HOOPS: Thoughts on our last game...
Posted By: Wakara
<redrock60@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, 14 March 2002, at 11:50 p.m.
-Indiana seemed more motivated. All the upset talk bothered them. They were more intense and focused. We tried, but seemed physically light for this type of pounding game.
- No inside presence meant no open threes. We've been getting by on sheer basketball smarts and hustle, but we ran into a good team playing a good game, who was determined to stop the 3-ball. We didn't even try to go inside and had no great penetrators to make them pay for extending their defene. Lucky that Phil was on or it would have been ugly.
- Wonderful final game by Phil. He put on a shooting clinic. Good luck to him and I hope to see him in the majors someday pitching for my Tigers (screw the Mariners)
- Whenever we lose bad, you always see some unknown player have a career game against us. In this case it was Newton. Rick's D is aimed at stopping the other teams big guns. It mostly worked, especially on Jeffries. Enter Newton? We couldn't stop him, we could only hope to contain him. Coverdale played well, but his stats were padded by free throws at the end.
- Speaking of that: So, that's what it looks like when a team makes it's free throws down the stretch. Didn't seem that hard, but I blame Majerus for not coming up with a good free throw defense like other coaches have found to use against us.
- No disrespect to the team that just mauled us, but after watching UNCW beat USC, I think they're sweet 16 bound. Where did those guys come from? They killed my bracket by beating USC. It took some guts to lose a big lead and still win in OT.
- Both Johnsens had a mediocre night. There was some of that bird brain play again. Neither looked intense tonight. JJ deserved a better game to go out on after a good year. Maybe I can recruit him for my ward ball team next year. We have an opening for someone, anyone, with talent.
-Their defense was clearly designed to stop Jacobson, and it worked.
-Spivey is a senior, thank goodness. Has there ever been a worse free throw shooting guard at Utah? I defended his play earlier in the year, but it got worse as the year went on. He became lazy on defense and played sluggishly on offense. I found myself hoping that Rick would keep Osimani in. I liked his MO (initials) much better.
-When Spivey played well in Jan and Feb, the team played well. When he struggled, we struggled. PG is too crucial a position in Rick's system.
- When did NJ become a lousy free throw shooter? When opponents play him physical, he tends to get rattled, rush his shots and loses his touch. Hopefully he can fix that by next year. He's only a sophomore. He would have been the biggest benficiary of an inside presence this year.
- Next year looks good, but we will miss JJ's hustle and Phil as the streak shooter. I look forward to a post presence again, and a 3 way race for PG.
Next year we will be stronger at center, PF, SG,(Both will improve through experience) and PG (can't get too much worse). We will also have more depth. SF is a question mark, But between Caton, Markson, and Gotch, there is reason to hope. More importantly, I hope we can be more multi-dimensional in our offense and find an inside game. If Burgess comes back, watch out.
Listening to Rick after the game he seemed dissapointed, but determined. I look forward to a banner recruiting year. When Rick is focused, he is a great recruiter. I think he lacked that for a couple of years following 1998. I hope he's got it back.
See you in recruiting season. Thanks to all good posters who made this board fun to read from August to today. And thanks webmonkey.
Go Utes. Considering the adversity, they had a great season.
HOOPS: This is one of those games that just showed all of the weaknesses.....
Posted By: New
York <rickair@hotmail.com>
Date: Thursday, 14 March 2002, at 11:21 p.m.
No inside presence! Having to rely on the 3 point shot is just no way to win any game.
I can look past this as a year that we did better than we ever expected to do. Someone did us a favor by getting into this tournament because as was obvious,we were exposed with the 3 point reliance and that is very one dimensional..
We absolutely missed Burgess ... I remember when everyone said "why do we need Burgess?...Our final month of the season was a good of enough demonstration.
Funny, I do not feel so bad. This team just did not have the manpower and we all knew it. There is nothing so devastating as being undermanned....but we were in spades.
Britton could not do it on his own. Whomever said " who is the best Jacobsen"? when comparing Casey and Nick was a little right when we had a team that hit the bomb but was totally wrong when we had to rely on it. I am not down on Nick, I think he is going to be serious but he and Britton cannot be the the only well to draw from.
Cullen was awesome... he was the one guy who could come through...and he actually hit shots...too bad it was not contageous.
I am now putting this year behind as a preparation year. We have, coming in, guys who not only have played together but have played together as a team and understand team ball.
Say what you want about athleticism but the Utes sorely need a little and we are going to get a lot!
Nick and Britton really improved this year but were stradled with the burden of having to be the larget part for much of the year. Too much of a burden for them. However they have got to have learned a lot this year. Osimani has the skill to be something and he will take this year as a very minor ingrediant and turn it into something special. Caton is going to be Jeff and then some.
I will miss Cullen and Jeff. They were 2 hardnosed players who when on were totally on. However, they too suffered from carrying the burden both when they were on and when they were off and being inconsequential! Kind of the trademark of this team. No one was ever really on together except for the New Mexico game in Albuquerque.
Which brings me to next year because I do not want to dwell on this year except for the fact that we did win 20 games and did make the tourney.
Next year we will have athletes coming in as freshmen who are going to change the face of this team for years. These guys, by all acounts, are the total real deal. Add a senior Britton and a senior Caton who will be much better and smarter...an Osimani who will be something...a better Koford... possibly a Jackson, who no one knows diddly about and Frost and we have size, speed and athleticism and that is from the get go.
By all accounts DMC are all intelligent and very team oriented. I could be wrong but I cannot believe that all the written articles and appraisals are off. We will have for the first time, multiple points, multiple 2s, multiple forwards who can play the 3 or 4 and multiple big men. If they are even remotely like the hype then we can actually substitute and not lose anything.
This will be the team that can take us back to the Final 4.
Having multiples, even as they grow, will be a joy to watch.
Utah was just outmatched by Indiana but no more so than by Wyoming or UNLV at the end of the year. We did not have enough of anything and especially the inside presence. This could change dramatically with Goettche (sp), Jackson, Frost and Koford plus a springboard Bryant Markson. A very good Osimani and Drisdom plus by all accounts Huber gives us very good direction. Have a big 2 in Caton and Jacobsen who can both hit the bomb (especially because the opponents will have to give them space) and free wheelers like Britton and Frost and Chaney will just make everyone more open.
The final thing is that we could get Burgess back. You can mark my words, if Chris is back with all of the above and some I have left out , we will be Final 4 bound and one of the major powers in this country.
Top it off with Rick. Rick is a rediculous coach regardless but when he has smart and talented players he is deadly.
Go Utes!!!!! This loss was written in the stars but it is not the end of the world by a long shot. We won 20, lucked into the Tourney and gained a ton of experience. The future is very bright indeed!
For all who were bummed, I can only say that we had a good season with what we had...leave it at that because the future is rediculously bright!
Go Utes!!! Go USA!!! and Go Indiana... a really good club from a very good league. Hell a lot of great teams bit it today!
HOOPS: Couple of quick thoughts
Posted By: L.A.
Ute! <la_ute@hotmail.com>
Date: Friday, 15 March 2002, at 10:45 a.m.
I will always have a feeling of respect for this Ute team. Bradley goes away, then Burgess is lost, yet they kept battling and overachieved. It was frustrating to watch them, but I think they gave all they had to give.
Britton may well step up next year. It's happened before. I'm dating myself, but compare Chambers' junior year to his senior year. Vranes too. They were very solid juniors but All-Americans as seniors. Doleac had a simiilar progression. (Note: They all hit the weight room during the summer, too. Take a hint, Brit!)
It looks like we will have some athletes next year. Even so, I think we should resist looking at 18-year old kids as the saviors of the program. We all thought Osimani was going to be a stud, and he is-- but he needs to develop. We won't even know whether DMC will be in a position to contribute as freshman until late December.
There's always something to look forward to in Ute basketball. We have tradition, a great coach, and the fans and facilities necessary to compete at a special level. I hope we all appreciate that.
HOOPS: Just walked through the door after a contemplative drive up I5 from Arco Arena....
Posted By: Anasazi
<rdalrymple1@snowcrest.net>
Date: Friday, 15 March 2002, at 1:42 a.m.
Indiana was well prepared; we weren't. The clearly better team won. Not necessarily that much better athletically, but a much better team. Phil was sensational, but no one else seemed to be in the same game. In fact, Indiana seemed to understand our system better than we did (for a time, I was thinking of last year's NIT: at one point we had eleven field goals and sixteen turnovers).
That said, I saw the team on the floor tonight that I hoped we might be: UNC Wilmington. Guys, this group simply refused to wilt. Nick should get the film, watch Blizzard and model on him what a combo pg/sg can be. I love that team. Despite being faced with better athletes, each UNCW player anticipates and understands his role-- you saw the result.
Oh well, I've seen some great wins and some gut-wrenching losses over the years, but this one does does reach new levels of the surreal.
Best to you all. I see most of you covered the (non/in)action very well.
HOOPS: And this is why I hate this time of year......
Posted By: ColoUte
<everutes@hotmail.com>
(49-118.med.utah.edu)
Date: Friday, 15 March 2002, at 9:07 a.m.
March is usually the best time of the year, but it's also the worst. The day after the Utes' tourney loss is the worst day of the year. We now have to sit back and chew on this loss for about 180 days until we get to kick the crap out of Indiana on the football field.
Now, I have to sit back and watch as this webboard grinds to a screeching halt for the next 6 months. Sure, we'll have 2-3 more days where we discuss this game and next year, we've got spring football, and there'll be discussion when the inevitable 2 player transfers occur. But the Majerus watch doesn't look like it'll be that extensive this year, and there won't be a Kapono/Ridnour type watch either. So, so long my Ute brethren. Come back occasionally to let us know how things are.
Other Thoughts:
- OK, I'm sure this has been posted, but I'll say it again: Our Johnsens simply weren't big enough to win this game.
- You know, when we initially looked at this match-up, we were excited because we noticed how similar the teams were. In retrospect, this was exactly the type of match-up we didn't want. We've done better this year against teams with superior athletes than we did against teams that are physical. Physical back-courts killed us every time this year, and Indiana's was the most physical of them all.
- It appears as though the Phil in double digits theory was a good one, but apparently there's a caveat. I'll say no more. Way to be a senior, Phil. I wish your fellow seniors would have come to play too.
- I really wish we had someone as tough as Coverdale. Trace is close to being that tough, but doesn't have nearly the skill. Nick has similar skills, but isn't nearly as tough. Hmmmmm, I wonder if we could breed.......Nah.
- I can't say enough about Indiana's defense. It goes to show that defense is more than getting a hand in someone's face. Every time a Ute put the ball on the floor, a Hoosier had a hand on it. They were knocking us off our cuts, they were running through screens. It was an absolute clinic.
- If Majerus runs a bunch of players off this season, and then complains about depth, I'll....Oh, I'd never follow through with it. Actually, Majerus can run off Koford and that wouldn't bug me. If Koford doesn't care, why should I?
- Regarding Majerus leaving Chris Jackson home for the MWC tourney, I don't know if there are issues there or not, but they need to be resolved. We NEED Chris next year. Even if we get the big Euro, we need Chris - both now and in the future. I don't want to see Frost at the 5 because that means Britton will be at the 4. Last night proved to me that Britton can't play the 4. He's not physical enough. We need two big centers to go with Frost and Goettsche at the 4 and Britton (and others) at the 3.
- Speaking of big men, I'd like to keep Allred as a 3rd big. He's not the most offensively gifted player on the planet, but he and Trace were the only guys I saw last night who weren't afraid to be physical. If nothing else, it's another 6'10 guy with 5 fouls to give. I want to get back to being the Utah Runnin' (albeit not very fast) Tall Physical Guys. I want other teams to start complaining about us being thugs again. This has been a pet peeve of mine all year. I just get tired of seeing 3 of our guys pick themselves up off the floor after every rebound.
- I'm going to go buy Majerus a case of 5,000 napkins. Hopefully that'll inspire him to design some plays to get Nicky J. open on occasion.
- Britton, Weight Room. Weight Room, Britton. Now that you two have met...
- I am convinced we'll be better next year, but having better talent won't be enough. Every team in the conference will have better talent. We're going to need to be tougher. We can't shy away from physical play, we need to answer in kind. No, forget that. We need to initiate the physical play, and make everyone else match our aggression.
- Oh, and it probably wouldn't suck if someone would hit a free-throw occasionally.
GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOOPS: Those crazy Utes
Posted By: Gilly
<vandamanfan@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 15 March 2002, at 10:35 a.m.
This was an interesting year, to say the least.
early struggles included some not very attractive losses at Alabama, at AZU, and at home to USU. A good win against Pepperdine followed by the ASU game. A very impressive win against Texas without Burgess was followed by the Whitworth and St. Mary's struggles.The first four conference games were great. UNLV and SdSU beaten with the three point barage, an OT win at Air Force (that turned out to be much better than it looked) and the blow out at New Mexico. Of course, the game at the Pit started the POW curse on jacobson, as he had hit 16 threes in the first 3 conference games and hit none against New mexico.
The BYU win is always great, but it was disturbing to watch utah only get two field goals in the last 10 minutes. Sadly, a portent of things to come. The CSU game was Britton's best game, until he came unglued at the line. if he had just shot marginally on his foul shots, he would have had 30 points. The utes let the Rams back in the game.
Wyoming at home was just ugly. 3 field goals in the second half, Cullen with two of them, but on the bench for the final 14 minutes. Caton guarding a center wasn't much fun to watch either.
A good win at SDSU, although Fisher was gone and two starters were benched. Then, the Utes gave away a big lead against UNLV, and the offense once again went into the freezer for along, long stretch. Highlight of the year, though, when Britton went coast-to-coast for the monster dunk.
Air Force at home was very ugly, although once again utah gutted out a win. Dickie the Hun Hunsaker running the team brought back memories of last year. New Mexico and senior night was exciting, but again the utes gave up a double-digit lead late in the game. Britton makes a freebie late to win the game.
BYU -- Utes give up a 21 point second half lead to their archrivals. That was painful. Turnovers start to outnumber buckets in the second half. Missed fouls shots........
CSU -- Utah scrapes out another win, jeff Johnsen saves the day. Missed foul shots................
Wyoming - -Utah does a great job of keeping the game close. In hindsight, I'd say this is one of their best performances of the year. missed foul shots..................
Mt. West tournament -- surviving CSU gets Utah into the tournament. Good grief, the mistakes the Utes make. Utah shows guts coming back against UNLV, but couldn't hold onto the lead. Missed foul shots................
The game last night? Utah is slower at 4 or the 5 spots, Utah can't rebound, utah needs jacobson and Britton to play well and THEN have Cullen hit his shots. Utah has trouble guarding people one-on-one, and scoring on people one-on-one. Without Cullen, are we looking at a Duke-Winthrop type score? Too many turnovers 30 or 40 feet from the hoop. Missed foul shots.............
I agree with the poster who said -- don't panic on the recruiting. Don't rush out and sign a couple guys and force present players to leave. If Jackson and/or Goettsche turn out ok, then last year was a good recruiting class because Osm and Oso can play. If one or two of the RunDMC guys turns out to be good, then that is another good recruiting class. I believe it will take two more good-to-great recruiting classes to get Utah back to a potential Sweet 16/Great 8 team. Zimmerman has verballed for 2003, so it'll be interesting to see who Majerus adds to that class.
The current group of players plays very hard, but they lack speed and quickness. No one can really finish in traffic or hit a jumper with a man on him. It takes alot of precision to run an offense so that guys are WIDE open for their shots. If Britton and Jacobson improve AND become more consistent, then Utah will have a nice foundation for next year. Britton is much better at the three than the four, in my opinion, so Frost or Goettsche or someone better be able to play the 4. And the team needs a rebounding stud.
Last night, Utah underachieved, but I'd say during the whole year they overachieved.
Last modified .