HOOPS: Those who think that Osmundson won't be back...
Posted By: Midwest
Ute Fan
Date: Wednesday, 20 March 2002, at 12:11 a.m.
...have got to be out of their minds.
I was pulling for Osmundson at the beginning of the season, and you better believe I'm still pullin'. Here goes:
The only logical reason why Osmundson wouldn't be back next year is if HE chooses to leave. In the limited minutes he played this year he more than held his own on the court, offensively and defensively.
Indeed there seems to be a logjam at the two position next year. And with Jacobsen playing 35+ minutes a game (strangely, whether he is playing well or not so well) it makes for a difficult situation. Personally, I don't think N.J. should be getting the kind of minutes one only sees delegated to players like the almighty M.J. I've said this before... N.J. will not carry this team and if he is expected to it will actually hurt his game and consequently the team. Here it is in equation format for those more mathematically inclined:
Less minutes for NJ = More wins for the Utes
NJ # (does not equal) MJ.
IMO, Osmundson should have received more minutes at the two, even if they were at the expense of Jacobsen's. Osmundson's game is entirely different than Jacobsen's and it would have made it more difficult for teams to defend the Utes. Why not play them together? I think that the future success of the Utes will critically depend upon whether or not the coaching staff gets over the "NJ can do no wrong" mentality, and gives other players some room to grow. Whether that be Osmundson, or the incoming RunDMC. Let N.J. do what he does well...shoot the open J (OK, really really well), and let some other players fill the other roles that Jacobsen cannot. Yes, cannot. Now, to all the NJ supporters out there (and I am one of them) I am not saying that NJ is not a great player. I am not saying that he should not be playing big minutes. I am merely attempting to place his talents in perspective. With that said, I'll continue...but not without another equation:
More minutes for Osmundson = More productive games for NJ
If the Utes run their offense exclusively through Jacobsen, which seemed to be the case in some games, then it is soooooo easy to shut the offense down - especially without a strong post player, and especially if the Utes aren't shooting exceptionally well. How? Stick a man on N.J. ALL DAY LONG. That's what any able minded college or even high school coach would do. And this is what happened, and this is one of the major reasons why the Utes lost a few of those games. Was it Nick's fault? Absolutely not!!! Given how tightly he was defended later on in the season, and how he so often had to rush his shot, he played admirably - a tribute the pure shooter he is. The bottom line is that Jacobsen will be a better player and the Utes will be a better team if others are permitted to pick up some slack and if N.J is not expected to do it all. (35+ minutes a game? Really...)
Here are some reasons why I think Osmundson will be back for sure, why he is a valuable asset to Utah basketball, and why he will be a force to be reckoned with:
1. With the exception of Britton Johnsen and, at times, Spivey, no other Ute could breakdown his defender and drive to the bucket quite like Osmundson could...and you have to believe that the coaching staff wasn't exactly giving Os the green light. Sure, he missed a few layups here and there, but he's a freshman - a true freshman and probably the youngest kid on the team - and to his credit was a victim of some really crummy calls, or rather, no calls.
2. To all the naysayers I ask them to recall the games when Oso wasn't playing well and Osmundson stepped up to the plate as point guard - not even his position. With the exception of the St. Mary's game, where he was roughed up a bit, he performed masterfully for a freshman. At that time, people couldn't stop singing his praises..."Boy, Rick really knows how to pick'em...Such court sense...Such presence of mind...etc..." So what happened to all this court sense, passing skill, presence of mind? Clearly it didn't disappear as he gained experience...Rather (poof!) his minutes began to disappear. Likewise, with the exception of a few posters (you few know who you are!) there was nothing but negativity thrown Oso's way when he was struggling early on; and this was mere weeks after the hipsters (who live and die by the words of the recruiting web sites) were treating him like the greatest thing since sliced bread based on their preseason assessment of him. Now, Oso seems to be coming along just fine; in fact I would have liked to see him run the point the entire second half of the IU NCAA tournament game - the offense clearly ran more efficiently when he played the point that night. I guess these observations are good for a chuckle or two, and I guess that's why they call it the "bandwagon."
3. If you watched Osmundson play in the beginning of the season, you probably noted that he passes well to the post. I distinctly recall several occasions where there were some fantastic Osmundson to Burgess passing going on earlier in the season (even some very nifty no-lookers). Osmundson's talents were more readily observable when Burgess, a dominant post player, was in the game and the offense was more balanced. Later on in the season there were almost no offensive opportunities for dribble penetration/inside dishes for layups ala Andre the Great. Give Osmundson a strong post player and he'll give you assists galore at the two position.
4. Oh yes of course, there are the new recruits coming in. I simply don't see these guys waltzing in and taking Osmundson or Oso's position. I am as excited as ever about these new recruits, but I think its foolish to deify them before they even step on the court. Here's a little story...Wanna hear it? Here it goes..."There once was tall athletic kid named Julani McCoy who was recruited to UCLA...yadda yadda yadda." Now, to the credit of the new recruits...they sound like they have their act together...so the aforementioned comparison isn't entirely fair. I wonder if Osmundson had come in as a more highly ranked/hyped recruit on all those internet lists, and played just as he did this year, if the naysayers would view him differently? Hmmmm....
5. Osmundson is athletic, he loves to play defense, and he plays defense well. 'Nuff said.
6. Osmundson is a good student, with a good attitude.
And to the poster who stated Huber will start, I'll have to respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree.
I guess I should qualify my post like many others do by stating how I know nothing and that I could be wrong. Indeed.
If Osmundson does end up leaving I think it would be a tremendous blow to the Utes...especially given his intangible court sense, work ethic, and athleticism. The excessive player turnover at Utah is what is keeping the Utah basketball program from developing into a great program (as opposed to the very good one we all know and love). After all, word gets around.
Finally, if RunDMC ends up beng half as good as their hype then Osmundson may be the perfect complement to their style of play.
Agree with most of your post......
I would only disagree with the Huber statement. I think he's got the inside track to the PG position.
It's not like he's coming in to try to unseat the starter and he has just as much experience in the Utah system as Oso.(granted he played no game)
I think Oso did wonderfully and will be a good PG for Utah, his one problem is that he is slow. I will admit I haven't seen Huber play, but all things I've heard/read about him I don't ever think anyone said he's slow.
I agree wholeheartedly about Os, he needed more minutes this year.
The problem I see is similar to Trent Whiting. In Utah's system he wasn't allowed to do what he does best and as soon as he gets to Provo his game flourishes because he's allowed to play to his strengths.
I know Majerus is one of the best coaches and I shouldn't say anything negative about him, but he doesn't allow his players to play to their strengths. I know you can't just play helter-skelter ball, but the players have to be able to free lance from time to time and take something out of the flow of the offense.
Re: HOOPS: Those who think that Osmundson won't be back...
It's no secret I'm a big fan of Osmundon, for the reasons you have stated. At times he seemed to be the only Ute guard inclined to drive to the basket, AND he once in awhile got open on his cuts down the lane and received a pass and finished. That is one reason he needed more minutes, and the other is Jacobson just wore down playing so many minutes. There were some games at the Hunty where, by the end, Jacobson couldn't block out his man or handle the ball because he was exhausted.
One strange thing, about halfway through conference season, is that some of Osm's teammates stopped throwing him the ball. He would cut or pop open, and they would look him off or fake the pass to him. Once the defense realized he wasn't going to get it, they sagged off and the Utes were almost playing 4 on 5. I don't know if the other guys lost confidence in him or what, but it was strange, especially after he seemed to have proven himself a capable basketball player.
The reason some of us are worried about Osmundson leaving is that Majerus seems so excited about Chaney, and Osm is stuck one year behind Jacobson, one year ahead of Chaney. Maybe Majerus thinks he doesn't need three shooting guards in a row like that.
The recruiting hype is also funny. Last year there were a couple posters who said Osimani would be the best guard ever to play at Utah, and that he did everything Miller did, but just a little bit better. I'm excited about the three frosh next year, but will reserve judgement until I see them play and contribute. I still think Majerus needs 2 or 3 more recruiting years that leave everyone buzzing before the program is back to Sweet 16 capability, because obviously if he gets a couple top 100 recruits each year he'll get some players and some of them will develop.
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