The Oregon Trail: Utes vs. Oregon St. & Oregon

[DrumNFeather]

Here we go...

In a "classic trap game" scenario, Utah heads to Oregon to take on the Beavers and Ducks in that order. The Oregon Schools just wrapped up the LA trip where they went a combined 1-3. Oregon St. has surprised most folks with its performance this year under first year head coach Wayne Tinkle, and has already upset Arizona at home.

The ducks are on the verge of being in the field of 68, and a signature win over the Utes could certainly help, so we'll definitely need to step our game up to come out of this week's games with a win.

Cannot overlook either one of these teams, otherwise, it might feel like this...


1392

[UtahsMrSports]

Here we go...

In a "classic trap game" scenario, Utah heads to Oregon to take on the Beavers and Ducks in that order. The Oregon Schools just wrapped up the LA trip where they went a combined 1-3. Oregon St. has surprised most folks with its performance this year under first year head coach Wayne Tinkle, and has already upset Arizona at home.

The ducks are on the verge of being in the field of 68, and a signature win over the Utes could certainly help, so we'll definitely need to step our game up to come out of this week's games with a win.

Cannot overlook either one of these teams, otherwise, it might feel like this...


1392

Ill be disappointed with 0-2. 1-1 would be anywhere from passable to good depending on how we play, and 2-0 would really set us up nicely for the stretch run. I think I have joined the folks who have a disproportionately large amount of dislike for the Beavers, so I hope we really take it to them.

BTW, in regards to your graphic, I don't know how many of you played Oregon Trail, but man, it seemed like every time I played, I would get right to the end, on pace to finally defeat Stephen Meek (a fictional character who always held the top score on the game) only to have someone in my party die of cholera, dysentery, or just get sick and die without any prior warning so that I could rest. Curse you game, and curse you stephen meek, who remains all alone in the top spot of every oregon trail game ever. I tell ya, it was maddening.

[DrumNFeather]

Ill be disappointed with 0-2. 1-1 would be anywhere from passable to good depending on how we play, and 2-0 would really set us up nicely for the stretch run. I think I have joined the folks who have a disproportionately large amount of dislike for the Beavers, so I hope we really take it to them.

BTW, in regards to your graphic, I don't know how many of you played Oregon Trail, but man, it seemed like every time I played, I would get right to the end, on pace to finally defeat Stephen Meek (a fictional character who always held the top score on the game) only to have someone in my party die of cholera, dysentery, or just get sick and die without any prior warning so that I could rest. Curse you game, and curse you stephen meek, who remains all alone in the top spot of every oregon trail game ever. I tell ya, it was maddening.

After watching them go a combined 1-3 this past weekend, it does feel like these are "really can't lose" type of games in terms of where I think this team is at and postseason positioning.

And yes...I cannot tell you how many times I got close only to have a few OX wander off or have a member of my party die.

[UtahsMrSports]

After watching them go a combined 1-3 this past weekend, it does feel like these are "really can't lose" type of games in terms of where I think this team is at and postseason positioning.

And yes...I cannot tell you how many times I got close only to have a few OX wander off or have a member of my party die.

I really dont mean to derail this discussion, but yes! hahaha! I forgot about Ox wandering off! My other favorite was how sometimes the Indians would bring you food, and sometimes they would randomly raid your camp and steal a spare wagon axle, those jerks. Or who could forget the classic "you shot 52,239 pounds of food, but you could only carry 200 pounds back to camp." sign that would pop up after you were done filling up the praire with buffalo carcasses. Finally, I loved how you were given a choice each time you came to a river of whether you were going to caulk the wagon and float across (cost was $0 and it had a success rate of 80-90%) or you could ford the river (cost of $0, 100% chance of death and lost supplies).

[DrumNFeather]

I really dont mean to derail this discussion, but yes! hahaha! I forgot about Ox wandering off! My other favorite was how sometimes the Indians would bring you food, and sometimes they would randomly raid your camp and steal a spare wagon axle, those jerks. Or who could forget the classic "you shot 52,239 pounds of food, but you could only carry 200 pounds back to camp." sign that would pop up after you were done filling up the praire with buffalo carcasses. Finally, I loved how you were given a choice each time you came to a river of whether you were going to caulk the wagon and float across (cost was $0 and it had a success rate of 80-90%) or you could ford the river (cost of $0, 100% chance of death and lost supplies).

Totally agree...and I think the analogy for this week fits...make the smart moves fellas, don't ford the river!

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

http://youtu.be/2AXEUDE5Mss

[Jarid in Cedar]

This weeks games are the difference between a 3 seed(sweep), or a 4 seed(split) or even a 5(0-2).

[DrumNFeather]

This weeks games are the difference between a 3 seed(sweep), or a 4 seed(split) or even a 5(0-2).

Totally agree.

I think we are in a position where we can lock up a 3 seed (barring a disaster) pretty soon, and if we beat Arizona and a few other things happen, we might even move up to the 2 line, though that would take quite a bit.

[sancho]

Totally agree.

I think we are in a position where we can lock up a 3 seed (barring a disaster) pretty soon, and if we beat Arizona and a few other things happen, we might even move up to the 2 line, though that would take quite a bit.

Right now, we are 1-3 vs tournament locks, 3-1 vs the bubble, and our best road win is @BYU. For some reason understood by nobody, the committee still uses RPI, which helps us a lot. We have no bad losses, but we've seen over and over again that quality wins help more than bad losses hurt.

I think the Arizona game next week will play a larger role in our seeding than this week's games, unless we lose them both.

[Old Standing ute]

Ore St only has 3 players who average in double figures in scoring. The Glove Jr. leads them in everything including rebounding. Our Bigs should be able to dominate. They will play zone & it will be low scoring. Utes should prevail based on talent & depth.

Ore on Sunday at noon. Final home game for Ducks. Utes will need to shut down Joseph Young---high scoring guard. Predict this will be a tough game. Love the Utes to break Altman's heart. Need Delon to assert himself & prove he should be POY in conference. Need Utes to wake up early & play hard from the start.

[311ute]

Two contrasting styles this week… Oregon St will slow the game down big time. They’ll sit back in their zone and try to keep us out of the paint. Oregon wants to get up and down the court, take the first good shot they get, and they are always in ATTACK mode. The one thing these two have in common is neither team has depth. Hopefully our depth and balance is the difference this week.

HUGE week for the program… if we can get a sweep, a win on Feb. 28th could give us an outright Pac-12 Championship (I understand we end the year at the Washington schools, but I think we handle both of them). A sweep this week and I’ll also be re-setting my goals/expectations to a 2 seed.


http://www.rpiforecast.com/teams/Utah.html
RPIforecast.com has us has 12 pt. favorites Thursday and 10 pt. favorites Sunday. Seems too big… my guess is it’ll be more like -8 Thurs and -5 on Sunday.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/team/utah-utes/projections
Team Rankings give us a 85.3% chance against OSU and a 76.1% chance against the Ducks.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Right now, we are 1-3 vs tournament locks, 3-1 vs the bubble, and our best road win is @BYU. For some reason understood by nobody, the committee still uses RPI, which helps us a lot. We have no bad losses, but we've seen over and over again that quality wins help more than bad losses hurt.

I think the Arizona game next week will play a larger role in our seeding than this week's games, unless we lose them both.


RPI is the shark that jumped the shark, but Massey's has us at #9, ESPN's BPI at #9, and KenPom has us a #6. So the rating scales that use a little more analytics than RPI have us ranked highly as well.

[sancho]

RPI is the shark that jumped the shark, but Massey's has us at #9, ESPN's BPI at #9, and KenPom has us a #6. So the rating scales that use a little more analytics than RPI have us ranked highly as well.

That's what I'm talking about! Our blowout wins are really helping us with the computers.

[sancho]

Two contrasting styles this week…

I feel like we match up well with guard oriented teams. Three of our four best wins - WSU, BYU, and Stanford - were against guard focused teams. The Cal guards gave us a hard time, but we did well against the other guards - Lacy, Booker, Williams-Goss.

Our losses - Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, and SDSU - all came against teams with athletic size.

[sancho]

Totally agree.

I think we are in a position where we can lock up a 3 seed (barring a disaster) pretty soon, and if we beat Arizona and a few other things happen, we might even move up to the 2 line, though that would take quite a bit.


SI's latest projections are out. Utah stays in the 3-spot, and they have us in a region of death with Duke and Kansas. The East/West regions look pretty soft.

http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/ncaa-tournament-march-madness-bracket-kentucky-wildcats-top-seed-021715

[311ute]

I feel like we match up well with guard oriented teams. Three of our four best wins - WSU, BYU, and Stanford - were against guard focused teams. The Cal guards gave us a hard time, but we did well against the other guards - Lacy, Booker, Williams-Goss.

Our losses - Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, and SDSU - all came against teams with athletic size.

I agree 100%... We struggle with length. The teams we've lost to have negated our ability to finish at/around the rim. Even UNLV, who isn't a great team, gave us some issues because of their length/size/shot blocking ability.

If that is true, these two match ups are good ones for us. Although Oregon does have Jordan Bell (2.9 bpg), neither team has much size or length inside. And like you said... both are "guard oriented teams".

[311ute]

SI's latest projections are out. Utah stays in the 3-spot, and they have us in a region of death with Duke and Kansas. The East/West regions look pretty soft.

http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/ncaa-tournament-march-madness-bracket-kentucky-wildcats-top-seed-021715


I wouldn't mind a re-match with Kansas. Out of all the 2 seeds in that bracket, I think they're the weakest. I want to part of Wisconsin.

[SoCalPat]

RPI is the shark that jumped the shark, but Massey's has us at #9, ESPN's BPI at #9, and KenPom has us a #6. So the rating scales that use a little more analytics than RPI have us ranked highly as well.

We currently have played/will play 9 games against teams ranked 90-111 in RPI. UNLV (98) and South Dakota State (106) in the non-con; Cal (91, 1X), ASU (97, 2X), Washington (100, 2X) and Colorado (111, 2X) in league play. It would look nice if ASU could stay there and if Washington could get there.

[LA Ute]

The weekly Phil Cullen e-mail:


This week we head on the road to play two very good teams, Oregon State and Oregon. We open up at Oregon State on Thursday at 8 pm Pacific Time on the Pac-12 Networks.

Oregon State is currently 14-0 at home this year with an upset win over Arizona back in January. They are led by Gary Payton II who is a stat sheet stuffer doing a lot of things well. Averaging 13.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg and is leading the Conference in steals at over 3 spg. Alongside Payton II is Malcolm Duvivier averaging 10.5 ppg, Langs Morris-Walker 10 ppg, Jarmal Reid 8.7 ppg and Victor Robbins 7.7 ppg.

Oregon State plays a slower tempo game behind a very difficult 2-3 match up zone defense. They do a great job of forcing tough shots and are holding teams to 37.6% FG.

We will need to continue to be tough on the defensive end to get stops that will help us speed up the tempo. We are best in transition and pushing the ball ahead for easy baskets. We will also need to make sure to take care of the ball and keep our turnovers down.

On Sunday we will face the Oregon Ducks who like Oregon State are tough at home. With a record of 15-2 in Eugene they have been able to hold court at home. They are led by Joseph Young who is averaging 20.1 ppg in and Elgin Cook at 14.4 ppg in Conference play and have one of the best shot blockers in the league in Jordan Bell. Dana Altman has his team playing great basketball and currently they are currently 3rd in the Conference.

Oregon is uptempo offensively and defensively. They will play man to man, match up zone and will pick up defensive pressure the entire length of the floor. They have been really good at turning teams over and getting quick easy scoring opportunities. Their defense flows right into their offense as they look to score early and often.

We will need to be able to defend and stop their transition attack. When we do get stops we must box out and get the rebounds. Taking care of the ball offensively is also a priority.

These two games are not gimmes.

[justaute]

Not only do I not think these games are "gimmes", but also I wouldn't be surprised if we go 1-1; I'd go as far as thinking 0-2 is not out of the realm of realistic possibility. I'm not making any prognostication at all -- just not my thing. In addition to the home-court advantage, OSU also has a decent inside-presence on top of terrific guard-play -- notwithstanding its loss to USC. If we go on another one of those 5-7 minute scoring drought, then life will be difficult.

Quick thoughts:
- Loveridge can't disappear like he has against tough D.
- Poeltl can't be in foul trouble. I don't think Bach can play well against OSU's N'Diaye.
- I'm certain that Tinkle will try to swarm Taylor on 3-pt shots. Not unlike Loveridge, Tucker/Chapman need to hit their shots to open it up.
- Should be fun watching GPII vs D. Wright -- if that's the match-up.





The weekly Phil Cullen e-mail:



These two games are not gimmes.

[sancho]

Not only do I not think these games are "gimmes", but also I wouldn't be surprised if we go 1-1; I'd go as far as thinking 0-2

2-0, baby!

[justaute]

That's what I'm counting on. GO UTES!


2-0, baby!

[SoCalPat]

Oregon State is not good enough to go undefeated at home for a season and we're clearly the best team they have left.

[#1 Utefan]

Oregon State is not good enough to go undefeated at home for a season and we're clearly the best team they have left.

Does anyone know if OSU's DUI kid is still suspended or did the Tinkler reinstate him for this week's games?

[justaute]

Perhaps. Of course, other than BYU, we have yet to have a quality road-win.


Oregon State is not good enough to go undefeated at home for a season and we're clearly the best team they have left.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Colorado looks awful tonight. And I don't think it's because Oregon is amazing. I like our chances against the Ducks than I do the Beavers.

[SeattleUte]

Dampening your own expectation. Weaklings. Here's the brutal truth -- the Utes are favored by 7-8 tomorrow. Right now their favored in each of their games.

[justaute]

There are few of us who are students of the game, not just wishing/hoping/expecting wins. We have coached and played at D1 level and know a lot can happen -- weaklings or not.



Dampening your own expectation. Weaklings. Here's the brutal truth -- the Utes are favored by 7-8 tomorrow. Right now their favored in each of their games.

[sancho]

There are few of us who are students of the game

Stop. We're all students of the game here. Sure, this is a dangerous road trip, but 2-0 is the likeliest outcome.

[justaute]

A 5-pt game now.


Colorado looks awful tonight. And I don't think it's because Oregon is amazing. I like our chances against the Ducks than I do the Beavers.

[justaute]

Stop what...I certainly didn't say 2-0 isn't likely. What are you going to do? Are you going to be a bully like that Utah/ute2004 guy?


Stop. We're all students of the game here. Sure, this is a dangerous road trip, but 2-0 is the likeliest outcome.

[sancho]

Stop what...I certainly didn't say 2-0 isn't likely. What are you going to do? Are you going to be a bully like that Utah/ute2004 guy?


Uh..I think I misinterpreted this conversation. I withdraw everything except 2-0, baby!

[justaute]

It's all good. I certainly hope we go 2-0.

Given that OSU's #2 scorer is still out, we definitely need to take care of business.


Uh..I think I misinterpreted this conversation. I withdraw everything except 2-0, baby!

[LA Ute]

If the boys can pull off two convincing wins we'll be in great shape to take on the two cactus country teams in the Huntsman next week. It'll be great for their confidence, among other things.

[Utah]

Stop what...I certainly didn't say 2-0 isn't likely. What are you going to do? Are you going to be a bully like that Utah/ute2004 guy?

Ha ha. Irony galore here...

[U-Ute]

I didn't know GPII played at SLCC.

That would've been fun to watch.

[DrumNFeather]

Come on guys, this isn't the Syracuse zone.

[chrisrenrut]

Anyone awake and watching? The game could put most to sleep, 14-14 with a minute left in the first half,

[DrumNFeather]

anyone awake and watching? The game could put most to sleep, 14-14 with a minute left in the first half,
Not sure our guys are awake. Olsen now leads our bigs with 2 points.

[DrumNFeather]

On the one hand, we held them to 14. On the other hand...

[LA Ute]

It'll be interesting to see how Kodiak brings them out for the 2nd half. I guess you could call this a great defensive battle, but.... Nah.


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[sancho]

I feel like we earned our 16 points with blood, sweat, and tears while they just grabbed theirs easily on TOs on defensive breakdowns.

[LA Ute]

Their defense is good, but we are making them look great. Horrible decisions with the ball.


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[LA Ute]

Looks like we are suffering most on TOs and points in the paint. Besides, 10 of our 19 shots were 3-point attempts. Not attacking. I bet that will change.


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[DrumNFeather]

Delon giving us a bit of a spark, hopefully the others step up.

[DrumNFeather]

Loveridge hit that early 3, and beyond that has had a forgettable night.

[DrumNFeather]

Big shots from Tucker.

[sancho]

You just knew that beaver was going to hit a 3 eventually if we kept giving him open looks.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

It feels like we're playing Air Force of the 90's.

[DrumNFeather]

All ball! Come on.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Tucker's making all the difference.

[sancho]

All ball! Come on.

JO is playing defense with energy.

[DrumNFeather]

JO is playing defense with energy.
There was a loose ball in the first half that Dallin didn't dive for, just reached down for it, I figured we wouldn't see him for a while after that. Olsen is reaping the benefits and playing well.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Tough break Delon.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

The refs hate Chapman.

[DrumNFeather]

The refs hate Chapman.
These refs have been pretty bad.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

First team to 40 wins.

[DrumNFeather]

Tucker loves to flirt with the baseline.

[chrisrenrut]

The refs hate Chapman.

The refs hate freshmen, Poeltl can't get a call either.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Little assassin.

[LA Ute]

We just need to stay focused now.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

We just need to stay focused now.

I'm doing my best. Haven't even attempted at washing the dishes yet.

[LA Ute]

The dagger

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

We win!

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Hopefully our guys watched the Tarheels last night.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Offensive strategy: lower your shoulder and aim for crimson.

[DrumNFeather]

Some very nice dunks from OSU when it doesn't matter. Too little too late!

[sancho]

How does Wayne feel knowing that he has an entire career of losing to his former teammate ahead of him?

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Way to gut out the win Utes! Did something Arizona couldn't do.

[justaute]

phew....

[LA Ute]

I'm doing my best. Haven't even attempted at washing the dishes yet.

Thanks for hanging tough.

[justaute]

Man....I really think PAC 12 basketball is primed for some serious growth in the coming years. Good coaching talent with a lot of prized recruits coming in. Just think...OSU played without its #2 scorer tonight and has 7 walk-on players.

Really happy to see Taylor continues to improve and Tucker stepping up tonight. Loveridge is a known quantity -- just would like to see him step-up in big games.

[chrisrenrut]

Man....I really think PAC 12 basketball is primed for some serious growth in the coming years. Good coaching talent with a lot of prized recruits coming in. Just think...OSU played without its #2 scorer tonight and has 7 walk-on players.

Really happy to see Taylor continues to improve and Tucker stepping up tonight. Loveridge is a known quantity -- just would like to see him step-up in big games.

I Thought Taylor had an off night. He had at least 4 bad turnovers, and was not shooting well, until he totally redeemed himself with the two big three pointers at the end. Getting those threes as wide open as he was had to feel good for him.

This is a fun team. It's great to see the depth we have of players that can step up in any given game. Tucker and Olsen gave us nice boosts tonight.

[justaute]

Yah...regarding Taylor, I was thinking those late 3s he had. When the game was still in doubt, glad to see him hit those big shots.



I Thought Taylor had an off night. He had at least 4 bad turnovers, and was not shooting well, until he totally redeemed himself with the two big three pointers at the end. Getting those threes as wide open as he was had to feel good for him.

This is a fun team. It's great to see the depth we have of players that can step up in any given game. Tucker and Olsen gave us nice boosts tonight.

[Mormon Red Death]

Man....I really think PAC 12 basketball is primed for some serious growth in the coming years. Good coaching talent with a lot of prized recruits coming in. Just think...OSU played without its #2 scorer tonight and has 7 walk-on players.

Really happy to see Taylor continues to improve and Tucker stepping up tonight. Loveridge is a known quantity -- just would like to see him step-up in big games.

The announcers were saying they had thge #18 recruiting class in the country.

[LA Ute]

Recap: Utah men's basketball hands Oregon State first home loss of season

http://pac-12.com/videos/recap-utah-mens-basketball-hands-oregon-state-first-home-loss-season



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[UTEopia]

Yah...regarding Taylor, I was thinking those late 3s he had. When the game was still in doubt, glad to see him hit those big shots.

The 3 Loveridge hit was also critical, not only for the win last night, but for Loveridge going forward. Going down the stretch and into the Tourney the Utes will need everyone to be confident and feeling good about themselves.

[#1 Utefan]

The announcers were saying they had thge #18 recruiting class in the country.

Who was their #2 scorer that was out? I didn't think OSU had any scorers.

[Hot Lunch]

The 3 Loveridge hit was also critical, not only for the win last night, but for Loveridge going forward. Going down the stretch and into the Tourney the Utes will need everyone to be confident and feeling good about themselves.

That was a huge 3. Overall last night, I thought Loveridge was awful.

Great win though. Ugly but great. Sunday will be a big test for this team.

[U-Ute]

Little assassin.

I've updated my nickname for him: The Nasty Assassin.

[Hot Lunch]

The announcers were saying they had thge #18 recruiting class in the country.

I heard them say that as well. I was scratching my head wondering if that is true. Didn't take the time to look it up though. Is it true?

[UBlender]

I heard them say that as well. I was scratching my head wondering if that is true. Didn't take the time to look it up though. Is it true?

Tinkle's son is quite good--Utah wanted him badly and had a real shot until Tinkle took the OSU job. I believe another one of the assistant coaches has a highly rated son coming in as well. They have a couple other good players in the class, but the key to their class is the coaches having talented sons.

That said, I don't know that Tinkle will be there long. He is a very good coach and OSU is a graveyard job. You have to wonder if he won't be out of there quickly if he gets an offer to a program that has been to the NCAA in the last 25 years.

[U-Ute]

I think most casual observes would have fallen asleep last night. I was planning on it, but I just could not take my eyes off of that game last night. These were not two awful teams that could not throw the ball in the ocean. These were two defensive juggernauts going toe to toe. Offensively, it looked like two teams playing 5 on 7 basketball. Every drive was cut off, but there was nowhere to pass the ball. The "help the helper" defense was going full tilt on both ends of the floor. Every time it looked like someone had a lane, the ball was cut off, the drop offs were covered and guys at the 3 point line were run off when the ball came back out. The help defense, the defensive rotation, the running at shooters under control, the whole thing: it was a thing of beauty.

Because of that, this game hinged on whoever could hit 1 or 2 shots down the stretch when it mattered. When crunch time hit, The Nasty Assassin was helped by a couple of shots from JLove, Tucker, and DWright to put the game away. That's it. Game over.

The intriguing thing to me is this: a few years ago, under Jim Boylen, we lose a game like this, and what we hear is "the ball didn't go in the hole". We mocked him for it, but the concept is true: you have to put the ball into the hole to win. The difference is that Boylen recruited 10 guys like Reyes - tough, gritty, hard nosed guys that do the dirty work - but he forgot the shooters. Krystkoviak has shooters up and down this roster and he has sprinkled in a couple of tough guys (Reyes, Bachynski, Taylor does both). Nearly everyone can put the ball into the hole and it paid off in spades in this game. You didn't know who was going to step up and hit big shots, and when it comes down to it, not one guy did. It was a group of 3 or 4 guys who each hit one or two shots that won the game for us.

On JO over Bachynski: I don't think this was an indictment of Bachynski. Krystkoviak knew that he just needed one or two shots to win the game and you didn't need a terrific defender for OSU's bigs. If you stood your ground behind them and put a hand up on their shots, they missed. What we did need was someone who could make a shot and I thought JO played that role perfectly. He played fundamental defense and had the offensive skills to hit one or two critical shots.

EDIT: The same reason we didn't see much of Reyes and more of Loveridge and Chapman. We needed offense.

It was really nice to see the Utes grind out a win like that. It bodes really well for us come tournament time. These guys are as mentally tough as any of Rick's teams.

[sancho]

It was really nice to see the Utes grind out a win like that. It bodes really well for us come tournament time. These guys are as mentally tough as any of Rick's teams.

It was an exhausting game for me as a fan. I wonder if we will be sluggish in Eugene on Sunday.

[UtahsMrSports]

The announcers were saying they had thge #18 recruiting class in the country.

http://oregonstate.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

I think some of their players in their class are overrated, based on offers received (I mean, come on, youre telling me that a kid just outside the top 100 only has offers from Wazzu, Ore St, and Portland? Yeah, no.) Also worth noting that this site still lists Noah T as one of our commits.

[sancho]

That said, I don't know that Tinkle will be there long. He is a very good coach and OSU is a graveyard job. You have to wonder if he won't be out of there quickly if he gets an offer to a program that has been to the NCAA in the last 25 years.

He has to be #1 on the list for teams searching for coaches, right? No big mid-major coaches this year - I guess whoever coaches Murray St or SFA (by the way, Randy Bennett had his chance to get out of Dodge, but he was greedy and is now stuck there).

If I were UCLA, I'd buy Alford out right now to hire Tinkle.

But would his son be able to transfer? He'd have to sit our a year, right?

[sancho]

http://oregonstate.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

I think some of their players in their class are overrated, based on offers received (I mean, come on, youre telling me that a kid just outside the top 100 only has offers from Wazzu, Ore St, and Portland? Yeah, no.)

I don't ever want to be on a team where my teammate is the coach's son.

[sancho]

He has to be #1 on the list of teams searching for coaches, right?

Actually, I guess Larry K could be the #1, but he aint going nowhere.

[U-Ute]

It was an exhausting game for me as a fan. I wonder if we will be sluggish in Eugene on Sunday.

I hadn't considered that, but you're right. Hopefully our depth continues to help us here. I don't think the guys who expended the mental energy last night will be the ones called upon to win the game sunday. Oregon plays a different style that should impact a different set of players. Except Taylor. He brings it every night, but that kid is tough as nails so I know he'll be ready.

[sancho]

I hadn't considered that, but you're right. Hopefully our depth continues to help us here. I don't think the guys who expended the mental energy last night will be the ones called upon to win the game sunday. Oregon plays a different style that should impact a different set of players. Except Taylor. He brings it every night, but that kid is tough as nails so I know he'll be ready.

If we start like we did @UCLA, I hope he brings in Kuzma and Wright Jr and tells them to press on defense and push on O. Yup, we'll beat Oregon at their own game with our 11th and 12th men.

[U-Ute]

If we start like we did @UCLA, I hope he brings in Kuzma and Wright Jr and tells them to press on defense and push on O. Yup, we'll beat Oregon at their own game with our 11th and 12th men.

That's what is so fun to watch: with this team is that we can actually do that.

We don't have 5 starters and 8 subs, we have 13 guys that have a skill set we require at various times throughout the season.

[DrumNFeather]

I think most casual observes would have fallen asleep last night. I was planning on it, but I just could not take my eyes off of that game last night. These were not two awful teams that could not throw the ball in the ocean. These were two defensive juggernauts going toe to toe. Offensively, it looked like two teams playing 5 on 7 basketball. Every drive was cut off, but there was nowhere to pass the ball. The "help the helper" defense was going full tilt on both ends of the floor. Every time it looked like someone had a lane, the ball was cut off, the drop offs were covered and guys at the 3 point line were run off when the ball came back out. The help defense, the defensive rotation, the running at shooters under control, the whole thing: it was a thing of beauty.



Heaven help us if we draw Virginia in the big dance. That game might end 20-18.

[sancho]

Heaven help us if we draw Virginia in the big dance. That game might end 20-18.

We played good D last night, but we also gave up a ton of open 3's. Luckily, those shots did not go in. UVa hits those threes, which is what makes them more than just a defensive team.

[DrumNFeather]

We played good D last night, but we also gave up a ton of open 3's. Luckily, those shots did not go in. UVa hits those threes, which is what makes them more than just a defensive team.

True, but they, like us, are prone to stretches where they just can't seem to get anything going offensively. I think it would be a hell of a game though.

[sancho]

True, but they, like us, are prone to stretches where they just can't seem to get anything going offensively. I think it would be a hell of a game though.

Well, I'm all for it - it would mean we are in the elite eight or sweet 16. Tony Bennett was my #1 hope for a new coach last time around.

[DrumNFeather]

Well, I'm all for it - it would mean we are in the elite eight or sweet 16. Tony Bennett was my #1 hope for a new coach last time around.

Yeah, it'd be great...and hey, might even be out here on the east coast!

Tony is the model for where Wayne Tinkle is heading, I think. Going from Wazzu to UVA will be a similar move from OSU, unless Tinkle decides to only pursue jobs west of the Mississippi. I could see a Boston College making a run at him. Or, I suppose he could hold out for a better P12 job like Washington if they let Romar go.

[justaute]

Agreed with both sancho & DNF. Though, I'm hopeful Tinkle will build it and stay because I'd like to see P12 as strong as possible; sure, there's potential downside to Utah's winning %, but that's ok. I'd rather be like ACC/B12 than WCC.


Yeah, it'd be great...and hey, might even be out here on the east coast!

Tony is the model for where Wayne Tinkle is heading, I think. Going from Wazzu to UVA will be a similar move from OSU, unless Tinkle decides to only pursue jobs west of the Mississippi. I could see a Boston College making a run at him. Or, I suppose he could hold out for a better P12 job like Washington if they let Romar go.

[sancho]

Washington if they let Romar go.

...which they should.

[Old Standing ute]

Agreed with both sancho & DNF. Though, I'm hopeful Tinkle will build it and stay because I'd like to see P12 as strong as possible; sure, there's potential downside to Utah's winning %, but that's ok. I'd rather be like ACC/B12 than WCC.

Tinkle probably will stay the 4 years that his son is on the team.

[NorthwestUteFan]

...which they should.

They should have done that a few years ago. But Romar is one of the good guys and is also a Husky alum, so he gets the benefit of the doubt as long as he wins a few tournament games every few years.

[#1 Utefan]

They should have done that a few years ago. But Romar is one of the good guys and is also a Husky alum, so he gets the benefit of the doubt as long as he wins a few tournament games every few years.


When was the last time he won a tourney game? Great recruiter, terrible coach. I am amazed he still gets good recruits every year despite the fact he never does anything with what he has.

[DrumNFeather]

Hell of a pass an finish

[DrumNFeather]

So far they're either giving Delon exactly what he wants, or they're just not good defensively. Either way, we need to take advantage of that.

[DrumNFeather]

Someone besides Delon needs to step up

[NorthwestUteFan]

When was the last time he won a tourney game? Great recruiter, terrible coach. I am amazed he still gets good recruits every year despite the fact he never does anything with what he has.

They went to the Sweet 16 in 2009, 2010, and 2011 iirc.

[Mormon Red Death]

#0 from Oregon looks like shonuff... You know from the last dragon http://youtu.be/G6Q3X1tQkvQ

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

17-16 with 8:00+ minutes left in the first half?! After Thursday, all this offense feels like I'm watching the Daytona 500. And by 'watching' I mean being distracting in YM.

[DrumNFeather]

17-16 with 8:00+ minutes left in the first half?! After Thursday, all this offense feels like I'm watching the Daytona 500. And by 'watching' I mean being distracting in YM.
Haha. It's a track meet!

[DrumNFeather]

A couple of laughable performances at present.

[Mormon Red Death]

Worst first half of conference play

[sancho]

Worst forest half of conference play

Well, after ucla, anyway.

So ugly.

[DrumNFeather]

Worst forest half of conference play
Yeah, really sluggish, content to let them dictate to us on both sides. Larry needs to get in some faces at halftime.

[sancho]

Yeah, really sluggish, content to let them dictate to us on both sides. Larry needs to get in some faces at halftime.

Their pressure is making it hard for us to start the offense.

[DrumNFeather]

Their pressure is making it hard for us to start the offense.
Definitely. But like when 3 guys jump out on Taylor, someone should be wide open. We just need to find em.

[LA Ute]

Love Reyes but he needs to finish layups better. So does Poeltl. Maybe they just lack the physical strength.


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[LA Ute]

Very rare BAD Delon TO. Followed by a very bad pass. 4 points to Oregon. Ouch.


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[Mormon Red Death]

Is there Vaseline on the ball?

[LA Ute]

Is there Vaseline on the ball?

It's over-inflated.


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[DrumNFeather]

We're really settling for some terrible shots

[LA Ute]

That last trey attempt by Tucker looked pretty iffy to me.


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[sancho]

That last trey attempt by Tucker looked pretty iffy to me.


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No, these are the shots we usually take, but we're used to hitting them. This is how teams that really on 3s always go down.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Do we have a closing push? This is the closet game we've played in six weeks. What are these guys made of?

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Do we have a closing push? This is the closet game we've played in six weeks. What are these guys made of?

Not looking good.

[LA Ute]

Some days it just ain't happening. Today's one of those. The Taylor airball was the last nail in the coffin.


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[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Love Reyes but he needs to finish layups better. So does Poeltl. Maybe they just lack the physical strength.


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You were saying...?

[LA Ute]

Another airball!!


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[justaute]

When was the last time Loveridge played well against a quality opponent?

[DrumNFeather]

Nice job by Taylor to prevent them from a little show boating.

[LA Ute]

You were saying...?

It's embarrassing how bad the guy is on layups.


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[sancho]

When was the last time Loveridge played well against a quality opponent?

when was the last time anyone played well against a quality opponent on the road?

[DrumNFeather]

They really out hustled us today, and really that was a huge difference in the outcome. That, and us taking some terrible shots allowed them to pull the upset.

[DrumNFeather]

When was the last time Loveridge played well against a quality opponent?
It has been a while.

[Mormon Red Death]

Oh well we win our last 4 we win the conference

[sancho]

They really out hustled us today, and really that was a huge difference in the outcome. That, and us taking some terrible shots allowed them to pull the upset.

Yes, we were completely out hustled.

[LA Ute]

I guess we should feel good about how excited Oregon is to beat us.


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[Mormon Red Death]

2nd place in the conference we are up 2 with 4 to play

[DrumNFeather]

I guess we should feel good about how excited Oregon is to beat us.


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Well, it's a massive upset, no doubt about it.

[justaute]

True. Just had hoped the more experienced players could step-up once in a short while. Oh well.


when was the last time anyone played well against a quality opponent on the road?

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

I guess we should feel good about how excited Oregon is to beat us.


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That was nice of us to get them off the bubble. Sunday service.

[DrumNFeather]

2nd place in the conference we are up 2 with 4 to play
What's the tiebreaker? Head to head and then record vs. the next best team?

[justaute]

Thats the the part I don't get and never could. Offense comes and go, opponents sometimes just have one of those unstoppable days, but hustle-effort should never be questioned; this should be even more so for teams that have average athleticism, relatively speaking.



Yes, we were completely out hustled.

[LA Ute]

I don't get the consistent lack of badassery on this team. Once they're set back on their heels they never seem to get their equilibrium back. They have a tough time taking a punch.


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[LA Ute]

Krystkowiak post-game: "They played more aggressively." Story of the game. Also, "To be an elite team you have to take care of business, you can't have slippage. We haven't talked about turnovers for a long time." He compared it to not having to tell the players to lace up their shoes -- by this point they need to know to take care of the ball. He thinks they took way too many threes but was also tough on the bigs -- says the guards won't pass into the post if they think the bigs can't finish or will just get fouled and can't make the FTs. Ouch. I think a lot of guys will get some pretty scathing comments from LK.


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[LA Ute]

I think the Ute bigs missed at least 10 points worth of layups. Also out-rebounded 35-32. Effort and hustle were the story of this one.


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[chrisrenrut]

Let's give Oregon some credit, they were playing with more hustle and inspriation than usual. It was senior night, they were celebrating the football team after the game. As a result, they had a crowd more than double their average,, 12,000 compared to their average of less than 6,000. You could tell they were playing with a lot of emotion. Our team is talented, but not experienced enough to overcome a good team once they get on an emotional roll.

[sancho]

Let's give Oregon some credit, they were playing with more hustle and inspriation than usual. It was senior night, they were celebrating the football team after the game. As a result, they had a crowd more than double their average,, 12,000 compared to their average of less than 6,000. You could tell they were playing with a lot of emotion. Our team is talented, but not experienced enough to overcome a good team once they get on an emotional roll.


All true. It's still a bit of a downer to have such a good team and to lose all our tough road games.

I wonder were this team would finish in a better conference. I really have no idea.

[Old Standing ute]

Let's give Oregon some credit, they were playing with more hustle and inspriation than usual. It was senior night, they were celebrating the football team after the game. As a result, they had a crowd more than double their average,, 12,000 compared to their average of less than 6,000. You could tell they were playing with a lot of emotion. Our team is talented, but not experienced enough to overcome a good team once they get on an emotional roll.

All true, plus a noon start. It was a classic setup to lose---but I have decided that I really dislike the ducks. Altman recruits questionable players, goofy/ugly floor among other things.
Tired of losing to them in FB, BB, baseball etc.

[DrumNFeather]

All true, plus a noon start. It was a classic setup to lose---but I have decided that I really dislike the ducks. Altman recruits questionable players, goofy/ugly floor among other things.
Tired of losing to them in FB, BB, baseball etc.
Well, should the standings hold, we'll get another shot at them...and I suspect we'll take it to them.

[Old Standing ute]

I think the Ute bigs missed at least 10 points worth of layups. Also out-rebounded 35-32. Effort and hustle were the story of this one.

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Our Bigs played like newcomers--which Jakob, Reyes, Brekkot, Kuzma all are--but by this point they need to get past that & nut it up & take it to the other,smaller teams.

Really need to win out, which would mean a road sweep--which would be a first.

[Ma'ake]

I thought the biggest difference was having Tucker, Taylor and Loveridge all decide to become brick masons from long range. Before the season started I thought Ogbe would be one of our better long range shooters, but he's regressed from last year, with the injuries and who knows what.

Silver lining is maybe Delon is shaking his lack of confidence from long range. Olsen played well.

[OrangeUte]

Just finished watching. Horrible night shooting and the lack of aggressiveness was troubling. I kept waiting for Taylor to hit something huge and get us back some momentum but it just never really happened.

I'm wanted this one. Mostly because my middle son is a ducks fan and now I have to listen to him running his big fat duck mouth.

[concerned]

Just finished watching. Horrible night shooting and the lack of aggressiveness was troubling. I kept waiting for Taylor to hit something huge and get us back some momentum but it just never really happened.

I'm wanted this one. Mostly because my middle son is a ducks fan and now I have to listen to him running his big fat duck mouth.

I keep waiting for Delon to take it to the rim and get to the free throw line. Just don't understand why he is so timid/passive.

[OrangeUte]

I keep waiting for Delon to take it to the rim and get to the free throw line. Just don't understand why he is so timid/passive.

Another good point. This reminded me so much of the ucla game.

[sancho]

I keep waiting for Delon to take it to the rim and get to the free throw line. Just don't understand why he is so timid/passive.

I feel like he should be getting 20 ppg by shooting more fts. I think he's tried it a few games this year, and he just doesn't have the knack for drawing contact.

[Ma'ake]

Delon had 5 assists, but as Sean Elliot pointed out, that number should have been quite a bit higher if the bigs can convert.

Taylor was 2-10, J-Love 1-8, Tucker 1-3, from distance. Not going to win many games with those stats. I thought the offense generated good shots, there were few really horrendous shots, they just weren't falling. Likewise, I thought the defense was very good. Not outstanding, but solid. Kuzma blew an assignment that allowed one of their bigs an open 3, but generally we did OK on defense.

Delon had a few bad turnovers, but overall I thought he played pretty well, and knocking down those 3s will pay off, I hope, even though we're down to the last quarter of the season, including the tourneys. Late bloomer.

Oregon was highly motivated, they got good games from Young and the Canadian. We had one guy in double figures.

In addition to Delon being more aggressive taking the ball to the hoop, I think Chapman has only scratched the surface of what he can do. It definitely hurt when he took one to the chops.

[Utah]

Delon is an amazing player. But Chapman has been huge for us this year. He brings so much to our offense. We are a different team with him.

Once he left, I told my wife that we'd lose.

[sancho]

Once he left, I told my wife that we'd lose.

The good thing about this team is that we don't need any one particular player to have a great game in order to win. We can have any number of guys step up in any number of ways. All of our losses except of Kansas came in games where we happened to have none of our players step up. We certainly could beat Oregon without Chapman - we just need someone else to play well.