Well, we're in! 3 seed to face 6th Boise State on Tuesday night in the Huntsman Center. No risk of running into the Provo Cougs until Madison Square Gardens, which I think would actually be a pretty fun game at that point. Probability: low.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
or, the Not Invited Tournament...
Round 1
Syracuse -15 UNCG
Monmouth -2 Ole Miss
Indiana -10 Georgia Tech
Georgia -9 Belmont
----------
Iowa -11 South Dakota
TCU -11 Fresno State
Alabama -7 Richmond
Clemson -10 Oakland
----------
California -11 UCSB
Colorado St -4 Charleston
BYU -5 UT-SA
Houston -10 Akron
----------
Illinois St -11 UC Irvine
Central Florida -2 Colorado
Utah -10 Boise State
Illinois -6 Valparaiso
Round 2
Syracuse -9 Monmouth
Georgia -- Indiana
Iowa -- TCU
Clemson -6 Alabama
California -9 Colorado St
Houston -6 BYU
Illinois St -5 Central Florida
Utah -- Illinois
Round 3
Syracuse -5 Georgia or Indiana -1 Syracuse
California -2 Houston
Clemson -- Iowa or Clemson -- TCU
Illinois St -1 Utah or Illinois St -1 Illinois
Final 4
Syracuse -1 California or Indiana -2 California
Clemson -2 Illinois St or Illinois St -1 Iowa or TCU -2 Illinois St
FINALS
Syracuse -1 Clemson
Syracuse -2 Illinois St
Syracuse -1 TCU
Indiana -2 Clemson
Indiana -3 Illinois St
Indiana -2 TCU
So the way this works is my computer predicts the line, the first 3 rounds utilize the home advantage (higher seed gets home)
If the score prediction is less than 1 the line is --
The next round I predict either team vs the predicted other team. Got it?
Essentially Syracuse or Indiana are favored to come out of the one side.
Clemson, Illinois State and TCU are favored to come out of the other side.
If Utah didn't have to play at Illinois State in the third round I would have them favored, in fact, take out home court and my computer predicts Indiana -1 Utah in the championship game.
Anything can happen but the odds aren't against Utah.
I said at the start of the year that I would be happy if this team made the NIT, so I will be at the JMHC Tuesday night. Anyone else going?
Originally Posted by UTEopia
My son has a game at the same time, so I'll be recording it.
Just to be clear, I'm recording the Utah game.
I had the same thought. I was very uninterested in a first or second round game against BYU in either Provo or SLC, but....
playing them in MSG in the NIT final would be kind of fun and an interesting footnote in the rivalry.
(Do they still do the third place/consolation game at the NIT final four? I kind of think they don't do it anymore, but I remember Utah playing it in the early Majerus years when we got hosed against Notre Dame in the NIT semifinal. Anyway, I think it would be absolutely hysterical if Utah and BYU played in that consolation game and Larry started the walkons).
If Utah wants it bad enough there is nothing scary in their bracket. But you never know what you are going to get with this team. I think they're equally likely to wheeze out against Boise as they are to make it to New York.
Or if Larry just forfeited the game.
Perhaps while Boise is in town, we can get a game on the schedule for next season. While we're at it, give Boheim a call and see if we can get the 'Cuse on the docket as well.
Hopefully the team makes some kind of showing here, if for no other reason than it's a long time until fall camp starts for football.
“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.
Fill it with baseball, preferably Utah baseball. The guy in your avatar plays the game and isn't half bad.
“Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman
"You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb
"Three-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle the most versatile, and maybe most intelligent, safety in the game." -- SI, 9/7/15, p. 107.
Do they show the Ute games on the P12 Networks?
I've gotta figure something out to catch the Nats this year...the stupid sports pack that claims to give you any game at any time doesn't really do that. Might have to invest in extra-innings.
“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.
Utah Baseball games are fantastic to attend. One of my favorite spring time activities.
Aren't season passes like $25 for five? No brainer.
Illinois State head coach with an awesome tweet:
I'm glad LK is our coach. But I'm weary of this reasoning--which I don't get--that the season's a success if you beat low expectations. Isn't part of the job to avoid low expectations in the first place, especially after five years as coach?
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
You raise an interesting point here. I think that it is probably more about managing expectations than being satisfied that they beat low expectations. When the schedule came out, seems to me that it was a pretty clear sign that the coaching staff was trying to manage their expectations for this season. I mean, Larry has essentially said that everything Pre-Colette and Barefield pretty much doesn't count.
It seems that in any year when you lose the production that we did, just out of the graduates/NBA draft picks, you are going to take a step back, which is fine, but on top of that we saw a significant number of transfers out etc...which, that can be fine too, as we didn't lose a ton of production, but then you ask "Well why did we recruit so and so in the first place..." and so the cycle goes. That is where I think many placed the low expectations. You couple that with three programs being elite this year in the league, and the 4th seed was probably the ceiling given the grand canyon gap between the top 3 and the rest of the league.
Given all of that, do I think they exceeded the managed expectations? I do. But the 4th seed still sort of felt like "Co-South Champs" from a year ago in football. So I'm not sure where that leaves this team.
I do think they need to show something in the NIT. There is no reason that they can't come out of their little pod of 4 with Boise, Illinois (fired coach) and Valpo.
“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.
I don't know how I feel about where I should put expectations on K. On the one hand, the program was a mess when he came, and this year was the first year he was a bonafide PAC-12 team, full of PAC-12 players and PAC-12 depth. BUT, part of that was his fault. He ran off some talented guys, which set him back a year or two.
I think this is where I stand:
I'm happy with K. I think he has done a good job. There are ways he needs to get better, but I feel good with him here. I do think Tournament is a must for next year.
I always find it puzzling that a coach doesn't make it to the tournament one year and we are making proclamations that next year is a 'must'. Majerus didn't make the tournament each year (and one might argue that some of the things he did like leaving the team for periods of time for health and personal concerns actually set the team back). Its gonna happen in college basketball.
Notable historically great teams that are in the NIT this year:
Indiana
Syracuse
Utah
Illinois
Among others...
Things swing a lot on very few players. Pick up Markanan (sp) and suddenly we are one of the top seeds this year.
excellent point.
I'll give Krysko a mulligan this year, simply because he's never been a head coach this long at the same place and he did deal with the big C in the off-season.
That's awesome. Go for it Larry, get the Redbirds on the slate next year!
“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.
BTW...Ole Miss has already answered this challenge.
“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.
Yes, and you get a nice cap and up to 6 people can go on your pass.
If Kuzma can score 17 and 9 and hit 40% from three with a deep tourney run, he will get drafted 10-20 next year.
Someone with his size and athleticism who can hit the three? That's rare.
A big IF, but he hit 33% this year. If he can sniff 40%, his stock will soar.
he would have to have a senior year like Frank Kaminsky's. I dont see it happening.
Perfectly put.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kuzma should stay in school. He can have a Frank Kaminsky season. And there are other reasons to stay in school. Like Doug Gottleib says, school has intrinsic value. It would be a big mistake for him to leave with a year left.
Two weeks ago the consensus here was he wasn't even an NBA prospect at all. What's changed?
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
What has changed is Kuzma showing up on mock drafts and some rumors that he is going to go. He has already graduated (or will this spring), so how much intrinsic value (whatever that is) can there be to hanging around.
I got curious and looked it up. Kuzma this year is essentially the same age that Kaminsky was when drafted (22) Kaminsky is two inches taller. He shot 37.6% from 3 his junior year, and 41.6% his senior year. He was national basketball player of the year in 2015, and led Wisconsin to the title game, as we know. He shoots 33% from the NBA 3 point line.
You really think Kuzma can duplicate that?
I doubt he is a serious NBA prospect. He should, however, declare and get an evaluation or whatever it is the NBA does.
He has offensive deficiencies, but his defensive deficiencies are significant. He is not big enough or strong enough to guard the 4 and is not quick enough or athletic enough to guard the 3.
Irrespective of what class they are, just reflecting on the caliber of player who is a lottery pick over the past 10 years Kuzma just doesn't fit the bill. He'd need some drastic improvement beyond 3pt shooting and a lot of that is tied to b-ball IQ and leadership.
That doesn't mean I don't love him or think he isn't NBA potential, just not lotto pick caliber. A really strong senior season MIGHT get him late first round.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What is it with this Hutchison guy? He has scored more than half of Boise's points. I'm listening on the radio and Riley is pointing out that there always seems to be someone on the opposing team who just goes off on the Utes.
"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
Our defensive focus is taking away three pointers. It's opening up driving lanes, and our guards aren't known for denying penetration. A couple of the shots he were pretty high on the difficulty scale.
“To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote