This is the biggest reason losing Togiai hurts.
This is the biggest reason losing Togiai hurts.
LK went on to say what a lot of us have said, something like "We need a guy who's gonna take the game on his shoulders and say, 'I'm not going to let this happen.'" I guess all coaches want that, and all teams need it. The only guy on this team capable of that, talent-wise, is Delon, but he doesn't seem to have the hard-nosed character that's required. If Taylor were 6'2" he'd be that guy.Originally Posted by UBlender
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
That may be true. He was the toughest prick on the team.
Maybe. I'm sure how much time he would get on this year's team. He had very few offensive skills, and he wasn't a standout defender or rebounder. What he had was a willingness to attack the rim. We could use more of that. Of course, his willingness led to turnovers or missed FTs more often than it led to points.
So, now that we've played everyone, who is going to rank our potential Vegas opponents from worst to best matchup?
Well, let's start with the standings....
Team Conf GB Over Arizona 13-2 0 25-3 Utah 12-3 1 22-5 Oregon 11-5 2.5 21-8 Stanford 8-6 4 17-9 Oregon St. 8-7 4.5 17-10 UCLA 9-7 4.5 17-12 Arizona St. 7-8 5 15-13 California 6-9 6 16-12 Colorado 5-10 7 12-15 Washington St. 6-9 7 12-15 Washington 4-11 8 15-12 USC 2-14 10 10-18
Unless something crazy happens, we'll likely be the 2 seed no matter what, or at least can likely finish no worse, which opens up a ton of possibilities for that 7-10 match up in the first round.
Here's the remaining schedule:
Wed (25)
WSU 70 @ USC 66
Washington 66 @UCLA 88
Oregon 80 @ CAL 69
Thurs (26)
ASU @ Utah
Arizona 82 @ Colorado 54
Oregon St. @ Stanford
Sat (28)
Arizona @ Utah
Washington @ USC
Sun (29)
OSU @ Cal
Oregon @ Stanford
ASU @ Colrado
WSU @ UCLA
Wed (4)
USC @ UCLA
Oregon @ OSU
Thurs (5)
Cal @ Arizona
Colorado @ Washington
Stanford @ ASU
Utah @ WSU
Sat (7)
Cal @ ASU
Colorado @ WSU
Stanford @ Arizona
Utah @ Washington
Last edited by DrumNFeather; 02-26-2015 at 10:13 PM.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
All of the above information is to say...too early to tell, though we'll have some clarity after this weekend.
I will say this, it is interesting that 4 teams get a few extra days to prep, and three of them are schools that would greatly benefit from a run in the conf. tourney (Oregon, OSU, UCLA).
Also, USC can lock up the 12th seed with a loss and a Washington win.
Oregon & Oregon St. could both have a first round bye nearly secured by the time they play depending on what happens this weekend, which would make that game interesting.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
Good article from the Trib by Kyle Goons.
http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofuspor...e-are-the-utes
Kuzma can be that guy IF he develops. He has that mentality. The question will become, will he be able play within a team structure and get up to speed for this level of basketball. If he can, watch out.
I believe that Chapman is more likely to become that guy. He has proven to be a more consistent outside shooter. He has the ability to take his guy off the dribble and has shown some ability to play with his back to the basket. It will be interesting to see how they both develop.
He will need to learn to make better decisions, I think. I agree with UTEopia that Chapman is more likely to become the take-charge guy. I hope he hits the weight room hard after this season ends.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Chapman is a future star. I think as soon as next year he could be a 15 ppg type guy. He needs to a) get stronger, and b) learn not to foul. He’s got to lead the country in fouls per minute. That being said, Larry needs to play him more. The fact that he got 8 minutes while Reyes got 19 minutes in Eugene is unacceptable (and I understand he got hurt towards the end and didn’t come back in). I like Reyes and think he adds defense/rebounding/toughness which we need, but Brekkott is so much more skilled offensively. They’re both averaging 16mpg… I think it should be more like 20/12 in Chapman’s favor.
If I were the coach, I would call a few plays a game for Chapman. Isolate one side of the floor and give him an extended post catch. Have him turn and face and go to work. His jumper from 15-18 feet is money, and he has a great first step for his size. Plus he does a good job of drawing contact when attacking the rim.
I think Poeltl and Chapman make huge leaps in production from this year to next (assuming Poeltl returns which I think he will). Chapman’s stretch 4 abilities could complement Poeltl’s strengths perfectly. Bring in Reyes, JO, Mawien off the bench and I think that’s a really solid frontcourt in 2015-16.
I think Chapman is the closest thing to Van Horn we've had since those days. I wonder if Chapman wouldn't be starting already on a team with less depth.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
KVH is on another planet. But Chapman's stats as a frosh compare very favorably to Hanno Mattola's.
Chapman: 6.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 52 FG%, 74 FT%
Mottola: 6.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 58 FG%, 62 FT%
Chapman did take more 3s than Mottola as a frosh (32 to 2) and makes them at a 50 percent clip. If he shot more, he'd threaten the single-season 3PT% mark of 51 percent held by Shawn Green (you gotta take 75 to qualify). And physically, he has some resemblance to Keith in build, although Keith had him by two inches. Keith was The Man from Day 1 and is one of the top 3 players in Utah history. Putting that kind of comparison on any first year player is a bit of a stretch.
It's too bad KVH isn't around now. The NBA is tailor made for his game today.
I don't know where he will end up on the all time list, but Chapman is the next star of Utah basketball. The comparison to KVH is hard because of the talent discrepancies between KVH's freshman team, and this team. Chapman would be playing a similar role if he was in Keith's shoes in 1993. Time will tell if he will have a similar impact over the course of his career. IMO, KVH is the the GOAT of Utah basketball, and that is a tough mountain to climb for Chapman.
Yes, if Chapman is half of what KVH was, we should be thrilled. A poor man's Keith Van Horn is nothing to laugh at.
I'm not sure who to compare Chapman to. SoCal used Hanno. Maybe that's it. Maybe Alex? He's not athletic enough to be Britton.
Interesting discussion on Chapman. I don't know that he's playing at the position he'll play as soon as next year. He's an undersized four in college basketball, let alone professional. I'd really like to see him play the three next year. I think he has the athleticism to make the switch.
I see smart and fundamental, but I'm not sure I see athletic.
That's an interesting thought that I hadn't considered. I think he could handle the 3, but he's currently the best 4 on the roster and I don't see that changing next year unless Mawien is a huge immediate impact guy. If I'm projecting the best five to put on the floor next year, based on what we know right now, it has to be Taylor/Tucker/Loveridge/Chapman/#JakPot. I know Loveridge is a mystery right now and there are some who would like to see him in a reduced role but is the team better with Loveridge on the bench and Reyes or Kuzma on the floor? And if that reduced role does come for Loveridge will there be another perimeter player who steps up and seizes those minutes (thinking Ogbe and Isaiah Wright who have also both kind of vanished lately)?
It's an interesting thought, but I need to feel better about Utah's other options at the 4 next year before I am on board with Chapman playing the 3. If it's a question of more minutes for Loveridge/Ogbe/Wright or Reyes/Kuzma then I know which way I am leaning right now. Having said that, I think Ogbe and Kuzma are two wild cards. Both have a lot of potential but are struggling to put it all together. If either or both can take a big step forward that would help out a ton.
Good discussion here.
At the beginning of the year, the discussion regarding Kuzma/Chapman was that Kuzma is more of a 3 and Chapman is more of a 4, even though they are about the same size; thus far, Chapman has proven to be quite versatile at both 3 & 4. Kuzma's defense still leaves a lot to be desired and his shooting during conference plays has not been good. I'm really interested to see how Kuzma develops. I wanted to see more out of Kuzma because he was on campus last year; although he couldn't practice with the team, I still expected more from him.
As far as Chapman goes, if he continues to develop his game and get physically stronger, then I think he can play both 3/4, depending on our schemes/opponents.
The point is strong that Chapman is the best four coming back next year. I don't need to remind anyone that I was the guy who wondered whether or not Chapman should redshirt at the beginning of the season. What a moronic statement. The kid's a talent. Whatever he plays next year, he needs to start. I'd love to see him start games at the three (with Reyes at the 4) and then move to the four as a Kuzma or Loveridge enters the game. Early in the year, coaches were trying to get Kuzma experience at both positions and he couldn't handle it - indeed he's down a few more spots on the bench. Chapman, however, can handle it. Sancho, I think you're more correct than me. Chapman's intelligence and fundamentals are more important in the discussion. He may be an athletic four but not athletic enough (yet) for the three.
Not a big deal...most of us are just speculating, anyway. As long as we are all being civilized, who cares about whether we were right or wrong -- they are just opinions. Can't stand when people boast about getting a few lucky guesses or how they want to point-out how wrong others were -- just being Richards in general. A few people really take this $hit way too personal.
Last edited by justaute; 02-25-2015 at 10:31 PM.
Just for the record, I am not saying Chapman is on the same level as Keith. I said that Chapman is the closest thing to KVH we've had since KVH. I still think so and it seems that there's agreement on that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
It is hard to compare the two at this point. As a freshman, KVH was the best player on a terrible team and therefore had the opportunity to play and shoot at will. It also means that he probably received the most defensive attention from the opposition. That team, however, was so bad that other teams did not really need to play much defense.
Chapman, on the other hand, is the 6th man on a very good team. He is rarely the first option.
I am very excited to see how all of the young guys develop. Each of them, including Wright, have shown the ability to play at a high level. The key will be playing at a high level on a consistent basis.
His better comparison is Britton Johnssen.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
I think Kuzma compares to Britton a little better as a freshman. People may forget that Britton spent his freshman year getting some DNPs and having a lot of games where he only played about five minutes and made no impact, much like Kuzma this year. The both show flashes every now and then and everybody can see that there is great potential. It was only the tournament that Britton really broke out and showed that he would be a key player (after his mission).
I think Larry keeps giving Kuzma those token minutes because he knows there is so much potential there and he wants the kid to feel that it is within reach and keep working for it.
A better comparison for Chapman as a freshman would be someone like Al Jensen. I'm not saying that Chapman is or will be Al, but they are both true freshmen that played a significant, steady bench role from day one and did a lot of things well for a successful team. Neither will put up huge numbers and Chapman may never be as good of a defender as Alex but I see similarities in terms of the size of the contribution as a freshman.
My $0.02, fwiw: the better comparison is Van Horn, because Chapman can play inside and outside, make a 3 consistently, put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. He is versatile like Van Horn, much more versatile than Britton or Alex. Neither Britton or Alex could do anything outside of five feet. You would never have put either of them at the top of the key to break a zone, like we do Chapman. He may not be as good as KVN, but he has the same kind of game.
You are forgetting how good Britton was. He was two time MWC player of the year. He shot about 34% from the three. In the North Carolina game his freshman year he was the 6th man off the bench.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
I agree. He's a poor man's KVH. He's not as athletic as Britton, and he's not as solid as Alex. He does a lot of things well, and KVH did a lot of things perfectly.
Last edited by sancho; 02-26-2015 at 09:13 AM.
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