Revenge: Utah vs. Arizona (and ASU) II

[DrumNFeather]

I'll start a new thread.

I know we're supposed to take this one game at a time etc...but whatever, this week is all about the game on Saturday. That's not to say I don't think ASU is important, I do, but I think that they are going to bear the brunt of us not playing very well in the great Northwest.

I predict we beat ASU by 20 at least...which sets up the showdown on Saturday night.

[sancho]

I'll start a new thread.

I know we're supposed to take this one game at a time etc...but whatever, this week is all about the game on Saturday. That's not to say I don't think ASU is important, I do, but I think that they are going to bear the brunt of us not playing very well in the great Northwest.

I predict we beat ASU by 20 at least...which sets up the showdown on Saturday night.

Yeah, I hope the players can focus on ASU better than I can.

I think Arizona is better than us. But the Wildcats have underperformed in a few road games. I hope we get the bad version of Zona and not the firing-on-all-cylinders version.

I think COY and POY are still up for grabs, and a big win on Sat would help a lot.

As far as seeding goes, we need all of the following to get a 3 seed:

- beat ASU, WSU, UW
- beat Zona at least once (in SLC or Vegas)
- play in the final in Vegas

If any one of those things does not happen, I think we get a 4-5 seed. Our computer numbers help us a lot because, frankly, we don't have a signature conference win or a signature road win.

[DrumNFeather]

Yeah, I hope the players can focus on ASU better than I can.

I think Arizona is better than us. But the Wildcats have underperformed in a few road games. I hope we get the bad version of Zona and not the firing-on-all-cylinders version.

I think COY and POY are still up for grabs, and a big win on Sat would help a lot.

As far as seeding goes, we need all of the following to get a 3 seed:

- beat ASU, WSU, UW
- beat Zona at least once (in SLC or Vegas)
- play in the final in Vegas

If any one of those things does not happen, I think we get a 4-5 seed. Our computer numbers help us a lot because, frankly, we don't have a signature conference win or a signature road win.

I think you're probably right on the seeding. I can easily see us sliding to the 4 line with a loss to Arizona on Saturday. That said, we don't have terrible losses on our resume right now, so that should help us too.

The one glaring area where Arizona has us is the athleticism along the front line. I just kept thinking...man, we don't have very many guys that can create for themselves down low. We see flashes from Chapman, but other than that it is definitely an area we are lacking in that could be exposed if we get the wrong match up.

[chrisrenrut]

Yeah, I hope the players can focus on ASU better than I can.

I think Arizona is better than us. But the Wildcats have underperformed in a few road games. I hope we get the bad version of Zona and not the firing-on-all-cylinders version.

I think COY and POY are still up for grabs, and a big win on Sat would help a lot.

I don't think we are going to get anything other than each team's best shot the rest of the way. We can hope a team goes cold shooting against us, but no team is going to be unmotivated. We are going to have to play tougher both physically and mentally, or get very hot outside shooting in order to beat the Wildcats.

[sancho]

I just kept thinking...man, we don't have very many guys that can create for themselves down low. We see flashes from Chapman, but other than that it is definitely an area we are lacking in that could be exposed if we get the wrong match up.Power ranking of post moves for our team:1. JO2. Poeltl3. Chapman...100. Everyone else

[sancho]

I don't think we are going to get anything other than each team's best shot the rest of the way. Fortunately, "best shot" is not a switch that teams can turn on or off. There was no reason for us to be zombies @UCLA. It just happened. I hope it just happens to Zona when they are in SLC.

[DrumNFeather]

Utah #13, Arizona #7 in latest AP poll. ASU unranked.

[311ute]

Utes favored by 14 tomorrow.

[311ute]

ASU is a team that’s better than their record would indicate. Have suffered a lot of close losses… @(neutral site)Maryland by 5, @(neutral site) Alabama by 5 @Texas AM by 1, @ Oregon by 3, Oregon by 1 (OT), @ Wazzu by 3.

Advanced analytic sites have them ranked very respectable (KenPom 52, BPI 60, Sagarin 60).

Plus, they’ve been playing their best ball as of late, with players like Savon Goodman (UNLV transfer) and Gerry Blakes finally finding their roles.

I expect the Runnin’ Utes to come out hungry, but I think this could be a closer game than many expect. I think we played really well down in Tempe and caught the Sun Devils at the right time.

[DrumNFeather]

ASU is a team that’s better than their record would indicate. Have suffered a lot of close losses… @(neutral site)Maryland by 5, @(neutral site) Alabama by 5 @Texas AM by 1, @ Oregon by 3, Oregon by 1 (OT), @ Wazzu by 3.

Advanced analytic sites have them ranked very respectable (KenPom 52, BPI 60, Sagarin 60).

Plus, they’ve been playing their best ball as of late, with players like Savon Goodman (UNLV transfer) and Gerry Blakes finally finding their roles.

I expect the Runnin’ Utes to come out hungry, but I think this could be a closer game than many expect. I think we played really well down in Tempe and caught the Sun Devils at the right time.

I could see it being one of our typical home performances where we take a small lead into halftime and by the end of the game we're up 20.

[chrisrenrut]

ASU is a team that’s better than their record would indicate. Have suffered a lot of close losses… @(neutral site)Maryland by 5, @(neutral site) Alabama by 5 @Texas AM by 1, @ Oregon by 3, Oregon by 1 (OT), @ Wazzu by 3.

Advanced analytic sites have them ranked very respectable (KenPom 52, BPI 60, Sagarin 60).

Plus, they’ve been playing their best ball as of late, with players like Savon Goodman (UNLV transfer) and Gerry Blakes finally finding their roles.

I expect the Runnin’ Utes to come out hungry, but I think this could be a closer game than many expect. I think we played really well down in Tempe and caught the Sun Devils at the right time.

i have the same feeling. I am excited for this game. It will be the last game I attend this year, I gave my tickets to my step-son for Arizona. I hope we have a raucous crowd for them late on a Thursday night.

[DrumNFeather]

From Andy Katz 3 Point Shot, a little about the Utes & Cats:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:12385759

[SoCalPat]

ASU is a team that’s better than their record would indicate. Have suffered a lot of close losses… @(neutral site)Maryland by 5, @(neutral site) Alabama by 5 @Texas AM by 1, @ Oregon by 3, Oregon by 1 (OT), @ Wazzu by 3.

Advanced analytic sites have them ranked very respectable (KenPom 52, BPI 60, Sagarin 60).

Plus, they’ve been playing their best ball as of late, with players like Savon Goodman (UNLV transfer) and Gerry Blakes finally finding their roles.

I expect the Runnin’ Utes to come out hungry, but I think this could be a closer game than many expect. I think we played really well down in Tempe and caught the Sun Devils at the right time.

He won't get the notice for it, but Herb Sendek has done a marvelous job this year. And they return just about everyone of note next year, minus McKissic.

[LA Ute]

Phil Cullen's latest:


Arizona State comes into the Huntsman Center having won 4 of their last 5 with an impressive win over #6 ranked Arizona. ASU has played much better over the five game stretch and their chemistry is much improved. They have been led by Gerry Blakes who is averaging 16 ppg, undersized four man Savon Goodman 14 ppg 11 rpg, point guard Tra Holder 12 ppg and Shaq McKissic at 11 ppg. They have changed their style of play lately by driving the basketball more often utilizing matchups that they find favorable.

They have played eight players who are all averaging double digit minutes during their last five games and have shot 50 more free throws than their opponents. This is a direct result of them attacking the basket off the dribble.

Defensively they will show mostly man to man and will look to push the ball away from the screener. They have also been switching liked size screens and picking up their ball pressure.

We will need to be strong with the basketball and keep our turnovers down. Defensively we have to guard the bounce and rebound the ball so that we an play to our strength which is transition offense. We will need to play personnel accordingly and make sure that all five guys on the floor know everyone's tendencies.

Tomorrow is our BLACKOUT game. Be sure to wear your black! You can purchase our official BLACKOUT GAME DAY shirt at all Utah Red Zones. Tip-off is at 8:30 pm. GO UTES!

Let's hope the Utes show up ticked off over losing to Oregon and wallop these guys.

[DrumNFeather]

12-2 run to start the game. I'd say Larry got their attention.

[DrumNFeather]

I could see it being one of our typical home performances where we take a small lead into halftime and by the end of the game we're up 20.

Nevermind

[DrumNFeather]

41-9 at the half...the Utes have more blocks (10) than ASU has points. Yikes.

[sancho]

Time for Ogbe and Kuzma. Lots of time for Ogbe and Kuzma.

[concerned]

Frank Jackson is sitting in front of us with his dad and Makol Mawein . Hope he is impressed.

[sancho]

Frank Jackson is sitting in front of us with his dad and Makol Mawein . Hope he is impressed.

Does he like scoring? Blocks? Defense? Steals? Winning?

[DrumNFeather]

Frank Jackson is sitting in front of us with his dad and Makol Mawein . Hope he is impressed.

Good reporting!

[DrumNFeather]

Full court press while up 30.

[LA Ute]

Delon is other-worldly tonight.

[DrumNFeather]

Everything is falling tonight. Please let the momentum carry these guys through to Saturday.

[Mormon Red Death]

We went into victory formation at 10:30 mark

[DrumNFeather]

Well that was an ass kicking.

[hostile]

Well that was an ass kicking.
Early in the first half K walked down the bench and told his guys that ASU was going to try A,B,C but that it didn't matter because they were going to "kick their ass." Prophetic.

[Old Standing ute]

That was incredible. The Hunty was feeling electric from the start---Jordan L. was yelling during warmups he was so pumped up. The ASU team huddle got caught on the floor during the opening light-show. You could tell they look amazed by the energy in the building.
Loveridge played really solid D-which is not his strong suit. Poeltl was very active
And Delon was out of his mind good. What a great player when he is like he was tonight & fun to watch.
Kuzma & Ogbe showed what they can do in 2nd half & I. Wright player really well.

[SeattleUte]

Did we beat the spread?

[Utebiquitous]

Hardest I've laughed all day. Thank you Seattle.

[SoCalPat]

Unbelievable. So much stood out from this game. We forced ASU to burn all but one of their timeouts in the first half. With about four minutes to go in the first half, we forced ASU into a timeout to avoid a five-second call underneath our basket, and that came AFTER a media timeout. ASU used its use-it-or-lose-it TO just 2:09 into the game. We were totally dialed in from the opening tip. About as perfect of a game as I can ever recall Utah playing. We had two massive runs in this game (26-2 and 13-0) that just about matched what ASU did for the entire game.

My only worry from this outcome is that you know Sean Miller forced his guys to watch every second of that game, and probably was saying the entire time, "You guys can't beat Utah at home. They're too good for you." They've responded pretty well to every platitude he's given the opposition this year by going out and crushing teams.

[UtahsMrSports]

One of the more fun games I have ever been to at the JMHC. I love this team. I love how much fun they are having. I know Im a broken record here, but its amazing to me how far weve come.

[DrumNFeather]

Unbelievable. So much stood out from this game. We forced ASU to burn all but one of their timeouts in the first half. With about four minutes to go in the first half, we forced ASU into a timeout to avoid a five-second call underneath our basket, and that came AFTER a media timeout. ASU used its use-it-or-lose-it TO just 2:09 into the game. We were totally dialed in from the opening tip. About as perfect of a game as I can ever recall Utah playing. We had two massive runs in this game (26-2 and 13-0) that just about matched what ASU did for the entire game.

My only worry from this outcome is that you know Sean Miller forced his guys to watch every second of that game, and probably was saying the entire time, "You guys can't beat Utah at home. They're too good for you." They've responded pretty well to every platitude he's given the opposition this year by going out and crushing teams.

My observation of Arizona (despite their two road losses this year in Conf.) was that they just came out and absolutely blitzed Colorado last night, and they've done that to other teams on the road as well. I hope our guys take a measured approach to the game on Saturday and don't get too hyped up. Let the crowd get hyped up and make things tough for the Cats, you just go out and play your game.

[UtahsMrSports]

Frank Jackson is sitting in front of us with his dad and Makol Mawein . Hope he is impressed.

This is awesome.

[#1 Utefan]

Miller comes off as a swarmy and a arrogant guy. Not saying he isn't a good coach, just find his on court demeanor and attitude annoying.

I want he and Arizona coming out of here with a loss tomorrow. This will not be a blow out like all the other conference games but I think Utah pulls it out at home.

[SoCalPat]

My observation of Arizona (despite their two road losses this year in Conf.) was that they just came out and absolutely blitzed Colorado last night, and they've done that to other teams on the road as well. I hope our guys take a measured approach to the game on Saturday and don't get too hyped up. Let the crowd get hyped up and make things tough for the Cats, you just go out and play your game.

I think that's an excellent line of thinking.

[U-Ute]

Did we beat the spread?

I think we beat the spread by the spread.

[LA Ute]

My observation of Arizona (despite their two road losses this year in Conf.) was that they just came out and absolutely blitzed Colorado last night, and they've done that to other teams on the road as well. I hope our guys take a measured approach to the game on Saturday and don't get too hyped up. Let the crowd get hyped up and make things tough for the Cats, you just go out and play your game.

Agreed.

I'll be there for this one, by the way. Very excited to see it. I have not been in the Huntsman for a big game like this since the New Mexico game in 1979. Both teams were ranked, IIRC, and the Utes won it. So maybe I'll bring some Pimm-era karma with me.

[DrumNFeather]

Arizona

Stanley Johnson, F, 14.2 ppg, shoots 47% from the field, 74% from the Free throw line and 35% from behind the arc
Brandon Ashley, F, 11.3. ppg, shoots 48% from the field, 65% from the Free throw line and 35% from behind the arc
Rondae Hollis Jefferson, F, 11.1 ppg, shoots 53% from the field, 69% from the Free throw line and 23% from behind the arc
T.J. McConnell, G, 9.8 ppg, shoots 50% from the field, 73% from the Free throw line, and 34% from behind the arc, also averages nearly 7 assists per
Kaleb Tarczewski, C, 9.0 ppg, shoots 59% from the field, 80% from the Free throw line, and averages 5 boards per game.

Utah

Delon Wright, G, 14.2 ppg, shoots 52% from the field, 82% from the Free throw line and 32% from behind the arc
Brandon Taylor, G, 10.5 ppg, shoots 46% from the field, 87% from the Free throw line and 44% from behind the arc
Jordan Loveridge, F, 9.9 ppg, shoots 42% from the field, 86 % from the Free throw line and 44 % from behind the arc
Chris Reyes, F, 4.8 ppg, shoots 50% from the field, 52% from the Free throw line and 67% from behind the arc
Jakob Poeltel, C, 8.7 ppg, shoots 67% from the field, 43% from the Free throw line and averages 7 boards per game

Arizona is good, well coached, fast, and athletic...but they can be had. We need to keep them off the glass and limit them to only one shot on offense. We need to be aggressive and take it strong at the hoop, get their bigs in foul trouble. Most importantly (the fundamental essential in the game of basketball) we've got to make our shots early and often. Get Loveridge going early with a 3 ball, get Delon driving, and get Taylor a few shots in rhythm. We do this, and we walk out of the Huntsman Center with a win.

I'm as excited for this game as I've been for any basketball game in a long, long time.

[DrumNFeather]

Weekend homework link from ESPN with a nice blurb about the last time we beat the Wildcats: http://espn.go.com/ncb/notebook/_/page/weekendhomework150227/utah-runnin-utes-arizona-wildcats-meet-again-pac-12-title-line

[sancho]

Stanley Johnson, F, 14.2 ppg, shoots 47% from the field, 74% from the Free throw line and 35% from behind the arc
Brandon Ashley, F, 11.3. ppg, shoots 48% from the field, 65% from the Free throw line and 35% from behind the arc
Rondae Hollis Jefferson, F, 11.1 ppg, shoots 53% from the field, 69% from the Free throw line and 23% from behind the arc
T.J. McConnell, G, 9.8 ppg, shoots 50% from the field, 73% from the Free throw line, and 34% from behind the arc, also averages nearly 7 assists per
Kaleb Tarczewski, C, 9.0 ppg, shoots 59% from the field, 80% from the Free throw line, and averages 5 boards per game.


Ugh, what a nightmare. That team looks like it was assembled just to be Utah kryptonite. Hollis Jefferson/Johnson are what you would get if you asked a supercomputer to design players to stop Delon Wright. Their 4th best rebounder is probably better than our 1st best rebounder. Our offensive strength - outside shooting - is negated by their length and athleticism. Just looking at starting 5, I think I'd pick Arizona over any team not named Kentucky.

The weak link I see is their 6th man, Gabe York. He is their outside shooter, but I think he is pretty weak defensively. We should be able to take advantage of that guy when he is in.

[U-Ute]

Ugh, what a nightmare. That team looks like it was assembled just to be Utah kryptonite. Hollis Jefferson/Johnson are what you would get if you asked a supercomputer to design players to stop Delon Wright. Their 4th best rebounder is probably better than our 1st best rebounder. Our offensive strength - outside shooting - is negated by their length and athleticism. Just looking at starting 5, I think I'd pick Arizona over any team not named Kentucky.

The weak link I see is their 6th man, Gabe York. He is their outside shooter, but I think he is pretty weak defensively. We should be able to take advantage of that guy when he is in.

I don't think they are just Utah's Kryptonite. They are long, physical, and can shoot.

They are Kentucky Lite.

[LA Ute]

Ugh, what a nightmare. That team looks like it was assembled just to be Utah kryptonite. Hollis Jefferson/Johnson are what you would get if you asked a supercomputer to design players to stop Delon Wright. Their 4th best rebounder is probably better than our 1st best rebounder. Our offensive strength - outside shooting - is negated by their length and athleticism. Just looking at starting 5, I think I'd pick Arizona over any team not named Kentucky.

The weak link I see is their 6th man, Gabe York. He is their outside shooter, but I think he is pretty weak defensively. We should be able to take advantage of that guy when he is in.

The best we can do is rebound hard, with Ute butts on the Arizona players' legs every time a shot goes up (paraphrasing Jim Soto after last night's game), and hope to stay even with them in total rebounds. We need to cut their offensive rebounds below their insanely high average. Poeltl and Reyes have to do something to avoid being pushed around. If we can do all that we have a chance. Altitude might help.

[concerned]

The best we can do is rebound hard, with Ute butts on the Arizona players' legs every time a shot goes up (paraphrasing Jim Soto after last night's game), and hope to stay even with them in total rebounds. We need to cut their offensive rebounds below their insanely high average. Poeltl and Reyes have to do something to avoid being pushed around. If we can do all that we have a chance. Altitude might help.


Rebounds tomorrow are everything. UA is not a good offensive team and really depends on second chance points to score. Whether we can prevent that is the ultimate question. I have doubts. I hope i am wrong.

[scottie]

Frank Jackson is sitting in front of us with his dad and Makol Mawein . Hope he is impressed.

Were you sitting about mid court, opposite side of the court from the team benches, row 10ish? From where I was sitting I was thinking that might be Frank's dad but wasn't close enough to confirm.

[concerned]

Were you sitting about mid court, opposite side of the court from the team benches, row 10ish? From where I was sitting I was thinking that might be Frank's dad but wasn't close enough to confirm.

exactly. That is where players families and recruits sit. We are not directly behind that section, we are one section over (to the left as you look across from where you are). My brother knows his dad, because his dad is now a state senator, and pointed him out. I said, oh, that is Frank Jackson's dad, and that is how we figured it out.

[LA Ute]

Phil Cullen on the Wildcats:


Arizona is now ranked #7 in the country and is a projected 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. They are 25-3 overall and have been playing really well over the last five games. They have four players averaging double figures in Conference play led by small forward Stanley Johnson 14 ppg, pg T.J. McConnell at 12 ppg, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Brandon Ashley at 11 ppg.

Arizona has the 11th highest rated offense in the country and are shooting 53.8% from 2 pt and 35.7% from 3 pt line. They continue to rebound extremely well on the offensive end by getting 34.3% of their misses. Look for them to push the ball in transition and run a number of different sets with pick and roll. They will also look to use their size and strength down low.

Defensively they are the 3rd ranked team in the country playing a very physical style. They will switch pick and roll with like sizes and will hard blitz/double off of the center.

Arizona is an extremely talented team and they are very well coached. They are a physical team and play as hard as anyone in the country.
Tomorrow is our Senior Night and last home game for the season. We will be honoring Dallin and Delon prior to tip-off at 6:45 pm. We hope you will come early and help thank our seniors for all of their time and hard work they have given to our Utah program! Tip-off is at 7pm.

[U-Ute]

Rebounds tomorrow are everything. UA is not a good offensive team and really depends on second chance points to score. Whether we can prevent that is the ultimate question. I have doubts. I hope i am wrong.

Arizona's offensive game plan is the same every week: run up the floor, look for a quick shot. If nothing is there, get a relatively decent shot, crush your opponents for the rebound and nail the stick back.

[Old Standing ute]

Need to control McConnell; even though on paper may not look like it, he is the key to their team. Tayor needs to neutralize him, that did not happen in 1st game.

[U-Ute]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2227648-155/utah-basketball-against-arizona-utes-prepping

I can't wait to see these:


marketing director Jennifer White said Utah will give away 2,000 "Swipe Wright" T-shirts with a caricature of Wright's face on them.

[NorthwestUteFan]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2227648-155/utah-basketball-against-arizona-utes-prepping

I can't wait to see these:


Here is the YouTube meme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6YhMqKM4Zs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[LA Ute]

I was driving to LAX yesterday and when traffic slowed down I tuned into ESPN 700. Then I actually called in. They'd asked for opinions as to whether this was the biggest home game ever at the Huntsman. I said I thought it was. My point of reference was the Utah-New Mexico game back in 1978, which I attended. Both teams were ranked (maybe in the top 10) and Utah won 95-93. Buster Matheny and Judkins were on that team, and New Mexico's coach was Stormin' Norman Ellenberger. A great game. Students camped out overnight to get seats. I still said tomorrow's game is bigger because it's on a much bigger stage in the PAC-12. Agree? Disagree?

[Mormon Red Death]

I would say the early 90s vs byu were monster games

[DrumNFeather]

I was driving to LAX yesterday and when traffic slowed down I tuned into ESPN 700. Then I actually called in. They'd asked for opinions as to whether this was the biggest home game ever at the Huntsman. I said I thought it was. My point of reference was the Utah-New Mexico game back in 1978, which I attended. Both teams were ranked (maybe in the top 10) and Utah won 95-93. Buster Matheny and Judkins were on that team, and New Mexico's coach was Stormin' Norman Ellenberger. A great game. Students camped out overnight to get seats. I still said tomorrow's game is bigger because it's on a much bigger stage in the PAC-12. Agree? Disagree?

In terms of buzz and importance, it probably is the biggest game in a great long while. But you still had the Van Horn vs. Duncan game when we played Wake where you very clearly had two of the top players in college basketball. Obviously I don't know all the schedules etc...but I would say that in the post-Majerus era, it is most definitely the biggest game. This team and this season took the Huntsman Center back, and that cannot be understated.

[DrumNFeather]

On College Game Day, Stephen A. Smith and Seth Greenberg picked the Utes, while Jay Williams and Jay Bilas picked the Cats. Can't wait! I hope Larry has an extra long rope to burn in the locker room tonight.

[LA Ute]

I have a Crimson 1 parking pass (first level in the Institute parking structure) for tonight if anyone wants it. PM me.

[LA Ute]

This may have been posted already -- it's a very interesting breakdown of the two teams' strengths.

http://pachoops.com/2015/02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-utah-whats-apl/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[U-Ute]

In terms of buzz and importance, it probably is the biggest game in a great long while. But you still had the Van Horn vs. Duncan game when we played Wake where you very clearly had two of the top players in college basketball. Obviously I don't know all the schedules etc...but I would say that in the post-Majerus era, it is most definitely the biggest game. This team and this season took the Huntsman Center back, and that cannot be understated.

In terms of importance, probably. I can't remember any games against New Mexico, BYU, or Fresno State for the conference title where we were both in the top 15.

In terms of just excitement, the Wake Forest game with Tim Duncan had this kind of feel. Everyone was excited to see two top teams with two future NBA players. We lost, but had a fantastic time. We went to Friday's after the game to drown our sorrows in Oreo Madness, so it wasn't a total loss.

[concerned]

In terms of importance, probably. I can't remember any games against New Mexico, BYU, or Fresno State for the conference title where we were both in the top 15.

In terms of just excitement, the Wake Forest game with Tim Duncan had this kind of feel. Everyone was excited to see two top teams with two future NBA players. We lost, but had a fantastic time. We went to Friday's after the game to drown our sorrows in Oreo Madness, so it wasn't a total loss.

probably LA Ute and I are the only ones to remember this, but in the 60's, we had Jerry Chambers, Merv Jackson, Jeff Oeckel, the guy from bountiful who broke his leg and cost us the final four, and BYU has Dick Nemelka and Jeff Congden. I am about 80% sure that both teams were ranked in the top ten and the home and home for the conference champtionships may have been the most electric games ever. Of course, they were in Einer Neilsen which was like playing at Duke. But I don't remember more suspense over an entire course of a basketball season. We lost to them but won the conference because they dropped a game to New Mexico or somebody.

[U-Ute]

probably lA Ute and I are the only ones to remeber this, but the int 60's, we had Jerry Chambers, Merv Jackson, the guy from bountiful who broke his leg and cost us the final four, and BYU has Dick Nemelka and Jeff Congden. I am about 80% sure that both teams were ranked in the top ten and the home and home for the conference champtionships may have been the most electric games ever. Of course, they were in Einer Neilsen which was like palying at Duke. But I dont rember more suspense over an entire course of a basketball season. We lost to them but won the conference because they dropped a game to New Mexico or somebody.

I admit, my personal knowledge only goes back to the late 80's. That sounds like it would've been a fun team to watch.

[concerned]

I admit, my personal knowledge only goes back to the late 80's. That sounds like it would've been a fun team to watch.


And I forgot to mention that only the conference champion went to the NCAA tourney; so we were fighting about the NCAA or the NIT, not a 3 or a 4 seed. If Gardner had not broken his leg, we would not have finished last in the FF> Still would have lost to UTEP maybe.

[Irving Washington]

George Fisher. That was a great game. Would have been even better if we won. Some of those games against New Mexico in the late 60's we're also amazing. Nothing like a game in Einer Nielsen.

[concerned]

Right. George Fisher. not Kenny Gardner.

[DrumNFeather]

Closing in on tip off! Hurry up Duke, and dispatch of Syracuse so we can get this thing going.

[DrumNFeather]

Damn, it looks great on TV! Go Utes!

[DrumNFeather]

Terrible call!

[DrumNFeather]

They're letting the physical play go early. That slightly favors Arizona, I think.

[sancho]

Letting loss of contact go so far.

I have little respect for referees in general, but I have even less for referees who are fooled into calling a charge every time a defensive player falls backwards.

[chrisrenrut]

Kind of annoying on tv that both teams are wearing dark uniforms. Tough to tell them apart.

[DrumNFeather]

York was all over Taylor. Not sure that call makes sense.

[DrumNFeather]

We're killing ourselves right now.

[DrumNFeather]

Chapman bringing us back!

[chrisrenrut]

Utah natives keeping us in the game so far.

[DrumNFeather]

Utah natives keeping us in the game so far.
We need to have guys that can get their own shot off when Delon is out...and even when he's in given the attention he's getting.

[DrumNFeather]

Finally getting over the hump!

[sancho]

Guess who had zero chance of scoring on that shot? Pitts. Don't foul him.

[sancho]

I think Delon can get to the line regularly in this game.

Reyes, Bach, and Olsen each with a missed layup. argh.

[chrisrenrut]

Without missed lay-ups and free throws, we are up 10.

[sancho]

Tarzewski does not deserve the Zeus nickname. Insult to those of us with Greek heritage.

[chrisrenrut]

8:00 left, and Arizona is down to 1 timeout left.

[mpfunk]

Officials really not doing the Utes any favors right now. I'm going to be really disappointed if we lose this game. Wright has been amazing tonight and it would really suck to his effort go to waste. We need this win.

[mpfunk]

What in the Hell was that 5th foul on Chapman?

[sancho]

Officials really not doing the Utes any favors right now. I'm going to be really disappointed if we lose this game. Wright has been amazing tonight and it would really suck to his effort go to waste. We need this win.

Arizona should only drive on every possession from here on out. They'll go to the line every time.

[mpfunk]

A combination of shitty officiating and giving up offensive rebounds is going to negate Wright's efforts. This sucks.

[mpfunk]

Seriously, will there ever be a drive where Arizona doesn't get a foul called?

[mpfunk]

It is about fucking time they called an offensive foul. Arizona has been doing that all damn game.

[mpfunk]

Screwed again. It doesn't even go out of bounds. Utah has the ball and now it is going to either go to Arizona on the "out of bounds" or on the possession arrow.

[mpfunk]

Well this sucks. That is game with that missed layup.

I want to someday get off the fence with Larry Krystkowiak, but these types of games make it not possible right now. Utah needs to win a game like this on our own floor.

[Mormon Red Death]

Well this sucks. That is game with that missed layup.

I want to someday get off the fence with Larry Krystkowiak, but these types of games make it not possible right now. Utah needs to win a game like this on our own floor.
How can you even be down on krystowiak for that game? The reffing was so in consistent

[mpfunk]

How can you even be down on krystowiak for that game? The reffing was so in consistent

I'm not down on him. I'm on the fence with him. I've said I'm remaining on the fence until he actually does something concrete at Utah. Gets at least a share of the title, gets a couple of tournament wins, etc.

The officiating was a joke, but we also had an 8 point lead late in the 2nd half. We can't lose games like that at home.

[sancho]

How can you even be down on krystowiak for that game? The reffing was so in consistent

Every contract on every drive in the half is a foul until Wright's shot at the end.

But it's the rebound to York that beat us. York. The worst wildcat of them all.

[Mormon Red Death]

Ynot blocking put the shooter hurt us

[DrumNFeather]

These kind of games make Arizona who they are. They don't get rattled, and they do all the little things really well.

The only two other guys having decent shooting nights were in foul trouble the whole game. When Arizona starts the half 0 for whatever, you have to turn that into a double digit lead.

Here's hoping we get one more crack at them.

[chrisrenrut]

The coaching staff put together a great game plan to give us a chance to win. Arizona is a top 10 team with more talent than our top 20 team. Coach didn't miss multiple lay-ups. We rebounded well, but coach didn't forget to box out the shooter on a foul shot to gift them 2 points.

Officiating was inconsistent, but the foul disparity was only about 4 over the course of the game. We shouldn't have to rely on referees to win.

[sancho]

We rebounded well, but coach didn't forget to box out the shooter on a foul shot to gift them 2 points.


We rebounded well in the first half, but they owned the glass again in the second.

The officiating really hurt us badly. Loveridge was playing his best game in a while, and he had to come out. Chapman obviously was big for us in the first half. Poeltl was once again not even given a chance to get into the game. It was a poorly called game, and that hurt us much more than it hurt them.

[LA Ute]

Coach didn't miss multiple lay-ups. We rebounded well, but coach didn't forget to box out the shooter on a foul shot to gift them 2 points.

It could not be better said. The iron law of close basketball games between excellent teams is that the team with the fewest mistakes wins. That happened tonight.

Our guys don't have the experience that UA has. That showed. We also don't quite have the talent they have, which also showed.

But:

We still have two more games to make some hay in.

We have the tournament to do the same.

I like our chances for a very successful season yet.

And let's remember that on Senior Night we were saying goodbye to only two seniors.



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[sancho]

And let's remember that on Senior Night we were saying goodbye to only two seniors.


Well, one of them is an all American candidate and one of the all time Utes.

[LA Ute]

Well, one of them is an all American candidate and one of the all time Utes.

Sure, but if we're going to be a top PAC-12 program we have to be able to remain successful and keep improving even if a great player leaves. And...Gabe Bealer.


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[LA Ute]

Apart from the devastating loss, Old Standing Ute and wife were on the Kiss Cam at one point but missed it. The camera had to move on to someone else. A great let-down for the entire crowd. Who knows might have happened if they had just delivered when they were needed?


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[sancho]

Maybe we can retire the Wazzu look now? That uniform would look great in white.

[Scorcho]

sigh, if only Brandon Taylor hadn't lost the genetics lottery. 3 or 4 more inches on that kid and he's not getting those shots swatted.

[Old Standing ute]

Apart from the devastating loss, Old Standing Ute and wife were on the Kiss Cam at one point but missed it. The camera had to move on to someone else. A great let-down for the entire crowd. Who knows might have happened if they had just delivered when they were needed?


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I heard about it---repeatedly. Ouch.

Block Out the shooter! And York got there really fast unless he left early?

Utes got beat up--AZ plays like you can't call everything.

The ref with the blond flat-top is really bad. 2nd time we have seen him & both losses. Delon was fouled on several drives & Stanley Johnson is good, but also puts his head down & charges.

And Tarwhatver their 5 is the big man who is ready to go pro--he schooled poor Jakob.

On a positive note--I. Wright played well (although he may have missed that crucial FT blockout).

[sancho]

sigh, if only Brandon Taylor hadn't lost the genetics lottery. 3 or 4 more inches on that kid and he's not getting those shots swatted.

Yeah, but we all know his height. The last 30 seconds were a flashback to last year. Someone else probably needs to be involved in that play.

[Scorcho]

Utes got beat up--AZ plays like you can't call everything.



perfectly said.

The one thing that AZ does better than any team we've faced this year, is guard the three. They just refuse to give Utah an open look.

I've adjusted my expectations after this game. AZ is a team that can me a deep run in the tourney, Utah cannot. I still believe Utah could be a sweet sixteen team, with the right draw.

[sancho]

sigh, if only Brandon Taylor hadn't lost the genetics lottery. 3 or 4 more inches on that kid and he's not getting those shots swatted.

Brandon got greedy at a key moment. He had just hit a huge three, the weasel York matched it, and Taylor forced a bad shot that was blocked, leading to a zona dunk to cut the lead to 1.

[concerned]

anybody know why Reyes never played after Chapman fouled out and I wright played when we couldn't get any rebounds? Or Tucker for that matter?

[Mormon Red Death]

Sure, but if we're going to be a top PAC-12 program we have to be able to remain successful and keep improving even if a great player leaves. And...Gabe Bealer.


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What about Gabe bealer?

[LA Ute]

Yeah, but we all know his height. The last 30 seconds were a flashback to last year. Someone else probably needs to be involved in that play.

Yeah.

[Solon]

Yeah.

The Utes had a shot, but I hate to admit that AZ looked like the better team last night. Delon delivered, and Loveridge had 10 points (did he score in the 2nd half?), but we needed a big game from a 3rd guy - a Poeltl, Chapman, or Tucker - and didn't get it. AZ's defense was great. Gotta hand it to them.

[#1 Utefan]

Okay, can someone with a refereeing background explain why the refs swallowed their whistle when York stepped over the free throw line and entered the lane well before his missed 2nd FT hit the rim? I am not excusing Wright not blocking out but that seemed like a pretty easy call, particularly given how quickly he was at the rim after a miss.

Just no consistency from the crew last night at all. Whistle happy on too many calls and then swallow their whistles on some of the more obvious and aggregious stuff that went on. A perfect example of the lack of consistency was that late whistle against Utah they reviewed for 5 minutes. You call something like that but let York's lane violation go? The guy blew it by making the call in the first place. The long review was because it was inconclusive so he went with his original call. Swallow your whistle there if you blew it on the other end and gave York two key points with a bad no call.

Utah still could have pulled it out if they had made their layups throughout the game but is it really debatable that the officiating was all over the place last night and pathetic?

[sancho]

The Utes had a shot, but I hate to admit that AZ looked like the better team last night. Delon delivered, and Loveridge had 10 points (did he score in the 2nd half?), but we needed a big game from a 3rd guy - a Poeltl, Chapman, or Tucker - and didn't get it. AZ's defense was great. Gotta hand it to them.

Jordan did have a nice basket in the post in the 2nd half. He also attacked after the really bad no call on Bach, and he got a make up call. He hit both FTs. Picking up his 4th foul really hurt us - we lost a rhythm with him that we never got back.

Did AZ really look that much better than us last night? Maybe I'm tainted by my memory of how bad we were in Tuscon. I felt like it was a miracle when either team scored last night. AZ struggled offensively and played good defense, and we did the same. Their size and strength advantage really showed in the last 10 minutes of the game. Our guard play was clearly superior to theirs last night. McConnell was a non factor, and York was too until the FT. If that was the only Pac-12 game someone watched, it would be clear that Delon was a POY candidate. Nobody would watch that and think of TJ as a candidate for anything.

[sancho]

Okay, can someone with a refereeing background explain why the refs swallowed their whistle when York stepped over the free throw line and entered the lane well before his missed 2nd FT hit the rim? I am not excusing Wright not blocking out but that seemed like a pretty easy call, particularly given how quickly he was at the rim after a miss.

Just no consistency from the crew last night at all. Whistle happy on too many calls and then swallow their whistles on some of the more obvious and aggregious stuff that went on. A perfect example of the lack of consistency was that late whistle against Utah they reviewed for 5 minutes. You call something like that but let York's lane violation go? The guy blew it by making the call in the first place. The long review was because it was inconclusive so he went with his original call. Swallow your whistle there if you blew it on the other end and gave York two key points with a bad no call.

Utah still could have pulled it out if they had made their layups throughout the game but is it really debatable that the officiating was all over the place last night and pathetic?

I don't have a refereeing background, but I have dealt with plenty of idiots in my day. Lane violations are called less than 1% of the time. You just aren't ever going to get that call.

After Taylor hit his HUGE 3, there were only two things I was hoping for from AZ: (1) A McConnell jumper, or (2) a York drive. We got the York drive - can't ask for more than that. But he was bailed out by a call, and we blew the rebound in the most horrible way possible.

I agree with you though. The officiating was not good, and it really hurt us. Hurt us as much as our own mistakes hurt us.

[sancho]

Just no consistency from the crew last night at all.

My consistency beefs:

1) Jeremy Olsen gets called for a bump on the PG outside the 3 point line. Clearly a foul. Why do Arizona bigs get to bump Wright/Taylor on traps outside the 3 point line repeatedly with no call? Refs in general are pretty consistent in calling that a foul in college basketball.

2) Arizona goes to the line on every drive. Why doesn't Delon get an "and one" when he is bumped hard by Tarzewski on that made layup late in the game? Why doesn't Bach get to the line when he forces hard contact from Tarzewski? If he were held to the Chapman/Loveridge/Poeltl standard, Tarzewski would have fouled out twice last night.

Not a consistency issue, but we lost two possessions on easy calls gone wrong. Chapman had a shot blocked out of bounds in the 1st half, and they gave the ball to AZ. With just over 2 minutes to play, AZ got a ball when it clearly went out off them. In a one possession game, that hurts almost as much as JO's missed FTs.

We had plenty of chances to win this game despite our foul trouble. We blew too many of our good chances. That's on us. But it would have been a different game had Chapman/Loveridge/Poeltl not left on questionable calls. It happens a lot in basketball, but it's less common at home.

[LA Ute]

FWIW, I know a man who is a high school basketball referee and who teaches other refs how to do their job. I watched him teach a group of guys that on FTs one referee's sole assignment is to watch the paint in the key, and nothing else, for lane violations. Still, if someone just steps in front of York on that FT we are not even talking about this. Since that is such basic basketball (we all learn it in youth league hoops) I wonder if there simply was a miscommunication about who had the shooter.

We had every chance to win so I do not blame the loss on the refs. Still, for me, watching the game inside the Huntsman, it was hard to tell what was going on with the officiating. I think that may have been the most oddly-called game I've ever seen, right down the the call that gave the ball to Arizona after Delon's miss. For those who watched on TV, what did the replays show? What were the TV commentators saying about the calls generally?

I hope we don't see David Hall, Bob Staffen, or Larry Spaulding in striped shirts again this season. Never would be soon enough for me.

The stats tell the tale of a collision between two great defensive teams. AZ shot 34.8% in the first half, 32.1% in the second. Utah was 29.6% and 32.1%. From three-point range they were 12.5% and 25%; we were 45% and 18.2%. Clearly they decided at halftime that we were not going to get decent looks from beyond the arc, and mostly we did not. We went 2-11. We actually had them by 2 rebounds in the first half, which had me feeling very encouraged, but by the end of the game they beat us 44-35. We scrapped hard for rebounds but their size and strength gave them that part of the game. Stats here (http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2014-2015/ariz28.html).

We had an AZ fan sitting two rows behind us, all by himself. He spent the entire game antagonizing everyone around him. What an idiot. After a while we made it a game, and every time he screamed "Uof A!" a group of us sitting around him yelled "sucks!" That actually shut him up a little. When the game ended I reached back and offered him my hand. He seemed shocked and took it, I said, "Congratulations, your team played a great game. Now please give us a break." He gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look and finally shut up. I just don't understand fans that go to an opposing school's arena and act that way. Had he been sitting by less patient people he would've been in a fight. He was not a big guy.

What I take home from this game is that were are a program on the rise, and I'm really happy about that. We are not there yet. We are a short on seasoning, talent and toughness. Even Majerus took a few seasons to build a program that was formidable nationally. In his early years he had Josh Grant and Jim Soto, two tough guys who were our go-to guys in tough situations. We don't quite have even one such player yet. We still have a chance to do some damage this year and make the Sweet 16. That would be w terrific season, I think.

[LA Ute]

The view from our seats last night. The Huntsman was full and loud.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/01/88687ebf053ab627844bfcda13faf84d.jpg


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[U-Ute]

The histories of Miller and Krystoviak shown through last night. That had the feel of a Big East game from the 80's with a bit of Sloan nastiness mixed in. I think I have bruises from watching that game. Somewhere Whittingham probably thought "at least we get to wear pads".

Looking back, I think we matched Arizona's physical play and intensity, but we made critical mental mistakes down the stretch and they didn't. The Utes took a huge step forward and having all these guys return next year will help continue that growth. They now have a solid notion of what it will take to beat Arizona and be a consistent top 10 team. I just hope the talent we have coming in can help fill what we lose.

[concerned]

i still keep wondering why I wright played so much last night from about the 8 minute mark and neither Reyes or Tucker did. Wright has that really bad turnover when we were up 47-41 that went for a layup, and missed the block out on the shooter. He did have the three free throws. Not haveing Reyes in gave up a lot on the boards, but maybe we needed somebody who could make a lay up or a free throw. Was it match ups? Both Wright and Taylor were guarding much bigger guys.

Also, Poeltl may have gotten some questionable calls, but he had at least two bad, bad fouls where he was out of position and left his feet. He should have learned not to do that a long time ago.

[Old Standing ute]

We are not as talented & just ran out of emotional energy at the end. Plus we lost too many players to fouls.
We are relying on players like Tucker & Taylor who were not highly recruited, but through desire & great coaching are good but not great players.
The 1st years Chapman, Poeltl, Reyes are a step up. If they progress as much we will take another step. AZ other than Stanley Johnson who is a 1 & done, played 2 freshmen several minutes & they did not do much. The foreign kid they took over Poeltl was unimpressive. So other than we don't get 1 & dones we are now starting to match them in talent.
I think our coaching is as good as any.
We need to sweep the road trip---never done yet by this staff.
That will be another step.
Then we need to make some noise in both tourneys.
if so it will be a really good year & headed in the right direction.

And yes that ref crew was bad---I don't mind Hall, he is OK. Older guy calls weird stuff. Bad hair guy is Really Bad,worst ref in the league.

[SoCalPat]

We are not as talented & just ran out of emotional energy at the end. Plus we lost too many players to fouls.
We are relying on players like Tucker & Taylor who were not highly recruited, but through desire & great coaching are good but not great players.
The 1st years Chapman, Poeltl, Reyes are a step up. If they progress as much we will take another step. AZ other than Stanley Johnson who is a 1 & done, played 2 freshmen several minutes & they did not do much. The foreign kid they took over Poeltl was unimpressive. So other than we don't get 1 & dones we are now starting to match them in talent.
I think our coaching is as good as any.
We need to sweep the road trip---never done yet by this staff.
That will be another step.
Then we need to make some noise in both tourneys.
if so it will be a really good year & headed in the right direction.

And yes that ref crew was bad---I don't mind Hall, he is OK. Older guy calls weird stuff. Bad hair guy is Really Bad,worst ref in the league.

That's great if you think finishing second or third on a consistent basis is OK.

[Old Standing ute]

i still keep wondering why I wright played so much last night from about the 8 minute mark and neither Reyes or Tucker did. Wright has that really bad turnover when we were up 47-41 that went for a layup, and missed the block out on the shooter. He did have the three free throws. Not haveing Reyes in gave up a lot on the boards, but maybe we needed somebody who could make a lay up or a free throw. Was it match ups? Both Wright and Taylor were guarding much bigger guys.

Also, Poeltl may have gotten some questionable calls, but he had at least two bad, bad fouls where he was out of position and left his feet. He should have learned not to do that a long time ago.

Not sure why Reyes was not in, other than he has a hard time scoring.
I. Wright is a good defender & more physical than Tucker. Tucker was scoreless which really hurt.
I would have liked to see Ogbe as he is bigger.

Jakob got worked over. He did commit some stupid fouls. He looked in over his head at points, but we play better with him in the game.

[UtahsMrSports]

That's great if you think finishing second or third on a consistent basis is OK.

Ill take that in a heartbeat,

[LA Ute]

Ill take that in a heartbeat,

We'll start winning conference championships soon, maybe next year. Perennial championships will be difficult in this league but we will get our share.


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[U-Ute]

Reyes and Tucker were overmatched for their positions. Neither had an advantage over their opposite that we could exploit.

[UBlender]

I'm despondent. I can't remember the last time I've felt like I've taken such a kick to the balls after a Ute game. Not after the Oregon football game, not even after the Colorado loss in 2011 where we had a chance to win the south.

We had a chance to win a PAC 12 championship in a major sport and, despite all we can say about the refs (who really did seem to swallow their whistles on Utah's end while still sending UA to the line every trip during the last ten minutes) it was there for the Utes to take it and they simply blew it.

On one hand, Utah has either exceeded or met everyone's expectations for this season so it is hard to be mad at anyone. But still, when I think of the opportunity to win a championship in one of the two major sports this seems like the most golden opportunity Utah could have wanted. Several of the traditional powers are down this year, the schedule worked out nicely for Utah (avoiding a tough roadie to the NorCal schools), Utah had a good solid team and kept relatively healthy during conference season. It was all set up for Utah. Win one huge game at home and that chip is ours.

Now....I think it might be a long while before we get one in football or men's basketball. I don't think Utah will be as good next year as they are this year and the conference as a whole will likely be tougher. Utah's program is strong and trending in a good direction but I don't see a championship in the near future. That is why this one hurts so bad.

I fear Utah is the New Mexico of this league. Remember in the '90s how Utah was always the big dog in conference and New Mexico was always hyping themselves up, each year was going to be the year they beat us and took the crown. Yet all New Mexico could ever really do was be dominant at home and beat the crummy teams on the road and could never come through with the big win away from home. Sound familiar? Utah will always be tough, but will they ever be able to make another step where they can gain some swagger and win big games, especially those that aren't at home? Will Utah ever be able to beat Arizona? I'm not so sure.

It's been a great season and this team has been one of the most enjoyable to watch in recent memory. I'm not overly optimistic for this team's achievements from here on out. I think we know who this team is and who they are is a great team at home who still lags the toughness and swagger to pull out these types of games. I'm not sure Utah makes it past two games in either the PAC 12 or NCAA tournaments. I hope they prove me wrong but I don't have much confidence away from home.

[LA Ute]

Here's a screenshot that Pangloss posted on UF.net:

1413

Looks like York's clearly over the line before the ball hits. It also looks like Wright is moving to box him out. Maybe York got such a jump that Wright couldn't get there in time. Anyway, it shouldn't have mattered and in a game with so many other missed opportunities, it wasn't the reason we lost. But it sure looks like a horrible no-call, especially from refs who were not shy about calling ticky-tacky stuff. I hope the PAC-12 people who over see the officials review the tape of the game. The players on both sides deserved better than they got last night.

[LA Ute]

I'm not overly optimistic for this team's achievements from here on out. I think we know who this team is and who they are is a great team at home who still lags the toughness and swagger to pull out these types of games. I'm not sure Utah makes it past two games in either the PAC 12 or NCAA tournaments. I hope they prove me wrong but I don't have much confidence away from home.

I have had the same thoughts. To avoid disappointment your expectations seem like the soundest ones for Utes fans to have. I'm still harboring hope that these guys will surprise us. That's what sports are all about.

[sancho]

We had a chance to win a PAC 12 championship in a major sport and, despite all we can say about the refs (who really did seem to swallow their whistles on Utah's end while still sending UA to the line every trip during the last ten minutes) it was there for the Utes to take it and they simply blew it.

On one hand, Utah has either exceeded or met everyone's expectations for this season so it is hard to be mad at anyone. But still, when I think of the opportunity to win a championship in one of the two major sports this seems like the most golden opportunity Utah could have wanted. Several of the traditional powers are down this year, the schedule worked out nicely for Utah (avoiding a tough roadie to the NorCal schools), Utah had a good solid team and kept relatively healthy during conference season. It was all set up for Utah. Win one huge game at home and that chip is ours.

Now....I think it might be a long while before we get one in football or men's basketball. I don't think Utah will be as good next year as they are this year and the conference as a whole will likely be tougher. Utah's program is strong and trending in a good direction but I don't see a championship in the near future. That is why this one hurts so bad.


This is how I'm feeling too. What a chance. I would have loved that championship banner, and who knows when we have another shot at one? Just an easy box out away.

LA is right - we are a program on the rise. But losing Delon is a really big deal. At Utah, we've been lucky enough to have an All-American about once every decade. For most schools, it's far less frequent.

[sancho]

anybody know why Reyes never played after Chapman fouled out and I wright played when we couldn't get any rebounds? Or Tucker for that matter?

I'm not sure. Wright is tougher than Reyes and much tougher than Tucker. Tucker can't create anything, but Wright created a few scoring opportunities in the first half. The way it was going, it looked like FTs might be really important, and Reyes misses every FT he takes. Wright also seems to be the best defender of the three.

I wondered why we didn't go back to Loveridge late in the game when he had success earlier in the half.

[sancho]

right down the the call that gave the ball to Arizona after Delon's miss. For those who watched on TV, what did the replays show? What were the TV commentators saying about the calls generally?


They blew the whistle and then couldn't decide why, so they went to replay to see if they could find anything. The replay showed that the ball might have gone off Bach's fingers and grazed the bottom of the backboard. So they could either call it out of bounds on the backboard, or they could give it to Zona on an inadvertent whistle (possession arrow). It may have been a bad call, but it was far from their worst.

On Wright's shot, he was bumped pretty solidly by Tarzewski. That type of bump got York to the FT line and got McConnel and Hollis Jefferson to the line repeatedly. But on the last play of the game, they let it go. Also not their worst call of the night, but nobody would have had a right to complain had they put Delon on the line to shoot 2 for the win.

Basketball is the hardest sport to referee well. If we could track and label all calls and non-calls, I bet 30% of calls would end up being classified as questionable. It's been basketball's tragic flaw forever. That said, you would think we could at least get guys in their 30s and 40s instead of in their 50s and 60s when they are decades removed from their physical peak.

[Jarid in Cedar]

That's great if you think finishing second or third on a consistent basis is OK.


I don't think shooting to finish 2nd or 3rd is OK, but it is a starting place to start pecking at the domination that Arizona has had in the conference. We need to get to where the national pundits start each year debating Utah or Arizona as the team to beat. Until we dismantled UCLA at home, we were not part of that discussion. Next year, we will be picked top 4, but the national press will anticipate us coming back to the pack with the graduation of Delon. I think we have the talent on the team returning to be slotted comfortably in the 2 hole in the preseason.

Arizona will be king until someone rips the crown out off of their heads. IMO, we will have a good chance to do that next season. I think they lose more than we do.

[sancho]

I don't think shooting to finish 2nd or 3rd is OK, but it is a starting place to start pecking at the domination that Arizona has had in the conference. We need to get to where the national pundits start each year debating Utah or Arizona as the team to beat. Until we dismantled UCLA at home, we were not part of that discussion. Next year, we will be picked top 4, but the national press will anticipate us coming back to the pack with the graduation of Delon. I think we have the talent on the team returning to be slotted comfortably in the 2 hole in the preseason.

Arizona will be king until someone rips the crown out off of their heads. IMO, we will have a good chance to do that next season. I think they lose more than we do.

I think we will miss Delon more than we realize. But I hope you're right! I could see it happening if Wright Jr is able to score, if Poeltl is able to develop some post play, and if someone becomes a rebounder.

It's tough to know with Arizona. They are now in the 1-and-done zone with Duke and Kentucky. They will be as good as their freshmen from year to year. They lose Stanley Johnson and all his bricks, Hollis Jefferson, and McConnell. I would not be surprised if Tarzewski or Ashley leave a year early. But they have 5 star guys coming in.

[Mormon Red Death]

FWIW, I know a man who is a high school basketball referee and who teaches other refs how to do their job. I watched him teach a group of guys that on FTs one referee's sole assignment is to watch the paint in the key, and nothing else, for lane violations. Still, if someone just steps in front of York on that FT we are not even talking about this. Since that is such basic basketball (we all learn it in youth league hoops) I wonder if there simply was a miscommunication about who had the shooter.

We had every chance to win so I do not blame the loss on the refs. Still, for me, watching the game inside the Huntsman, it was hard to tell what was going on with the officiating. I think that may have been the most oddly-called game I've ever seen, right down the the call that gave the ball to Arizona after Delon's miss. For those who watched on TV, what did the replays show? What were the TV commentators saying about the calls generally?

I hope we don't see David Hall, Bob Staffen, or Larry Spaulding in striped shirts again this season. Never would be soon enough for me.

The stats tell the tale of a collision between two great defensive teams. AZ shot 34.8% in the first half, 32.1% in the second. Utah was 29.6% and 32.1%. From three-point range they were 12.5% and 25%; we were 45% and 18.2%. Clearly they decided at halftime that we were not going to get decent looks from beyond the arc, and mostly we did not. We went 2-11. We actually had them by 2 rebounds in the first half, which had me feeling very encouraged, but by the end of the game they beat us 44-35. We scrapped hard for rebounds but their size and strength gave them that part of the game. Stats here (http://www.utahutes.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2014-2015/ariz28.html).

We had an AZ fan sitting two rows behind us, all by himself. He spent the entire game antagonizing everyone around him. What an idiot. After a while we made it a game, and every time he screamed "Uof A!" a group of us sitting around him yelled "sucks!" That actually shut him up a little. When the game ended I reached back and offered him my hand. He seemed shocked and took it, I said, "Congratulations, your team played a great game. Now please give us a break." He gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look and finally shut up. I just don't understand fans that go to an opposing school's arena and act that way. Had he been sitting by less patient people he would've been in a fight. He was not a big guy.

What I take home from this game is that were are a program on the rise, and I'm really happy about that. We are not there yet. We are a short on seasoning, talent and toughness. Even Majerus took a few seasons to build a program that was formidable nationally. In his early years he had Josh Grant and Jim Soto, two tough guys who were our go-to guys in tough situations. We don't quite have even one such player yet. We still have a chance to do some damage this year and make the Sweet 16. That would be w terrific season, I think.
Bill Riley was going bananas on the radio about the officiating. The TV guys seemed confused on most calls

[Mormon Red Death]

i still keep wondering why I wright played so much last night from about the 8 minute mark and neither Reyes or Tucker did. Wright has that really bad turnover when we were up 47-41 that went for a layup, and missed the block out on the shooter. He did have the three free throws. Not haveing Reyes in gave up a lot on the boards, but maybe we needed somebody who could make a lay up or a free throw. Was it match ups? Both Wright and Taylor were guarding much bigger guys.

Also, Poeltl may have gotten some questionable calls, but he had at least two bad, bad fouls where he was out of position and left his feet. He should have learned not to do that a long time ago.
Reyes can't make a layup and zeke wright was playing well

[Mormon Red Death]

We are not as talented & just ran out of emotional energy at the end. Plus we lost too many players to fouls.
We are relying on players like Tucker & Taylor who were not highly recruited, but through desire & great coaching are good but not great players.
The 1st years Chapman, Poeltl, Reyes are a step up. If they progress as much we will take another step. AZ other than Stanley Johnson who is a 1 & done, played 2 freshmen several minutes & they did not do much. The foreign kid they took over Poeltl was unimpressive. So other than we don't get 1 & dones we are now starting to match them in talent.
I think our coaching is as good as any.
We need to sweep the road trip---never done yet by this staff.
That will be another step.
Then we need to make some noise in both tourneys.
if so it will be a really good year & headed in the right direction.

And yes that ref crew was bad---I don't mind Hall, he is OK. Older guy calls weird stuff. Bad hair guy is Really Bad,worst ref in the league.
The refs crew was out of their depth last night. They let their emotions take over. They were so inconsistent on both sides.

[Old Standing ute]

The refs crew was out of their depth last night. They let their emotions take over. They were so inconsistent on both sides.

My final thoughts on refs--2 calls that show they were not on top of the game--1 for each team.

Elbow by Tarz to Bach. Tarz was doubled & trapped in the corner so AZ calls time out. Refs had no idea about elbow to the head until Bach walked by them on the way to the team bench huddle. Larry K then talked them into looking at the tape. Otherwise if no timeout they totally miss it.

#2: Scorer wrongly re-sets shot clock after non-rim Ute miss in 2nd half. Miller & bench is screaming but play goes on for 20 seconds while Utes work the clock, but ball goes out of bounds with 15 seconds on the clock, enough time to get a shot. Not rushing. After Miller screams again they decide to check the replay & discover the problem & set shot clock to 5, so now Utes get a crappy shot attempt.

Both times they missed something, but then bent to team pressure to review their mistakes & find them.
They were Bad.

[Diehard Ute]

Here's a screenshot that Pangloss posted on UF.net:

1413

Looks like York's clearly over the line before the ball hits. It also looks like Wright is moving to box him out. Maybe York got such a jump that Wright couldn't get there in time. Anyway, it shouldn't have mattered and in a game with so many other missed opportunities, it wasn't the reason we lost. But it sure looks like a horrible no-call, especially from refs who were not shy about calling ticky-tacky stuff. I hope the PAC-12 people who over see the officials review the tape of the game. The players on both sides deserved better than they got last night.

I had to leave early to get to work and had to listen to the end on the radio.

You could hear the Utah bench telling the officials York "can't do that" in the background.

My thoughts on the officiating. It took 61 minutes to play the first half. It took almost 70 to play the second half. That tells it all

[sancho]

#2: Scorer wrongly re-sets shot clock after non-rim Ute miss in 2nd half. Miller & bench is screaming but play goes on for 20 seconds while Utes work the clock, but ball goes out of bounds with 15 seconds on the clock, enough time to get a shot. Not rushing. After Miller screams again they decide to check the replay & discover the problem & set shot clock to 5, so now Utes get a crappy shot attempt.


It takes a true lack of reason to believe that 5 seconds on the shot clock is the right call there. That made no sense at all.

[concerned]

Reyes can't make a layup and zeke wright was playing well

Yeah. Pick you poison. Reyes is worthless on offense, but our best rebounder. We gav e up a lotg of second chance points with him on the bench.

[DrumNFeather]

I had to leave early to get to work and had to listen to the end on the radio.

You could hear the Utah bench telling the officials York "can't do that" in the background.

My thoughts on the officiating. It took 61 minutes to play the first half. It took almost 70 to play the second half. That tells it all
The one ref, who I assume everyone dislikes, was way too emotional, I thought. Very dramatic...overly so. I think they let the emotions of the game get to them. When he made the charge call on McConnell, you could see Miller starring him down, and with a sly grin call him a mother f-er.

[chrisrenrut]

Not haveing Reyes in gave up a lot on the boards, but maybe we needed somebody who could make a lay up or a free throw.

Uh, Reyes was not that guy last night. 0-4 from the field, 1-2 from the line, and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes.

[concerned]

Uh, Reyes was not that guy last night. 0-4 from the field, 1-2 from the line, and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes.


sure, but you have to think he would have done a better job in the last 8 minutes rebounding than Isiah Wright. I would also bet that the missed free throw put back might have been different if he had been on the block instead of Loveridge.

[LA Ute]

Uh, Reyes was not that guy last night. 0-4 from the field, 1-2 from the line, and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes.

Reyes is awful at uncontested 2-footers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LA Ute]

I just remembered something Majerus said: "This game is impossible to officiate."

[#1 Utefan]

I had to leave early to get to work and had to listen to the end on the radio.

You could hear the Utah bench telling the officials York "can't do that" in the background.

My thoughts on the officiating. It took 61 minutes to play the first half. It took almost 70 to play the second half. That tells it all

Not only is it illegal for the shooter to step over the line on a FT until the ball hits the rim, it is also illegal for any players behind the 3 point line or backcourt to enter the 3 point circle until the ball has hit the rim. In other words, this was an inexcusable no call by the officials, particularly given the pivotal impact it had on the game.

That picture shoes that not only was York over the line and in the lane early, he was in before almost all the other players that are allowed to enter the lane once it leaves the shooters hand.

There are 3 officials and each has the responsibility on a free throw of watching their assigned area for lane violations. There is no way these guys didn't see York in the lane early unless they were totally asleep (a possibility given their performance last night). Swallowing your whistle on such a play is not acceptable, particularly given what ended up happening as a result of York's violation. This really is a basic, very easy call by a basketball standards and this crew should have to explain why they let it go.

I think a tape of this call and possibly a few of the more questionnable ones from last night should be sent to the PAC-12 office and director of officials for review and remedial training for this crew. I realize it doesn't matter at this point but maybe something good could come of it. Forced retirement of the old, balding ref and his bad haircut and dye job colleague would be a step in the right direction.

[#1 Utefan]

The one ref, who I assume everyone dislikes, was way too emotional, I thought. Very dramatic...overly so. I think they let the emotions of the game get to them. When he made the charge call on McConnell, you could see Miller starring him down, and with a sly grin call him a mother f-er.


Miller's leash in this league is way too long. He deserved 1-2 T's last night just for being out on the court and screaming at officials why our players were shooting FT's on a few occasions. His over the top antics and behavior justified another 1 or 2.

If it is true he called the official a mother F'er after the call, that official has no spine. Give him what he had already earned much earlier in the game.

[concerned]

Miller's leash in this league is way too long. He deserved 1-2 T's last night just for being out on the court and screaming at officials why our players were shooting FT's on a few occasions. His over the top antics and behavior justified another 1 or 2.

If it is true he called the official a mother F'er after the call, that official has no spine. Give him what he had already earned much earlier in the game.


Its true, but not sure he said it loud enough for the official to hear.

[SeattleUte]

I salute Kodiak for bringing the program back from oblivion, and the team for surpassing expectations this year. But I'm HUGELY disappointed by the last two losses. It's a shame to be in the driver's seat to win the Pac 12, something truly special, then fail to close. Kodiak is a great program coach; I wish that he could motivate and win the biggest games as well as Whit can. I give the coach most of the credit for successes -- and failures. These last two losses were about intangibles, not bodies.

Whoever said this team may be Utah's best ever deserves 30 lashes. Fortunately, NCAA basketball is all about second chances. They can still redeem this awful collapse.

[SeattleUte]

I'm despondent. I can't remember the last time I've felt like I've taken such a kick to the balls after a Ute game. Not after the Oregon football game, not even after the Colorado loss in 2011 where we had a chance to win the south.

We had a chance to win a PAC 12 championship in a major sport and, despite all we can say about the refs (who really did seem to swallow their whistles on Utah's end while still sending UA to the line every trip during the last ten minutes) it was there for the Utes to take it and they simply blew it.

On one hand, Utah has either exceeded or met everyone's expectations for this season so it is hard to be mad at anyone. But still, when I think of the opportunity to win a championship in one of the two major sports this seems like the most golden opportunity Utah could have wanted. Several of the traditional powers are down this year, the schedule worked out nicely for Utah (avoiding a tough roadie to the NorCal schools), Utah had a good solid team and kept relatively healthy during conference season. It was all set up for Utah. Win one huge game at home and that chip is ours.

Now....I think it might be a long while before we get one in football or men's basketball. I don't think Utah will be as good next year as they are this year and the conference as a whole will likely be tougher. Utah's program is strong and trending in a good direction but I don't see a championship in the near future. That is why this one hurts so bad.

I fear Utah is the New Mexico of this league. Remember in the '90s how Utah was always the big dog in conference and New Mexico was always hyping themselves up, each year was going to be the year they beat us and took the crown. Yet all New Mexico could ever really do was be dominant at home and beat the crummy teams on the road and could never come through with the big win away from home. Sound familiar? Utah will always be tough, but will they ever be able to make another step where they can gain some swagger and win big games, especially those that aren't at home? Will Utah ever be able to beat Arizona? I'm not so sure.

It's been a great season and this team has been one of the most enjoyable to watch in recent memory. I'm not overly optimistic for this team's achievements from here on out. I think we know who this team is and who they are is a great team at home who still lags the toughness and swagger to pull out these types of games. I'm not sure Utah makes it past two games in either the PAC 12 or NCAA tournaments. I hope they prove me wrong but I don't have much confidence away from home.

I agree. I hadn't read this but we feel the same way. God dammit!

[sancho]

Miller's leash in this league is way too long. He deserved 1-2 T's last night just for being out on the court and screaming at officials why our players were shooting FT's on a few occasions. His over the top antics and behavior justified another 1 or 2.

If it is true he called the official a mother F'er after the call, that official has no spine. Give him what he had already earned much earlier in the game.


Again, I think I've only seen 1-2 techs on coaches all year. Refs pretty much just take the abuse. Really, it takes a strange person to want to be a referee.

[sancho]

Not only is it illegal for the shooter to step over the line on a FT until the ball hits the rim, it is also illegal for any players behind the 3 point line or backcourt to enter the 3 point circle until the ball has hit the rim. In other words, this was an inexcusable no call by the officials, particularly given the pivotal impact it had on the game.


It's a funny thing. They are supposed to watch for it on every FT, but they rarely call it. It happens all the time, and they are just used to letting it go. It's like lining up offsides in football. I see it frequently, but for some reason, they only call it every once in a while.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Miller's leash in this league is way too long. He deserved 1-2 T's last night just for being out on the court and screaming at officials why our players were shooting FT's on a few occasions. His over the top antics and behavior justified another 1 or 2.

If it is true he called the official a mother F'er after the call, that official has no spine. Give him what he had already earned much earlier in the game.

This is especially true since Miller made on the order of 85 times as much as the refs for that game last night...

[sancho]

This is especially true since Miller made on the order of 85 times as much as the refs for that game last night...

At least Miller earned his salary.

[LA Ute]

I salute Kodiak for bringing the program back from oblivion, and the team for surpassing expectations this year. But I'm HUGELY disappointed by the last two losses. It's a shame to be in the driver's seat to win the Pac 12, something truly special, then fail to close. Kodiak is a great program coach; I wish that he could motivate and win the biggest games as well as Whit can. I give the coach most of the credit for successes -- and failures. These last two losses were about intangibles, not bodies.

Whoever said this team may be Utah's best ever deserves 30 lashes. Fortunately, NCAA basketball is all about second chances. They can still redeem this awful collapse.

The team does not have the seasoning to be great yet. Still, I think the Oregon game was a collapse, but not last night. They battled as hard as I've seen them battle all season but made critical mental errors. I'm as big a Krysko homer as there is, but his crunch time coaching leaves something to be desired. I hope it improves..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DrumNFeather]

The team does not have the seasoning to be great yet. Still, I think the Oregon game was a collapse, but not last night. They battled as hard as I've seen them battle all season but made critical mental errors. I'm as big a Krysko homer as there is, but his crunch time coaching leaves something to be desired. I hope it improves..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think the far bigger impact on the result of the game was our inability to stretch their 0-whatever start in the second half into a double digit lead. At home, in big games, you have to be able to do that. That to me is when the game turned. Sure, we made some big mistakes down the stretch, but I don't think we're in the position to have to make those mistakes down the stretch if we take advantage of their cold start to the second half.

[#1 Utefan]

Again, I think I've only seen 1-2 techs on coaches all year. Refs pretty much just take the abuse. Really, it takes a strange person to want to be a referee.


Good point. I have been to every conference home game this year and Miller was by far the most obnoxious, whiny, and over the top coach I've seen and it wasn't even close.

I just think the refs are scared to T him up now after all his bitching a few seasons ago about being unfairly targeted. We have a great view of the visitors bench at eye level directly across the court. There was one point late in the 1st half when Delon was shooting two FT's. Miller was 3 feet out on the court screaming at David Hall who was over by us on the opposite side while Deon was shooting. He shouldn't be allowed to do that repeatedly, particularly in those type of situations.

[U-Ute]

Good point. I have been to every conference home game this year and Miller was by far the most obnoxious, whiny, and over the top coach I've seen and it wasn't even close.

Miller is the smarmy snitch some mobster movie somewhere.

[LA Ute]

They shot 37 FTs to our 21, an interesting stat in itself. They made 27 of theirs, we made 16 of ours. That's an 11-point swing right there. Some of those resulted from fouls that should have been no-calls, others from really bad fouls like 2 of Poeltl's. According to Krysko on the post-game show, one big reason for the rebounding reversal was that we had to "go small" when our bigs got into foul trouble. No excuses, but the extraordinary way the game was called still had a significant impact on the outcome.

Krysko seemed to blame the loss mostly on mental lapses, "the ordinary things we need to do extraordinarily well." Like blocking out the shooter at a crucial moment, not giving Arizona's best three-point shooter an open look when we just went up by 6 with 8 minutes to go, neutralizing Stanley Johnson offensively but still letting him get 8 offensive rebounds, and so forth.

It did seem from what Krysko said and the way he said it that he's is pretty determined to address those things. It will be interesting to see how they play in the final two games. There's a lot still at stake.

One theory I have about the missed layups is that the Utes who missed seemed a little scared when they were shooting them. Maybe AZ's physical style of play got into the guys' heads and affected their bunny shots.

[sancho]

According to Krysko on the post-game show, one big reason for the rebounding reversal was that we had to "go small" when our bigs got into foul trouble. No excuses, but the extraordinary way the game was called still had a significant impact on the outcome.


I wondered about it at the time. I think we are deep enough that we should have left Loveridge in with 4. He was playing as well as anyone not named Delon at the time.


neutralizing Stanley Johnson offensively but still letting him get 8 offensive rebounds, and so forth.

I'm not sure how you can neutralize someone so athletic and so jacked up on steroids. He's one of those 28 year olds posing as an 18 year old.

[LA Ute]

I'm not sure how you can neutralize someone so athletic and so jacked up on steroids. He's one of those 28 year olds posing as an 18 year old.

He gets you one way or the other. He was 3-19 from the field, but had 8 offensive rebounds (of 11 total). Offensive rebounds make shooting percentages deceptive. And...although he only got 7 points from the field, he was 5-7 from the line. Presto: A double-double. 12 points, 11 rebounds.

[SeattleUte]

The team does not have the seasoning to be great yet. Still, I think the Oregon game was a collapse, but not last night. They battled as hard as I've seen them battle all season but made critical mental errors. I'm as big a Krysko homer as there is, but his crunch time coaching leaves something to be desired. I hope it improves..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure the players tried hard in both games. But so far Kodiak teams lack that extra intangible something -- the mystery element -- that makes for great teams. Whether that comes from game plan or motivation or sheer trust and expectations (Pat has actually complained that Kodiak calls too many timeouts down the stretch, that he micromanages too much in the stretch) or something else (I don't know, it's a mystery to me), I think coaching is the ultimate source. When Taylor hit that three to put us up 47-41 we had them where we wanted them. But it was Arizona not our guys who saw this as the pivotal moment, and rose to the occasion.

[concerned]

I'm sure the players tried hard in both games. But so far Kodiak teams lack that extra intangible something -- the mystery element -- that makes for great teams. Whether that comes from game plan or motivation or sheer trust and expectations (Pat has actually complained that Kodiak calls too many timeouts down the stretch, that he micromanages too much in the stretch) or something else (I don't know, it's a mystery to me), I think coaching is the ultimate source. When Taylor hit that three to put us up 47-41 we had them where we wanted them. But it was Arizona not our guys who saw this as the pivotal moment, and rose to the occasion.

I think it is a talent issue more than a coaching issue. We just don't have a go to scorer we can count on to get a basket or free throws to stop the bleeding and end a drought.

Also we forgot to defend the 3 that made it 47-44, and then Wright made the brain dead pass for a layup to make it 47-46. That is youth or inexperience, I hope.

[LA Ute]

I think it is a talent issue more than a coaching issue. We just don't have a go to scorer we can count on to get a basket or free throws to stop the bleeding and end a drought.

Also we forgot to defend the 3 that made it 47-44, and then Wright made the brain dead pass for a layup to make it 47-46. That is youth or inexperience, I hope.

I hope so too. Maybe I. Wright will yet be our Soto, and maybe Chapman will be our Josh Grant. (I didn't say our Andre Miller and our KVH because I don't think that's who they are; but I think they can be our go-to guys in the future, the guys we want with the ball in their hands in crunch time.)

[LA Ute]

I'm sure the players tried hard in both games. But so far Kodiak teams lack that extra intangible something -- the mystery element -- that makes for great teams. Whether that comes from game plan or motivation or sheer trust and expectations (Pat has actually complained that Kodiak calls too many timeouts down the stretch, that he micromanages too much in the stretch) or something else (I don't know, it's a mystery to me), I think coaching is the ultimate source.

I agree. I am hoping it comes with experience. Majerus once called it "the eye of the tiger."

[concerned]

I hope so too. Maybe I. Wright will yet be our Soto, and maybe Chapman will be our Josh Grant. (I didn't say our Andre Miller and our KVH because I don't think that's who they are; but I think they can be our go-to guys in the future, the guys we want with the ball in their hands in crunch time.)

Soto and Grant are great comparisons.

[SoCalPat]

I'm sure the players tried hard in both games. But so far Kodiak teams lack that extra intangible something -- the mystery element -- that makes for great teams. Whether that comes from game plan or motivation or sheer trust and expectations (Pat has actually complained that Kodiak calls too many timeouts down the stretch, that he micromanages too much in the stretch) or something else (I don't know, it's a mystery to me), I think coaching is the ultimate source. When Taylor hit that three to put us up 47-41 we had them where we wanted them. But it was Arizona not our guys who saw this as the pivotal moment, and rose to the occasion.

Absolutely no good reason has been made known to me why, when Taylor hit that three to put us up 2 at 57-55 with under 2 minutes to play, Larry called timeout. Momentum from a lead change plus the crowd trumps absolutely everything a coach can say in that moment. Now, we had two timeouts left after that one, so I can't say we "wasted" a TO by calling one there. But that timeout was manna for Miller and the Cats. Miller was able to get Johnson out and Ashley in, which is a massive plus for Arizona. Furthermore, Arizona had only one timeout left at this juncture. Make them use it. We totally bailed Arizona out by calling that timeout.

[LA Ute]

Absolutely no good reason has been made known to me why, when Taylor hit that three to put us up 2 at 57-55 with under 2 minutes to play, Larry called timeout. Momentum from a lead change plus the crowd trumps absolutely everything a coach can say in that moment. Now, we had two timeouts left after that one, so I can't say we "wasted" a TO by calling one there. But that timeout was manna for Miller and the Cats. Miller was able to get Johnson out and Ashley in, which is a massive plus for Arizona. Furthermore, Arizona had only one timeout left at this juncture. Make them use it. We totally bailed Arizona out by calling that timeout.

As much as I love Larry, he doesn't shine in the final minutes of close games.

[sancho]

Johnson out and Ashley in, which is a massive plus for Arizona.

I was happy to see Johnson out at the end of the game. He had been killing us on the glass, and he's a much better defender than York. Of course, it just had to be York who beat us in the end, making Miller look like a genius and making me look like a fan.

[concerned]

we are all overlooking the biggest reason we lost to Arizona: it was those damn grey uniforms. What was anybody thinking not wearing traditonal white on senior night? For the rest of their lives, Delon and Bach will have to look at photos of themselves in battleship grey with Marquette tiger stripes on the sides, which don't reflect the proud tradition they were a part of.

[LA Ute]

we are all overlooking the biggest reason we lost to Arizona: it was those damn grey uniforms. What was anybody thinking not wearing traditonal white on senior night? For the rest of their lives, Delon and Bach will have to look at photos of themselves in battleship grey with Marquette tiger stripes on the sides, which don't reflect the proud tradition they were a part of.

I know you are kidding but I do think the gray unis are idiotic.

[concerned]

I know you are kidding but I do think the gray unis are idiotic.

The warm ups with hoods are idiotic too. Are they trying to look like monks or rappers?

[LA Ute]

This sums up what most of us have said in one way or another. Reportedly (http://pachoops.com/2015/03/pachoops-power-rankings-its-that-month/), when we went up by 6 this is what T.J. McConnell says happened:

We huddled up and we said, “We’ve been here before.”

They have, we haven't. That more than anything tells the story of the game. The only way to get experience winning big games is to be in a few of them and win them. These Utes had never been in a game as big as last Saturday nights. Now they have. Next step: Start winning some.

[concerned]

This sums up what most of us have said in one way or another. Reportedly (http://pachoops.com/2015/03/pachoops-power-rankings-its-that-month/), when we went up by 6 this is what T.J. McConnell says happened:

We huddled up and we said, “We’ve been here before.”

They have, we haven't. That more than anything tells the story of the game. The only way to get experience winning big games is to be in a few of them and win them. These Utes had never been in a game as big as last Saturday nights. Now they have. Next step: Start winning some.

I think the "this is for the championship" pressure, full house atmosphere, senior night, national tv, all contributed to the jitters, which is a big reason we missed free throws and layups.

didnt realize Delon did not score after the 9:46 mark or thereabouts. that is telling.

[sancho]

I know you are kidding but I do think the gray unis are idiotic.


They would look great in white instead of gray. The script Utah is sweet. Gray needs to go.

[U-Ute]

They would look great in white instead of gray. The script Utah is sweet. Gray needs to go.

If nothing else, it they were horrible on TV. It was hard to tell them apart, even in HD.

[Diehard Ute]

Krystkowiak made mention in his press conference today that guys didn't set solid screens and they had several clips of "4 guys standing while Delon did his thing". Larry said it would be shown to everyone that they weren't moving.

Also mentioned they use bags to hit guys to get them to play through contact and make shots and that would be taken to a new level due to missed chip shots

[LA Ute]

Krystkowiak made mention in his press conference today that guys didn't set solid screens and they had several clips of "4 guys standing while Delon did his thing". Larry said it would be shown to everyone that they weren't moving.

Also mentioned they use bags to hit guys to get them to play through contact and make shots and that would be taken to a new level due to missed chip shots

I wonder how many times Delon hit the floor during that game? Seemed like a lot.

[justaute]

Thats disconcerting to me. Often people learn at different speeds -- many just don't substantively acquire much.


Krystkowiak made mention in his press conference today that guys didn't set solid screens and they had several clips of "4 guys standing while Delon did his thing". Larry said it would be shown to everyone that they weren't moving.

Also mentioned they use bags to hit guys to get them to play through contact and make shots and that would be taken to a new level due to missed chip shots

[justaute]

Glad to see K3 keeps positive and keeps "plowing".

"You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes," he read. "You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own and you know what you know, and you are the one who'll decide where you'll go."

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2240731-155/utah-basketball-krystkowiak-says-too-much

[U-Ute]

That's awesome that K brought the students camping out in front of the Huntsman a fire pit.

[LA Ute]

Thus UF.net post is worth a look:

http://utefans.net/message.php?id=1711388

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Thus UF.net post is worth a look:

http://utefans.net/message.php?id=1711388

Puget Ute is one of the few solid posters left on UF.N. It'd be nice to have him here.

[LA Ute]

Puget Ute is one of the few solid posters left on UF.N. It'd be nice to have him here.

He is. But I'll let him reveal himself to you.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

I know. I was just giving him a hard time.

[concerned]

Puget Ute is one of the few solid posters left on UF.N. It'd be nice to have him here.

Do you mean you don't enjoy the incessant joking between TacomaUte, midnighteversin, loyter, mullet ute, sfork etc etc, and sometime even scratch?

[LA Ute]

Do you mean you don't enjoy the incessant joking between TacomaUte, midnighteversin, loyter, mullet ute, sfork etc etc, and sometime even scratch?

I would mind it less if I actually got the jokes, but it all seems to be inside stuff. I do check in there 2-3 times a week to see if anything interesting has emerged.

[Hot Lunch]

The warm ups with hoods are idiotic too. Are they trying to look like monks or rappers?

The recruits loved them. Just an FYI. In that aspect, they are worth it.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I love the Gray uniforms and the warm ups. Haters keep hating, recruits and players love them. I think their opinions matter far more. As long as the uniform says, Utes or Utah, I couldn't care less about the rest.

[concerned]

The recruits loved them. Just an FYI. In that aspect, they are worth it.

well, my opinion is obviously worthless then. I guess that must mean the recruits think they look like rappers. When the team came out with the hoods over their heads, I didn't know whether or not they were trying to intimidate UA. pretty silly, I thought.

[LA Ute]

I love the Gray uniforms and the warm ups. Haters keep hating, recruits and players love them. I think their opinions matter far more. As long as the uniform says, Utes or Utah, I couldn't care less about the rest.

I think you like Gray for personal reasons. Why does it always have to be about you? ;)

[Jarid in Cedar]

I think you like Gray for personal reasons. Why does it always have to be about you? ;)


Because everything is about me!

[DrumNFeather]

I love the Gray uniforms and the warm ups. Haters keep hating, recruits and players love them. I think their opinions matter far more. As long as the uniform says, Utes or Utah, I couldn't care less about the rest.
Plus, we beat the Wheat Shockers in them!

[#1 Utefan]

I would mind it less if I actually got the jokes, but it all seems to be inside stuff. I do check in there 2-3 times a week to see if anything interesting has emerged.

That site has become a joke. I rarely check there anymore. I want information and decent discussion around Utah sports but 75% of the stuff there is inane banter, political crap, and a bunch of good 'ol boys telling inside jokes and red starring each other.

[Diehard Ute]

That site has become a joke. I rarely check there anymore. I want information and decent discussion around Utah sports but 75% of the stuff there is inane banter, political crap, and a bunch of good 'ol boys telling inside jokes and red starring each other.

Let's be clear. Almost all of us who qualify as good ol boys rarely go there anymore. Most of us are here

[concerned]

Let's be clear. Almost all of us who qualify as good ol boys rarely go there anymore. Most of us are here

present and accounted for, sir!

[NorthwestUteFan]

Let's be clear. Almost all of us who qualify as good ol boys rarely go there anymore. Most of us are here

...says a Top 25 Poster.

[Diehard Ute]

...says a Top 25 Poster.

Who? I'm certainly not

[LA Ute]

Who? I'm certainly not

I was, once, probably 7-8 years ago. I've never understood how one achieves that distinction.

[Diehard Ute]

I was, once, probably 7-8 years ago. I've never understood how one achieves that distinction.

It's all about the stars

[sancho]

I'm okay with utefans bashing only from people who do not visit cougarstadium. No double standards!

[chrisrenrut]

I'm okay with utefans bashing only from people who do not visit cougarstadium. No double standards!

Apples to oranges comparison. Well, maybe a rotten crab apples to moldy old oranges (i'm not saying which is which).

That said, I rarely visit UF.N, it is almost unreadable. I do visit the old CUF, mostly for a good chuckle and the non-sports topics. But that place is growing a little stagnant too.

[U-Ute]

This board is beginning to remind me of the movie "Red".

If that analogy holds, I think that makes LA Ute Morgan Freeman.

[LA Ute]

Apples to oranges comparison. Well, maybe a rotten crab apples to moldy old oranges (i'm not saying which is which).

That said, I rarely visit UF.N, it is almost unreadable. I do visit the old CUF, mostly for a good chuckle and the non-sports topics. But that place is growing a little stagnant too.

I don't dislike UF.net. I just don't get it anymore. There are people there I really like. Same with CS. I'll leave it at that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SoCalPat]

That site has become a joke. I rarely check there anymore. I want information and decent discussion around Utah sports but 75% of the stuff there is inane banter, political crap, and a bunch of good 'ol boys telling inside jokes and red starring each other.

There's no good reason for a site like UB5 to exist if Utefans was operated properly. It literally had a monopoly on everything Ute related save for some hard core recruiting stuff, and a majority of the fanbase doesn't really eat that stuff up anyway. But it was the first such site out there, and had it evolved with the times, it could have been a true monster. Now it's a shell of itself. Certain posters were allowed to run amok and turn it into a farce.

[U-Ute]

There's no good reason for a site like UB5 to exist if Utefans was operated properly. It literally had a monopoly on everything Ute related save for some hard core recruiting stuff, and a majority of the fanbase doesn't really eat that stuff up anyway. But it was the first such site out there, and had it evolved with the times, it could have been a true monster. Now it's a shell of itself. Certain posters were allowed to run amok and turn it into a farce.

It wasn't the first, but it happened to be the one available at the right time.

You're right that they botched it up though.

[Mormon Red Death]

There's no good reason for a site like UB5 to exist if Utefans was operated properly. It literally had a monopoly on everything Ute related save for some hard core recruiting stuff, and a majority of the fanbase doesn't really eat that stuff up anyway. But it was the first such site out there, and had it evolved with the times, it could have been a true monster. Now it's a shell of itself. Certain posters were allowed to run amok and turn it into a farce.

Webmonkey blew it. I asked him several times to switch the format to vbulletin and he just kept saying "No one wants to do that". I quit going to site because I got sick of the same thing being reported 15 times a day.

[U-Ute]

Who? I'm certainly not

You are in our hearts. Although that could be heartburn. Either way, we like your posts.

[UtahsMrSports]

Anyone know how many aliases that Moose has had over at UF.N? And how long has this guy been at this schtick of his? When I was on twitter, it seemed like every two months a new alias would pop up with the moose characteristics. Last I checked, he was masquerading as an official representative of this site.

I think he has hit this board a few times as well.

[mUUser]

A couple posters in particular drove me away with either their crude outbursts, or necessity to constantly piss vinegar on anyone that wasn't board royalty. Fortunately, they haven't found their way here. It's possible one has passed away so not inclined to name names. Suffice it to say, this board has evolved into a nice outlet.

[#1 Utefan]

A couple posters in particular drove me away with either their crude outbursts, or necessity to constantly piss vinegar on anyone that wasn't board royalty. Fortunately, they haven't found their way here. It's possible one has passed away so not inclined to name names. Suffice it to say, this board has evolved into a nice outlet.



my sentiments exactly.

[U-Ute]

Apparently the PAC-12 doesn't have the corner on bad referees.

This was called as an offensive foul.

https://vine.co/v/O0F0MDbWxnA

[sancho]

Apparently the PAC-12 doesn't have the corner on bad referees.

This was called as an offensive foul.

https://vine.co/v/O0F0MDbWxnA

Pretty bad, but at least it's refreshing to see an offensive foul that didn't involve a defender falling down.

About 90% of charges should be no calls. Defender falls down? No call, advantage offense.