Ugly game tonight.Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death
i hope the team can learn from this. We're just not there yet when it comes to playing on the road.
Ugly game tonight.
i hope the team can learn from this. We're just not there yet when it comes to playing on the road.
σοφῷ ἀνδρὶ Ἑλλὰς πάντα.
-- Flavius Philostratus, Life of Apollonius 1.35.2.
This game was brutal. Way too many turnovers. In watching this team I have noticed. As Loveridge scoring goes so does the team. In the 3 losses that he played in he couldnt hit the proverbial fat man in the ass with a bag of sand. The start of the second half was more proof. He started out by missing to two 3 footers and an open 3 pointer. If this team is going to do anything we are going to need Loveridge's scoring.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
I guess this was bound to happen at some point. It looked to me that there was no urgency, no passion, no fight until they were down 12-15 with 7 minutes late. Unfortunately, by the time they did start to play with urgency, passion and fight UCLA was playing well and the hill was to tall to climb. It really looked to me that this was the second leg of the weird 2 game thing they do in soccer where you basically accumulate the scores of both games to determine a winner and the Utes thought all they had to do was not lose by more than 30.
One thing the conference season has taught me is that Poetle is in no way ready for the NBA. He would not get minutes right now on the Jazz. The other thing I think the Utes need to do is try to establish more of an inside presence. In my opinion they have not even tried to establish an inside game.
Oh well, this is still a fun year and hopefully this will be a lesson that pays dividends the rest of the way.
We should have learned that lesson at Arizona. If we havent learned it yet . . . .
Its funny how quickly things change.
Just two short years ago, we would have been, if not excited, at the very least somewhat encouraged by a 10 point loss in Pauley. Now, its a big time letdown. Its just good to keep some perspective.
I really have a tough time tossing any criticism Loveridge's way, but the kid is still inconsistent.
We went to the free throw line 9 times. That tells me we were not nearly aggressive enough.
Our centers combined for 4 rebounds......pathetic.
Outside of loveridge, we actually shot really really well. Just too many turnovers.
Finally, a big shout out and congratulations to the Pac-12 schools from California! It took six tries, but you guys finally managed to beat the Utes at something! I can understand that though, seeing as how Utah gets its pick of 4 and 5 star recruits and you Cali guys have to fight over the leftover 2 and 3 stars. Way to go, little brothers!
Loveridge's role has changed, I think for the better. He is now just a shooter. We traded some of the other things - rebounding and getting to the line - for shooting. I think it was a good trade. But we have to accept that shooters are always inconsistent, especially on the road.
His role is changing, and is being supplanted by Dakari T.
The problem Red Death is that Jordan is only that scorer at home. He does not perform well on the road. What's more, he simply refuses to put significant effort into defending and rebounding - at home or on the road. If Jordan would change his approach and remake himself into a hard-nosed player, he might just meet the potential we all saw in him coming out of high school. It just kills me to continue to see a kid with his body content to shoot spot up threes and shy away from carving out space down low for rebounds.
We really have some wusses on this team and Jordan's wuss number one.
While I'm ranting, I'm tired of the whining that starts up from this team if they're struggling. Delon started whining before ten minutes had even passed last night. Dallin's whining, wounded face and gestures after he was hit in the nose were just ridiculous. Whether it was a good basketball play or a cheap shot can be left to the referees but be tough and stoic in the face of opposition. There's a little bit of "do you know who we are?" that's entering the fabric of this team. Not good. Just play hard. I get that the road is tough. I'll take a split on all road trips in the Pac-12 but is it too much to expect effort?
It will take a significant effort to beat USC Sunday.
If he keeps shooting 50% from beyond the line, he won't be supplanted by anyone. Big if, maybe. Just imagine how nice it would be to have a stronger post presence to feed all these three-point shooters!
Makes me wonder if Larry needs to tinker with the lineup a little on the road. Maybe bring Loveridge off the bench on the road. Something. Larry looked pissed last night, so hopefully we'll see that in the way we play on Sunday.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
I am glad I missed this game due to a sudden attack of employment. I don't think I'll watch my recording of it.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Sancho,
Jordan's becoming too one-dimensional. Even though I think the coaches (and Jordan) want him to move to the three meaning more outside shooting, they don't want him too become just a three-point shooter. I think he'd be difficult too supplant if his shooting on the road was equal to his shooting at home; but it isn't. To be valuable to this team the rest of the season and going into next, Jordan will have to pass, rebound and defend better. He's on the verge of becoming a specialist. If he continues that direction, he will be supplanted.
I think he's already there. Has he been anything more than a 3 point specialist this season?
Yeah, go straight to "delete" with that one.
these games happen (they're just kids, after all). The way they bounce back (or don't) with tell us a lot.
σοφῷ ἀνδρὶ Ἑλλὰς πάντα.
-- Flavius Philostratus, Life of Apollonius 1.35.2.
This post is oddly comforting. Thank you for lambasting them. They deserve it.
I hope talk of JP as a lottery pick will be suspended for a while. It isn't really that I want him to stay. I'd love him to really get good enough to be a lottery pick. But it bothers me when people blithely assume that the one in several million type of achievements are easier than they actually are.
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
I'll take the blame for this and the Arizona game. For both I had a commitment, so I recorded, avoided all information about the game, and then watched later. Never again!
There are some times when this team plays like they have 45 pound plates strapped to their back. 1st half of the Kansas game, the entire Arizona game, and from 5 minutes left in the 1st half to 7 minutes left in the 2nd half last night. I don't get what it is, and Larry, Delon, or Brandon needs to figure out how to address it.
I liked that Larry had them start pressing on defense and attacking the basket with about 7 minutes to go in the 2nd half. That at least seems to have stopped the bleeding, but was too little to late to overcome the deficit. Forcing the team to be agressive on defense might be what he needs to do when we go into a 5 minute swoon.
“To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.
One nice side effect of a press, besides speeding up the other team, is that it can sometimes energize the team doing the pressing if they are being lethargic.
I think that's what we saw last night.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Counselor, you should be able to parse the difference between "being ready" and "being drafted".
They are two completely different concepts and rarely does one infer the other.
Last edited by U-Ute; 01-30-2015 at 05:58 PM.
I didn't see a lack of energy, urgency and passion against Arizona. I saw Arizona's bigger, longer, more physical players were bigger, longer and more physical.
We have seen the Achilles heel of this team: long, athletic teams on the road. That presents a problem in the tournament when every team out of the first game will be long and athletic and we will be, at best, on a neutral floor.
I actually like two suggestions from previous posters (citations omitted): throw an occasional press look and start Dakarai over JLover. The press reinforces our defensive strength and makes the other team play fast, which we thrive against. I love JLover, but he's a sixth man. Bring him off the bench with Brekkott and switch from defense to offense in a heartbeat.
I like your ideas but along with length and athleticism you left out Utah's softness. If I were an opposing coach against the Utes I'd tell my guys to "go out there and hit someone," to borrow LK's phrase. Of course when you do that, you're betting that the refs won't call a tight game. I suspect Larry saw this weakness and that's why he arranged the Seal training. They are not there yet.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by LA Ute; 01-30-2015 at 10:11 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Per the Trib boys, Larry had the team watch 45 clips from the game today.
He didn't break down the plays. He gave the controller to the players and let them do it. Said almost to a T each player called out their mistakes and owned them, without prompting.
Last edited by Diehard Ute; 01-30-2015 at 09:35 PM.
I guess I'm fine with this, but I'm not sure what it accomplishes.
USC is just awful. Their coach is definitely gone this year, right? I mean, woof. They are hard to watch. I have no idea if they have talent or not, because they just play terrible basketball. Julian Jacobs regrets his choice.
Nice to be up 32-12 at the half. Poeltl shouldn't play in the second half, and once Delon sits at the 14 minute mark he shouldn't come back either. We got some good run for the young guys in the first half and the second half will be their showcase.
A couple of first half points:
- Delon is just a terrible shooter. I don't think there is anything to be done. He just has no feel on his jumper. It will be interesting to see if he can stick around in the NBA with no jump shot.
- Poeltl is really shifty for such a big guy. He will eventually develop some slinky post moves where he slips past people. I hope he develops them at Utah.
- Kuzma is not a heady player. He does stupid things like tip out rebounds instead of grabbing them, travelling at the top of the key, forcing jumpers, etc. he must make Larry crazy.
- Brekkott has been less aggressive on the road. It's probably just a freshman thing, but he needs to be a guy that thrives on adversity.
- Ogbe getting a lot of run today. I'm still not sure what his role is on this team.
Ogbe is a really good defender. And adecent shooter. Needs to be more aggressive & he only starting playing hoops at age 15 so this is his 4-5 year. Appears he is still learning the game.
Kuzma acts like a teenager--which he is. But he has so much physical talent.
Brekkott needs to take over games--he will next year & then who knows.
why did Enfield pick USC when he was a hot topic??
I think his role is to get a lot of run on days like today.
USC was by far better than anything else he was going to get. The real question, which most of us asked at the time, was why USC would overreact to one fortunate tournament run?
Exactly. Talk about a short-sighted hire. The guy never won his league at Florida Coastal but he made the sweet sixteen on a run-and-gun hot streak so he gets hired at USC? Stupid Trojans.
Time to get the starters out. Up 42-14. I don't want to see Jakob for the rest of the game. Same for Delon.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote