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LA Ute
11-29-2014, 11:04 AM
I'm having such a great time watching Kuzma, Poeltl, Chapman, and Wright (KCPW -- sounds like a radio station's call letters). I think they deserve their own thread.

I'll start with Poeltl. Every time I see him show signs of progress, I think back to two moments: First, when Chris Hill told me getting Jakob was a long shot for Utah because Arizona was going after him hard and he really liked the weather in Berkeley, so Cal was also ahead. Second, Comrade Crimson at his former blog was careful to say signing Poeltl was not really a big get for Larry, and Jakob was not someone Utah fans should get excited about. Whoops.

I. Wright is also one of my favorites to watch. The kid just gets it. It's going to be fun watching him for the next few years.

I saw Kuzma do some things last night that were astonishing from a 6'9" player.

Chapman still does some freshman things (they all do) but he looks very much at home on the court. He's going to be an impact player.

I love the way they all feed the post now that they have someone there with soft hands.

What do you all think?

Old Standing ute
11-29-2014, 12:58 PM
I'm having such a great time watching Kuzma, Poeltl, Chapman, and Wright (KCPW -- sounds like a radio station's call letters). I think they deserve their own thread.

I'll start with Poeltl. Every time I see him show signs of progress, I think back to two moments: First, when Chris Hill told me getting Jakob was a long shot for Utah because Arizona was going after him hard and he really liked the weather in Berkeley, so Cal was also ahead. Second, Comrade Crimson at his former blog was careful to say signing Poeltl was not really a big get for Larry, and Jakob was not someone Utah fans should get excited about. Whoops.

I. Wright is also one of my favorites to watch. The kid just gets it. It's going to be fun watching him for the next few years.

I saw Kuzma do some things last night that were astonishing from a 6'9" player.

Chapman still does some freshman things (they all do) but he looks very much at home on the court. He's going to be an impact player.

I love the way they all feed the post now that they have someone there with soft hands.

What do you all think?

I think in 2 years (their Jr. year) if this group stays healthy they are national contenders.

Poeltl has 17 blocks through 5 games, will be over 100 for the year? He scores now on putbacks & rim feeds. If he can develop a more advanced low post games: jump hooks, step backs-- he will be a lottery pick.

Chapman is tougher than he looks, rebounds & blocks shots better than expected. He hit from 18' last night--finally. He has really good form--eventually he will stretch it to 3 range.

I. Wright may need to shoot more to really see how good he can be. Can't fault him for loving to pass.

Kuzma has a funky shot. As you noted up close he is bigger than you expect. He will be a huge 3, if he can guard wings.

Larry K ( and DeMarco?) can recruit.

Applejack
11-29-2014, 02:45 PM
I'm waiting to see Kuzma against some really good competition. He's long, but like our friend Travis Wilson, he negates his height advantage by shooting with that weird hitch in his shot. I'm not sold on him as a shooter, yet.

Chapman looks good so far, he'll be a nice all around player.

LA Ute
11-29-2014, 03:07 PM
I'm waiting to see Kuzma against some really good competition. He's long, but like our friend Travis Wilson, he negates his height advantage by shooting with that weird hitch in his shot. I'm not sold on him as a shooter, yet.

Chapman looks good so far, he'll be a nice all around player.

Kuzma's hitch isn't as bad as I envisioned it. It'll be interesting to see how much impact that really has. He does some nice things around the rim too, so his offensive output won't depend on outside shots. Some people describe him as a potential "point 4."

Applejack
11-29-2014, 03:13 PM
Kuzma's hitch isn't as bad as I envisioned it. It'll be interesting to see how much impact that really has. He does some nice things around the rim too, so his offensive output won't depend on outside shots. Some people describe him as a potential "point 4."

Hmm, other thatn the SDSU game, I've only seen clips of Utah thusfar (I'm not staying up until 2:00 AM for Texas-Pan Am), but I haven't noticed Kuzma having an excellent handle.

SoCalPat
11-29-2014, 03:33 PM
I'm having such a great time watching Kuzma, Poeltl, Chapman, and Wright (KCPW -- sounds like a radio station's call letters). I think they deserve their own thread.

I'll start with Poeltl. Every time I see him show signs of progress, I think back to two moments: First, when Chris Hill told me getting Jakob was a long shot for Utah because Arizona was going after him hard and he really liked the weather in Berkeley, so Cal was also ahead. Second, Comrade Crimson at his former blog was careful to say signing Poeltl was not really a big get for Larry, and Jakob was not someone Utah fans should get excited about. Whoops.

I. Wright is also one of my favorites to watch. The kid just gets it. It's going to be fun watching him for the next few years.

I saw Kuzma do some things last night that were astonishing from a 6'9" player.

Chapman still does some freshman things (they all do) but he looks very much at home on the court. He's going to be an impact player.

I love the way they all feed the post now that they have someone there with soft hands.

What do you all think?

If Hill told the media what he told you, he'd be guilty of a violation.

Additionally, there was zero reason to get excited over Poeltl if you've lived in Austria and know how barren of a hoops wasteland that nation is. It's a miracle for Poeltl to have even been discovered, much less be an impact contributor this early in his career.

LA Ute
11-29-2014, 05:42 PM
Additionally, there was zero reason to get excited over Poeltl if you've lived in Austria and know how barren of a hoops wasteland that nation is. It's a miracle for Poeltl to have even been discovered, much less be an impact contributor this early in his career.

He's a 7-footer and Arizona offered him. On that basis alone I was hopeful and intrigued, and thought maybe Larry had gotten a diamond in the rough. That was a reasonable, information-based way to think, but I really knew nothing. I still don't understand why, knowing that two other PAC-12 schools wanted him, you think it was reasonable to assume Poeltl was nothing to get excited about, because he was from Austria.

BTW, my wife's mother is from Austria. We spent a week there last summer and have been there many times to visit relatives. It's true, they care about soccer and many of the Olympic sports, but not basketball. No one we spoke to had ever heard of Jakob Poeltl. So his being from Austria is grounds for skepticism, I'll grant you that. I just thought it was funny that Crimmy, the anti-Krysko guy, seemed to be working hard to minimize the significance of the signing.

LA Ute
11-29-2014, 05:44 PM
Hmm, other thatn the SDSU game, I've only seen clips of Utah thusfar (I'm not staying up until 2:00 AM for Texas-Pan Am), but I haven't noticed Kuzma having an excellent handle.

I'm basing my view on very limited info: what I saw in the North Dakota State game last night. I may well be guilty of irrational exuberance.

UtahsMrSports
11-30-2014, 12:39 AM
Comrade Crimson is a clueless clown with the insight and analysis of a fun size raisin. His poo poo ing the poeltl signing should have been our first clue that hed be good.

All this talk about him being from austria.....meh. what matters more is who was after him. And we got him.

I love our freshmam class. Anxious to see how it plays out. Could rival 94 eventually.

#1 Utefan
11-30-2014, 09:34 AM
Comrade Crimson is a clueless clown with the insight and analysis of a fun size raisin. His poo poo ing the poeltl signing should have been our first clue that hed be good.

All this talk about him being from austria.....meh. what matters more is who was after him. And we got him.

I love our freshmam class. Anxious to see how it plays out. Could rival 94 eventually.

Amen to this. How can anyone take any basketball analysis by Comrade Crimson on a coach or player seriously?

We are talking about a guy who advocated and supported the two worst Utah basketball coaches in my lifetime (Giacoletti & Boylen) to the bitter end while continuing to attempt to marginalize and criticize Larry K. while the program rebounds and takes off.

I said at the time of Coach K's hire that it was a great sign and hint of future success that Crimson was so negative and critical of his hiring. In this respect, it comes as no surprise at all that he was so wrong on Poetl as well.

SeattleUte
11-30-2014, 01:28 PM
Amen to this. How can anyone take any basketball analysis by Comrade Crimson on a coach or player seriously?

We are talking about a guy who advocated and supported the two worst Utah basketball coaches in my lifetime (Giacoletti & Boylen) to the bitter end while continuing to attempt to marginalize and criticize Larry K. while the program rebounds and takes off.

I said at the time of Coach K's hire that it was a great sign and hint of future success that Crimson was so negative and critical of his hiring. In this respect, it comes as no surprise at all that he was so wrong on Poetl as well.

The first thing to understand about Hoyo is that it's never about Utah sports. It's always about him and his internal demons. This is a guy who idolizes Lenin.

Old Standing ute
11-30-2014, 02:33 PM
I'm basing my view on very limited info: what I saw in the North Dakota State game last night. I may well be guilty of irrational exuberance.

Compare Kuzma to Loveridge.
Kuzma is taller & has better vertical, maybe faster.
Handles the ball better with his left hand--although could be better with more work.
Is probably now, & in 2 years will be a better rebounder than current Loveridge.

As freshman neither had/has proper "looking" shot from 3.

Neither is a very good defender---Kuzma might have better potential here.

If he works as hard as Loveridge on his shot then in the long run will be a better player.
Not an All-American, maybe never 1st team all Pac-12, but a very good player.

#1 Utefan
11-30-2014, 02:59 PM
Compare Kuzma to Loveridge.
Kuzma is taller & has better vertical, maybe faster.
Handles the ball better with his left hand--although could be better with more work.
Is probably now, & in 2 years will be a better rebounder than current Loveridge.

As freshman neither had/has proper "looking" shot from 3.

Neither is a very good defender---Kuzma might have better potential here.

If he works as hard as Loveridge on his shot then in the long run will be a better player.
Not an All-American, maybe never 1st team all Pac-12, but a very good player.


I don't know, it is too early to try to project who will turn out out to be the better player and what their ceilings may be. Both seem to be pretty talented players for freshman with the potential to develop into all conference caliber players IMHO.

You our make some good points about Kuzma and his strengths but I do think Chapman has a smoother stroke and may turn out to be the better shooter of the two in the long haul.

U-Ute
11-30-2014, 04:35 PM
Comrade Crimson is a clueless clown with the insight and analysis of a fun size raisin. His poo poo ing the poeltl signing should have been our first clue that hed be good.

There's a reason he deferred to me on all things basketball back in the days of Usenet.

U-Ute
11-30-2014, 04:44 PM
I have been so ridiculously bullish on these guys so far this year in other threads, I won't repost what I have said here.

But I have more observations to add:

Poeltl moves his feet so well for a big guy it is just flat out unfair. He runs the floor like a wing, can defend on the perimeter, and keeps blocks inbounds. I don't think he sees his junior year.

Chapman's shot comes down on the rim like a feather. He is going to be fun to watch when he dials it in.

I am officially on the IWright as a PG bandwagon. His floor command is solid, he has good handles, and can shoot when he needs to. Good at finding the guy with the hot hand.

Kuzma may end up being the 4th best of the 4. Which is like saying "Pippen was only the second best player on his team."

U-Ute
11-30-2014, 04:54 PM
Oh, one last, but important: defense.

For how talented these guys are on offense, they work hard and play smart on the defensive side of the ball too.

Unusual for kids these days.

Old Standing ute
11-30-2014, 09:51 PM
I don't know, it is too early to try to project who will turn out out to be the better player and what their ceilings may be. Both seem to be pretty talented players for freshman with the potential to develop into all conference caliber players IMHO.

You our make some good points about Kuzma and his strengths but I do think Chapman has a smoother stroke and may turn out to be the better shooter of the two in the long haul.

I was trying to compare Kuzma & Jordan Loveridge as freshmen.
As to Chapman & Kuzma, I am with you Chapman has a better stroke---he will need some muscle/bulk to play 4 at a higher level, but he has the frame for it.
He might be gone before 4 years too.

concerned
12-02-2014, 09:04 AM
Those saying that Poeltl might be gone after two years could be too conservative.



Jody Genessy ‏@DJJazzyJody (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody) 7s7 seconds ago (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/539811776226148354)
Wow. Ute frosh center Jakob Poeltl is the "draft sleeper" and a Top 20 guy in @chadfordinsider (https://twitter.com/chadfordinsider)'s Big Board 3.0. http://es.pn/1zLYiSL (http://t.co/PPMO31BAmp) (in)

sancho
12-02-2014, 09:13 AM
Those saying that Poeltl might be gone after two years could be too conservative.



Jody Genessy ‏@DJJazzyJody (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody) 7s7 seconds ago (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/539811776226148354)
Wow. Ute frosh center Jakob Poeltl is the "draft sleeper" and a Top 20 guy in @chadfordinsider (https://twitter.com/chadfordinsider)'s Big Board 3.0. http://es.pn/1zLYiSL (http://t.co/PPMO31BAmp) (in)

I guess that solves the scholarship dilemma.

Applejack
12-02-2014, 09:17 AM
Those saying that Poeltl might be gone after two years could be too conservative.



Jody Genessy ‏@DJJazzyJody (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody) 7s7 seconds ago (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/539811776226148354)
Wow. Ute frosh center Jakob Poeltl is the "draft sleeper" and a Top 20 guy in @chadfordinsider (https://twitter.com/chadfordinsider)'s Big Board 3.0. http://es.pn/1zLYiSL (http://t.co/PPMO31BAmp) (in)

When was the last time we had two first round draft picks in one year?

Edit: I just looked it up. 1981. Chambers and Vranes were both Top 10! I forget Vranes went so high (5th).

UtahsMrSports
12-02-2014, 09:22 AM
I guess that solves the scholarship dilemma.

I guess technically, although I cant imagine Larry K and company going in to next year with JO and Makol Mawien as the only 5's on the roster. Wed have to go get another one.

This is cool! Can anyone give a readers digest version of what Chad has to say about Jakob and where he puts him here? Having 90% of Chad's stuff behind a pay wall is as dumb as the Utezone or UteSportsReport guys who think their practice reports are good enough to put behind a paywall, but I digress......

311ute
12-02-2014, 09:52 AM
Ford on Poeltl:

Poeltl has emerged as this year's draft sleeper. Through the first six games of the season, the Austrian native ranks fourth in all of college basketball with a crazy 39.87 PER. He has the highest PER of any player on our Big Board. He has a terrific 21.9 rebound rate -- the highest of any player on our Board. He's big, long, athletic, blocks shots and shows a lot of skill in the low post and on his midrange jumper. He had 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots against San Diego State and an impressive 25 points, 12 rebounds five blocks against North Dakota on Friday. A large contingent of scouts are heading to the Utah-Wichita State game on Wednesday. If Poeltl plays big there, he'll rocket up this board. Given his size and potential, there's no reason he couldn't be a top 10 pick by the end of the season.

Dwight Schr-Ute
12-02-2014, 09:52 AM
Those saying that Poeltl might be gone after two years could be too conservative.

Jody Genessy ‏@DJJazzyJody (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody) 7s7 seconds ago (https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/539811776226148354)
Wow. Ute frosh center Jakob Poeltl is the "draft sleeper" and a Top 20 guy in @chadfordinsider (https://twitter.com/chadfordinsider)'s Big Board 3.0. http://es.pn/1zLYiSL (http://t.co/PPMO31BAmp) (in)

Yikes. We're only 5 patsies into the season, but Jakob is definitely starting to attract some attention. I was hoping that we get him for three seasons, but maybe that was too optimistic. Wednesday could be a good indicator.

Also has Delon as a late first rounder, but that belongs in a different thread.

311ute
12-02-2014, 09:53 AM
Ford on Delon (has him at 28):

Wright is off to a terrific start to his senior season. He's posting the third-highest PER on our Big Board at 37.04, but the key for him is a dramatic improvement in his 3-point shooting (up from 22 percent last year to 55 percent this season) and a drop from 2.5 turnovers a game to 1.5 turnovers per game. With the draft devoid of legit point guard prospects, Wright could see his stock steadily rise all season if he can keep playing at this level.

LA Ute
12-02-2014, 10:32 AM
I'm hoping for 2 and done but maybe 1 and done will happen. I wish the NBA would adopt a 2-season rule like the NFL's.

concerned
12-02-2014, 10:44 AM
I'm hoping for 2 and done but maybe 1 and done will happen. I wish the NBA would adopt a 2-season rule like the NFL's.


I could be wrong, but I think the NFL has a 3 season rule.

Applejack
12-02-2014, 10:57 AM
I'm hoping for 2 and done but maybe 1 and done will happen. I wish the NBA would adopt a 2-season rule like the NFL's.

No you don't. The one-and-doners really hurt the blue bloods of college basketball: UCLA, Duke, etc. They spend all of their recruiting time going after kids that only stick around for a year. It allows teams just below the top (like us!) to have a competitive advantage, namely consistency.

Of course, Kentucky has figured out how to leverage the one-and-dones into a wonderful model.

justaute
12-02-2014, 11:07 AM
Is it Kentucky or Can'tucky? LOL. I crack myself up...ok, no more humor from me today.


No you don't. The one-and-doners really hurt the blue bloods of college basketball: UCLA, Duke, etc. They spend all of their recruiting time going after kids that only stick around for a year. It allows teams just below the top (like us!) to have a competitive advantage, namely consistency.

Of course, Kentucky has figured out how to leverage the one-and-dones into a wonderful model.

LA Ute
12-02-2014, 11:51 AM
No you don't. The one-and-doners really hurt the blue bloods of college basketball: UCLA, Duke, etc. They spend all of their recruiting time going after kids that only stick around for a year. It allows teams just below the top (like us!) to have a competitive advantage, namely consistency.

Of course, Kentucky has figured out how to leverage the one-and-dones into a wonderful model.

You're right, from a parochial point of view. I go back and forth, but I end up thinking it would be better for college hoops as a whole if the NBA followed the NFL's lead -- whether it is two or three years.

UtahsMrSports
12-02-2014, 12:21 PM
You're right, from a parochial point of view. I go back and forth, but I end up thinking it would be better for college hoops as a whole if the NBA followed the NFL's lead -- whether it is two or three years.

I have always thought baseball had a good model with this. You can enter the draft right out of high school, but if you dont like where you are drafted/who drafted you, you can opt to go back to college for two years (at a JUCO) or three years (at a 4 year school). It would need some tweaks, but it could be a workable model.

SoCalPat
12-02-2014, 07:09 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a second first-round pick on this year's team, we really have no excuse not to make it to the Sweet 16. I'd say Elite 8 or better, but we know the committee wouldn't allow that and would find a way to pit us against Kentucky before that could happen.

concerned
12-02-2014, 07:23 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a second first-round pick on this year's team, we really have no excuse not to make it to the Sweet 16. I'd say Elite 8 or better, but we know the committee wouldn't allow that and would find a way to pit us against Kentucky before that could happen.


If we have a lottery pick and a another first round pick that will give us the definitive answer as to whether Larry K can coach or not.

sancho
12-02-2014, 07:29 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a another first round pick that will give us the definitive answer as to whether Larry K can coach or not.

I guess so. There are many instances of teams with first round picks not going far in the tournament. It's happened to pretty much every great coach at some point in their career.

LA Ute
12-02-2014, 07:55 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a second first-round pick on this year's team, we really have no excuse not to make it to the Sweet 16. I'd say Elite 8 or better, but we know the committee wouldn't allow that and would find a way to pit us against Kentucky before that could happen.

Do you really think it's time to start imposing conditions on what LK must accomplish this season?

(Just doing my job as one of Larry's Lapdogs.)

UtahsMrSports
12-02-2014, 09:11 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a second first-round pick on this year's team, we really have no excuse not to make it to the Sweet 16. I'd say Elite 8 or better, but we know the committee wouldn't allow that and would find a way to pit us against Kentucky before that could happen.

Knock, knock, knock......Hoyo, is that you?

Come on Pat, the tournament is a crap shopt at best. One opponent gets hot and youre done.

the talent is there for a run, but its not do or die.

SoCalPat
12-03-2014, 08:43 AM
Knock, knock, knock......Hoyo, is that you?

Come on Pat, the tournament is a crap shopt at best. One opponent gets hot and youre done.

the talent is there for a run, but its not do or die.

It's funny to see some of you craft excuses for someone for a scenario that's 30 games away from happening and is also dependent upon Poeltl living up to early and semi-warranted hype.

Me, I like to see the Utes win because I went to school there, and not for the neener-neener effect that runs rampant in spectator sports. In short, I could GAF about anything you or I said about Larry previously.

chrisrenrut
12-03-2014, 09:10 AM
Pat, are you going to make it down for the game tonight?

UtahsMrSports
12-03-2014, 11:45 AM
It's funny to see some of you craft excuses for someone for a scenario that's 30 games away from happening and is also dependent upon Poeltl living up to early and semi-warranted hype.

Me, I like to see the Utes win because I went to school there, and not for the neener-neener effect that runs rampant in spectator sports. In short, I could GAF about anything you or I said about Larry previously.

What you call excuses, I call reality. But yes, it is 30+ games away and I intend to enjoy every last one of them.

And yes, clearly, I am a Ute fan for no other reason than to troll up and down the fanbase and rub it in peoples faces when they were wrong, one way or the other..........[/sarcasm]

LA Ute
12-03-2014, 11:50 AM
I\Me, I like to see the Utes win because I went to school there.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! I love to find areas of agreement among my Ute brethren and me.

SoCalPat
12-03-2014, 01:16 PM
Pat, are you going to make it down for the game tonight?

I wish. The 9 p.m. start was a dream crusher. That means I'm driving I-84 in the middle of BFE approaching 2 a.m. to get home. Even at 8 p.m., I'd give it a shot. But with kids, school and work the next day, I just can't even make it work. My boss is a Shocker alum (incidentally, the second boss I've had that went to Wichita Southeast HS, which is also where Boylen-era bust recruit Jordan Cyphers went to school) and even he can't pull this off -- the start time is a major bitch for both of us.

chrisrenrut
12-03-2014, 01:26 PM
I wish. The 9 p.m. start was a dream crusher. That means I'm driving I-84 in the middle of BFE approaching 2 a.m. to get home. Even at 8 p.m., I'd give it a shot. But with kids, school and work the next day, I just can't even make it work. My boss is a Shocker alum (incidentally, the second boss I've had that went to Wichita Southeast HS, which is also where Boylen-era bust recruit Jordan Cyphers went to school) and even he can't pull this off -- the start time is a major bitch for both of us.

Sorry to hear. My contact at the ticket office said the game is a sellout. The atmosphere should be electric, let's hope the game is too.

Diehard Ute
12-04-2014, 12:28 AM
Per the Tribune boys Jordan had minor knee surgery and likely will return for conference play

U-Ute
12-04-2014, 08:26 AM
You're an NBA GM with a top 10 pick.

Poeltl or Kaminsky?

LA Ute
12-04-2014, 09:30 AM
You're an NBA GM with a top 10 pick.

Poeltl or Kaminsky?

Kaminsky at this point.

sancho
12-04-2014, 09:50 AM
You're an NBA GM with a top 10 pick.

Poeltl or Kaminsky?

Was it here or Utefans.net where I saw someone call him Jakpot (pronounced "yakpot")? I love it.

U-Ute
12-04-2014, 09:57 AM
Kaminsky at this point.

I ask because Kaminsky is more polished, but I think Poeltl may have a higher ceiling in the long run.

LA Ute
12-04-2014, 10:15 AM
I think Poeltl needs to be at Utah for at least 3 years before he's ready for the NBA. ;)

U-Ute
12-04-2014, 10:16 AM
I think Poeltl needs to be at Utah for at least 3 years before he's ready for the NBA. ;)

:rockon:

sancho
12-04-2014, 10:25 AM
I think Poeltl needs to be at Utah for at least 3 years before he's ready for the NBA. ;)

Drei mehr Jahren! Drei mehr Jahren!

concerned
12-04-2014, 10:31 AM
Drei mehr Jahren! Drei mehr Jahren!

You are really hoping against hope. Three more years would be four total. Id settle for zwei mehr Jahren. or even uns mehr Jahren.

sancho
12-04-2014, 10:37 AM
You are really hoping against hope. Three more years would be four total. Id settle for zwei mehr Jahren. or even uns mehr Jahren.

Me too. Could the MUSS learn that chant?

I loved the "3 more years" chant in Cameron for the 1-and-dones at Duke. I also loved the "1 more kid" chant for players' parents in the crowd. I saw that Kyle was at the game last night - the MUSS should do a "Kyle Whittingham clap-clap-clap-clap-clap" for him when he's there.

concerned
12-04-2014, 10:46 AM
Me too. Could the MUSS learn that chant?

I loved the "3 more years" chant in Cameron for the 1-and-dones at Duke. I also loved the "1 more kid" chant for players' parents in the crowd. I saw that Kyle was at the game last night - the MUSS should do a "Kyle Whittingham clap-clap-clap-clap-clap" for him when he's there.

Technically. I suppose it is uns mehr Jahre. They honored the football team at halftime. They put KW and Jamie on the kiss cam, and he got into the spirit and planted one.

U-Ute
12-04-2014, 11:01 AM
A few Jazz players showed up after getting crushed by Toronto last night. I suspect they were just excited knowing that they had such hot tickets and weren't focused.

Dennis Lindsay, being the connected guy he is, was there the whole game.

UBlender
12-04-2014, 11:38 AM
Was it here or Utefans.net where I saw someone call him Jakpot (pronounced "yakpot")? I love it.

I started #JakPot on twitter. I don't go to utefans much anymore so I can't be certain whether it has caught on there, but it has been well received on the twitternets.

U-Ute
12-04-2014, 11:43 AM
I started #JakPot on twitter. I don't go to utefans much anymore so I can't be certain whether it has caught on there, but it has been well received on the twitternets.

That's where I saw it. Brilliant!

:clap:

Dwight Schr-Ute
12-08-2014, 06:19 PM
Great article from Yahoo on Poeltl. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/how-utah-landed-fast-rising-nba-prospect-jakob-poeltl-212544604.html

Applejack
12-08-2014, 07:01 PM
Here is Krystko's pitch for a sophomore year for JakPot:

1. You won't get the sort of big-man intensive training you'll get from former NBA-er Krystko (not really true, but kind of).
2. You're too thin so you'll be relegated to D-league where you will learn bad habits (true).
3. You need a year to bulk up (really true, but more likely to happen in the NBA).
4. If you wash out, you will have two years of world class education in your hip pocket (meh).
5. You'll be able to prove that it wasn't all about having a grade A all-conference point guard - you are your own man (meh).
6. You will have one year as BMOC (true!).

sancho
12-08-2014, 07:30 PM
Here is Krystko's pitch for a sophomore year for JakPot:

1. You won't get the sort of big-man intensive training you'll get from former NBA-er Krystko (not really true, but kind of).
2. You're too thin so you'll be relegated to D-league where you will learn bad habits (true).
3. You need a year to bulk up (really true, but more likely to happen in the NBA).
4. If you wash out, you will have two years of world class education in your hip pocket (meh).
5. You'll be able to prove that it wasn't all about having a grade A all-conference point guard - you are your own man (meh).
6. You will have one year as BMOC (true!).

7. College is 100 times more fun than professional life. (true)

FountainOfUte
12-10-2014, 10:37 AM
8. Money for nothin' and the chicks for free (Oh wait, that's the NBA).

Applejack
01-14-2015, 10:09 AM
Updating this thread-

First of all, Brekkot and Poeltl are reeldeelz - they both have flaws, but everyone can agree that theses guys are legit stars.

I'm a big fan of Isaiah Wright. He has a great body for a point guard, adequate handles, and he looks like he'll be a good shooter. The jury is still out on his decision-making and his ability to make others look good, but that's to be expected in a freshman. I also think he'll be a great defender in a year or two - once he figures out how to avoid the ticky-tack calls he's getting this year.

For me, Kuzma is the big question mark of the four. He has great length and decent bounce, but I'm skeptical if he has a good feel for the game. It seems like everytime he gets in the game he jacks up a three just to test his stroke. And that stroke is not good right now. To get playing time, he needs to be a defender first and foremost. He has the length and speed to do this, but I don't see a lot of desire or technique at this point. He seems like a really nice kid who is having a great time out there (whereas Isaiah always looks angry), but I'm worried he's all to happy to pop threes during blowouts.

311ute
01-14-2015, 10:23 AM
Obviously out of the 4 freshman, Kuzma has played the most like a frosh. You can tell the game moves too fast for him at times, and he rushes things all too often, resulting in travels, turnovers, or badly missed shots.

However, I still think he could have a helluva career here. I think his upside is tremendous. He’s extremely skilled at 6-9, should be able to put on 15 good lbs to his frame, moves extremely well for his size, and has pretty good bounce. We need to remember that he’s just a freshman, and he’s playing on a top-10 team. Just because he isn’t in the rotation doesn’t mean he’s no good. Even some of our all-time great players weren’t getting big minutes as freshmen. The game will slow down for Kuz as he gets older, and if he can polish his technique, I think he has the skill-set and talent to be an All-Conference performer in this league.

And he is shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3… I think he has a good stroke when he doesn’t rush it.

Applejack
01-14-2015, 10:55 AM
Obviously out of the 4 freshman, Kuzma has played the most like a frosh. You can tell the game moves too fast for him at times, and he rushes things all too often, resulting in travels, turnovers, or badly missed shots.

However, I still think he could have a helluva career here. I think his upside is tremendous. He’s extremely skilled at 6-9, should be able to put on 15 good lbs to his frame, moves extremely well for his size, and has pretty good bounce. We need to remember that he’s just a freshman, and he’s playing on a top-10 team. Just because he isn’t in the rotation doesn’t mean he’s no good. Even some of our all-time great players weren’t getting big minutes as freshmen. The game will slow down for Kuz as he gets older, and if he can polish his technique, I think he has the skill-set and talent to be an All-Conference performer in this league.

And he is shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3… I think he has a good stroke when he doesn’t rush it.

I'm not giving up on Kuze - we should definitely see how he develops. The kid is long and athletic and seems like a nice kid.

One disagreement is about our all-time greats not getting minutes as freshman. Clearly Bogut, Keith VH, and Andre played serious roles on good teams as freshman (well, KVH's freshman team was just so-so). Doleac took a little time to develop, but even he averaged 17 minutes per game as a freshman for a good team.

Scratch
01-14-2015, 12:09 PM
Obviously out of the 4 freshman, Kuzma has played the most like a frosh. You can tell the game moves too fast for him at times, and he rushes things all too often, resulting in travels, turnovers, or badly missed shots.

However, I still think he could have a helluva career here. I think his upside is tremendous. He’s extremely skilled at 6-9, should be able to put on 15 good lbs to his frame, moves extremely well for his size, and has pretty good bounce. We need to remember that he’s just a freshman, and he’s playing on a top-10 team. Just because he isn’t in the rotation doesn’t mean he’s no good. Even some of our all-time great players weren’t getting big minutes as freshmen. The game will slow down for Kuz as he gets older, and if he can polish his technique, I think he has the skill-set and talent to be an All-Conference performer in this league.

And he is shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3… I think he has a good stroke when he doesn’t rush it.

I agree with this, despite his tendency to look a little out of place at times, he's still shooting 58% from 2 and 40% from 3. He's also averaging about 6 boards and 2.5 assists per 30 minutes played. He's going to be valuable regardless, and if he can make a few of the tweaks you mentioned he could be a very special player.

SeattleUte
01-14-2015, 12:23 PM
I'm not giving up on Kuze - we should definitely see how he develops. The kid is long and athletic and seems like a nice kid.

One disagreement is about our all-time greats not getting minutes as freshman. Clearly Bogut, Keith VH, and Andre played serious roles on good teams as freshman (well, KVH's freshman team was just so-so). Doleac took a little time to develop, but even he averaged 17 minutes per game as a freshman for a good team.

Josh Grant, Judkins, Markson. There have been plenty who weren't stars as freshemen.

Applejack
01-14-2015, 12:37 PM
Josh Grant, Judkins, Markson. There have been plenty who weren't stars as freshemen.

Markson...good one.

chrisrenrut
03-21-2015, 08:43 PM
If we have a lottery pick and a second first-round pick on this year's team, we really have no excuse not to make it to the Sweet 16. I'd say Elite 8 or better, but we know the committee wouldn't allow that and would find a way to pit us against Kentucky before that could happen.

Aftert the game tonight, this post came to my mind for some reason. When Pat first posted, I remember thinking it was not reasonable. Now it seems pretty prophetic.

UTEopia
03-22-2015, 07:38 AM
It is interesting how our discussion of the freshmen is just as inconsistent as they are. Each of them have had their ups and lows. Their ups give me hope that when they gain some experience, strength, etc. they each have the talent to contribute to several successful teams in the upcoming years. What we lack, and where we need to improve our talent is in raw athleticism.

U-Ute
03-22-2015, 08:55 AM
If nothing else, I am sure we can all agree that the future looks bright. They all looks like they can contribute significantly.

It seems to me that K has many fewer wash-outs than Majerus did.

NorthwestUteFan
03-22-2015, 09:15 AM
Maybe that is because Kodiak flushes the turds out if the program before they stink it up.

UtahsMrSports
03-22-2015, 10:37 AM
I love that quite a bit of our success can be attributed to freshman. Especially not one and dones. I still think Poeltl would be a draft pick in the 20s this year, but something tells me he will come back.

To keep this going, Dr. Hill needs to make sure that Larry and our assistants are well taken care of. Larry and co. need to strike while the iron is hot this year in recruiting and land another big class. And our guys need to keep developing. The future is bright!

LA Ute
03-22-2015, 03:55 PM
I hope Frank Jackson and others like him are paying close attention.

FountainOfUte
03-23-2015, 11:04 AM
I hope Frank Jackson and others like him are paying close attention.

I'm sure he is. I just hope it's to the Utes. Too bad we're the underdog against one of his A-list suitors this week. But if we pull it off -- great!