interview with Riley Krysko said Chapman can be special but can't do it at 205 lbs. Until recently Chapman never ate breakfast. Now he does, and Larry said Brekkott needs to eat 5 meals a day and gain 20 lbs this summer. Said the same about Mawein (he seems pretty high on Mawein) and Poeltl. Reyes will probabaly get some time at the 5 and so will Mawein. The 4s will get minutes at the 5 too, Larry said. They'll play some small ball when they have to. He also said that with some coaching, footwork and added muscle Poeltl could be "deadly."

FountainOfUte
06-04-2015, 10:54 AM
On his 2-hour interview with Riley Krysko said Chapman can be special but can't do it at 205 lbs. Until recently Chapman never ate breakfast. Now he does, and Larry said Brekkott needs to eat 5 meals a day and gain 20 lbs this summer. Said the same about Mawein (he seems pretty high on Mawein) and Poeltl. Reyes will probabaly get some time at the 5 and so will Mawein. The 4s will get minutes at the 5 too, Larry said. They'll play some small ball when they have to. He also said that with some coaching, footwork and added muscle Poeltl could be "deadly."


That was a great interview, btw. And I believe he answered one of your questions.

I'm dying to see what comes of this next recruiting class.

LA Ute
06-04-2015, 01:33 PM
That was a great interview, btw. And I believe he answered one of your questions.

I'm dying to see what comes of this next recruiting class.

Yeah, I tweeted a question along the lines of "Apart from time required to do it, what is the #1 thing you need to raise the program to the level of an Arizona?" His answer was a bit circuitous but he basically what he needs is time. Implicitly he was saying (I think) that he has everything else he needs, including facilities (he was effusive about those elsewhere in the interview). He joked that Salt Lake will never have Tucson's weather, which is certainly true.

LA Ute
06-04-2015, 05:39 PM
Duke, Madison Square Garden, December 19

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/060415aab.html

Dwight Schr-Ute
06-04-2015, 06:02 PM
Duke, Madison Square Garden, December 19

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/060415aab.html

Bravo!

SoCalPat
06-04-2015, 06:23 PM
Duke, Madison Square Garden, December 19

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/060415aab.html

Awesome! Christmas in June for any Ute fan to get this kind of news.

concerned
06-04-2015, 08:12 PM
this is the best reason to pray we dont go to the Vegas Bowl

UtahsMrSports
06-05-2015, 07:32 AM
This is awesome news! I guess the schedule will be released today, and Im looking forward to it! Once again, it will be tough!

UtahsMrSports
06-05-2015, 07:34 AM
This doesn't have much to do with the 2015-2016 season, but I thought Id share. I was a big Houston Rockets fan at this time, so I was going back and watching old clips when I stumbled upon this...........

Recognize anyone associated with our program (not necessarily currently!)? I got a chuckle when it hit me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQQcpWGC-xE

Irving Washington
06-05-2015, 09:38 AM
This doesn't have much to do with the 2015-2016 season, but I thought Id share. I was a big Houston Rockets fan at this time, so I was going back and watching old clips when I stumbled upon this...........

Recognize anyone associated with our program (not necessarily currently!)? I got a chuckle when it hit me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQQcpWGC-xE

Tom Chambers with the Suns ( I thought it would be Mike Newlin before watching it?)

chrisrenrut
06-05-2015, 09:59 AM
Tom Chambers with the Suns ( I thought it would be Mike Newlin before watching it?)

I was thinking maybe Boylen on the Rockets bench, but I didn't see him. The guard that escorted Maxwell to the locker room looked a lot like Norm Parrish, but I doubt that was him.

UtahsMrSports
06-05-2015, 10:09 AM
I was thinking maybe Boylen on the Rockets bench, but I didn't see him. The guard that escorted Maxwell to the locker room looked a lot like Norm Parrish, but I doubt that was him.


Tom Chambers with the Suns ( I thought it would be Mike Newlin before watching it?)

I did not notice Tom Chambers, so that is funny.

At the :41 second mark, A young Jim Boylen in a black shirt (with a rockets logo on the heart) and with longer hair then when he was here joins the mix and is the guy with his arm around Maxwell as he enters the locker room, he is between Maxwell and Norm Parrish look a like guard.

DrumNFeather
06-05-2015, 10:29 AM
I did not notice Tom Chambers, so that is funny.

At the :41 second mark, A young Jim Boylen in a black shirt (with a rockets logo on the heart) and with longer hair then when he was here joins the mix and is the guy with his arm around Maxwell as he enters the locker room, he is between Maxwell and Norm Parrish look a like guard.

Wow, that's a great pull.

Irving Washington
06-05-2015, 02:42 PM
Wow, that's a great pull.

Nope, Tom Chambers wasn't on that team..

UtahsMrSports
06-09-2015, 07:33 AM
Yay!!!!!!!!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=34990033&nid=283&title=ncaa-approves-30-second-shot-clock-in-mens-basketball

chrisrenrut
06-09-2015, 09:00 AM
Yay!!!!!!!!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=34990033&nid=283&title=ncaa-approves-30-second-shot-clock-in-mens-basketball

I think 30 seconds is about right for college. I wouldn't want them to go much lower.

I think they could have been more aggressive with the time-out changes though.

Diehard Ute
06-09-2015, 01:51 PM
The time out issue is simple. The fact that we can have a called full timeout and 30 seconds later a full media timeout is a joke.

Adjust the rules on media timeouts following a called timeout and their goal is accomplished.


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chrisrenrut
06-09-2015, 04:25 PM
Yes. Time outs. The only change that will really make the game better.

Is that snark, or are you being serious? It's an improvement, but as Diehard pointed out, there are still problems with what they changed to too. And I didn't imply that is the biggest issue that needs tackling.

I think the only rule changes that will truly make the game better are adding a penalty box and power plays, and some kind of offside or two-line pass rule. And maybe something similar to icing.

SoCalPat
06-09-2015, 04:38 PM
Is that snark, or are you being serious? It's an improvement, but as Diehard pointed out, there are still problems with what they changed to too. And I didn't imply that is the biggest issue that needs tackling.

I think the only rule changes that will truly make the game better are adding a penalty box and power plays, and some kind of offside or two-line pass rule. And maybe something similar to icing.

The time-outs issue isn't just about the flow of the game. It's about getting more control of the game in the hands of the players and lessening a coach's influence. No one watches basketball to see a coach write on a dry-erase board. They go to see players play. We've been getting a little too much of the former in recent years -- our own coach being high on the list of offenders in this area.

chrisrenrut
06-09-2015, 05:11 PM
Sorry, I was serious. The time out issue is far more important to me than the shot clock or the lane width. There just need to be fewer, and there needs to be a no back-to-back TO rule.

I thought maybe with some of your past rants on referees and some of their questionable calls, that was where you were hoping to see changes, and were beign sarcastic about the marginal change for time outs.

NorthwestUteFan
06-09-2015, 07:30 PM
The four-foot arc under the basket would have helped a bit last year. I remember far too many drives where Delon ended up with a charge.

It probably only happened a few times, but it seems like a couple of them killed our chances in the game. Didn't he get a late charge at Oregon or against Washington?

LA Ute
06-10-2015, 12:09 AM
Unfortunately, I think bad calls are just a part of basketball. It's too tough to get it right. I haven't seen any proposed changes that would help.

"This game is impossible to officiate." -- Rick Majerus

DrumNFeather
06-11-2015, 09:57 AM
Pac 12 Schedule Released:

Week starting with Monday, Dec. 28: at Stanford and California
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 4: at Colorado
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 11: Oregon State, Oregon home
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 18: at Washington State, Washington
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 25: Stanford, Cal home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 1: at OSU, Oregon
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 8: WSU, Washington home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 15: at USC, UCLA
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 22: Arizona State, Arizona home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 29: Colorado home

DrumNFeather
06-11-2015, 09:58 AM
Pac 12 Schedule Released:

Week starting with Monday, Dec. 28: at Stanford and California
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 4: at Colorado
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 11: Oregon State, Oregon home
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 18: at Washington State, Washington
Week starting with Monday, Jan. 25: Stanford, Cal home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 1: at OSU, Oregon
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 8: WSU, Washington home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 15: at USC, UCLA
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 22: Arizona State, Arizona home
Week starting with Monday, Feb. 29: Colorado home

So strange to me that we don't play the teams in the south H/H.

Diehard Ute
06-11-2015, 10:02 AM
So strange to me that we don't play the teams in the south H/H.

There isn't a north or south in basketball


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FountainOfUte
06-11-2015, 10:58 AM
There isn't a north or south in basketball

Wouldn't it just be a matter of adding four more conference games to play a true round robin in conference? I wish they'd just do that. Instead, we endure two more weeks of Cardinal Stritch, et al.

I seem to remember that it's the NCAA that dictates that only 18 conference games are allowed at a maximum. I wonder if the PAC would be interested in 22 games if allowed, or if that starts getting into "brutal schedule" territory where they think extra losses and bruises don't pay off in the post season. (I believe that *if* the PAC-12 played additional conference games, the committee would [and the RPI] would recognize that and reward it.)

Diehard Ute
06-11-2015, 11:15 AM
Wouldn't it just be a matter of adding four more conference games to play a true round robin in conference? I wish they'd just do that. Instead, we endure two more weeks of Cardinal Stritch, et al.

I seem to remember that it's the NCAA that dictates that only 18 conference games are allowed at a maximum. I wonder if the PAC would be interested in 22 games if allowed, or if that starts getting into "brutal schedule" territory where they think extra losses and bruises don't pay off in the post season. (I believe that *if* the PAC-12 played additional conference games, the committee would [and the RPI] would recognize that and reward it.)

The number of games you can play is limited. 27 if I remember correctly, 31 if you play in one of the 4 game tournaments.

A 22 game conference schedule would leave you 5 non conference games.


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DrumNFeather
06-11-2015, 11:49 AM
There isn't a north or south in basketball


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Still a little weird to me. I think this is the first season we'll finish at home...or at least the first time in 2 years.

SoCalPat
06-11-2015, 06:32 PM
Wouldn't it just be a matter of adding four more conference games to play a true round robin in conference? I wish they'd just do that. Instead, we endure two more weeks of Cardinal Stritch, et al.

I seem to remember that it's the NCAA that dictates that only 18 conference games are allowed at a maximum. I wonder if the PAC would be interested in 22 games if allowed, or if that starts getting into "brutal schedule" territory where they think extra losses and bruises don't pay off in the post season. (I believe that *if* the PAC-12 played additional conference games, the committee would [and the RPI] would recognize that and reward it.)

You'd be removing two home games with this proposal, and a home game against Cardinal Stritch is worth more to us financially than a road game at UCLA. Will never happen nor will it even be brought up.

U-Ute
06-12-2015, 05:10 PM
Yeah, I tweeted a question along the lines of "Apart from time required to do it, what is the #1 thing you need to raise the program to the level of an Arizona?" His answer was a bit circuitous but he basically what he needs is time. Implicitly he was saying (I think) that he has everything else he needs, including facilities (he was effusive about those elsewhere in the interview). He joked that Salt Lake will never have Tucson's weather, which is certainly true.

Hah. He answered mine right before yours about managing the loss of Dalin and JO.

LA Ute
06-16-2015, 04:23 PM
Utah Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Released
Utes could again have one of the nation's toughest schedules.

June 16, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY –

A home contest against San Diego State as part of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon, a road game at 2015 Sweet 16 qualifier Wichita State, a rematch against reigning national champion Duke in Madison Square Garden and three games at the prestigious Puerto Rico Tip-Off are featured on the 2015-16 Utah men's basketball non-conference schedule released today.

Including Pac-12 opponents, the Utes will face at least six teams that won NCAA Tournament games last year, four which advanced to the Sweet 16.

"It's really a challenging schedule," said Larry Krystkowiak (http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/larry_krystkowiak_750696.html), who enters his fifth season as Utah's head coach and is coming off a 26-9, Sweet Sixteen season in 2014-15. "You'd be hard pressed to find many teams with this difficult a schedule. Last year, we had the best strength of schedule in the Pac-12--and one of the best in the country--and we're setting ourselves up to potentially do that again."

Of the 17 home dates (and an exhibition game) on the 2015-16 schedule, eight are against non-conference teams and nine are against Pac-12 opponents. Utah won all eight of its non-conference home games last season and was 8-1 in conference games played in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. In the last two years, the Utes are 19-0 in non-conference home contests and 34-3 overall at home.

Utah kicks off the 2015-16 season with a Nov. 5 exhibition game against Cal State Monterey Bay in the Huntsman Center. The Utes open regular-season play on Nov. 13 against Southern Utah.

For the second straight season, Utah will play San Diego State in an ESPN Tip-Off Marathon game with this year's matchup on Nov. 16 in Salt Lake City. Last November, the Utes fell to the No. 16-ranked Aztecs 53-49 in San Diego.

Utah's first games outside the Huntsman Center will be at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off from Nov. 19-22. While the pairings will be announced at a later date, teams joining Utah in the ESPN event include Miami (Fla.), Butler, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, Temple and Missouri State.

"With elite teams from eight different conferences, Puerto Rico is one of the premier tournaments," said Krystkowiak. "We're eager to see who our opponents will be there and it's a great opportunity to bond as a team."

The Utes will return for a three-game home stand against Idaho State on Nov. 27, BYU on Dec. 2 and IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne) on Dec. 5.

Utah will then travel to Wichita State for a Dec. 12 showdown. The Utes beat the Shockers in overtime last season in Salt Lake City, 69-68, in a preview of two eventual Sweet 16 qualifiers.

The Utes are 7-1 all time against the Shockers and have won the last three games, including a 58-36 verdict on their last trip to Wichita State, 24 years ago on Dec. 21, 1991.

After hosting Savannah State on Dec. 16, Utah goes to Madison Square Garden for a neutral-site game against Duke on Dec. 19. The rematch of the 2015 NCAA South Regional semifinal with the Blue Devils will be televised nationally on ESPN or ESPN2. It marks the second time the two teams have met in Madison Square Garden, where Duke edged the Utes 78-75 in the first round of the 1970 National Invitational Tournament.

Three days later, Utah will play Delaware State in Salt Lake City. The Utah staff is also working on adding a final non-conference home game on Dec. 28 contingent upon the Pac-12 schedule.

While the exact dates for the Pac-12 schedule are pending television picks and will not be announced until early September, the Utes have learned their pairings and sites for each week of the 2015-16 conference season.

Utah is scheduled to play home games against nine Pac-12 teams and will go home-and-home with seven of them. Due to the rotation in Pac-12 scheduling, the Utes will meet USC, UCLA, Arizona State and Arizona just once this year--traveling to the Southern California schools and hosting the two Arizona schools.

To see Utah's Pac-12 pairings for 2015-16, see the following schedule. Tip-off times and television coverage for all games are to be announced.

Season tickets for the 2015-16 Utah men's basketball home games are on sale now at 801-581-UTIX (8849), www.utahtickets.com (http://www.utahtickets.com) and the Huntsman Center box office.

Date Opponent

Thur., Nov. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay (Exhibition)
Fri., Nov. 13 Southern Utah
Mon., Nov. 16 San Diego State (ESPN Tip-Off Marathon)
Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Thur., Nov. 19- Sun., Nov. 22 (3 games TBD: Miami, Butler, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, Temple, Missouri State)

Fri., Nov. 27 Idaho State
Wed., Dec. 2 Brigham Young
Sat., Dec. 5 IPFW
Sat., Dec. 12 at Wichita State
Wed., Dec. 16 Savannah State
Sat., Dec. 19 vs. Duke (at Madison Square Garden)
Tue., Dec. 22 Delaware State
Mon., Dec. 28 TBA in Salt Lake City

2015-16 University of Utah Men's Basketball Pac-12 "Week Of" Home Schedule

Week of Mon., Dec. 28 at Stanford and California
Week of Mon., Jan. 4 at Colorado
Week of Mon., Jan. 11 Oregon State and Oregon
Week of Mon., Jan. 18 at Washington State and Washington
Week of Mon., Jan. 25 Stanford and California
Week of Mon., Feb. 1 at Oregon State and Oregon
Week of Mon., Feb. 8 Washington State and Washington
Week of Mon., Feb. 15 at USC and UCLA
Week of Mon., Feb. 22 Arizona State and Arizona
Week of Mon., Feb. 29 Colorado

SoCalPat
06-16-2015, 08:10 PM
Marquee games: Duke (5), Wichita State (17), SDSU (27), BYU (38)

Top potential Puerto Rico opponents: Butler (31), Temple (34), Miami (62), Minnesota (100). This is a good tournament, but it ain't Maui, Atlantis or the Preseason NIT. (Speaking of preseason tournaments, it's a shame what's happened to the Great Alaska Shootout. Not a single school from a power league, even by college hoops' expanded definition of the term).

Absolute dogs: Southern Utah, Savannah State and Idaho State were all sub-300 RPI teams last year.

I'd be happy going 2-2 vs. our marquee opponents and winning twice in Puerto Rico. The rest are layups. That would be a 10-3 non-con (likely 9-3 vs. D-1), with as many as four wins against (hopefully) the RPI top 100.

UtahsMrSports
06-17-2015, 07:11 AM
Ive gotta think that the December 28th game is the game versus Westminster that we heard about.

Last time Southern Utah visited the Huntsman Center, they won. Times are different now, but it still brings back some bad memories.

I really like this schedule, but I really don't know what to think of our team. I could see us going anywhere from close to what we did last year to being around .500 (which would obviously be a disappointment)

DrumNFeather
06-17-2015, 09:01 AM
Ive gotta think that the December 28th game is the game versus Westminster that we heard about.

Last time Southern Utah visited the Huntsman Center, they won. Times are different now, but it still brings back some bad memories.

I really like this schedule, but I really don't know what to think of our team. I could see us going anywhere from close to what we did last year to being around .500 (which would obviously be a disappointment)

That makes sense, especially if they are traveling to NorCal later in the week.

This schedule beats the hell out of the one from two years ago, that's for sure.

I think the league will be a lot tighter because of a small slip at the top, and some other teams jumping into the mix. I think we'll still finish top 4, but it will be close.

UBlender
06-17-2015, 09:20 AM
Marquee games: Duke (5), Wichita State (17), SDSU (27), BYU (38)

Top potential Puerto Rico opponents: Butler (31), Temple (34), Miami (62), Minnesota (100). This is a good tournament, but it ain't Maui, Atlantis or the Preseason NIT. (Speaking of preseason tournaments, it's a shame what's happened to the Great Alaska Shootout. Not a single school from a power league, even by college hoops' expanded definition of the term).

Absolute dogs: Southern Utah, Savannah State and Idaho State were all sub-300 RPI teams last year.

I'd be happy going 2-2 vs. our marquee opponents and winning twice in Puerto Rico. The rest are layups. That would be a 10-3 non-con (likely 9-3 vs. D-1), with as many as four wins against (hopefully) the RPI top 100.

I agree. The Wichita and Duke games will be very tough so there's a lot of pressure to "hold serve" against SDSU and BYU. That SDSU game will be especially interesting being so early in the season and given how much we struggled with them last year (where they handled us easily in November but we likely would have been favored in a matchup anytime after the new year).

Without knowing much about the teams in the Puerto Rico tournament it appears Utah would have as good a chance as any to win that thing, but I certainly wouldn't pencil in three wins there (less than two would be disappointing).

SoCalPat
06-17-2015, 09:51 AM
I agree. The Wichita and Duke games will be very tough so there's a lot of pressure to "hold serve" against SDSU and BYU. That SDSU game will be especially interesting being so early in the season and given how much we struggled with them last year (where they handled us easily in November but we likely would have been favored in a matchup anytime after the new year).

Without knowing much about the teams in the Puerto Rico tournament it appears Utah would have as good a chance as any to win that thing, but I certainly wouldn't pencil in three wins there (less than two would be disappointing).

Yep. I think this non-con slate sets a clear barometer for how we'll fare in league play.

2-2 with two wins in PR or better likely equates into a top 4 finish in league and likely NCAA berth.

1-3 or worse with one win or less in PR will likely see us finish outside the top 4, and probably in the 6-9 range in league.

Old Standing ute
06-17-2015, 01:20 PM
League schedule as now sits puts 5 of first 7 on the road.
Utes have Never swept a Pac-12 road series to date.

So we could right around 500 at the early turn.

On the other hand if they can win 4 of 5 they will be in a good position.

Az only at home; UCLA only a road game. With both of these sets of games after they have played everyone else but Colo. twice.

Diehard Ute
06-17-2015, 08:51 PM
Per the Trib today the Dec 28th game may go away. If we start on the road on the 30th they'll scrap that game.


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LA Ute
06-22-2015, 08:42 PM
Chapman's job this summer is to eat 5,000 calories a day and lift weights religiously.

Diehard Ute
06-22-2015, 09:16 PM
Chapman's job this summer is to eat 5,000 calories a day and lift weights religiously.

Bet they've got him eating more than that. The dietitians come up with some crazy stuff these days (safe but crazy)

Probably not quite Michael Phelps crazy though.


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LA Ute
06-22-2015, 09:59 PM
Bet they've got him eating more than that. The dietitians come up with some crazy stuff these days (safe but crazy).

You're probably right. Every time I have heard Krysko talk about Chapman he's mentioned the necessity of Brekott gaining 20 lbs.

Diehard Ute
06-22-2015, 10:19 PM
You're probably right. Every time I have heard Krysko talk about Chapman he's mentioned the necessity of Brekott gaining 20 lbs.

Word I got last year is they packed 30 on Poeltl, so it's possible

I know the football guys who have done it have said eating constantly is rather counter intuitive and can be hard


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LA Ute
06-22-2015, 10:22 PM
Word I got last year is they packed 30 on Poeltl, so it's possible

I know the football guys who have done it have said eating constantly is rather counter intuitive and can be hard



Yeah, LK said Chapman is the sort of kid who picks at his food and had a longtime habit of skipping breakfast. So it must be hard for the guy.

Dwight Schr-Ute
06-22-2015, 10:38 PM
Katz mentions Chapman in today's video

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=13130542

Utah in Durham...?! 😏

Diehard Ute
06-22-2015, 10:52 PM
Utah in Durham...?! 😏

Yeah, Katz tweeted he goofed that part up.


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DrumNFeather
07-14-2015, 08:22 PM
Utah will face Texas Tech in Puerto Rico. Should they win, they would get the winner of Miami and Mississippi St.

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofusports/2731222-155/runnin-utes-to-face-texas-tech

Dwight Schr-Ute
07-29-2015, 09:28 AM
A couple of developments over the last couple of days:

The Wichita State game on Dec. 12 will tip-off at 1:30 p.m. MT and be broadcast on ESPN2 http://m.utahutes.com/m/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/072815aaa.html

The Duke game on Dec. 19 will tip-off at 10 a.m. MT and be broadcast on ESPN. http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/072915aaa.html

I might have to set an alarm for that one.

UtahsMrSports
08-04-2015, 10:40 PM
Kyle Goon's latest:

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2803411-155/utah-basketball-notes-offseason-conditioning-lineup

(http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2803411-155/utah-basketball-notes-offseason-conditioning-lineupTakeaways-)Nice to read that Loveridge has improved his conditioning. Hopefully, he has a big senior year.

Reyes will backup the five, Chapman or Kuzma potentially to start at the 4, Mawien not ready, and times of Chapman and Kuzma together in the front court. Has the potential to be a nightmare for other teams. Also has the potential to be an absolute train wreck when it comes to rim protection and rebounding......Its almost scary how much we are going to rely on Poeltl remaining healthy and foul trouble free.

Brandon Taylor, Jordan Loveridge, and Poeltl are all locks to start. Beyond that? Who knows.

DrumNFeather
08-05-2015, 08:18 AM
Andy Katz way too early top 25: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

Utes check in at #13

Others of note: #6 Duke, #9 Wichita St., #12 Cal, #15 Arizona, #23 Butler (we could maybe play them in the Puerto Rico tournament - probably in the final).


Delon Wright was college basketball's best all-around player. He blocked shots, created steals, avoided fouls, drew fouls, made shots, dished assists and rarely turned the ball over. He won a gaggle of awards. He led Utah to the Elite Eight two years after it went 15-18. We can't say it enough: Dude was awesome. And now he's gone.Yet Larry Krystkowiak still has three lights-out senior guards (Jordan Loveridge (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61737/jordan-loveridge),Brandon Taylor (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61272/brandon-taylor), Dakarai Tucker (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61741/dakarai-tucker)), a future lottery pick for a sophomore center (Jakob Poeltl (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134908/jakob-poeltl)), a 6-foot-8 former top-100 prospect (Brekkott Chapman (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134905/brekkott-chapman)) who shot 44 percent from 3 in reserve minutes last season and a host of budding talents (Isaiah Wright (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134910/isaiah-wright), Kyle Kuzma (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134907/kyle-kuzma), juco guard Lorenzo Bonam (http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3907505/lorenzo-bonam)) filling in on the margins. The more we think about this team, the more convinced we are of its ability to weather Wright's departure. Given where the program was even two seasons ago -- to say nothing of the desiccated husk Krystkowiak inherited in 2011 -- that's quite the statement indeed.

Rocker Ute
08-05-2015, 08:59 AM
Andy Katz way too early top 25: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

Utes check in at #13

Others of note: #6 Duke, #9 Wichita St., #12 Cal, #15 Arizona, #23 Butler (we could maybe play them in the Puerto Rico tournament - probably in the final).


[/FONT][/COLOR]

I'm pretty pissed I missed that Elite 8 game we went to this year. How come nobody told me?!!

As much as I like the attention, I think we are all going to realize just how much Delon meant to the team. I think we'll be good, but not as good as we were last year.

UtahsMrSports
08-05-2015, 09:24 AM
I'm pretty pissed I missed that Elite 8 game we went to this year. How come nobody told me?!!

As much as I like the attention, I think we are all going to realize just how much Delon meant to the team. I think we'll be good, but not as good as we were last year.

I agree. I am not even sure we are a tourney team this year.

U-Ute
08-05-2015, 10:55 AM
I agree. I am not even sure we are a tourney team this year.

This team will go as Poeltl goes.

If Poeltl can muster any consistency on the offensive end, if he can do damage in the post, we have enough shooters to give defenses headaches.

I really liked what I saw out of him at the end, especially in the tournament.

UTEopia
08-05-2015, 11:09 AM
I agree. I am not even sure we are a tourney team this year.

I am cautiously optimistic. We struggled badly on the offensive end when Delon was not on the court. I liked Isaiah Wright's composure and believe he will take a big step forward if he wins that battle. If we can learn how to feed the post on a consistent basis and Poetl can find the open guy when the double team comes we have enough shooters to do well. If we can't feed the post and Poetl does not find the open shooter we will struggle.

#1 Utefan
08-05-2015, 01:30 PM
Andy Katz way too early top 25: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

Utes check in at #13

Others of note: #6 Duke, #9 Wichita St., #12 Cal, #15 Arizona, #23 Butler (we could maybe play them in the Puerto Rico tournament - probably in the final).


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I am cautiously optimistic. We struggled badly on the offensive end when Delon was not on the court. I liked Isaiah Wright's composure and believe he will take a big step forward if he wins that battle. If we can learn how to feed the post on a consistent basis and Poetl can find the open guy when the double team comes we have enough shooters to do well. If we can't feed the post and Poetl does not find the open shooter we will struggle.

I think not having a Bachynski like big to back up foul prone Poetl is going to cost Utah some games this year. There is no real back up center on the roster and the Utes weren't exactly world beaters on the boards even last year.

Without Dallin last year, Utah loses at least 2-3 additional games including Georgetown in the tourney. I hope I'm wrong but unless Poetl has figured out how to keep himself out of foul trouble this year, the inTeri or and paint is going to be pretty soft.

DrumNFeather
08-06-2015, 08:09 AM
We knew this already, but here's the official bracket for the PR Tip-off

http://espnevents.com/puerto-rico-tip-off/bracket/

Utah vs. Texas Tech

Miami vs. Mississippi St.

Butler vs. Missouri St.

Temple vs. Minnesota

DrumNFeather
08-13-2015, 10:31 AM
Poetel checks in at #10 on Chad Ford's first big board of the year.

U-Ute
08-13-2015, 03:17 PM
@Utebuntu: Poeltl with a nice Dunk in transition: http://t.co/a76teTIfM8

From Twitter

DrumNFeather
08-18-2015, 08:40 AM
Home game vs. SDSU to air on ESPN 2 at 6:30 PM, PT as part off ESPN's Tip off Marathon.

311ute
08-18-2015, 02:54 PM
Home game vs. SDSU to air on ESPN 2 at 6:30 PM, PT as part off ESPN's Tip off Marathon.

Link? I haven't been able to find this anywhere.

That would be a great time slot... 7:30 MT. I feared it would be a late game since it's part of the Tip-off Marathon.

DrumNFeather
08-18-2015, 03:55 PM
It was a tweet from SDSU basketball

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LA Ute
08-23-2015, 03:36 PM
Austin Montgomery is in my daughter's student ward. Freshman RM:

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/austin_montgomery_967183.html

concerned
08-23-2015, 04:38 PM
Austin Montgomery is in my daughter's student ward. Freshman RM:

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/austin_montgomery_967183.html

Are you here this weekend to take your daughter off to college? Are you an empty nester now

Dwight Schr-Ute
08-23-2015, 04:42 PM
Are you here this weekend to take your daughter off to college? Are you an empty nester now

No. He got a new dog.

concerned
08-23-2015, 05:40 PM
No. He got a new dog.
The dog really wanted to see the new bb facility. You can't ignore that.

LA Ute
08-23-2015, 10:24 PM
Are you here this weekend to take your daughter off to college? Are you an empty nester now

Yes and yes. We are just beginning to get used to it.



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Scratch
08-23-2015, 11:04 PM
Yes and yes. We are just beginning to get used to it.



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Your kids get in-state tuition, right?

LA Ute
08-24-2015, 07:56 AM
Your kids get in-state tuition, right?

Only one us at the U right now, and no. Still trying to learn why.


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Scratch
08-24-2015, 10:51 AM
I could have sworn that I was told that as an alum my kids could get in-state tuition.

mUUser
08-24-2015, 10:56 AM
I could have sworn that I was told that as an alum my kids could get in-state tuition.


Utah State has that program, not Utah.

NorthwestUteFan
08-24-2015, 10:57 AM
I know they can get in-state at USU but I don't believe the U does it (or at least they limit the numbers).

I loved the U. But there is no way I am paying $20k tuition for them to attend there.

LA Ute
08-24-2015, 10:59 AM
I could have sworn that I was told that as an alum my kids could get in-state tuition.

The program does exist. They must have a strong ACT score and a GPA at a certain level. My daughter's GPA should have been weighted because she was in an International Baccalaureate program. Still trying to straighten that out.

mUUser
08-24-2015, 11:21 AM
.....there is no way I am paying $20k tuition for them to attend there.


If it gets them there, I would. No question.

hostile
08-24-2015, 11:25 AM
Austin Montgomery is in my daughter's student ward. Freshman RM:

http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/austin_montgomery_967183.html
LA:

do you know who her bishop is. A few of our neighbors are up there now as bishops.

LA Ute
08-24-2015, 01:46 PM
Not yet. I'll find out. It is the Central Ward, I know that much.

EDIT: Central First Ward.

NorthwestUteFan
08-24-2015, 02:18 PM
I loved the U too, but much of what I loved about it should be available to my kids at the big state school here.

The LDS institute will be much smaller, but other than that, should be fine.

My kids can stay home and go to UW for less than that. I love the U, but UW is one of the top public universities in the world. And if he sticks with Crew, he will definitely want to go to UW and try to make the team because they have won three straight national championships. I hate the purple and the stupid dog mascot, but UW has a lot going for it.

I know some schools tweak the balance between tuition and fees to skew toward higher fees. My coworker's daughter got into a prestigious college in Boston with a scholarship that covered tuition and books, but the school fees were not covered. (Housing and food are additional beyond that).

Those fees ran $9k per semester...

concerned
08-24-2015, 02:35 PM
My kids can stay home and go to UW for less than that. I love the U, but UW is one of the top public universities in the world. And if he sticks with Crew, he will definitely want to go to UW and try to make the team because they have won three straight national championships. I hate the purple and the stupid dog mascot, but UW has a lot going for it.

I know some schools tweak the balance between tuition and fees to skew toward higher fees. My coworker's daughter got into a prestigious college in Boston with a scholarship that covered tuition and books, but the school fees were not covered. (Housing and food are additional beyond that).

Those fees ran $9k per semester...

On the other hand, UW is outrageous for out of state students--as much as the Ivy League--$50K. Huge student body with 99% of students living off campus (or something like that).

tooblue
08-24-2015, 03:08 PM
On the other hand, UW is outrageous for out of state students--as much as the Ivy League--$50K. Huge student body with 99% of students living off campus (or something like that).

Just to put this all in a different perspective: my second oldest, who is currently in the MTC, did one year of school at a University in downtown Toronto. His total cost, including tuition, was $9000, give or take two or three hundred here or there for the entire year! In the interest of full disclosure, he did earn a scholarship, without it his total cost for the year would've been roughly $13,000. That's the average cost per non international student at nearly every school north of the boarder. In Quebec, secondary education is cheaper ... but then you have to live in Quebec so ...

My oldest returns from his mission shortly. He will seriously consider doing his education in Germany, where the tuition is free. We have friends there, whom he has visited before his mission. And after living two years in Europe, there won't be much culture shock. But seriously, what the heck is going on in the states? Education at those prices isn't worth it IMO.

LA Ute
08-24-2015, 04:06 PM
But seriously, what the heck is going on in the states? Education at those prices isn't worth it IMO.

One theory is that government-guaranteed student loans are inflationary -- they're so easy to get that universities are raising tuition rapidly, without regard to the schools' actual costs.



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Two Utes
08-24-2015, 04:17 PM
On the other hand, UW is outrageous for out of state students--as much as the Ivy League--$50K. Huge student body with 99% of students living off campus (or something like that).


My daughter was accepted to Washington. They provided her a 4k schollie, so it would have only been 46k for me to send her there per year. I told her to blame her younger brother and younger sister that she had to go to the U.

Rocker Ute
08-24-2015, 04:46 PM
As LA mentioned there is a legacy program at the U for kids of alumni. LA no doubt you are more well connected than I am at the U but I was on the young alumni board in the past and could get you in touch with the right people if you need. Contact Nannette Richards there and she can help you with your daughter.


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mUUser
08-24-2015, 04:48 PM
My daughter will visit UW this year but she better get a sick scholarship because she's gonna get a scholarship at Utah that will reduce her tuition to instate levels. UW def has one of the prettier campuses in the country.

tooblue
08-24-2015, 06:31 PM
My daughter was accepted to Washington. They provided her a 4k schollie, so it would have only been 46k for me to send her there per year. I told her to blame her younger brother and younger sister that she had to go to the U.

She could pay for it herself like her father and all of her uncles and aunt ... and her Mom and ...

Solon
08-24-2015, 10:44 PM
One theory is that government-guaranteed student loans are inflationary -- they're so easy to get that universities are raising tuition rapidly, without regard to the schools' actual costs.



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i mostly agree, but they're spending all that extra money on administration. So, there are indeed rising "costs"- but not all are exactly costs associated with classroom experience. Gourmet restaurant-cafeterias, fancy dorms, psychological services, myriad academic advisers (now called by the Orwellian name of "Student Success Coaches"), state-of-the-art labs, tutors, disability testing & services, veterans affairs, security, assessment, data-analysts, accreditation "consultants", grant facilitators, alumni services & relations, IT, etc.

Most colleges have added very few full-time faculty and a boatload of staff & administrators in the last generation. Some of these are good programs, sure, but there is a lot of bloat.

E.g.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/higher-ed-administrators-growth_n_4738584.html

tooblue
08-25-2015, 06:59 AM
i mostly agree, but they're spending all that extra money on administration. So, there are indeed rising "costs"- but not all are exactly costs associated with classroom experience. Gourmet restaurant-cafeterias, fancy dorms, psychological services, myriad academic advisers (now called by the Orwellian name of "Student Success Coaches"), state-of-the-art labs, tutors, disability testing & services, veterans affairs, security, assessment, data-analysts, accreditation "consultants", grant facilitators, alumni services & relations, IT, etc.

Most colleges have added very few full-time faculty and a boatload of staff & administrators in the last generation. Some of these are good programs, sure, but there is a lot of bloat.

E.g.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/higher-ed-administrators-growth_n_4738584.html

I'm still perplexed. We have all of that here in spades (and Orwellian or not I love our Student Success Advisors). What is really driving the cost so high?

Diehard Ute
08-25-2015, 08:21 AM
I'm still perplexed. We have all of that here in spades (and Orwellian or not I love our Student Success Advisors). What is really driving the cost so high?

Several articles I found online from Canada indicated the Canadian government spends 33% more money than the U.S. does subsidizing higher education. And government funds make up the majority of a universities budget in Canada.


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tooblue
08-25-2015, 08:35 AM
Several articles I found online from Canada indicated the Canadian government spends 33% more money than the U.S. does subsidizing higher education. And government funds make up the majority of a universities budget in Canada.


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I'd say it's more, and not just on Higher ed. The starting salary for a high school or grade school teacher is about 35k and within ten years they are making 75k ... another five or so years in and they are earning close to 90k. In our province the government just avoided a back-to-school strike and gave the high school teachers a raise. Of course the grade school teachers are now threatening ... but the real problem is too many teachers and not enough students. The district just east of us, this year, laid off two hundred teachers. Most of their schools are operating at 60% or lower capacity. It's what happens when no body gets married and everyone refuses to have children.

So, there has to be a happy medium ... but still, roughly 9k a semester vs 9k a year? Something (different than in Canada) is seriously wrong with the US system.

mUUser
08-25-2015, 11:17 AM
Seems to me that Canada's great advantage is a lack of private schools. In the US, the privates set the tuition. The privates' primary source of revenue is tuition; their main interest is making money. They will always set the tuition level at whatever people are willing to pay. Harvard has determined that it can maximize revenue at its current tuition level. The US lawmakers, having gone to private schools, are not sympathetic to public schools and have reduced state funding of public schools dramatically. So publics are forced more and more to mirror the privates and rely on tuition.

That's a rant, I know. It's the best I can do, since I don't really understand all the complexities.

Another weak backhanded swipe at The Cardinal? Come on man, you're better than that! :)

NorthwestUteFan
08-25-2015, 05:28 PM
I remember seeing a breakdown on Harvard. The author concluded that Harvard is self-sustaining using only the interest on their endowment (i.e. they could give every student a free ride covering tuition/fees/books, and still have enough left over to cover building maintenance and improvements and yet still build principal after everything). They would never do that of course, in no small part due to the high price of attendance creating an air of exclusivity.

Our sense of balance in choosing what the government funds is all messed up. And yet when a candidate for office talks about increasing higher education funding they get skewered by the "Lower Taxes = Freedom!" People (most of whom don't really pay as high of taxes as they think they pay).

NorthwestUteFan
08-25-2015, 05:31 PM
I'd say it's more, and not just on Higher ed.


As my Canadian friend likes to say, "The 'American Dream' is alive and well...in Canada!"

LA Ute
08-25-2015, 05:58 PM
i mostly agree, but they're spending all that extra money on administration. So, there are indeed rising "costs"- but not all are exactly costs associated with classroom experience. Gourmet restaurant-cafeterias, fancy dorms, psychological services, myriad academic advisers (now called by the Orwellian name of "Student Success Coaches"), state-of-the-art labs, tutors, disability testing & services, veterans affairs, security, assessment, data-analysts, accreditation "consultants", grant facilitators, alumni services & relations, IT, etc.

It sure seems that way to me.

LA Ute
08-25-2015, 06:10 PM
Interesting article ranks the best offensive hoops coaches in College basketball. Krysko got votes:

Candid Coaches: Who is the best offensive coach in college basketball?

BS Sports college basketball writers Gary Parrish, Matt Norlander and Sam Vecenie spent the July evaluation period at various NCAA-sanctioned events. They asked for honest opinions on players, coaches and issues in the sport. They'll be sharing those opinions, from nearly 100 Division I basketball coaches at all levels, over a three-week period. This is our annual Candid Coaches series.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25269162/candid-coaches-who-is-the-best-offensive-coach-in-college-basketball

#1 Utefan
08-25-2015, 07:06 PM
As my Canadian friend likes to say, "The 'American Dream' is alive and well...in Canada!"

LOL. Feel free to move there if you want. I'll pass.

LA Ute
08-26-2015, 04:50 PM
Sports Illustrated:
(http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/08/26/high-impact-sophomores-melo-trimble-jakob-poeltl)
Predicting the top 10 high-impact sophomores for 2015-16 (http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/08/26/high-impact-sophomores-melo-trimble-jakob-poeltl)


Poeltl is #2.

311ute
08-27-2015, 01:46 PM
Jon Rothstein reporting that Lorenzo Bonam has lost 25 lbs this summer. Wow.

Some Tony Jones' tweets from the past couple days regarding the 2015-16 Runnin' Utes:

"there's no reason they shouldn't be setting final four as a goal"
"Bonam is just as dynamic as he (Delon) was offensively, maybe even more so in a few ways"
"(Bonam)'s an absolute murder off the dribble. So dynamic"
"Watch out for Kuzma. He's had a great summer. Still won't start, but will play a larger role"
"Everyone connected to the program knows Bonam in many ways is the key to the season"
speaking of Bonam:
"He's the only one with the capability to push them from very good to elite", "He has game-changing ability... most talented guard on the roster"
"expect Chapman to get the PF spot and Bonam to get the PG spot once things get rolling. But depth is insane"
"there is soooo much talent on this team. The 11th man on this roster would've started for the first LK team I covered"


Anyway... it's obvious that Tony thinks VERY highly of this team and of Bonam in particular. He's played with him and the rest of the team a bunch over the summer. I'm anxious to see him play, along with the other new guys. But I'm probably even more excited to see what kind of internal improvement there is from last year, particularly from Poeltl, Chapman, Kuzma, Wright, Ogbe.

Exciting times.

#1 Utefan
08-27-2015, 01:58 PM
Jon Rothstein reporting that Lorenzo Bonam has lost 25 lbs this summer. Wow.

Some Tony Jones' tweets from the past couple days regarding the 2015-16 Runnin' Utes:

"there's no reason they shouldn't be setting final four as a goal"
"Bonam is just as dynamic as he (Delon) was offensively, maybe even more so in a few ways"
"(Bonam)'s an absolute murder off the dribble. So dynamic"
"Watch out for Kuzma. He's had a great summer. Still won't start, but will play a larger role"
"Everyone connected to the program knows Bonam in many ways is the key to the season"
speaking of Bonam:
"He's the only one with the capability to push them from very good to elite", "He has game-changing ability... most talented guard on the roster"
"expect Chapman to get the PF spot and Bonam to get the PG spot once things get rolling. But depth is insane"
"there is soooo much talent on this team. The 11th man on this roster would've started for the first LK team I covered"


Anyway... it's obvious that Tony thinks VERY highly of this team and of Bonam in particular. He's played with him and the rest of the team a bunch over the summer. I'm anxious to see him play, along with the other new guys. But I'm probably even more excited to see what kind of internal improvement there is from last year, particularly from Poeltl, Chapman, Kuzma, Wright, Ogbe.

Exciting times.

What did Bonam weigh coming in? 25 lbs is a lot that fast which would also suggest he has lost a lot of muscle with it.

I hope Tony Jones is right but I'll believe he is as good as Delon Wright when I see it. Offensively maybe but I doubt he can do what Delon did from a padsing, rebounding, and defensive standpoint. Hope I'm wrong.

311ute
08-27-2015, 02:00 PM
Tony can be over the top for sure, but he did predict at this time last year that the Utes would be a top-15 team and most people thought he was crazy.

UtahsMrSports
08-27-2015, 02:21 PM
Jon Rothstein reporting that Lorenzo Bonam has lost 25 lbs this summer. Wow.

Some Tony Jones' tweets from the past couple days regarding the 2015-16 Runnin' Utes:

"there's no reason they shouldn't be setting final four as a goal"
"Bonam is just as dynamic as he (Delon) was offensively, maybe even more so in a few ways"
"(Bonam)'s an absolute murder off the dribble. So dynamic"
"Watch out for Kuzma. He's had a great summer. Still won't start, but will play a larger role"
"Everyone connected to the program knows Bonam in many ways is the key to the season"
speaking of Bonam:
"He's the only one with the capability to push them from very good to elite", "He has game-changing ability... most talented guard on the roster"
"expect Chapman to get the PF spot and Bonam to get the PG spot once things get rolling. But depth is insane"
"there is soooo much talent on this team. The 11th man on this roster would've started for the first LK team I covered"


Anyway... it's obvious that Tony thinks VERY highly of this team and of Bonam in particular. He's played with him and the rest of the team a bunch over the summer. I'm anxious to see him play, along with the other new guys. But I'm probably even more excited to see what kind of internal improvement there is from last year, particularly from Poeltl, Chapman, Kuzma, Wright, Ogbe.

Exciting times.

Everybody I have heard talk about Bonam just raves about him. And we really got him out of nowhere. Pretty cool if he is even half as good as the hype.

Scratch
08-27-2015, 03:15 PM
The interesting thing is it seemed like we were expecting Bealer to come in and replace a lot of the things Delon did, but now it seems like he's an after-thought. Really looking forward to this season and seeing how all these pieces fit together.

SoCalPat
08-27-2015, 09:02 PM
Tony can be over the top for sure, but he did predict at this time last year that the Utes would be a top-15 team and most people thought he was crazy.

I didn't think Tony was crazy at all this time last year, since I was the one banging the drum about a Pac-12 title, national ranking and playing into the second weekend in the Dance. But when Tony says this year's team should be thinking Final Four, I'm reminded about the time he predicted Jordan Loveridge would be a better player/have a better career than CU's Andre Roberson, who just finished his second year with the NBA's Thunder.

UtahsMrSports
08-28-2015, 07:58 AM
I didn't think Tony was crazy at all this time last year, since I was the one banging the drum about a Pac-12 title, national ranking and playing into the second weekend in the Dance. But when Tony says this year's team should be thinking Final Four, I'm reminded about the time he predicted Jordan Loveridge would be a better player/have a better career than CU's Andre Roberson, who just finished his second year with the NBA's Thunder.

I am still not even sure that we are a tournament team to be honest. We should be, but we really lost a lot in Delon.

Solon
08-28-2015, 08:54 AM
I am still not even sure that we are a tournament team to be honest. We should be, but we really lost a lot in Delon.

I hope it's like the '97-98 season, when people were wondering if the Utes could recover from losing KVH. (At least, I think that's what people were wondering. I spent the first 5 months of 1997 finishing up my culturally mandated two-year service project.)

concerned
08-28-2015, 09:02 AM
I am still not even sure that we are a tournament team to be honest. We should be, but we really lost a lot in Delon.


I hope/expect that by March, Poeltl will be a completely different player than he was last year; dominant in the middle and a top lottery pick. Also signif improvement in Chapman, Kuzma and others. Losing Delon from last year's team would have been devastating; from this year's team, hopefully not as much.