The Larry Krystkowiak Thread

[SeattleUte]

Donnie is an assistant that would be retained by 100 percent of all HCs in the country. The idea that his hiring is some sort of signal that Larry's on solid ground here is silly.

Harlan can follow Larry out the door if he lets him coach as a lame duck in the final year of his contract. Good luck recruiting under that scenario.

You're not privy to any list of donors any more than I am, so your .02 here really doesn't mean anything. But I do know we fired Ray Giacoletti with four years left on his deal and the athletic department isn't saddled with debt. Firing Larry with 3 years to go on his deal and swallowing $9M while hardly ideal, is hardly an insurmountable expense.

I'm an eternal optimist. I'm remembering when we went 14-14 the year after Josh Grant's last team hadn't quite lived up to expectations as he was plagued by injuries. We lost to BYU in the WAC tournament by over 30. We had a promising freshman named Keith Van Horn, but he was homesick and reeling because his dad had just died unexpectedly. We had coming in a bunch of freshman who sparked some optimism, but were rejects of the likes of UCLA. Expectations weren't high....

[UtahsMrSports]

Short of a Final Four berth, he gets nothing. Harlan ain't gonna make the mistake Hill did and add years/dollars to a contract we can't get out of.

I have been pointing this out as well, though it gets lost among all the paid shilling I do around here. If Larry is still around come Spring 2022, he will have had to have done enough to warrant an extension at the same or higher dollar amount (i suppose he could agree to be extended at a lower level just to have a job). Making the tourney, IMO, wont be enough, even two appearances. We need to see a steady upward trend these next few years.

[UTEopia]

I'm an eternal optimist. I'm remembering when we went 14-14 the year after Josh Grant's last team hadn't quite lived up to expectations as he was plagued by injuries. We lost to BYU in the WAC tournament by over 30. We had a promising freshman named Keith Van Horn, but he was homesick and reeling because his dad had just died unexpectedly. We had coming in a bunch of freshman who sparked some optimism, but were rejects of the likes of UCLA. Expectations weren't high....

I went to that game at the Delta Center. Depressing. Did big Rick go out and get Brandon Jessie right after that? Was it the following year the Utes beat Michigan State in Tucson to advance to the Sweet 16 and lose to Vegas?

[SeattleUte]

I went to that game at the Delta Center. Depressing. Did big Rick go out and get Brandon Jessie right after that? Was it the following year the Utes beat Michigan State in Tucson to advance to the Sweet 16 and lose to Vegas?

That was with Josh Grant two or three years before. The following year they went to the second round and were upset by Mississippi State--after a terrific season winning the WAC and WAC tournament, and finishing highly ranked. I remember what Majerus said after the MS game, "My guys need to eat more barbecue."

The following year it was Sweet 16, then Elite 8, then Final Two in succession (the last one sans Van Horn). The key was keeping that early young team together and building on it.

[UTEopia]

That was with Josh Grant two or three years before. The following year they went to the second round and were upset by Mississippi State--after a terrific season winning the WAC and WAC tournament, and finishing highly ranked. I remember what Majerus said after the MS game, "My guys need to eat more barbecue."

The following year it was Sweet 16, then Elite 8, then Final Two in succession (the last one sans Van Horn). The key was keeping that early young team together and building on it.

Thanks for clearing that up. That game against Michigan St. in Tucson was one of the best college games I remember watching. Josh Grant was excellent and Michigan State had a guy (can't remember name) who went on to have a solid NBA career and is now a commentator who was also excellent. It is also when I start to hate hearing Re -bels, Re -bels chanted by 60 year old guys and women with gold chains around their necks.

[sancho]

Thanks for clearing that up. That game against Michigan St. in Tucson was one of the best college games I remember watching. Josh Grant was excellent and Michigan State had a guy (can't remember name) who went on to have a solid NBA career and is now a commentator who was also excellent. It is also when I start to hate hearing Re -bels, Re -bels chanted by 60 year old guys and women with gold chains around their necks.

Steve Smith. I snuck into the back room at my Grandparents' house during an extended family dinner to watch that game.

[SoCalPat]

I went to that game at the Delta Center. Depressing. Did big Rick go out and get Brandon Jessie right after that? Was it the following year the Utes beat Michigan State in Tucson to advance to the Sweet 16 and lose to Vegas?

Rick didn't just get Brandon Jessie, he landed the greatest recruiting class in Utah history -- Jessie, Andre, Alex, Doleac and Hansen.

[SeattleUte]

Rick didn't just get Brandon Jessie, he landed the greatest recruiting class in Utah history -- Jessie, Andre, Alex, Doleac and Hansen.

I think he didn't get Andre and Hansen until the year after. The next year was just Jessie and Doliac.

[SeattleUte]

We received a good portend when the Utes beat Knight's Indiana team in Hawaii, and new recruit Jesse had a very big game.

[SeattleUte]

The thing is, none of these players were recognized as big recruits when they came. Miller didn't academically qualify as a freshman and started basketball his senior HS season after years of football. Jessie was a JUCO, and the elite programs usually are not interested in them. I don't think anybody recruited Hansen. Doleac's only other DI offer was Oregon (he is from Portland), but Oregon had no tradition at all then. We got him because Majerus saw him at a camp shortly after he started playing basketball in 9th grade and offered him. His father accepted and they kept their word. Only Van Horn was somewhat of a blue chipper. His best offer other than Utah was Arizona State.

Utah's really only had two blue chip recruits in the sense that they played in a US HS and were watched and recruited by all the elite programs from the time they were at least sophomores in HS--Danny Vranes and Britton Johnson. By the time Tom Chambers was a senior in Boulder people were getting excited about him. He came to Utah because Vranes did. Vranes/Chambers/Bankowski may be Utah's best recruiting class on paper yet.

Utah has always won with player development. It matters.

[LA Ute]

The thing is, none of these players were recognized as big recruits when they came. Miller didn't academically qualify as a freshman and started basketball his senior HS season after years of football. Jessie was a JUCO, and the elite programs usually are not interested in them. I don't think anybody recruited Hansen.

The Naval Academy offered him. He was that kind of a student.

Only Van Horn was somewhat of a blue chipper. His best offer other than Utah was Arizona State.

Interesting anecdote: Majerus told me once that Jim Harrick, then UCLA's coach, should have been fired for missing Van Horn, who played in UCLA's back yard. To Big Rick's eye Van Horn's potential was obvious.

Vranes/Chambers/Bankowski may be Utah's best recruiting class on paper yet.

Banko was a crowd favorite. I remember that on Senior Night (my first date with my wife) he told the fans, "I'm gonna miss youse."

[sancho]

Utah's really only had two blue chip recruits in the sense that they played in a US HS and were watched and recruited by all the elite programs from the time they were at least sophomores in HS--Danny Vranes and Britton Johnson. By the time Tom Chambers was a senior in Boulder people were getting excited about him. He came to Utah because Vranes did. Vranes/Chambers/Bankowski may be Utah's best recruiting class on paper yet.

You could maybe add Brekkot Chapman to that list. He was recruited fairly heavily. I think our last two recruiting classes have been two of the highest ranked ever, right? I wonder where the Vranes/Chambers/Banko class would have ranked had the rankings existed. I guess RunDMC was Majerus' highest ranked class?

[UTEopia]

Banko was a crowd favorite. I remember that on Senior Night (my first date with my wife) he told the fans, "I'm gonna miss youse."

Bankowski was a mean SOB. I was friends with Juddy and when he was with the Celtics he bought his home up above Skyline where my parents lived. I would get invited from time-to-time to join him in pickup games at HPER with the Vranes, Chambers, Bankowski group during the off-season. Even in these games Bankowski would put an elbow into your solar plexus when he crossed the key. I caught a few of those.

[SeattleUte]

You could maybe add Brekkot Chapman to that list. He was recruited fairly heavily. I think our last two recruiting classes have been two of the highest ranked ever, right? I wonder where the Vranes/Chambers/Banko class would have ranked had the rankings existed. I guess RunDMC was Majerus' highest ranked class?

Vranes was a Parade All-American and Britton was a McDonald's All-American. First Team. That's a different stratum than anything else we've recruited. Brekkot was ranked lower than Yeoli Childs.

[sancho]

Brekkot was ranked lower than Yeoli Childs.

Yet Brekkot was somehow 1,000 times more coveted than Childs. Brekkot had many Pac-12 offers. Childs had none.

But your main point holds - Brekkot was not a McDonald's all-American.

Vranes is not part of the modern era of basketball (as always, modern era is defined to be the past 25 years). Britton only has a few more years left before he is no longer part of the modern era. When that happens, Utah will have 0 recruiting All-Americans in the modern era.

[sancho]

This conversation made me go to the Utah Mr. Basketball page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Mr._Basketball

Brekkot wasn't even Mr. Basketball. It's a fun list of names. Two of them have been drafted, a few others have played for a season or two in the NBA. Seems like most of them (3/4?) had meaningful college careers. How many were McDonald's All-Americans? Britton and Frank Jackson. Garner Meads? Shawn Bradley?

[Scratch]

Brekkot was ranked lower than Yeoli Childs.

I'm pretty sure that's just not true. What recruiting service had Childs ranked ahead of Brekkott?

[LA Ute]

I'm pretty sure that's just not true. What recruiting service had Childs ranked ahead of Brekkott?

247 had Brekkott ranked #56:

https://247sports.com/player/brekkott-chapman-24053/

Scout had him #49:

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/b...ekkott-chapman

[Scratch]

247 had Brekkott ranked #56:

https://247sports.com/player/brekkott-chapman-24053/

Scout had him #49:

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/b...ekkott-chapman

Yep. Pretty sure ESPN had Yoeli the highest, but still behind Brekkott, I think.

[LA Ute]

Yep. Pretty sure ESPN had Yoeli the highest, but still behind Brekkott, I think.

They had him 56th. He had offers from ASU, Idaho State and Utah State, according to this link:

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/b...9/yoeli-childs

So if Larry missed him so did everyone else.

[concerned]

This conversation made me go to the Utah Mr. Basketball page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Mr._Basketball

Brekkot wasn't even Mr. Basketball. It's a fun list of names. Two of them have been drafted, a few others have played for a season or two in the NBA. Seems like most of them (3/4?) had meaningful college careers. How many were McDonald's All-Americans? Britton and Frank Jackson. Garner Meads? Shawn Bradley?

Vranes was a McDonalds AA, IIRC.

[SeattleUte]

Vranes was a McDonalds AA, IIRC.

I thought so. But wasn’t sure they had that then. He was a Parade All-American, which at that time was as big a deal as McDonald’s.

[concerned]

I thought so. But wasn’t sure they had that then. He was a Parade All-American, which at that time was as big a deal as McDonald’s.

You got me curious so I just looked it up. Vranes was on the very 1st team. Gene Banks was the MVP. Magic Johnson also on the team. Ray Tolbert, Jeff ruland, Jeff lamp, Al Wood and others. I think you are right about him being a parade All-American too. I think he was both

[LA Ute]

You got me curious so I just looked it up. Vranes was on the very 1st team. Gene Banks was the MVP. Magic Johnson also on the team. Ray Tolbert, Jeff ruland, Jeff lamp, Al Wood and others. I think you are right about him being a parade All-American too. I think he was both

Danny also made the US Olympic team, although the 1980 team didn’t play because of the US boycott. I don’t think any other Utah basketball player has been on an Olympic team, so that sets him apart from everyone else right there. He was such a pleasure to watch.

[sancho]

I don’t think any other Utah basketball player has been on an Olympic team, so that sets him apart from everyone else right there.

Bogut has. Maybe Phil Dixon? Looks like Hanno played for the Finnish national team but never got to play in an Olympics. Ma Jian played in the 1992 olympics.

[LA Ute]

Bogut has. Maybe Phil Dixon? Looks like Hanno played for the Finnish national team but never got to play in an Olympics. Ma Jian played in the 1992 olympics.

Fair enough. I meant the US Olympic team. I’m a typical jingoistic American, I guess.

[SeattleUte]

Fair enough. I meant the US Olympic team. I’m a typical jingoistic American, I guess.

Making the US Olympic team is a lot bigger achievement than any other Olympic team. It’s a fact, not Jingoistic to say so, silly.

[concerned]

Making the US Olympic team is a lot bigger achievement than any other Olympic team. It’s a fact, not Jingoistic to say so, silly.

I looked that up too:

The 1980 U.S. team, which featured a number of future NBA players, was the youngest American national team ever assembled. This team featured: Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Sam Bowie, Michael Brooks, Bill Hanzlik, Alton Lister, Rodney McCray, Isiah Thomas, Darnell Valentine, Danny Vranes, Buck Williams and Al Wood. Unable to compete in the Olympics due to the boycott, it instead participated in the "Gold Medal Series", a series of games against NBA all-star teams in various U.S. cities, recording a 5–1 record.^[18] It was coached by Dave Gavitt.


Good memory, LA Ute. (Only Trump could remember something like that, because he has an outstanding, world class memory except as to what was said in meetings about Russia or Mueller.)

[LA Ute]

I looked that up too:

The 1980 U.S. team, which featured a number of future NBA players, was the youngest American national team ever assembled. This team featured: Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Sam Bowie, Michael Brooks, Bill Hanzlik, Alton Lister, Rodney McCray, Isiah Thomas, Darnell Valentine, Danny Vranes, Buck Williams and Al Wood. Unable to compete in the Olympics due to the boycott, it instead participated in the "Gold Medal Series", a series of games against NBA all-star teams in various U.S. cities, recording a 5–1 record.^[18] It was coached by Dave Gavitt.


Good memory, LA Ute. (Only Trump could remember something like that, because he has an outstanding, world class memory except as to what was said in meetings about Russia or Mueller.)

Also because the accomplishment was yuge.

[concerned]

Also because the accomplishment was yuge.

If only Vranes could have developed a mid range jump shot.