Holy War on the Hardwood - the Utah versus BYU thread

[UtahsMrSports]

Our friends to the south come to town this wednesday night looking to snap a two game losing streak to us. They are a very streaky team. They lost to Long Beach St. (KenPom.com #209) and struggled to beat Mississippi Valley St. (#349). But they finally saw their shots start to drop last night in a victory over Belmont (#92)

This game really scares me. With our struggles to defend the perimeter so far, plus their depth inside (lots of big bodies to throw at Poeltl), and Chapman's possible absence, I am concerned.
But, Larry and Co. seem to always be ready here. (even though Larry is 2-2 in this matchup, I think he has outcoached Rose in every matchup by a substantial amount.)

Should be a fun one!

[hostile]

Poeltl's improvement from the free throw line will be critical. He needs to play smart and avoid early, silly fouls.

[Applejack]

For all the talk of the death of the rivalry in football, my hatred of the Y runs deep. But I think the PAc-12 is having a bigger impact on the hoops rivalry. I used to know everyone on BYU's team, their home address, and favorite teletubby. Now, I don't know anyone outside of Kyle Christensen and that only because he's been on the team for 9 years.

But let's go out and kill them!

[U-Ute]

Las Kafusi been playing for BYU?

My concern is that Poeltl gets baited by Kafusi into getting into a more physical play than Poeltl want and gets Jakob mentally out of the game.

[LA Ute]

For all the talk of the death of the rivalry in football, my hatred of the Y runs deep. But I think the PAc-12 is having a bigger impact on the hoops rivalry. I used to know everyone on BYU's team, their home address, and favorite teletubby. Now, I don't know anyone outside of Kyle Christensen and that only because he's been on the team for 9 years.

But let's go out and kill them!

It seems to me that we have a decided edge in speed and quickness. I don´t know much about their team except that they have the usual sharpshooters. If they try to run as Rose has always wanted his teams to do, we should be able to stop that. Beyond that I know nothing. I´ll be in the Huntsman cheering for the Utes and very interested to see how the teams match up.

[Applejack]

It seems to me that we have a decided edge in speed and quickness. I don´t know much about their team except that they have the usual sharpshooters. If they try to run as Rose has always wanted his teams to do, we should be able to stop that. Beyond that I know nothing. I´ll be in the Huntsman cheering for the Utes and very interested to see how the teams match up.

Do you live in SLC now? You go to a lot of games. :jealous:

[LA Ute]

Not really. I usually get to a couple of football games and 2-3 basketball games, mostly over the Christmas holidays. All our kids live in SLC at the moment (unplanned geographic arrangements but a nice coincidence) and we have a family condo here, so we spent Thanksgiving week here and binged on 2 Ute football games and one basketball game. Then it turned out I have some business in SLC Tuesday so I am going to stay and see the BYU game. (Technology makes virtual work very easy now.) Then I must return to normal life. I'm going to try to finagle a way to see a couple of regular season hoops games.

[LA Ute]

I got this from my BYU fan nephew, who is a great guy and the kind of BYU fan you would all like.

BYU's Kyle Collinsworth (belatedly) records 7th triple-double, breaks NCAA career record


http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/byu-basketball/2015/11/29/9814778/kyle-collinsworth-ncaa-triple-double-record-career

I imagine Krysko will have a plan to deal with Collinsworth.

[U-Ute]

I'm excited for this game tonight. I think we will learn a few things.

1. Who will be Krystko's "defensive stopper" on Collinsworth? Tucker has the measurable to be one. Or will Kuzma step up?

2. Can Poeltl continue to dominate against guys that are less skilled but have size? He needs to play smart and not let them bait him into silly fouls.

3. How big is the separation getting between the schools since BYU gave up on basketball?

[Diehard Ute]

I'm excited for this game tonight. I think we will learn a few things.

1. Who will be Krystko's "defensive stopper" on Collinsworth? Tucker has the measurable to be one. Or will Kuzma step up?

2. Can Poeltl continue to dominate against guys that are less skilled but have size? He needs to play smart and not let them bait him into silly fouls.

3. How big is the separation getting between the schools since BYU gave up on basketball?

I'm more excited for the game tomorrow. ;)


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[U-Ute]

I'm more excited for the game tomorrow. ;)


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See. That's how excited I am, I want it to be tonight!
:rave:

[UtahsMrSports]

I find that my feelings for this game are best summarized by Jesse Spano.......

"I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so..........scared!"

[UtahsMrSports]

Like most of us, I know nothing about BYU basketball now.

The past few seasons, I knew that we had the defense stoppers to handle BYU's offense and give us a good shot at winning. I don't know that we have that this year, which makes me nervous. Also, it seems like we are trying to learn how to play up-tempo. BYU has been doing that for years, so they may have an edge in that sense. We probably don't just outrun a team that is built to outrun others. We have been giving up open three point attempts, and BYU lives for that.

On the other hand, Poeltl just looks amazing so far, and he's hitting FTs. That seems like a huge edge for us.

Obviously, Collinsworth is the key to BYU. I assume Bonam will guard him, and that seems like the matchup that will determine the flow of the game. Bonam gives up height in that matchup, right? Who else might we try against him? Ogbe?

Loveridge matches up well with Collinsworth size wise. Throughout his career, I have hardly noticed Loveridge on the defensive side. He doesn't stick out as a stopper, but not really as a sieve either. Off the bench, Tucker and Ogbe will get stretches on him.

We really need to stay in touch with their shooters, they have a plethora of them.

I just looked at their roster, and I guess I had forgotten that the Worthington kid had gone on a mission and the Nielson kid had transferred. That leaves them with two stiffs in the middle in Kaufusi (who has some talent) and Nate Austin (who is a pure energy guy and thats all). If Poeltl can get them in foul trouble (something they are prone to do), it will be huge.

Even USU transfer Kyle Davis, who starts at the 4 is a pretty good player. We will need a good effort to win this game.

[DrumNFeather]

The last time we played them in SLC, we won 81-64 and Jordan Loveridge scored 21. I think he'll be one of the main keys to the game this year as well after missing last year's game in Provo.

[SoCalPat]

Our friends to the south come to town this wednesday night looking to snap a two game losing streak to us. They are a very streaky team. They lost to Long Beach St. (KenPom.com #209) and struggled to beat Mississippi Valley St. (#349). But they finally saw their shots start to drop last night in a victory over Belmont (#92)

This game really scares me. With our struggles to defend the perimeter so far, plus their depth inside (lots of big bodies to throw at Poeltl), and Chapman's possible absence, I am concerned.
But, Larry and Co. seem to always be ready here. (even though Larry is 2-2 in this matchup, I think he has outcoached Rose in every matchup by a substantial amount.)

Should be a fun one!

Really hard to tell what losing to Long Beach means. LBSU traditionally plays the best non-con in the country, and it's often not even close. There are no easy W's scheduled in. They usually run through their league and have made the Dance and NIT under Dan Monson in recent years.

With all the games BYU gets on ESPN, I'm surprised they threw LBSU this particular bone.

Emery and Collinsworth are solid, but like most everyone else here, I know very little about this BYU team. Like most teams, they take a step back on the road, and I know we're pretty damn good. I expect Utah to win this one by 8-10 points. If Emery or KC has a mediocre game, we could win by a lot more.

[Applejack]

Loveridge matches up well with Collinsworth size wise. Throughout his career, I have hardly noticed Loveridge on the defensive side. He doesn't stick out as a stopper, but not really as a sieve either. Off the bench, Tucker and Ogbe will get stretches on him.



he's much closer to a sieve. If Loveridge has him all night, bad things will happen. I think a steady dose of Bonam and Bealer, and Ogbe when he plays, and Tucker just to mix things up.

[U-Ute]

Like most of us, I know nothing about BYU basketball now.

The past few seasons, I knew that we had the defense stoppers to handle BYU's offense and give us a good shot at winning. I don't know that we have that this year, which makes me nervous. Also, it seems like we are trying to learn how to play up-tempo. BYU has been doing that for years, so they may have an edge in that sense. We probably don't just outrun a team that is built to outrun others. We have been giving up open three point attempts, and BYU lives for that.

On the other hand, Poeltl just looks amazing so far, and he's hitting FTs. That seems like a huge edge for us.

Obviously, Collinsworth is the key to BYU. I assume Bonam will guard him, and that seems like the matchup that will determine the flow of the game. Bonam gives up height in that matchup, right? Who else might we try against him? Ogbe?

I don't know much them either. Pretty much all I know can be summed up with: Collinsworth is a triple-double machine, they have a couple of big stiffs, and Kafusi is a brute.

Collinsworth is listed at 6-6, which is why I can see Tucker on him (6-5), although Ogbe (6-6) would be a good option.

My guess is that it doesn't really matter who is listed to start against him because they will probably run him through a bunch of pick and roll ball screens. With Collinsworth being so productive with the ball in his hands, I can see them doing something like Utah did last year with Wright: run a high-post pick and roll game with Collinsworth and Kafusi, and put Fischer and Emery on the 3 point line. Let Collinsworth take the screen and make a play. The good news is that Poeltl has shown the ability this year to pressure the ball off of the screen and challenge the drive without fouling.

It seems like Kyle Davis (6-8, 225) is their post player to pay attention to. He's averaging a double-double (12pts, 12 boards, 3 offensive) per game right now. The good news is that this seems like a guy Reyes can match up against. He is undersized so he probably gets his numbers the same way Reyes does (a "try hard" guy). Nate Austin is big (6-11, 245), but is only getting 16 minutes per game. This tells me he can't match Davis's effort/quickness or Kafusi's physical play. It seems like a guy Kuzma or Reyes could handle. He could be the wild card for BYU if he suddenly figures out how to play.

Kuzma is the wild card for Utah. I don't think BYU has an answer for him. They will have to decide whether they want to put an undersized Davis on Poeltl or a more physical Kafusi. With the offensive production Poeltl has shown, they have to opt for Kafusi to try and push Poeltl away from the rim. Poeltl would just shoot over Davis all night. This puts Davis on Kuzma. He'll play hard, but Kuzma is just so athletic. They could start Austin, but it seems like you would lose too much just for the size. Because of this, I expect BYU will double Poeltl in post as soon as he touches it, so Jakob needs to be ready to find the shooters. Again Kuzma could be the beneficiary as they will probably double with their bigs, leaving Kuzma room to dive to the rim. Another option is to double with Collinsworth, since he has some size. That leaves Taylor open at the 3. He has shown he can hit that shot but hasn't been consistent so far this season. They may test those waters.

One interesting stat: through 5 games, Collinsworth is attempting only 1 point attempt per game but is averaging 6 assists per game. I'm not sure if he is reluctant to shoot or if teams are overplaying him. Fischer and Emery are the primary beneficiaries at the 3-point line of Collinsworth's drive-and-dish game. Fischer is averaging nearly 8 attempts and a 33% success rate. Emery is averaging nearly 7 attempts and making 30% of them. If BYU runs a high ball screen, it'll be interesting to see if Utah goes under the screen and tries to make Collinsworth shoot from outside. Either way, I wouldn't expect the Utes to leave either Emery or Fischer on the 3 point line to help too much.

[Old Standing ute]

BYU has a converted FB player & someone who got hurt taking off his warmups last year at center--Jakob gets them in foul trouble early.
would help at 4 if Brekkott can go on his ankle--day to day.

Collinsworth likes to play right wing/elbow--dribble with left hand & pass with right. Drive & kick to spot up guards to shoot 3's.
give him his points & don't foul. shut down 3's & Utes win by 15.

BYU lacking depth. If Bealer is now tuning in on D--he will play.

Bonam also breaks down on D---which leads to others having to cover for him & open 3's. He needs to be dialed in on that end from the start.

Heard it might not be a sellout which baffles me??

[LA Ute]

Phil Cullen's email today:

*****

This year's BYU team from a style standpoint plays similar to last year's team. They look to push the ball in transition and are currently ranked 2nd in the country in possession length at only 13.2 seconds. They will attack early and often in the shot clock.

They are led by #5 Kyle Collinsworth who is leading the country in triple doubles with 7. He is averaging 15.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg and almost 6 apg. Left handed freshman #4 Nick Emery is averaging 15.4 ppg and is coming off of a 27 point game versus Belmont. The remaining starters are each averaging double figures and are much improved from a year ago. They have a physical presence inside anchored by #44 Corbin Kaufusi and #21 Kyle Davis who are averaging almost 20 rpg together.

This BYU team is really good and capable of putting up big numbers on the offensive end. We will need to guard them in transition and for tough shots. Rebounding on the defensive side will be key as well since they take so many 3s there will be a lot of long rebounds. Defensively they have shown a zone and will also play man to man. Click here to see their stats:

https://az388273.vo.msecnd.net/mailsystem/assets/793/attachments/f30f6bd5-3169-43fa-841f-b379aad76d08/stats-m-basketball-2015-2016_5.pdf




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[311ute]

Couple thoughts:

Collinsworth gets almost all of his FGs at the rim. He's basically a very good "garbarge" player. He out hustles guys for rebounds, and looks to drive to the basket and kick when the defense helps/collapses. He does not want to pull up and shoot, even from 8 feet out. Go under all screens, make him shoot jumpers, and "build a wall" at the rim when he drives. Try not to help too much off the shooters, like Old Standing Ute said, live with Collinsworth getting some as opposed to giving up open 3s.

BYU will zone us at least 90% of the time tomorrow, just like they've done the last 3 years. They simply can't match up man-for-man with us, especially down low with Poeltl. We can't settle too much for outside shots, and need to give Poeltl a touch almost every time down the floor. Good things always happen when he gets a touch.

With them playing zone, Kuzma and Poeltl should have a field day on the offensive glass. Spots 1-3 need to get back though, to prevent run-outs the other way.

This BYU team is not the offensive juggernaut they have been the past few years. Outside of Collinsworth (and Emery at times), they don't have anyone who can break you down off the dribble and make plays. They're basically Collinsworth, a couple bigs, and some spot up shooters.


As long as Poeltl stays out of foul trouble, we win by double figures.

[311ute]

KenPom numbers for each team:

Rank: Utah 33, BYU 65
SOS: Utah 180, BYU 345
Adj Offensive Eff: Utah 24, BYU 75
Adj Defensive Eff: Utah 58, BYU 88

[concerned]

KenPom numbers for each team:

Rank: Utah 33, BYU 65
SOS: Utah 180, BYU 345
Adj Offensive Eff: Utah 24, BYU 75
Adj Defensive Eff: Utah 58, BYU 88

This will be the Y's first real game. Their pre-conference schedule to date rivals our embarrassment two years ago (or was it three?).

[311ute]

This will be the Y's first real game. Their pre-conference schedule to date rivals our embarrassment two years ago (or was it three?).

Which is really odd, because playing in a 1-2 bid conference, they will not have many opportunities for "quality" wins. Belmont might get an auto bid if they win their conference, we're a lock, but other than that (unless they make it to the finals in the Diamond Head Classic and meet OU), they don't have any likely NCAA Tourney teams on their schedule (outside of playing the Zags two or three times). Dave Rose didn't do himself any favors if he wants to make the NCAAs this year.

[Utebiquitous]

BYU simply doesn't play defense. What did Belmont score on them in the Marriott Center - 85 points or something? They get a few individual efforts defensively - Collinsworth and Kaufusi do all right, but teams score on them. Of course, defense hasn't been the Utes' strong point either this season. It needs to be Wednesday night. The players will know tendencies and how to defend them but will they? I thought the U executed the defensive game plan against the Cougars perfectly the past few years. Generally speaking, I think Old Standing Ute is spot on - withstand the tendency to double Collinsworth when he drives and stay on the three-point shooters. Fischer cannot drive the ball. I don't know that Emery can drive very well at this level; but he's certainly proving that he can shoot the three at this level. We can't let either of those two get going.

One other note on Collinsworth. We need to keep him off the offensive glass. If he gets double digit rebounds from defensive rebounding, Oh well; but we cannot let him get extra possessions for the Cougs via the offensive glass. Whoever guards him needs to box him out every single time a Cougar puts up a shot.

The only way I envision a close game is Poeltl foul trouble beginning early in the first half and affecting the remainder of the game.

I'd love to see Tucker, Ogbe and Bealer all build on their Idaho State efforts. Friday was a pretty easy game for all of them - absolutely no pressure to perform. Will they play well with a little more pressure?

[Rocker Ute]

Not to diverge this into football, but I really am curious as to the distance that has grown between the two programs. I feel that has happened significantly in basketball, and I think football will prove the same next year. It might be BYU who wants to get out of the series going forward.

Truthfully these past few years have made me happy that we didn't pick up Rose, a man I would have been happy to get at the time. He's pretty solid on offense but the defensive liabilities mean that even when they do squeeze into the dance they won't last long. Larry-ball is a much more healthy and sustainable game. Plus when Kodiak first got here he taught us at an Alumni Association lunch about a fancy word called 'synergy' and also why geese fly in a V formation. I bet Rose has never even heard of synergy.

[LA Ute]

Isn't synergy just a buzzword that dumb people use to sound smart?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKqhHhLNA7o

It's just easier than saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."


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[Rocker Ute]

Isn't synergy just a buzzword that dumb people use to sound smart?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKqhHhLNA7o

So I think I've shared this story, but Kodiak was still pretty new to the school, he had one year under his belt. I was on the Young Alumni Board at the time. We had invited him to come and do one of the Alumni Association lunches and he asked our president what we'd like him to talk about and he said, "Oh you know, talk about the team, what is going on... whatever you want just keep it motivational..." Or something along those lines.

So he showed up with a bunch of boxes filled with printouts with motivational quotes on them and hands them out and starts going through some motivational stuff, stuff that happens to be very rote for LDS people and probably anyone who has worked in a large organization. So he really did say, "This is a pretty big word that most of you probably haven't heard of, but have any of you heard of synergy..." And he did talk about why geese fly in a V and other teamwork related stuff. After that went on for about 20 minutes someone finally said, "So coach, tell us about the team..."

My favorite of the day though was that Larry was obviously painfully aware of how bad we were still going to be, but making progress, so he talked about that. Someone asked him, "What are your goals for this year?" And Larry looked at them like, "Huh?" And so they said, "So is a goal to be in the NIT or something?" And Larry said, "Yeah, let's do that..." As if to say, "In our dreams."

I liked him a lot after all of that.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I am excited for this game. I want to see Brandon Taylor and Dakarai Tucker get the hot hand again, while Lorenzo Bonam and Kyle Kuzma are bigger and faster and more athletic than anybody on the other team.

Utah by 25.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/2053468cf287bc376adb8108d83ae7f6.jpg


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[FountainOfUte]

Not to diverge this into football, but I really am curious as to the distance that has grown between the two programs..

I am, too.

I suspect that Ute fans think it's bigger than it really is and Y fans dismiss that there is a gap at all. Some might even think that they still are "big brother."

In football, I think we've created a depth and overall level of talent that they they don't have. At the same time, I think that next September (or, heaven forbid, this month in the Vegas Bowl) they will be catching us at a fortuitous time for them. We have lost/will lose a lot of skill players and special players. While I think we have more talent and depth, they have an experienced Mangum (a true QB talent we can rightfully be jealous of) and bring back Williams at RB this fall; they'll have a formidable offense to stop. We will be figuring out who we are while they will largely already know. That can be dangerous. Overall, I don't see us with many L's to them in the near future, but the next couple of years could be tough. In the next decade or so, I see us beating them at a 3- or 4-to-1 clip.

In basketball, this is where I see the gap widening the most dramatically...but not yet. We've always had the potential to recruit above them when our program is healthy. That's been happening for the last couple of recruiting seasons already. With that said, they do have a stable of studs coming in that will keep them nationally competitive for the next few years. Their haul of Lone Peak talent will bring them some high times, but that is not a sustainable talent level for them. Rather, it was a very fortuitous confluence of talent all available and willing (even wanting) to pledge to the Y in a condensed amount of time.

As that LP talent moves on from their program, I see them settling back into about the level where they were last year and likely to be this year. Meanwhile, I sincerely believe that Krystkowiak is building something special on the Hill. Long-term special, as long as he sticks around.

I think we beat the Y tonight, but I see us trading blows with them for the next four years. After that, I think we turn on the after burners unless something major changes in their independent/WCC arrangement.

[Old Standing ute]

I agree. Mika coming back next year will give them the big man they always lack (it will be interesting to see if they use him like they should). Haws brother was very good in H.S. so they ride those 2 for several years. Then it dries up & they end up with kids that Utah will no longer be recruiting.

In FB they lack depth, but make up for it by playing a soft schedule in the middle & end so can survive with lesser talents.

In the long run they need a conference to stay relevant.

[FountainOfUte]

I agree. Mika coming back next year will give them the big man they always lack (it will be interesting to see if they use him like they should). Haws brother was very good in H.S. so they ride those 2 for several years. Then it dries up & they end up with kids that Utah will no longer be recruiting.



Yep. Mika and Dastrup in the front court with Haws and Emery on the wings will be a pretty good. I'm excited to see what our front court looks like for the next couple of years with Jayce Johnson, Kuzma, Mawien, and Chapman.

[mpfunk]

This is an offensive basketball clinic. Every time down the court getting wide open looks.

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[DrumNFeather]

I would say the first half is going well.

[Brian]

Wow.
Pour it on Kodak.

[mpfunk]

Do not get complacent, byu can gun themselves back in this game. We really need a 20 point lead going into the half.

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[Jarid in Cedar]

Kuzma and Ogbe are the big difference. Kuz had only taken one 3, and is driving to the hoop in the hapless BYU front court, and Ogbe is knocking down shots at a rate we haven't seen from this team to date.

[LA Ute]

I'm not a bit surprised, but I am delighted.


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[LA Ute]

It is interesting to compare BYU's improvised offense to Utah's discipline. Defensively there's no comparison. Speed-wise, same thing.


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[mpfunk]

Feel free to not call a foul on the Utes on every damn possession.

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[mpfunk]

Got it calm down. As good as we were playing in the first, we are playing that shitty now.

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[DrumNFeather]

Evident that sleeves (i don't know his name) is being coached to agitate, and it's working.

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[mpfunk]

Evident that sleeves (i don't know his name) is being coached to agitate, and it's working.

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We need to recruit Henderson back to punch an Emery again.

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[mpfunk]

Well as long as we have the lead we are apparently going to have to expect them calling everything on Utah and nothing on byu. Play through it and adjust.

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[DrumNFeather]

We've puckered up quite a bit. Nobody wants to shoot.

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[mpfunk]

We've puckered up quite a bit. Nobody wants to shoot.

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Kodiak needs to get this under control. We can't lose this game.

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[DrumNFeather]

Kodiak needs to get this under control. We can't lose this game.

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I'm surprised Bonam hasn't played more. We need someone in there that can take it to the hoop.

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[mpfunk]

I'm surprised Bonam hasn't played more. We need someone in there that can take it to the hoop.

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I was about to ask what is going on with Bonam. Is he hurt? Doesn't make a lot of sense to not play him.

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[DrumNFeather]

It's about time they call that carry

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[Jarid in Cedar]

I was about to ask what is going on with Bonam. Is he hurt? Doesn't make a lot of sense to not play him.

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Ogbe took his minutes, and his defense is suspect. He will learn that ole' may work at the JuCo level, but he will need to tighten it up of he is going to see the floor consistently

[DrumNFeather]

Sleeves threw a punch

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[DrumNFeather]

Is Wright shaving points?

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[mpfunk]

Emery is basically Marshall Henderson without the drug addiction.

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[Solon]

Happy with the win. Wish it had been by more.

Poeltl is just amazing.
Lost some focus in the second half, and there is plenty of room for improvement, but a nice win.
poeltl had 14 in the 2nd half, of the 32 the team managed.

[Brian]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVRrhj9UkAAtHM3.jpg

Lol. Nice

[hostile]

Taylor called the punch a "dirty play." Says it was unprovoked.

[GarthUte]

Great first half; really lousy second half. Not really a surprise though, as it's a rivalry game.

[mpfunk]

I enjoyed this win a lot. I'm going to love playing more games against Marshall Emery.

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[Old Standing ute]

Not an 8 point game---because I. Wright got lazy--again; really a 14 point win, which is about the difference in these teams.
BYU has no inside game. Fischer shot lights out in 2nd half to keep it close. Love Utes pushing it back up to 19 from 7.

Need to feed it inside instead of falling in love with the 3. Kuzma was great in 1st half, looked lost in 2nd.
1-3-1 gave Utes trouble--probably have not practiced against it much.

BYU is really hurting for athletes. They have a bunch of 6'5" white guys who don't really do much. Only reason they have so many in double figures is they play no D.

Ogbe was really good---had 2 non-foul fouls called on him to take him out of the game. Plays really good D; Bonam needs to watch him fight through screens & get back quickly.
Bonam was lazy on D so sat back down.

Soto said on the post-game there is no reason to play BYU, as something like Emery's punch always happens. Agreed.

[LA Ute]

1699

[LA Ute]

Observations:

Really surprised at I. Wright's loss of poise at the end. I'm sure Krysko will use it to teach him.

They had no answer for Poeltl. The 1-3-1 was effective for a while but Utah and Jakob adjusted.

The difference in how each team is coached is obvious and striking.

The BYU team never stopped fighting and I think they deserve props for that.

I hope our guys learn not to let down with a lead.

Maybe Elder Emery will grow up a little on his mission.

The BYU assistant coach who jumped up and down about the trash thrown on the floor and then clapped enthusiastically when the T was called looked like a juvenile idiot.

The 28 points they scored were a season-low for BYU in any half and the 51 points were the most it has allowed in any half. We, ah, took them to school.

Loved Poeltl's double-double (26 and 13).

We were most effective when we used both an inside and outside game. We stagnated when we fell a little too much in love with the three.

A very nice win. 3 in a row, on top of 4 in a row in football. It was fun to be there.

It was great to see Old Standing Ute and to meet his lovely wife prior to the game.

I think this is going to be a fun year.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Emery had already served his mission

[Diehard Ute]

The BYU team never stopped fighting and I think they deserve props for that.

.

Yup. They throw sucker punches with the best of them.


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[LA Ute]

Emery had already served his mission

I guess we get to scream at him for the next three years, then. I thought we might have two years off.

In the meantime we will all be seeing this a lot:

https://vine.co/v/iWHOAO67K7U

Notice how he taunts Taylor after basically cold-cocking him.

[Diehard Ute]

I guess we get to scream at him for the next three years, then. I thought we might have two years off.

In the meantime we will all be seeing this a lot:

https://vine.co/v/iWHOAO67K7U

Notice how he taunts Taylor after basically cold-cocking him.

Taylor told the print media Emery said something 'foul' to him after and he refused to repeat it


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[chrisrenrut]

I guess we get to scream at him for the next three years, then. I thought we might have two years off.

In the meantime we will all be seeing this a lot:

https://vine.co/v/iWHOAO67K7U

Notice how he taunts Taylor after basically cold-cocking him.

That is the first I have seen of it, as I was flying back from a trip tonight. From that angle, it appears that Taylor has a glass jaw, or the acting talent of a soccer player. However, it doesn't hold a candle to when Emery's older brother went down as if shot by a sniper.

[LA Ute]

That is the first I have seen of it, as I was flying back from a trip tonight. From that angle, it appears that Taylor has a glass jaw, or the acting talent of a soccer player. However, it doesn't hold a candle to when Emery's older brother went down as if shot by a sniper.

I'm amazed he thought he'd get away with it. The ref is 3-4 feet away. IIRC from my referee training years ago, the ref under the basket is supposed to watch the players on the floor, not the shot or the ball. He was looking right at Emery.

[LA Ute]

Rose talked to Krysko for a good 30 seconds after the game and it looked like he was apologizing. Hard to dislike Dave Rose.

[Utebiquitous]

I don't care if Rose apologize LA - let's see if the BYU player who embarrassed himself, his school and his religion finally steps up and apologizes. Emery ought to make a visit to the U practice this weekend and say he's sorry. A gesture like that would do all kinds of good for the rivalry. We wouldn't be able to paint them as self-righteous SOBs anymore. I realize it's just a basketball game and not a big deal in the larger picture, but seriously, think of the good it could do. It's really getting ridiculous just how frequent the team down south is embarrassing themselves on national stages with various forms of thuggery.

[Diehard Ute]

I don't care if Rose apologize LA - let's see if the BYU player who embarrassed himself, his school and his religion finally steps up and apologizes. Emery ought to make a visit to the U practice this weekend and say he's sorry. A gesture like that would do all kinds of good for the rivalry. We wouldn't be able to paint them as self-righteous SOBs anymore. I realize it's just a basketball game and not a big deal in the larger picture, but seriously, think of the good it could do. It's really getting ridiculous just how frequent the team down south is embarrassing themselves on national stages with various forms of thuggery.

Given his comment after hitting him, and his continued running of his mouth from the huddle before he was ejected I wouldn't hold my breath.




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[LA Ute]

1700

[Diehard Ute]

1700

Taylor said on the radio post game that all the talk had been positive during the game until he got punched

Guessing Emery failed to get the memo


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[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Loveridge's best shot of the night.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/03/609a6e034535fa0620ba477eb20eee56.jpg


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[concerned]

Emery had already served his mission

Came home after a couple of months due to illness.

[U-Ute]

I can't wait until we have that hot head Mika on the floor with Emery. That should be fun.

Too bad because they both have talent.

[LA Ute]

Came home after a couple of months due to illness.

Remarkable recovery. Good strength and explosiveness in his left arm.

[LA Ute]

I know byus defense is horrible, but our offense in the first half was beautiful. Motion, energy, ball movement, extra passes, good decisions - a clinic.

Defensively we were taking everything away from them in the first half, and our strategy included a lot of contact. Was it just me, or did the refs suddenly tighten up on contact in the second half? That seemed to throw the Utes off and was a big part of the BYU run. Once the guys adjusted they stretched the lead back out. BYU led only once, I think, in the first minute or so.

[LA Ute]

BYU fans need to pray that mika and that other guy are good bigs because emery and haws jacking up threes alone isn't gonna get it done.

Has rose ever successfully coached up a big man? Davies could have been so much more.

I like Rose, but I can't think of a player who has significantly improved under his tutelage. Am I missing anyone?

[NorthwestUteFan]

Defensively we were taking everything away from them in the first half, and our strategy included a lot of contact. Was it just me, or did the refs suddenly tighten up on contact in the second half? That seemed to throw the Utes off and was a big part of the BYU run. Once the guys adjusted they stretched the lead back out. BYU led only once, I think, in the first minute or so.

Yes, it seemed apparent they were calling everything tighter after halftime. Utah got 4 quick, ticky tacky calls in the first minute of the 2nd half for phantom violations that couldn't be seen on replay.

[U-Ute]

That is the first I have seen of it, as I was flying back from a trip tonight. From that angle, it appears that Taylor has a glass jaw, or the acting talent of a soccer player. However, it doesn't hold a candle to when Emery's older brother went down as if shot by a sniper.

If you watch the game, Taylor is holding his hand over his left eye when he is on the ground. Later on when they show him in the huddle you can see his eye is a bit red and swollen. It was a solid shot.

[LA Ute]

Krysko and Rose in their post-game interviews:

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3256835-155/kragthorpe-utes-overcome-byu-and-own

[LA Ute]

Rose on The Punch:


"I talked to the official and he told me that it was pretty obvious what happened," Rose said. "I talked to Nick and I wanted to make sure that he saw the entire play. He told me that he got it, it was pretty easy and it was kind of textbook stuff. We sent Nick to the locker room and Taylor to the free throw line. I didn’t actually see the full play until after I addressed the team. It looks like when this is sent to the conference office there will be more than just what happened here tonight."

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofusports/3259490-155/utah-basketball-the-punch-ogbe-stands

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Remarkable recovery. Good strength and explosiveness in his left arm.

He's long suffered from Tourette's of the appendages.


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[DrumNFeather]

This will end up being a good win for the resume. They play in a bad league and should be able to rack up a bunch of wins, which will help us.

Nice to see 4 of our 5 starters in double figures, and the 5th one, Kuzma with 9 points and 7 boards. We still need to get some more production from our bench and I'm a little concerned that Bonam and Bealer didn't play at all, but I guess Ogbe makes up for that some, though he can't get to the hoop the way Bonam can. I remember before he got hurt last year thinking that Ogbe had made some significant strides.

I'll be interested to see how they play now vs. Wichita St. and Duke, given that the conference opener should be a challenge.

[LA Ute]

This will end up being a good win for the resume. They play in a bad league and should be able to rack up a bunch of wins, which will help us.

Nice to see 4 of our 5 starters in double figures, and the 5th one, Kuzma with 9 points and 7 boards. We still need to get some more production from our bench and I'm a little concerned that Bonam and Bealer didn't play at all, but I guess Ogbe makes up for that some, though he can't get to the hoop the way Bonam can. I remember before he got hurt last year thinking that Ogbe had made some significant strides.

I'll be interested to see how they play now vs. Wichita St. and Duke, given that the conference opener should be a challenge.

Bonam got three minutes. I think he just needs to play D-1 defense and shake the JC laxity.

[Diehard Ute]

Tommy Connor basically said they needed a defender that's more trusted and developed last night so they didn't play Bonam or Bealer as much.

Defensively they're not as ready and we have better depth to not have to force it


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[Diehard Ute]

After the "T" on the crowd I realized what a poor rule that is.

Refs make the announcer give a warning that anything thrown on the floor will be a T on the home team.

Why not just encourage the fans for the other team to throw things?

That being said the initial object that hit the court sure looked like it came from the BYU cheerleaders court side, not the stands


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[hostile]

After the "T" on the crowd I realized what a poor rule that is.

Refs make the announcer give a warning that anything thrown on the floor will be a T on the home team.

Why not just encourage the fans for the other team to throw things?

That being said the initial object that hit the court sure looked like it came from the BYU cheerleaders court side, not the stands


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The initial object came out of the MUSS. The second one could have been anyone.

[Diehard Ute]

Word I've seen is Emery told Taylor "Stay down, bitch"


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[Brian]

1701

[LA Ute]

Word I've seen is Emery told Taylor "Stay down, bitch"


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"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men...."

[U-Ute]

Word I've seen is Emery told Taylor "Stay down, bitch"


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Hah.

I've seen Taylor play for 4 years. I'd take Taylor in an alley fight over Emery. Taylor is as tough as they come.

[LA Ute]

A few years ago a young friend of mine—a returned missionary—was on one of the college basketball teams in Utah. He was a great young man and a very good ballplayer, but he wasn’t playing as much as he hoped he would. His particular talents and skills weren’t exactly what that team needed at that stage of its development or his. That happens in athletics. So, with the full support and best wishes of his coaches and his teammates, my young friend transferred to another school where he hoped he might contribute a little more.As fate would have it, things clicked at the new school, and my friend soon became a starter. And wouldn’t you know it—the schedule (determined years before these events transpired) had this young man returning to play against his former team in Salt Lake City's then-named Delta Center.

What happened in that game has bothered me to this day, and I am seizing this unusual moment to get it off my chest. The vitriolic abuse that poured out of the stands on this young man’s head that night—a Latter-day Saint, returned missionary, newlywed who paid histithing (https://lds.org/topics/tithing?lang=eng), served in the elder’s quorum, gave charitable service to the youth in his community, and waited excitedly for a new baby coming to him and his wife—what was said and done and showered upon him that night, and on his wife and their families, should not have been experienced by any human being anywhere anytime, whatever his sport, whatever his university, or whatever his personal decisions had been about either of them.

But here is the worst part. The coach of this visiting team, something of a legend in the profession, turned to him after a spectacular game and said: “What is going on here? You are the hometown boy who has made good. These are your people. These are your friends.” But worst of all, he then said in total bewilderment, “Aren’t most of these people members of your church?”

--Jeffrey R. Holland (https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2012/01/israel-israel-god-is-calling?lang=eng)

[SoCalPat]

--Jeffrey R. Holland (https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2012/01/israel-israel-god-is-calling?lang=eng)

For the record, Daniel Bobik is the player in question. The school is Oklahoma State, and the coach is Eddie Sutton. Happened about 10 years ago.

My wife is an OSU grad and I have many friends that are OSU alumni. They remember Bobik fondly, and I believe he still lives in the area.

[U-Ute]

Higher resolution grab of the punch.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=14278207

[U-Ute]

A buddy of mine pointed out something worth thinking about: These Lone Peak guys aren't used to losing.

[LA Ute]

For the record, Daniel Bobik is the player in question. The school is Oklahoma State, and the coach is Eddie Sutton. Happened about 10 years ago.

Yep. Many otherwise faithful BYU fans were quick to emphasize online that Elder Holland was only stating his opinion about the incident and was wrong about the entire subject of sportsmanship. It was interesting to watch.

[U-Ute]

I saw Quincey Lewis for the first time on TV last night. Goober.

Your eyes are better than mine. How can you pick him out of a bench full of goobers?

[Diehard Ute]

Hah.

I've seen Taylor play for 4 years. I'd take Taylor in an alley fight over Emery. Taylor is as tough as they come.

As I told my wife last night, Emery picked the wrong guy. Taylor has spent his life being told he wasn't good enough or big enough. He's had to be gritty.


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[UBlender]

After the "T" on the crowd I realized what a poor rule that is.

Refs make the announcer give a warning that anything thrown on the floor will be a T on the home team.

Why not just encourage the fans for the other team to throw things?

That being said the initial object that hit the court sure looked like it came from the BYU cheerleaders court side, not the stands


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I've seen several on twitter claim that the object that earned the T came from a BYU fan. I have no idea if that's true, but there was a friendly misguided young BYU fan in front of me and we were joking about how it would be a smart move by a BYU fan to throw something after the warning. A couple minutes later it happened.

[Diehard Ute]

I've seen several on twitter claim that the object that earned the T came from a BYU fan. I have no idea if that's true, but there was a friendly misguided young BYU fan in front of me and we were joking about how it would be a smart move by a BYU fan to throw something after the warning. A couple minutes later it happened.

That's exactly what all of us said too. I get the intent of the rule but it's just an invitation for a visiting fan in a heated rivalry game to cause a momentum shift


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[FountainOfUte]

I like Rose, but I can't think of a player who has significantly improved under his tutelage. Am I missing anyone?

I hate saying it, but Cummard seemed to get better each year. He had a limited ceiling, but it was enough to cause our teams trouble back then.

[Applejack]

I like Rose, but I can't think of a player who has significantly improved under his tutelage. Am I missing anyone?

Jimmer.

[Diehard Ute]

Jimmer.

I think if you look at his stats you'll find that to not be true.

The only thing he improved on was the volume of shots he took


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[Applejack]

I think if you look at his stats you'll find that to not be true.

The only thing he improved on was the volume of shots he took


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You don't think he improved from his Freshman year to his Senior year?

[FountainOfUte]

That happened to me one year in church ball. In my North Carolina ward, they wanted an A team and a B team, but they wanted people to self segregate. The only people who would admit to being B team quality were myself and a bunch of D teamers. For one glorious, winless season, I averaged double digits in scoring. I had a season and career high of 24 points in one game. The other team actually took a time out to switch who was going to guard me.


I love these unheralded stories of fleeting glory. I can't remember my best basketball game, but whatever it was it was never anything above a church ball or county rec setting. And it sure as hell wasn't 24 points. I can only dream.

In a corporate games setting, our team was playing dodgeball. My whole team had been put out but me and I alone picked off the other team one person at a time to victory. I felt like a Greek god among men...for about thirty seconds until the other team beat us in the next five straight games.

[LA Ute]

I hate saying it, but Cummard seemed to get better each year. He had a limited ceiling, but it was enough to cause our teams trouble back then.

Maybe, I don't know. I wasn't following Utah hoops (and by extension, TDS) at that time. Boylenball was so unwatchable....


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[LA Ute]

I love these unheralded stories of fleeting glory. I can't remember my best basketball game, but whatever it was it was never anything above a church ball or county rec setting. And it sure as hell wasn't 24 points. I can only dream.

In a corporate games setting, our team was playing dodgeball. My whole team had been put out but me and I alone picked off the other team one person at a time to victory. I felt like a Greek god among men...for about thirty seconds until the other team beat us in the next five straight games.

I scored 18 once in a church game when I was 17. That was my slow white guy high-water mark.


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[concerned]

this has really made national news. Emery's history now displayed to the entire world (maybe a slight exaggeration, but still).

http://thebiglead.com/2015/12/03/byus-nick-emery-appears-to-have-a-history-of-losing-his-temper-on-the-court/

[U-Ute]

this has really made national news. Emery's history now displayed to the entire world (maybe a slight exaggeration, but still).

http://thebiglead.com/2015/12/03/byus-nick-emery-appears-to-have-a-history-of-losing-his-temper-on-the-court/

I wasn't aware of his history. He definitely wouldn't pass K's turd filter.

[LA Ute]

this has really made national news. Emery's history now displayed to the entire world (maybe a slight exaggeration, but still).

http://thebiglead.com/2015/12/03/byus-nick-emery-appears-to-have-a-history-of-losing-his-temper-on-the-court/


Good grief. It will be interesting to watch the hard-core BYU fans (not the rational ones, of which there are many -- honest! I know some!) circle the wagons around this guy.

[hostile]

Reprimand and apology.
http://www.wccsports.com/news/west-coast-conference-reprimands-byu-s-emery-12-03-2015

[LA Ute]

Reprimand and apology.
http://www.wccsports.com/news/west-coast-conference-reprimands-byu-s-emery-12-03-2015

Looks like a pretty good apology to me. It ought to put this incident behind everyone as long as he learns from it and doesn't repeat the same type of behavior. I don't know what more we can ask of the guy. He has manned up.

[Old Standing ute]

I think the game he has to sit out he has to dress up as Cosmo.

[Brian]

Looks like a pretty good apology to me. It ought to put this incident behind everyone as long as he learns from it and doesn't repeat the same type of behavior. I don't know what more we can ask of the guy. He has manned up.

I agree. Good for him.

[LA Ute]

I think the game he has to sit out he has to dress up as Cosmo.

+1. Maybe +2.

[Old Standing ute]

In regards to the game---does Ogbe start again?
He adds a defensive element with his size---

And what was up with I. Wright at the end of the game; it was garbage time, but he played like he was totally out of it. Not sure why he plays & Bonam sits,?

[NorthwestUteFan]

I think the game he has to sit out he has to dress up as Cosmo.

He should put on a cheerleader outfit and shake his pom pons.

[U-Ute]

Looks like a pretty good apology to me. It ought to put this incident behind everyone as long as he learns from it and doesn't repeat the same type of behavior. I don't know what more we can ask of the guy. He has manned up.

Good. Hopefully we can put it behind us then.

[Utebiquitous]

A thoughtful apology. I'd love to see something more public than a paragraph in a press release but good for him.
...Now if he'll just put on the Cosmo suit.

[Applejack]

No apology needed for me. The loss was more than enough to satisfy my revenge lust. In fact, if he plays the same next year I'll be even more satisfied!

[LA Ute]

A thoughtful apology. I'd love to see something more public than a paragraph in a press release but good for him.
...Now if he'll just put on the Cosmo suit.

He already made a jackass of himself on the court. Wearing the Cosmo suit would be a step up.

Seriously though, this is a well-expressed apology. I hope we will see that this is a turning point for him. Looks like this has been a problem for him for a few years now.


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[NorthwestUteFan]

I hope he lashes out again sometime this year and gets suspended for the season. He has a real anger issue and I can smell byu PR Dept fingerprints all over that apology (it is obviously written by him, hence the poor grammar. But I can't see any way this apology happened spontaneously without coercion from the program or school).

Somebody should make a sign using his now-famous quote:

"Stay the Fvck down, Bitch!"
~Nick Emery

[Diehard Ute]

He already made a jackass of himself on the court. Wearing the Cosmo suit would be a step up.

Seriously though, this is a well-expressed apology. I hope we will see that this is a turning point for him. Looks like this has been a problem for him for a few years now.


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I thought it was a "I have to apologize so here" apology.

Apologizing for "the incident" is very sterile to me.


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[LA Ute]

He was 3-15 from the floor and his team was getting destroyed in a beat-down on TV. He's not used to that. He was apparently doing the same thing at Lone Peak even when they were destroying an opponent. Now everyone is talking about him instead of a nice Utah win -- our third straight. He's got problems but I hope we all move on. I would rather talk about the Utes than about how we need to stop playing BYU for the safety of our student athletes, which is one of the dumber things to come out of this whole stupid story.


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[concerned]

I think we've all played against this guy at some point in a pick up game. Awful to play against; even worse to play with. How many times this season will Collinsworth roll his eyes behind Emery's back?

Except for the drug addiction, the parallels to Marshall Henderson are almost eerie.

[UtahsMrSports]

I hope he lashes out again sometime this year and gets suspended for the season. He has a real anger issue and I can smell byu PR Dept fingerprints all over that apology (it is obviously written by him, hence the poor grammar. But I can't see any way this apology happened spontaneously without coercion from the program or school).

Somebody should make a sign using his now-famous quote:

"Stay the Fvck down, Bitch!"
~Nick Emery

I got this vibe as well. Although I have to admit that it beats the Max Hall apology, which was 100% written by someone else and only fooled Hans Olsen and the other BYU media folks.

[UtahsMrSports]

In regards to the game---does Ogbe start again?
He adds a defensive element with his size---

And what was up with I. Wright at the end of the game; it was garbage time, but he played like he was totally out of it. Not sure why he plays & Bonam sits,?

I would start Ogbe going forward. He provides more spacing and defense than does Bonam. If he can get the defense down, Bonam's ability to take it to the basket could be huge for the bench.

I have no idea what Wright was doing at the end. I mean, he almost made a three...........in their basket!

[SoCalPat]

I think if you look at his stats you'll find that to not be true.

The only thing he improved on was the volume of shots he took


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He arrived at BYU as a largely unheralded recruit and left as a Wooden Award winner. Additionally, taking more shots while maintaining a good percentage and being the focus of everyone's defensive gameplan is getting better, as is getting to the line more often, which he did, and he even increased his FT percentage with more attempts.

You can say Rose's system was a perfect fit for someone like Jimmer, and that said system didn't develop him properly for the NBA. To say he didn't improve as a player under Rose is ridiculous.

Lee Cummard was another player who definitely blossomed under Rose.

[FountainOfUte]

I have no idea what Wright was doing at the end. I mean, he almost made a three...........in their basket!

He literally looked high out there: emotionless, sluggish, passive, dismissive. That's the worst I've seen him all season, and that's saying something because he's been in kind of a funk all year so far. He doesn't remotely resemble the confident but raw frosh from last year.

[mUUser]

1699

There appears to be no joy in Wright's demeanor, either on the court or in this pic. Hope he solves whatever is troubling him.