I'm not sure what to think.

It seems like they didn't scout Estick or Stewart enough to know that they could hit those shots. Jonas on the radio at halftime mentioned that Stewart was a transfer from South Carolina, where he averaged 16 PPG which included dropping a 30-pointer against Rick Barnes and Clemson (which played awesome D under him). It seemed like Majerus and the coaching staff didn't know that.

Obviously the effort wasn't there today. Sharp just letting that ball roll out of bounds. Jensen and Hanno getting worked on the boards. It was just all typical of the effort. It seemed like they just kept waiting for someone to step up, and no one did. I posted a message before the Arkansas State game that I was worried the team peaked too early. Considering how the Utes have played since beating New Mexico on March 1st, it looks like they did.

Either way, I think that this loss was a team effort. It came from both the players and the coaches.

Although, I have to give Miami credit. They took what Utah gave them and beat them with it. Estick played those pick-and-rolls perfectly. They looked like Stockton and Malone out there.

Oh well.

On the bright side, I think I saved myself about 10 pounds of weight gain by the Utes losing so early. We have a tradition of sucking down those Reeese's Easter Eggs while watching the Utes play, then topping it off with Oreo Madness once a weekend, either to celebrate a win, or mourn a loss.

No long faces. Miami played great. The Utes lost. We return all but 1 player next year and get some other good players coming in. Granted, that the player we lose is Miller, but I have complete faith in Majerus. Look what he did when we lost Van Horn. Look what he did after we lost all but 3 players last year. Remember, this is a rebuilding year. Going to the round of 32 on a rebuilding year is nothing to complain about.

Go Utes!
Matt Smith

Rick is human. At some levels game planing and game adustments is guesswork. Coles' ploys worked better than Majerus'. I also think his team played harder and smarter.

Now don't get too excited I would't trade Rick for anyone but he is not perfect and the game is played on the court not the chalkboard.

Vegas Ute (Even the best don't win them all)

With the help of 20/20 hindsight, I'd say you were right. I don't think Rick counted on having every "touch" on Wally being called a foul, thus negating Jensen's and the Utes effort. We would have been much better clamping down on everyone else. Those wide open layins and uncontested threes killed us worse

In the post-game news conference, Rick mentioned that Stewart had averaged only one three pointer per game this season, and that the Utes always play the averages....sometimes when playing the averages, something above average happens. That's why they play the games.

Miami had a great game plan, and beyond all, IMO controlled the tempo of the game, making the Utes play into their game plan.

I think that Hanno has been disappointing in three of the last four halves of ball that he has played. It was obvious that Andre was hurting, but showed the heart of a lion in staying in and playing with the pain.

Disappointed? yes, but it was a great season and the best is yet to come. The Utes are 58-9 the past two seasons. The future looks very bright.

GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!!

It's kind of ironic actually. I think that Utah got a dose of their own medicine. Utah is usually the hardest working team on the floor. Miami University (was Miami of Ohio) basically outhustled, outworked, and outran us.

Bottom line: They Wanted It More.

It's an interesting twist of fate for Utah to lose like that. That's how we beat Arizona. That's how we beat North Carolina. That's how we damn well nearly beat Kentucky. Now Utah is a big time program and the tables are turned.

It was a lot more fun to be one of those teams from one of the square states out west known for an overweight coach with a quick wit and a bag full of one-liners. The media may still not really know how good of a program Utah is, but you can rest assured that the rest of Division I basketball does. Miami did. Their respect for us drove them to play hard enough to beat us. Something Arizona and UNC didn't have last year. As a matter of fact, I'm wondering if the fact that Tubby coached against Rick for a year (two?) in the WAC may have helped Kentucky to not overlook us.

I guess recognition and respect is a double-edged sword.

Go Utes!
Matt Smith

You could see this coming. Tulsa & New Mexico in the WAC Tournament- lackluster first halves followed by "getting with it" in the second half. Arkansas State, same thing. Miami, OH- it caught up with us. They wanted it more.

Matt--I agree with your completely. When Stewart hit the 3 3 pointers in 64 seconds and the look on the Utes faces were almost blank you andknew the intensity wasn't there. Hats off to Miami(OH) they got what they wanted.

I've been harping on the schedule all year and I really believe that was a contributor along with the long winning streak. The Utes didn't get a lot of challenges this year and the streak could have been a negative for Utah to a degree.

One more point. The Utes didn't play particularly well in the WAC tourney but there experience and coaching got them over the hump. Once they ran into a highly motivated team with talent it caught up with them.

Utah Rick

The Utes faced their mirror image today, a well coached team with sound fundamentals, a brilliant game plane, a complete player, and give no quarter discipline. I'd rather have an opponent that is undisciplined and full of race horses any day, particualarly when the Utes are favored. This game shows what a tremendous psychological burden a high seed with a national reputation faces in the early rounds. Remember, virtually every team in the final 32 is solid, and the underdogs in the second round, particularaly the ones who have never been this far before, have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The tremendous expectations that the press, and we fans and alumni, place on these kids, and stress assiciated with the finality of the NCAA tournament, can be overwhelming. What happened to the Utes today has happened repeatedly to Kansas, UCLA, Indiana, North Carolina, Duke (under Coach K), and Kentucky. Just be glad that Majerus has built the kind of program and tradition that is capable of such a fall.

Utes Rule, now it's time to start salivating about next year. We have everybody back, and an army to fill Andre's shoes.

Congratulations Utes for one of our greatest seasons ever, and Andre for the being the most successful individual player ever. We'll never forget you.

... but failure is a lonely orphan." I don't know who said that originally, but it seems to apply right after a disappointment like we had this afternoon. It hurts me to see all the "blamestorming" going on over this loss. Hanno didn't lose this, Alex didn't, Majerus' plan didn't, and the short bench didn't lose it. The Utes together lost it because Miami executed well at both ends and got more than a couple of great breaks on some desparate shots. Miami deserved it. Moreover, none of the Utes deserve to be blamed.

After the game I was in an incredibly rotten mood about the result, but I handled it by going for a nice 4 mile walk and getting it in perspective. We had a great year. We were not expected to be as good as we were. We should be proud of a group that overachieved this year. Isn't that something to be proud of? I think so. Another thought that occurred to me during the walk, was that we have to be classy enough to accept that the excitement of the NCAA tournament always means there will be 63 teams that lose. There was no shame in us going down today. Disappointment yes, but not shame.

Thanks to everyone in the program that made this a fun ride! And thanks to Andre for being a Ute I'll always be proud of!

A Utah Man, sir, and will be 'til I die!

HoopUte

"Misery loves company" is another. I wonder what the talk on the Stanford and Miami (Fla) and especially Cincinnati boards is about tonight? Probably much of the same. What a great season. Any loss is disappointing, but the one to end the season is harder to take. I still have that kind of empty feeling in my gut, but now it's not because of the loss, it's because when I go to night with the Runnin Utes this fall Andre won't be there. Where has the time gone. Of all the players that have moved on, it's Andre that I'll miss most. And I'll miss seeing his mom cheering him on from the student section. What a class person on and off the court. The NBA should be so lucky to have a person like Andre. Good luck Andre with everything that you do.

Thanks for a great season to all the team members and coaches.

And as always Go Utes!

G-Ute

He does seem to have been around for the longest time. And yes, I think the hardest Ute ever to see gone. I think we all had visions of how we hoped his last minutes in a Ute uniform might end, but maybe now not the time to look at the disappointment, but rather the good and great times we saw from, I can still hear it now, the starting lineup intro's at the Alamo Dome final, ... at guard, #24, 6'2" from Los Angeles, California...

I concur, Stanford is certainly in some serious hurt also. Ranked #1 at the start of the season, their first 7 players returning from a final four team, I can imagine the expectations that were entertained in the mind of those that follow that program. Whew.

-------

A Utah Man, sir, and will be 'till I die.

Though I was disappointed by today's game, there is no question it was quite an incredible season!

I went to the game in Austin, Texas in December. We Ute faithful were pretty glum as we gathered at the hotel after the game. Some of us spoke with hope in the future due to the "rebuilding" that was going on, but I could have never dreamed what a fantastic ride we were about to be taken on. In many ways the same can be said about next season, and the years ahead. Three seniors are returning, the recruiting pipeline is more than full, and I'm confident Majerus will be at the helm for quite some time.

Until then, Go Redhawks!, and of course my "other school", Go Sooners!

PS: I hope some of the message board faithful will go meet the team to give them a well deserved homecoming at the SLC airport.

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