Posted By: ColoUte
<everutes@hotmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 6:51 a.m.
1) Is it just me, or is anyone else getting really sick of losing EVERY freakin' key rebound? Is it because our team doesn't have the height or athleticism or hustle, or is it because our team is composed of a bunch of pansies who get thrown all over the place? We've known for a long time that this was the worst rebounding Ute team in the Majerus era, but this is just getting stupid. How many times does the man need to scream, "Box Out" before someone on the team believes that it just may be a useful tool in rebounding?
2) I've noticed there are a lot who have noticed how we're getting whooped in the 2nd half. Is this a function of fatigue, lack of depth, or both. I know that Britton in the 2nd half last night looked very good, but had to be pulled at key times because he was sucking wind. I sincerely hope conditioning becomes a priority this offseason for more than the two for whom it was a priority LAST offseason.
3) I know there are a lot of Spivey defenders on this board, and I'm one of them. He's competitive, he plays hard and within the system, and we're a much better team when he's on the floor. That said, I thought he was flat out lazy last night. He wasn't paying attention to where Banks was at all. He made lack-luster passes. And 2 of his fouls were just plain stupid. He's got to be smarter than that.
4) I don't care what anyone says, I liked what Osmundson brought last night. Yeah, he still makes a lot of freshman mistakes and stupid fouls, but those will get corrected in time. At least he last night, he made me feel like he was the only one who actually cared if we won that game. At the end of the game, he was the only one shooting with ANY kind of confidence. Jeff and Jacobson were both missing badly, Trace didn't feel like shooting, and Britton could only hit layups. (Who'd have thought at the beginning of the season that anyone would be saying THAT?)
5) Despite the doom and gloom, we still have a VERY good shot at making the NCAA's. We have 5 games remaining, and a potential for 3 in the conference Tourney. I think 5 more wins gets us in the Tourney. 4 wins makes us a solid bubble team (depending on where they occur). But, if we get swept on our final 3 game roadie, I think we need to win the conference tourney to get in. We're going to have to play a LOT better in order to not get swept in said roadie, though.
GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll take a stab at the rebounding question
First, there just isn't much beef on the front line for utah this year, and our guys get pushed around alot (funny how a shove isn't a foul, but if you wave at someone taking a layup it is a foul).
The thing I have noticed is that when the defense rotates to help against penetration, there is no weakside rebounding. Many times Britton jumps in to help cover the driver, and Utah always challenges layups, and there is no one on the other side of the rim to rebound. I don't know if the team is rotating properly, or the Smallball is just catching up to them. It could just be a quickness thing, as other team's wing players are able to outrace Utah's to the rebound.
Another thing that I've noticed in the past few games is that Utah usually makes the first good play -- challenge a shot, block a shot, deflect a pass, get a hand on the rebound -- but then has trouble making the subsequent play of either chasing down the loose ball, holding on to the rebound, reacting to crazy bounces, or what have you. So many times it seems like utah makes a good defensive stop, but they don't come up with the ball or rebound and they give up an easy basket after playing tough defense.
HOOPS: Trivia: When was the last time the Utes won the second half?
Posted By: UtahDan
<mc6066a@american.edu>
Date: Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 12:59 a.m.
The answer is when we played at UNM where we won the second half by 18. Since then we have lost all second halves as follows:
BYU- lost by 7
CSU- lost by 1
WYO- lost by 9
SDSU- lost by 2
UNLV- lost by 16What is up with our crappy second half play as of late?
Back on February 2nd I wrote:
"Last week against BYU we allowed a double digit lead to be threatened and then tonight we go ahead by 15 and give up 8 straight points. This is going to kill us on the road somewhere I'm afraid. I'm going to make the sad prediction now that we will lose one road game this year where we have lead at one point by 10 or more."
Prophetic? I hope I am right that it is only one. A huge part of this problem is that Jacobson just doesn't seem to be enough of a competitor at this point to demand the ball. Jeff Johnsen had I think 13 attempts tonight and Nick only 7. That is just flat out wrong. It should be the other way around.
I won't dwell too long on officiating because that is not the reason we lost, but go look at the box score. Wow. We went to the line 3 times. Enough said.
I still think we can win the rest of our games, or we could lose 3 more. We have to learn to back cut and get to the basket better becasue every one is going to be guarding that three point line form here on out. So far we just don't make teams pay enough for playing so close. I personally think the officials allowed UNLV to play very close and physical on us then called a lot of ticky tack crap on the other end. However, if we set good screens and learn to make back door passes we beat that defense. In fact it seems to me that maybe the biggest problem is our lack of offensive mindedness whhen we do drive. How often tonight did Spivey or Caton or Jacobson or J Johnson beat their defender then make a pass out of the lane? You have to look to shoot the damn ball anytime you are in the paint especially with our height. I truly don't get that.
I also don't why we don't at least try to post up our 7 footer in teh second half or post Cullen up. I know Phil has little post game but when you have that much heigth you have to try to go inside. Then they can't play so close to the three point line. We never post up, not even to Britton who actually has some sweet post moves. If the perimeter defense never has to give help to the middle, what is the disincentive to playing belly up beyond the three?
Okay that is all the venting I can do for now. I just hate to see us lose because we play stupid. We have the guns to beat any team on any court in the conference. But until we start to win the second half, and especially against the good teams we face on the road from here on out, we may not win another raod game. You just cannot give the home team the momentum back. We need to stop racing out and then just holding on.
HOOPS: What a bizarre game
Posted By: Gilly
<vandamanfan@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 7:28 a.m.
I haven't looked at the boxscore yet, but I think the Utes had 16 field goals in the first half, and 14 turnovers. Which is pretty much what happened -- score a layup, give the ball away, score a layup, give the ball away. How in the world did Utah have an 8 point lead at halftime?
When was the last time Utah had that many wide open layups, and lost?
I have to give some credit to Spoonhour. First of all, he's not a screaming wildman on the sidelines, like some of the conference coaches. Second, he stuck with his game plan even when Utah was ahead by 10. Give up backdoor layups of drives off the dribble in order to pressure the ball all over the place. He must have watched tapes from Alabama or ASU. This takes away Utah's three point shooting, and exposes those players on the team who aren't strong ballhandlers. And who drives for Utah? Britton, Jeff and Osmundson? that's about it. UNLV didn't even provide help defense (except for one block on a Jeff Johnsen drive) they staid home on the shooters. I don't know if that strategy will work every game, but it did last night.
So, on to the bright spots.
Koford played a nice game. Even with two of his blocks being called fouls, he still played very well. I think he is emerging, getting a little more physical, and will really help utah down the stretch. he had a great bounce pass to a cutter from the high post last night that I haven't seen before.Britton. I'm not going to blame him for those two fouls in the first half. He sure played a great second half though. Not only was he carving up the Rebel defense, but he was helping everyone on defense. he was jumping to guys who penetrated and stopping them from getting to the rim. And he is playing good on-the-ball defense.
Osmundson. Could have played a little better, but still he contributed. 7 points, took a charge, played some good defense, had some nice passes. Two of his hoops were tough shots -- one pull up in the lane, one catch-and-shoot on the move from the left wing. I'm staying on this bandwagon and lobbying for more playing time for OSM.
Since it's Mardi Gras, it is party time and I won't go into the bad stuff. I will say I'm not sure what was going on with the backcourt last night -- look like they had never played together or against pressure defense. But we can examine all that during Lent and get everyone to repent.
Right now, it's Fat Tuesday.
HOOPS: This board is good therapy. It's my turn on the couch.
Posted By: Utah
Hick <ldtclowa@ihc.com>
Date: Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 10:52 a.m.
Spivey's worst game since last season. Banks (both of them) had a lot to do with it, but (sorry UNLV fans) he's played against better PG's and played a hell of a lot better. I will say that I think Banks is a good player. This game reminded me of the first 6 games of last year, when Spivey could barely bring the ball up the court.
A lot of clutching and grabbing by UNLV wasn't called, but the Utes either a) weren't strong enough to fight through it, b) didn't bother to fight back, or c) weren't athletic enough to overcome it. Thus, very few non-contested passes.
During UNLV's comeback, the Utes either turned it over or hoisted another 3.
Martin OsiMcTavish.
We have no enforcers. Puzey will join a Utah State team full of enforcers (Jeremy Vague, Brennan Ray come to mind).
Some guy named Amundson was the difference in the game. Our gameplan will never be, "we can't stop Amundson, we can only hope to contain him." I see that he goes to the same barber as Kambala, must be one of those UNLV perks.
UNLV is playing a hell of a lot better. The team is getting used to Spoonhour, an vice versa. Remember that Spoonhour has more career wins than Majerus. He's a hell of a coach.
I don't like to see thuggery on the basketball court. When one of their players throws a punch, and it's actually seen by the referee, I don't understand why he's still allowed to play in the game. He didn't even get a technical.
Session over. I feel better.
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