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Thread: The Basketball Offseason 2017 thread

  1. #61
    Ma'ake nailed it. Kuzma is looking to have a Greg Foster type career. 13-ish years, off the bench, can stretch the floor, rebound, play solid defense. Kuzma could have a really long career if he can find his niche and perfect it.

  2. #62
    I think our streak ends after this year.

    Bold prediction that I dont think is really all that bold: Jayce Johnson is our most likely player to be drafted at some point.

  3. #63
    Quote Originally Posted by UtahsMrSports View Post
    I think our streak ends after this year.

    Bold prediction that I dont think is really all that bold: Jayce Johnson is our most likely player to be drafted at some point.
    Don't sleep on Bibbins...the next Isaiah Thomas!
    “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.

  4. #64
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    I guess this counts as declaring for the 2018 draft...?


  5. #65
    Home and home with Mizzou. Nov 16 in SLC.


  6. #66
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    Home and home with Mizzou. Nov 16 in SLC.

    And here I thought Larry and Cuanzo didn't like each other.
    “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.

  7. #67
    ...and the whole non-conf schedule:

    http://utahutes.com/news/2017/6/26/m...18-season.aspx

    I guess a lot comes down to the bad teams. Are they RPI 150 bad or RPI 300 bad?
    Last edited by sancho; 06-26-2017 at 12:53 PM.

  8. #68
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    ...and the whole non-conf schedule:

    http://utahutes.com/news/2017/6/26/m...18-season.aspx
    Beat me by that much...
    “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.

  9. #69
    The RPI's from last season:

    Prairie View A&M: 307
    Miss Valley St: 333
    Mizzou: 254
    Ole Miss: 75
    Rice/UNLV: 170/238
    Eastern WA: 148
    Hawaii: ?
    Butler: 14
    USU: 179
    BYU: 66
    Northwestern St: 308

    I think we can hope for Mizzou and UNLV to be better than the 200's. If so, we could have 8/11 games better than 300.
    Last edited by sancho; 06-26-2017 at 01:02 PM.

  10. #70
    According to Bill Riley, the Pac-12 has told the conference no more non Division I games. Amen.

  11. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    The RPI's from last season:

    Prairie View A&M: 307
    Miss Valley St: 333
    Mizzou: 254
    Ole Miss: 75
    Rice/UNLV: 170/238
    Eastern WA: 148
    Hawaii: ?
    Butler: 14
    USU: 179
    BYU: 66
    Northwestern St: 308

    I think we can hope for Mizzou and UNLV to be better than the 200's. If so, we could have 8/11 games better than 300.
    Hawaii was 299 per realtimerpi.com. They should be better as well.

  12. #72
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    There are three games that are pure crap (PVAM, MVSU, NWSt.). There are two games, one of which is not a guarantee, that could really help us out (Missouri, UNLV). Utah State and Rice beat the hell out of two more 300-plus games, but both are neutral floor. It would help if both teams could flirt with the top 100. We can hope Hawaii is 100 spots better than last year and breaks into the top 200. BYU, Butler and Ole Miss would be great adds in any year.

    The best part of the schedule is no non-D1 games. The worst part of the schedule is the home slate is worse than last year's, unless Mizzou and Michael Porter Jr. are immensely improved from Day 1. Good for us to get them in SLC this year. Hopeful this will be an ESPN/2 game.

  13. #73
    Quote Originally Posted by SoCalPat View Post
    There are three games that are pure crap (PVAM, MVSU, NWSt.). There are two games, one of which is not a guarantee, that could really help us out (Missouri, UNLV). Utah State and Rice beat the hell out of two more 300-plus games, but both are neutral floor. It would help if both teams could flirt with the top 100. We can hope Hawaii is 100 spots better than last year and breaks into the top 200. BYU, Butler and Ole Miss would be great adds in any year.

    The best part of the schedule is no non-D1 games. The worst part of the schedule is the home slate is worse than last year's, unless Mizzou and Michael Porter Jr. are immensely improved from Day 1. Good for us to get them in SLC this year. Hopeful this will be an ESPN/2 game.
    I don't think this Utah team needs to worry about strength of schedule. I don't think the talent is there to make the NIT, let alone the NCAA.

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    I don't think this Utah team needs to worry about strength of schedule. I don't think the talent is there to make the NIT, let alone the NCAA.
    This isn't football, where very little can be gained by putting a young/weak team against Alabama. Scheduling is just as much a part of player development as scrimmaging, film session and individual workouts. Part of the reason we are where we're at in terms of lousy scheduling is our coach thinks the same way you do. It's short-term thinking that's highly detrimental. And we don't get better as a result.

    We saw how Kuzma's game got better leading up to the draft playing against better competition on a regular basis. Why is weak scheduling even defended any more?

  15. #75
    Quote Originally Posted by SoCalPat View Post
    This isn't football, where very little can be gained by putting a young/weak team against Alabama. Scheduling is just as much a part of player development as scrimmaging, film session and individual workouts. Part of the reason we are where we're at in terms of lousy scheduling is our coach thinks the same way you do. It's short-term thinking that's highly detrimental. And we don't get better as a result.

    We saw how Kuzma's game got better leading up to the draft playing against better competition on a regular basis. Why is weak scheduling even defended any more?
    I never said weak scheduling is good. I don't believe that. I said I don't think we need to worry about strength of schedule because we have a team that will be lucky to get above .500 and does not need to worry about the strength of schedule in terms of the post season.

    As far as Kuzma goes, I have a lot of questions about his improvement. First, I am happy for him. Playing against better competition might be part of it, but it is also possible that he worked harder to get drafted than he did in the previous 6 months. Maybe there was simply nobody on the roster to challenge him in practice and he knew it. I don't know what the answer is, but it is clear that he greatly outperformed his season in his combine and pre-draft workouts. None of the so-called experts had him as a first round selection and many had him as a borderline draft pick. Something changed for him and if I were the Utah coaches I would be trying to figure out what that was, because I don't think he played like a first round NBA draft pick most last season when he obviously had the talent and ability to do so.

  16. #76
    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    but it is clear that he greatly outperformed his season in his combine and pre-draft workouts. None of the so-called experts had him as a first round selection and many had him as a borderline draft pick. Something changed for him and if I were the Utah coaches I would be trying to figure out what that was, because I don't think he played like a first round NBA draft pick most last season when he obviously had the talent and ability to do so.
    Again, he was a first team all-conference player, so it's not like he had a bad year.

    Personally, I believe he got hot/lucky at the right time during the one combine game he played in. We've seen it with him multiple times - 3-4 three pointers in a row, and then he's back to a 30% shooter. I hope he's successful, but I think the Lakers allowed themselves to be wowed by one 20 minute stretch.

  17. #77
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    Again, he was a first team all-conference player, so it's not like he had a bad year.

    Personally, I believe he got hot/lucky at the right time during the one combine game he played in. We've seen it with him multiple times - 3-4 three pointers in a row, and then he's back to a 30% shooter. I hope he's successful, but I think the Lakers allowed themselves to be wowed by one 20 minute stretch.
    He also did personal workouts for a bunch of teams. The 20 minute workout might have gotten buzz going about him, and I think he sealed it by showing the teams in person his skills and measurables against other top talent in those workouts.
    “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.

  18. #78
    To be fair to Kuzma, he was slated as a second round pick before the season and started popping in every so often in the first round during the season.

    Him being a late first rounder is no shocking surprise.

    The question wasn't "would he get drafted?"

    It was, "will he sneak into the first round?"

    Only Utah fans are shocked he was drafted.

  19. #79
    Quote Originally Posted by Utah View Post
    To be fair to Kuzma, he was slated as a second round pick before the season and started popping in every so often in the first round during the season.

    Him being a late first rounder is no shocking surprise.

    The question wasn't "would he get drafted?"

    It was, "will he sneak into the first round?"

    Only Utah fans are shocked he was drafted.
    I think you are wrong.

  20. #80
    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    I think you are wrong.
    me too. I think Kuzma will come back to be the player we saw all winter.

  21. #81
    He was in mock drafts as a second rounder before the season started.

  22. #82
    Quote Originally Posted by Utah View Post
    He was in mock drafts as a second rounder before the season started.
    True, but when he declared, the talk - not just locally - was whether or not he'd be drafted at all. No one thought about the first round until he went 5-5 in that combine scrimmage.

    Obviously, if he can keep shooting like that, he will succeed. Based on what we know about him, however, I think his best chance at making it in the NBA is through his rebounding. That's always been his greatest strength. If it translates to the NBA, he'll be fine.

  23. #83
    My point was that NBA scouts have been watching him all year. He didn't sneak up on anyone. He's been on the NBA's radar all year.

    He started popping up in the first round during the season.

    Now, just because some local hack can't believe that Utah would be better than BYU and is too lazy to do some research...

  24. #84
    Listening to the Andy Hill interview on the Bill Reilly show...said we have one more game we could schedule, but at this point don't feel the need. Interesting. Why wouldn't you just see if you could add a SUU or someone?
    “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.

  25. #85
    Quote Originally Posted by DrumNFeather View Post
    Why wouldn't you just see if you could add a SUU or someone?
    Would that game do us more harm than good due to SOS?

  26. #86
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    Would that game do us more harm than good due to SOS?
    Probably. Just seems odd to have the option and say "nah, we're good."

    Now, some teams play a non conference game during one of their bye days, and the league according to Hill won't release that schedule until September, so maybe they are waiting for that. That would assume a savvy scheduling philosophy.

    Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
    “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.

  27. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrumNFeather View Post
    Listening to the Andy Hill interview on the Bill Reilly show...said we have one more game we could schedule, but at this point don't feel the need. Interesting. Why wouldn't you just see if you could add a SUU or someone?
    This answers a question I wasn't altogether too sure of. You're allowed to take one exempt game and make it a maximum of three. Think Diamondhead last year. This year, we have only 11 non-conference games as opposed to 12 last year. Our Vegas games will only count for one, but we get two games out of it. If it's a 200-plus RPI team, yeah, we could schedule it. If it's a top 150, then we should schedule it.

    My guess is Utah Valley will always make room on their schedule for us. Now you gotta weigh the merits.

  28. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrumNFeather View Post
    Probably. Just seems odd to have the option and say "nah, we're good."

    Now, some teams play a non conference game during one of their bye days, and the league according to Hill won't release that schedule until September, so maybe they are waiting for that. That would assume a savvy scheduling philosophy.

    Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
    I would love to schedule UNM or Gonzaga on a Saturday night the week of the CU game, provided we get CU on a Wednesday.

  29. #89
    League pairings announced: http://pac-12.com/article/2017/06/28...gn=Pac12Social

    Utes will not go to NorCal and the Oregon Schools will not come to SLC.

    Finish the season with three at home (USC, UCLA, CU)
    “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.

  30. #90
    Quote Originally Posted by DrumNFeather View Post
    League pairings announced: http://pac-12.com/article/2017/06/28...gn=Pac12Social

    Utes will not go to NorCal and the Oregon Schools will not come to SLC.

    Finish the season with three at home (USC, UCLA, CU)

    That's too bad. Stanford Cal might be two winnable road games, despite last year.

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