If Not Arizona, Then a Land Not Too Far Away: Utah vs. Arizona and Arizona St.

[DrumNFeather]

Where all parents are strong and wise and capable and all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah.

Well here we go...Arizona and Arizona St. One of the biggest home stands we've probably ever had, at least since joining the Pac 12.

The sweep in Oregon has set this weekend up to be huge for our postseason hopes...but really, that sweep probably enabled us to finish in the top half of the conference if things go well. Long way to go, to be sure, and we face these two teams in three weeks time down in Arizona.

Thursday vs. Arizona:

Ranked 14th in the AP poll and 17th in the RPI, and hold wins over three RPI top 50 teams currently.

Sunday vs. ASU:

Ranked 4th in the AP poll and 6th in the RPI, and holds wins over three RPI top 50 teams currently.

As for the Utes, they are 32 in the RPI with one win over the RPI top 50 currently. It's early, but even a split this weekend would be massive for the Utes.

Larry was noncommittal about Seely and Tillman today in his presser. Something tells me though, if those guys can go, they'll go.

[sancho]

Well here we go...Arizona and Arizona St. One of the biggest home stands we've probably ever had, at least since joining the Pac 12.


I feel like UNLV was a pretty bad match up for us, and Arizona is worse in all the same ways. I think Ayton and co. neutralize our inside game, and without that, we are just hoping our 3's go down.

I know ASU is also very good, but I feel like our chances are better against them since they are guard oriented.

[sancho]

Arizona has 11 players who average 10 minutes or more per game. That probably changes to a much smaller rotation now with Alkins back.

Trier, Alkins, PJC, and Randolph off the bench all shoot over 40% from outside.

Ayton gets 20 ppg with 12 rebounds. We have no answer for him (no one really does).

Ayton, Alkins, and Ristic all rebound well.

FG% and FT% are high pretty much across the board.

The one things I've heard people say about Zona's title chances is that they don't have a true PG. PJC has a 5:2 assist to turnover ratio, though.

Our boy Akot has not done well. In 12 minutes per game, he has not scored or rebounded at all. His shooting percentages are very low.

[snafu]

As with every game we play, let's hope we are knocking down a bunch of 3's. Otherwise, it could get ugly.

[UTEopia]

Our boy Akot has not done well. In 12 minutes per game, he has not scored or rebounded at all. His shooting percentages are very low.

DNP vs. ASU and only played 2-4 minutes against UConn, UNLV, TA&M and NC State. Let's hope he gets no minutes against the Utes.

[sancho]

DNP vs. ASU and only played 2-4 minutes against UConn, UNLV, TA&M and NC State. Let's hope he gets no minutes against the Utes.

I think he was the one who lost his minutes when Alkins returned. I'd rather face Akot than Alkins!

[UtahsMrSports]

I will be interested to see the crowd tonight. Coming off a GREAT weekend, hosting our long time nemesis who is ranked top 15........

But the buzz isn't quite there yet. And I am not too confident in our chances tonight. But crazier things have happened.

[concerned]

I will be interested to see the crowd tonight. Coming off a GREAT weekend, hosting our long time nemesis who is ranked top 15........

But the buzz isn't quite there yet. And I am not too confident in our chances tonight. But crazier things have happened.

school not in session will hurt too

[sancho]

But the buzz isn't quite there yet.

I agree. It's too bad, too. There are lots of good ways to make fun of AZ this season. A fully loaded MUSS could have a good time.

[DrumNFeather]

I agree. It's too bad, too. There are lots of good ways to make fun of AZ this season. A fully loaded MUSS could have a good time.

When was the last time the MUSS was fully loaded? Seems like the interest has not been there for quite some time. Product aside.

[DrumNFeather]

I will be interested to see the crowd tonight. Coming off a GREAT weekend, hosting our long time nemesis who is ranked top 15........

But the buzz isn't quite there yet. And I am not too confident in our chances tonight. But crazier things have happened.

Per the Twitter, sounds like only upper bowl seats were available as of last night. Here's hoping.

[Mormon Red Death]

Per the Twitter, sounds like only upper bowl seats were available as of last night. Here's hoping.Tillman or seely status?

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[LA Ute]

I have two good seats left now, at the last minute. Anyone want them?

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Tillman or seely status?

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:jig:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180105/b39468b70aae61080204d12fbce71bb0.jpg


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[Mormon Red Death]

Utah +4 tonight

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Utah +4 tonight

Yep

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180105/24647b0399b93662c89b978d402128f9.jpg


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[Diehard Ute]

I can report, Seeley can still jump.


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[DrumNFeather]

I can report, Seeley can still jump.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkCollette, however, cannot.

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[justaute]

Collette, however, cannot.

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And he has a shooting range of 1-ft.

[justaute]

Barefield is lazy.

[Mormon Red Death]

No show from Collette is killing us

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[Mormon Red Death]

Horseshit foul... Tillman had position that is over the back!

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[DrumNFeather]

Well that first half did not go well.

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[Solon]

Well that first half did not go well.

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It feels like this team is close - just hit the open shots, get the defensively rebounds, etc. etc., But then you look at the scoreboard and you’re down 14.

So maybe we’re not that close....maybe it’s just what Arizona does.
They are better in a lot of different ways, and it shows up in those kinds of things.

I’m hoping to see some good second-half play, but AZ looks a lot better tonight.

[sancho]

They are better in a lot of different ways, and it shows up in those kinds of things.


They are better at every position and off the bench. First time that has happened to a Utah basketball team since before Delon. I don't even think Zona has had work hard. Trier only took a couple shots, and they never really tried to work Ayton.

[DrumNFeather]

It feels like this team is close - just hit the open shots, get the defensively rebounds, etc. etc., But then you look at the scoreboard and you’re down 14.

So maybe we’re not that close....maybe it’s just what Arizona does.
They are better in a lot of different ways, and it shows up in those kinds of things.

I’m hoping to see some good second-half play, but AZ looks a lot better tonight.I'm trying to think of a game where our starters have all been "on" at the same time. Seems like if Collette is playing well, we aren't getting anything from Barefield, and so on. We've missed Tillman, I hope he can stay out of foul trouble.

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[LA Ute]

Barefield is lazy.

Maybe that’s why he sat out much of the first half? He has only 1 foul.

[sancho]

Trier only took a couple shots, and they never really tried to work Ayton.

We cut it to 6, and they go to Ayton twice in a row. It'd be nice to have a switch like that you can turn on whenever you need it.

[Diehard Ute]

We cut it to 6, and they go to Ayton twice in a row. It'd be nice to have a switch like that you can turn on whenever you need it.

It’d also be nice if they’d make Ristic take his tent out of the lane.


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[Mormon Red Death]

It’d also be nice if they’d make Ristic take his tent out of the lane.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI just screamed 3 seconds and Walton justified me

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[LA Ute]

We cut it to 6, and they go to Ayton twice in a row. It'd be nice to have a switch like that you can turn on whenever you need it.

They are taller and quicker than Utah at pretty much every matchup. Also seem to be able to go inside at will.

[sancho]

Ugh, Caldwell steps out for the 2nd time in as many minutes.

[sancho]

Wow. Barefield is such a confusing player. Love it when he's hot!

[Solon]

Ugh, Caldwell steps out for the 2nd time in as many minutes.
Playing hard and cutting that lead!
c’mon, elevation! Do your magic

[LA Ute]

Gotta hand it to Sean Miller, his teams are always terrific offensive rebounders. We just can’t seem to mix them out.

[LA Ute]

It will be interesting to see, post-game, how many points UA got in the paint tonight, and how many second-chance points they got. It’s impressive how good they are at both.

[justaute]

Glad to see Barefield picking up his effort.

[sancho]

Loving this. So much better than I expected.

[sancho]

That may have been the worst turnover I've ever seen. That pass barely made it 50% of the way to its target.

[DrumNFeather]

Quite the meltdown here down the stretch.

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[Solon]

Quite the meltdown here down the stretch.

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Dear Sean Miller,
The FBI is on the phone.
Should I ask Rich Rod’s administrative assistant to take the call after she finishes picking up his boxers?

[sancho]

Stupid Sean Miller is two 1-and-done centers away from missing the tournament in back-to-back seasons and losing his job.

I'm surprised we were able to make this as close as it was.

Not sure what to expect vs ASU.

[justaute]

Well, so CU beat ASU.

[hostile]

Saw a lot of good things in the second half. Loved the fight to come back. It would’ve helped to not have such a deficit to overcome.

[LA Ute]

Quite the meltdown here down the stretch.

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I counted a 10 or 11-point run by UA.

[LA Ute]

Utes deserve lots of credit for battling back against a better team. I was impressed.

Listening to the post game presser; Larry’s not happy at all, which is good.

UA got 23 points on second shots. Quite a few off breakaways too.

[sancho]

Sean Miller whined about Utah fans being abusive in the post game. Sean Miller is a dirtbag.

I was really surprised by the comeback. And even though we played them really close, I'd be surprised if a 2nd game against Zona were to be close. I just think they are much better than us.

[LA Ute]

Sean Miller whined about Utah fans being abusive in the post game. Sean Miller is a dirtbag.

The MUSS was chanting “FBI! FBI!” right behind the UA bench for much of the first half. It was wonderful.

[Diehard Ute]

Interestingly one of the officials tonight is the director of marketing for adidas basketball....he’s previously worked for Under Armour and Nike in similar roles.

Seems to me that’s a bad idea, having someone that connected to basketball apparel reffing college games, especially given the last 5 months, but what do I know.


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[DrumNFeather]

Stupid Sean Miller is two 1-and-done centers away from missing the tournament in back-to-back seasons and losing his job.

I'm surprised we were able to make this as close as it was.

Not sure what to expect vs ASU.

I watched quite a bit of the ASU/CU game before our game started and then again when it got close I flipped back and forth. ASU is pretty guard heavy. If we're smart, and our bigs can hit layups, we should have a decided advantage inside. We're going to have to extend the defense so that their guards don't just launch threes all night long, but it is certainly a winnable game.

[LA Ute]

During every timeout one of the young UA assistants turned away from their huddle and watched the Utah huddle intently, taking notes on a clipboard. He’d then report to another UA assistant Just as both huddles were about to break. What was that all about?

[NorthwestUteFan]

Sean Miller whined about Utah fans being abusive in the post game. Sean Miller is a dirtbag.

I was really surprised by the comeback. And even though we played them really close, I'd be surprised if a 2nd game against Zona were to be close. I just think they are much better than us.I heard about the FBI chants, and apparently the MUSS made it rain fake hundred dollar bills on the UA players as they went into the locker room at half time. I wish video of that existed, it would be glorious. And that treatment is as tame as Miller will see all season long.


During every timeout one of the young UA assistants turned away from their huddle and watched the Utah huddle intently, taking notes on a clipboard. He’d then report to another UA assistant Just as both huddles were about to break. What was that all about?Sounds like the Todd Graham-ification of UA basketball.

[DrumNFeather]

Colorado right now Is doing everything against Arizona that we couldn't, and they lead by 14.

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[sancho]

Colorado right now Is doing everything against Arizona that we couldn't, and they lead by 14.


...making my way to the TV. Thanks for the heads up.

[Diehard Ute]

Colorado right now Is doing everything against Arizona that we couldn't, and they lead by 14.

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Arizona couldn’t throw it in the ocean in the first half either.


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[sancho]

'Cats just went to Ristic twice in a row late in the 2nd half. 0-1 and a turnover. If justaute were watching, he'd point out the low basketball IQ of Arizona.

[DrumNFeather]

'Cats just went to Ristic twice in a row late in the 2nd half. 0-1 and a turnover. If justaute were watching, he'd point out the low basketball IQ of Arizona.He's had a terrible game.

You gotta give Tad Boyle credit, he gets a lot out of a pretty limited squad. They contested shots and attacked the basket. They took the fight to Arizona and the Cats just didn't respond enough to get the W. Very impressive.

I'd like to see our guys attack more. I think that's partially why we haven't seen Barefield's best.

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[sancho]

He's had a terrible game.

You gotta give Tad Boyle credit, he gets a lot out of a pretty limited squad. They contested shots and attacked the basket. They took the fight to Arizona and the Cats just didn't respond enough to get the W. Very impressive.

I'd like to see our guys attack more. I think that's partially why we haven't seen Barefield's best.

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Arizona finally goes to Ayton with 1:00 left, and he immediately scores 5. How do you not use that weapon?

[DrumNFeather]

Arizona finally goes to Ayton with 1:00 left, and he immediately scores 5. How do you not use that weapon?If he cares at all about basketball, he's going to be a fantastic pro.

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[justaute]

'Cats just went to Ristic twice in a row late in the 2nd half. 0-1 and a turnover. If justaute were watching, he'd point out the low basketball IQ of Arizona.

Haha

[justaute]

Didn't watch the CU/UA game, but just read the below on Bruins' site. Is this true?

"Colorado has a 7 foot freshman kid named Walton, no relation to Bill, who I had not seen before kid was terrific today. Had 16 points, 7-7 from the floor, made midrange shots, posted up both Ristic and Ayton. They only credited him with 2 blocks, I thought he had at least 5 and I missed the first 10 minutes of the game. There was one key trip late where he deflected PJC's shot and then blocked the attempted putback by Alkins, kid is from Colorado and as someone who follows recruiting I'll openly admit I've never heard of him before but he looked great today. Also he's either not 7 feet, or Ayton is even taller than 7'2" because he was about 4 inches taller than Walton"

[snafu]

Didn't watch the CU/UA game, but just read the below on Bruins' site. Is this true?

"Colorado has a 7 foot freshman kid named Walton, no relation to Bill, who I had not seen before kid was terrific today. Had 16 points, 7-7 from the floor, made midrange shots, posted up both Ristic and Ayton. They only credited him with 2 blocks, I thought he had at least 5 and I missed the first 10 minutes of the game. There was one key trip late where he deflected PJC's shot and then blocked the attempted putback by Alkins, kid is from Colorado and as someone who follows recruiting I'll openly admit I've never heard of him before but he looked great today. Also he's either not 7 feet, or Ayton is even taller than 7'2" because he was about 4 inches taller than Walton"


I keep waiting for Jayce Johnson to be that guy for us. Sigh.

[Diehard Ute]

I keep waiting for Jayce Johnson to be that guy for us. Sigh.

While he had a 7-7 day today, Walton had 1 rebound. This game is a scoring outlier.

For the season Walton averages 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes.

Johnson averages 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 16.3 minutes.

Walton is averaging 21 minutes in conference games, he’s up to 6.3 points in those games, but still only grabs 4.8 rebounds. He’s had two games in double digits scoring, the rest he’s never broken 6. He’s never had double digit rebounds.




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[DrumNFeather]

No Donnie Tillman tonight, per Riley.

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[sancho]

Guard oriented teams can make a killing on the line in college basketball. Officials are predispositioned to blow that whistle on every drive.

[sancho]

kodi with an "i". So cute.

[sancho]

Guard oriented teams can make a killing on the line in college basketball. Officials are predispositioned to blow that whistle on every drive.

I said this as a type of reverse jinx. Worked. Utes live at the line in the first half!

Love the comeback. Let's bury them in the 2nd half.

[Mormon Red Death]

I think the score is screwed up. They gave a 3 to asu that wasnt one. Also they gave Utah a basket when asu scored

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[sancho]

I think the score is screwed up

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They had it wrong for a while on TV, but I thought they corrected it.

[UtahsMrSports]

Long season and all but Justin Bibbins is making a strong case for "first team" all Pac 12.

[Diehard Ute]

Pretty sure Hurley cries more than a sick baby


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[sancho]

All ASU bigs with 4 fouls. Please let this turn into rebounds for us.

[Mormon Red Death]

Ridiculous foul on Collette. Justice is lowrring his! Shoulders

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[Diehard Ute]

Ridiculous foul on Collette. Justice is lowrring his! Shoulders

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And what the heck, NBA continuation too


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[Mormon Red Death]

Give me a break shannon Evans... a 40 footer

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[Mormon Red Death]

That and 1 for justice was garbage. No one touched him.

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[sancho]

That and 1 for justice was garbage. No one touched him.


You are right on both.

Also, Caldwell is an instant turnover if he puts the ball on the floor.

[Mormon Red Death]

Everytime i think we are going to pull away utah has a stupid turnover

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[sancho]

Everytime i think we are going to pull away utah has a stupid turnover


Or Shannon Evans hits a 3.

[Mormon Red Death]

Call the damn travel!!!!

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[sancho]

Back to back misses from Barefield, while Collette has 3 inches on the wuss Mitchell who is "guarding" him. Why are we not going to the post for the past few minutes?

[Diehard Ute]

Guess I don’t know what a block is these days


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[sancho]

Guess I don’t know what a block is these days


Nobody does. That's an issue in basketball.

Who do you want to take this shot?

I think Barefield has the best chance at creating a shot for himself, if 1-on-1 is the plan.

[sancho]

Rats. So close.

[Diehard Ute]

We just got screwed.


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[LA Ute]

Everytime i think we are going to pull away utah has a stupid turnover.

Pretty much the story of our PAC-12 season so far.

[sancho]

We are not a good rebounding team, and that hurts. Tillman may be our best rebounder after Jayce, and he had to miss this one.

[UtahsMrSports]

We are not a good rebounding team, and that hurts. Tillman may be our best rebounder after Jayce, and he had to miss this one.

Given a healthy donnie t, I would like our odds to win the return trip to Tempe

[justaute]

Just got home from the game -- first MBB game for me. Sigh....

[chrisrenrut]

If you told me 2 weeks ago we'd be 2-2 at this point, I would have taken it. But it feels a bit worse to have done so well on the road in Oregon, then give up these two winnable games.

Still some perspective that these were two very good Arizona teams, and we didn't have all of our talent a healthy to take them on.

[LA Ute]

If you told me 2 weeks ago we'd be 2-2 at this point, I would have taken it. But it feels a bit worse to have done so well on the road in Oregon, then give up these two winnable games.

Yeah, I would have liked to see us win at least one of those two.

[Old Standing ute]

Booby Hurley is a god coach, but also a complete jerk. Never shuts up.

He would be wise to get out after this year---most of his better players are seniors. And he is now a hot ticket.
But maybe he is waiting to follow Coach K at Duke? (tough to follow a legend.)

A Florida school or ??

[DrumNFeather]

Hard to know how to feel after two close, but no cigar losses. Particularly after going on the road and sweeping the Oregon road trip. I think that we would generally feel fine about it, as though it were expected, had Colorado not swept this weekend, there might not be as much hand wringing I suppose. ASU is going to be a tough out for most teams because of their ability to launch the three from seemingly anywhere on the court. And yet...we were right there. I'd like to see Larry employ some of the Tom Izzo rebounding tactics where he puts the guys in football gear and has them do rebounding drills. This team desperately needs some toughness, particularly from Johnson and Collette.

This weekend showed that Barefield and Bibbins can be a nice one-two punch on our offense with Rawson and Collette in supporting roles. Need to get something from our bench between Bealer, Johnson, Caldwell, Van Dyke, etc.

[UtahsMrSports]

A few random thoughts after looking at some numbers............

The starting guards are both playing at an all-Pac-12 level in the first four games.

Barefield (17.3 points, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 42% from downtown)
Bibbins (18.3 points, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 2 rebounds, 45% from downtown)

Both are getting to the line at a decent clip (Bibbins game last night an obvious outlier) and aren't turning the ball over.

Problem is, out of 320 possible minutes at their positions so far in Pac-12 play, they have played 297 of them, or 93%. That is fine in the short term but will likely lead to fatigue down the road.

A potential solution lies with Kolbe Caldwell who has been a nice depth piece in conference play. Unfortunately, he has been spending his time at the 3 backing up Gabe Bealer who has been a no-show so far in conference play (1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds on 17% shooting- he literally has not recorded any other positive statistic.).

This has forced Parker Van Dyke (who gets a disproportionate amount of hate and blame on twitter- its truly amazing.) into those rare back up minutes along the guardline and it has not gone well for him either. With a comparable shooting percentage to Bealer, PVD has managed to grab a couple of steals and collect some assists. As much as I am a fan, if he is not hitting from the outside, he is not playable (I am awarding myself the Ron Boone of the day award for this comment).

Surprsingly, the guys behind them have not been good enough in non con against inferior competition to justify stealing any minutes, so the lack of depth gets exacerbated. Chris Seeley is either still getting back into shape after the injury, or he is not good enough to play. Time will tell.

In a 'Perfect' world this year......

-We start Bibbins, Barefield, Tillman, Rawson, and Collette with Johnson, Seeley, Caldwell and Bealer off the bench. PVD can be used as a heat check guy/10th man. If he is not hitting, he is out.

Donnie Tillman's injury has taken him out of the game and injuries always cause somewhat of a ripple effect. I had no idea it was this big until I looked more closely.

[U-Ute]

This happened during the post game press conference

950250790156840961

I haven't seen much reporting of it. I wonder what the heck that was all about.

[sancho]

A few random thoughts after looking at some numbers............

The starting guards are both playing at an all-Pac-12 level in the first four games.

Barefield (17.3 points, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 42% from downtown)
Bibbins (18.3 points, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 2 rebounds, 45% from downtown)

Both are getting to the line at a decent clip (Bibbins game last night an obvious outlier) and aren't turning the ball over.

Problem is, out of 320 possible minutes at their positions so far in Pac-12 play, they have played 297 of them, or 93%. That is fine in the short term but will likely lead to fatigue down the road.

A potential solution lies with Kolbe Caldwell who has been a nice depth piece in conference play. Unfortunately, he has been spending his time at the 3 backing up Gabe Bealer who has been a no-show so far in conference play (1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds on 17% shooting- he literally has not recorded any other positive statistic.).

This has forced Parker Van Dyke (who gets a disproportionate amount of hate and blame on twitter- its truly amazing.) into those rare back up minutes along the guardline and it has not gone well for him either. With a comparable shooting percentage to Bealer, PVD has managed to grab a couple of steals and collect some assists. As much as I am a fan, if he is not hitting from the outside, he is not playable (I am awarding myself the Ron Boone of the day award for this comment).

Surprsingly, the guys behind them have not been good enough in non con against inferior competition to justify stealing any minutes, so the lack of depth gets exacerbated. Chris Seeley is either still getting back into shape after the injury, or he is not good enough to play. Time will tell.

In a 'Perfect' world this year......

-We start Bibbins, Barefield, Tillman, Rawson, and Collette with Johnson, Seeley, Caldwell and Bealer off the bench. PVD can be used as a heat check guy/10th man. If he is not hitting, he is out.

Donnie Tillman's injury has taken him out of the game and injuries always cause somewhat of a ripple effect. I had no idea it was this big until I looked more closely.


PVD, Bealer, and Caldwell certainly have had an opportunity to grab big minutes. None of them has really taken advantage.

I guess we try to burn out Barefield and Bibbins. Or we go with Connor.

Caldwell has hit shots lately, and he seems to be the best defender of the three. But he's had some awful, costly turnovers too.

[sancho]

This weekend showed that Barefield and Bibbins can be a nice one-two punch on our offense with Rawson and Collette in supporting roles. Need to get something from our bench between Bealer, Johnson, Caldwell, Van Dyke, etc.

Johnson had 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 16 minutes. I think he did alright. He also drew a handful of the fouls that helped us out so much. I wish he had hit those two FTs late.

But Bealer, PVD, and Caldwell's combined stat line is not pretty:

46 minutes, 1-6 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 4 points

[DrumNFeather]

Johnson had 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 16 minutes. I think he did alright. He also drew a handful of the fouls that helped us out so much. I wish he had hit those two FTs late.

But Bealer, PVD, and Caldwell's combined stat line is not pretty:

46 minutes, 1-6 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 4 points

The toughest thing with Johnson is that you (the proverbial you) to have it all click and become a big man that can get you 8-10 points and 8-10 boards off the bench.

Agree with you on the other three guys though...you've got to get something from one of those guys if you expect to win these types of games at home.

[UBlender]

I thought Jayce gave the team a nice spark after Collette left with his injury early in the second half. I wish he could be stronger and hit his layups, even when he's fouled, but he's not the problem.

It's honestly amazing that Utah was in that game given that they played 4 on 5 on offense all night. What in the world has happened to Bealer? Is he still impacted by the injury?

Seeley didn't play a whole lot in the early games before his surgery, I just don't think he's in the rotation right now. Maybe he's a project or maybe he's just not that good. His lack of contribution along with Popoola being a complete bench warmer are the biggest disappointments of the season from a personnel perspective.

[Scorcho]

sobering thought

its already apparent this year will not be special, and next year (with 4 starting seniors leaving) Larry is officially rebuilding.

:groin:

[sancho]

sobering thought

its already apparent this year will not be special, and next year (with 4 starting seniors leaving) Larry is officially rebuilding.



Next year is all about the incoming class and Doutrive. If that class is sufficiently promising, Larry is in good shape. If that class flops, Larry is in trouble.

But Barefield, Johnson, Tillman and the newcomers should be enough for an entertaining year.

[Old Standing ute]

Been reported that Bealer now has a shoulder injury. Whatever, he is a 1 trick pony--can shoot from 3. Not good handling the ball & a weak defender. Caldwell can defend, but not score & should never dribble the ball unless totally out on the perimeter.

Seeley is like the early Kuz---ton of raw talent, but does not know the defense & needs to learn how to box out instead of just thinking he can out jump everyone. He is really fun to watch in warmups --puts on dunking show--for what that is worth.

Jayce made a huge jump from last year to this year--if he can do the same next year he could be a real player.

PVD it is not a lack of effort, he is just not a good enough athlete. Also (not an excuse), but must be hard to not know when you are going in & to sit for a long period & then be thought of as a shooter. Jake Connor is not an option--he makes PVD look quick. ( He is a great cheer-leader on the bench).

[U-Ute]

PVD it is not a lack of effort, he is just not a good enough athlete. Also (not an excuse), but must be hard to not know when you are going in & to sit for a long period & then be thought of as a shooter. Jake Connor is not an option--he makes PVD look quick. ( He is a great cheer-leader on the bench).

This made me chuckle.

949322119309127680

[Old Standing ute]

LOL--good one.
trying to put a good spin on PVD--which is hard to do.

[SoCalPat]

Next year is all about the incoming class and Doutrive. If that class is sufficiently promising, Larry is in good shape. If that class flops, Larry is in trouble.

But Barefield, Johnson, Tillman and the newcomers should be enough for an entertaining year.

This. Losing four starters doesn't worry me nearly as much as the next class underwhelming. By all accounts, they should be good, and maybe an improvement over this year's team.

Assuming next year's class underwhelms, that makes 2 NCAA bids in 8 years, with a 3-year drought since the last one. Only Lynn Archibald fared worse in getting Utah to the Dance. Even if we totally flame out and finish under .500, Larry's contract makes change unlikely, as he's under one until 2023.

[snafu]

Assuming next year's class underwhelms, that makes 2 NCAA bids in 8 years, with a 3-year drought since the last one. Only Lynn Archibald fared worse in getting Utah to the Dance. Even if we totally flame out and finish under .500, Larry's contract makes change unlikely, as he's under one until 2023.


On the flip-side, if next years squad exceeds expectations and we make it to the sweet 16, we will all be rejoicing and the doubt surrounding Larry will be replaced with praise.

I also think Larry deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his time on the hill. Can we hold those first couple of years against him? He inherited nothing.

[DrumNFeather]

This happened during the post game press conference

950250790156840961

I haven't seen much reporting of it. I wonder what the heck that was all about.

So, apparently it was the good Dr. Chris Hill letting someone have it. He released a statement today apologizing for the incident.

2315

[NorthwestUteFan]

Sounds like he was yelling at Bobby Dibler, PAC-12 director of refs. That game was borderline unwatchable because of all the fouls.

[Diehard Ute]

Sounds like he was yelling at Bobby Dibler, PAC-12 director of refs. That game was borderline unwatchable because of all the fouls.

The review with 3.5 seconds left was also frustrating.

The in house feed clearly showed it went off ASU, but apparently the refs use the ESPN feed and reportedly that footage didn’t show it.


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[SeattleUte]

It’s infuriating that we’re so talent depleted, a senior transfer our best player, and the coaches didn’t even recruit McEwen or Childs. The arrogance is unbelievable. For once, I can say the recruiting should have been better, even though it’s Utah.

[SeattleUte]

Where can I read reactions to Chris Hill’s embarrassing misconduct. Good lord.

[sancho]

Where can I read reactions to Chris Hill’s embarrassing misconduct. Good lord.

I don't know. No one on either the local or national level seemed to think it was a big deal.

[UtahsMrSports]

It’s infuriating that we’re so talent depleted, a senior transfer our best player, and the coaches didn’t even recruit McEwen or Childs. The arrogance is unbelievable. For once, I can say the recruiting should have been better, even though it’s Utah.

You're about two or three months late in your complaining. We've all been down that road. Time to move on.

[Scorcho]

Where can I read reactions to Chris Hill’s embarrassing misconduct. Good lord.

I like to see that every once in awhile out of Hill, we rarely get to see that side of him. It's clear Hill has Krysko's back which is a great characteristic from your AD, is it not?

[SeattleUte]

Sancho, it’s been in the news for a week, including front page ESPN, and he got fined $10,000. I consider that a big deal. If LA or I acted that way in court we’d go to jail and probably be done.

That does not constitute effective advocacy for Krystkowiak or the university.

[Scorcho]

Sancho, it’s been in the news for a week, including front page ESPN, and he got fined $10,000. I consider that a big deal. If LA or I acted that way in court we’d go to jail and probably be done.

That does not constitute effective advocacy for Krystkowiak or the university.

you seem to be the only one outraged by this.

well .... you and cougarboard.

[LA Ute]

Sancho, it’s been in the news for a week, including front page ESPN, and he got fined $10,000. I consider that a big deal. If LA or I acted that way in court we’d go to jail and probably be done.

That does not constitute effective advocacy for Krystkowiak or the university.

I was wondering when you would show up here with those sentiments.

[sancho]

you seem to be the only one outraged by this.

well .... you and cougarboard.

ESPN tried to make something of it during the UCLA game, but Bill Walton would have none of it.

[Diehard Ute]

Sancho, it’s been in the news for a week, including front page ESPN, and he got fined $10,000. I consider that a big deal. If LA or I acted that way in court we’d go to jail and probably be done.

That does not constitute effective advocacy for Krystkowiak or the university.

I must have missed the part where a back room at the JMHC is a court room.


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[Scorcho]

ESPN tried to make something of it during the UCLA game, but Bill Walton would have none of it.

meanwhile this Oregon vs. AZ game is excellent, Oregon leads late

[Scorcho]

meanwhile this Oregon vs. AZ game is excellent, Oregon leads late

https://twitter.com/JDUteZone/status/952277096029540352

:rofl:

[Solon]

I don't think we will foul everyone out again, but ASU is an opponent where we have a clear post advantage. I want to see Collette with 20+ tomorrow night. If we add some outside shooting to that (which has been a real problem on the road), we can win. We should heat check Barefield early. He's got to get out of this road-woes thing.
I can’t handle not seeing the game thread at the top.
Lets get this started!

[DrumNFeather]

Arizona came out flat against Colorado, which means they'll probably blitz us on Saturday. 30-30 at the half.

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[justaute]

Jayce has done a terrific job so far. Bibbin...still the man.

[Mormon Red Death]

I'll take a 7 point lead at half

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[DrumNFeather]

Don't fall in love with the 3.

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[justaute]

PVD can't hit the ocean.

[Scorcho]

PVD can't hit the ocean.

I'd rather have Dick Van Dyke taking those

[DrumNFeather]

PVD can't hit the ocean.He must be a helluva practice player.

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[Mormon Red Death]

I've quit hoping pvd will hit an open 3

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[Mormon Red Death]

Pac 12 refs are so bad.. both ways

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[justaute]

I've quit hoping pvd will hit an open 3

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I just pray that he minimizes number of turnovers. And he finally hits a 3!

[Mormon Red Death]

He was moving! That is a block

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[DrumNFeather]

Barefield...unreal.

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[justaute]

yup...3 turnovers in a row. Two were from butter-gingers.

[justaute]

Unbelievable....two bricks in a row.

[justaute]

We survived!

[DrumNFeather]

Huge win.

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[Mormon Red Death]

Well how about that ?

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[Mormon Red Death]

the last minute and a half
3 turnovers 1-4 ft and we still win

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[Scorcho]

the last minute and a half
3 turnovers 1-4 ft and we still win

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pfft, had em all the way

:larry:

[Mormon Red Death]

Is this the team that wins in eugene and tucson?

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[Solon]

Is this the team that wins in eugene and tucson?

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Maybe so. . . Maybe so.

What a great road win, with the long FG drought, Bibbins fouling out, the turnovers in OT, Collette missing 2 FTs at the end....and they made it happen

[mUUser]

Pac 12 refs are so bad.. both ways

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Basketball officiating at all levels is dreadful. It's to the point that a well reffed game is the exception to the rule. Pro ball is the absolute worst. Literally unwatchable for me. But, college & HS ball officiating is horrible as well. Its one of the primary reasons I just don't enjoy basketball like baseball or football.

[Mormon Red Death]

Why no seely tonight?

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[DrumNFeather]

That was a really fun road win. I have no idea if it was part of the gameplan or not, but it seemed like we gave ASU a lot of real easy layups in the first half, which on the surface your like "come on guys." However, perhaps if you give them open layups, they aren't bombing threes and swinging the momentum, getting the crowd involved, etc. Again, hard to imagine that was actually the gameplan, but it worked really well in the second half.

Seems like the light has gone on for Jayce Johnson, and Barefiled in the second half last night looked like the Barefield we saw in his debut during the Diamond Head Classic last year. I think he needs a little more freedom to fill it up.

It will be interesting to see how the league treats Hurley & his team moving forward. They very clearly have a gameplan to push the edge as far as in-game behavior goes. The double tech on Bibbins and Evans last night was a direct result of them giving ASU a lot of leeway.

Now we head to Tuscon with house money! After the next two on the road, the Utes will finish with 5 of 7 at home, and can certainly finish in that 4-5-6 range if they can step it up. If they can nab another road win or two, they probably move themselves on to the bubble. First thing's first though. Arizona.

[LA Ute]

I’m just wondering. I couldn’t see the ASU game because of a business dinner. I’ve now read the news reports and listened to Riley, Soto and LK on the post-game show. We obviously pulled off a thrilling OT win. But...that was apparently in spite of yet another end-of-game meltdown by the Utes. I don’t want to be a glass-half-empty guy; just wondering about the tendency of Larry’s teams to lose their poise in crunch time. We’ve seen that throughout his tenure. Am I being too hard on them and him? Was this a gutty win or did we just get lucky?

[UtahsMrSports]

I’m just wondering. I couldn’t see the ASU game because of a business dinner. I’ve now read the news reports and listened to Riley, Soto and LK on the post-game show. We obviously pulled off a thrilling OT win. But...that was apparently in spite of yet another end-of-game meltdown by the Utes. I don’t want to be a glass-half-empty guy; just wondering about the tendency of Larry’s teams to lose their poise in crunch time. We’ve seen that throughout his tenure. Am I being too hard on them and him? Was this a gutty win or did we just get lucky?

We greatly missed Justin Bibbins in the overtime. We ended the game with turnover, turnover, turnover, 0-2 free throws, 1-2 free throws. But I also don't think we got lucky either. For as much as we were discombobulated on offense, we really were dialed in on defense. Thats just my 1/50 of a dollar though.

[DrumNFeather]

I’m just wondering. I couldn’t see the ASU game because of a business dinner. I’ve now read the news reports and listened to Riley, Soto and LK on the post-game show. We obviously pulled off a thrilling OT win. But...that was apparently in spite of yet another end-of-game meltdown by the Utes. I don’t want to be a glass-half-empty guy; just wondering about the tendency of Larry’s teams to lose their poise in crunch time. We’ve seen that throughout his tenure. Am I being too hard on them and him? Was this a gutty win or did we just get lucky?

It was both. Dave Collette missed two free throws that gave ASU another chance, but ASU also had some serious breaks go their way, not the least of which was Bibbins fouling out. There was a sequence where ASU missed a three, missed the putback, Micky Mitchell got it, took about 7 steps that weren't called. So, the short answer is yes, there was a bit of a meltdown, but in that atmosphere in that situation against that team, it is still a solid win. Now, Larry was trying to call timeout on the Barefield miss...which when he launched it there was about 2.5 seconds left, so I'm not sure what he thought he was going to draw up in that scenario.

[Scorcho]

Was this a gutty win or did we just get lucky?

yes

a bit of both, we did everything possible to give this game away (PVD, Collette), but some heroic performances by Barefield, Jayce pulled this out. Additionally ASU missed a ton of layups and open three's.

[Solon]

That was a really fun road win. I have no idea if it was part of the gameplan or not,

I'm pretty sure the gameplan was for Clark Barefield to go behind the Curtain of Distraction and emerge as Superman.

When the Utes have 3 players scoring (last night for awhile it was Jayce, Bibbins, and Rawson), it's pretty sweet to see the ball move around.

I wish Seeley had played. He wouldn't have taken that ASU crap when they were goading Bibbins.

[USS Utah]

Was this a gutty win or did we just get lucky?

http://www.utahby5.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2329&stc=1

"It doesn't make any sense, Admiral. Yamamoto had everything going for him, power, experience, confidence... Were we better than the Japanese, or just luckier?"

[Old Standing ute]

Loved all the post game comments that AZ St should have fouled, whereas Hurley was telling them to back off—not foul.
Hope local press calls him out.

[LA Ute]

I agree with the others. Little of both. I also think we tend to remember the melt downs and tend to forget the times we solidly close games out.

At any rate, a road win against a ranked team is something to celebrate, regardless of how the last few minutes played out.

Oh, I agree. I love the the win. I still think Larry needs to get better at preparing his players for crunch time, and at managing those final seconds. It’s just not a place where he excels. He said on the postgame show that he was trying to call time out before Barefield’s shot at the end of regulation but couldn’t get anyone’s attention. That’s not reassuring.

[chrisrenrut]

Alkins apparently not playing due to a foot injury.

[justaute]

Ouch...so far.

[Diehard Ute]

Ayton is a freak....and to have another 7 footer to pair with him? Hard to deal with that.


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[Diehard Ute]

Bibbins forgot he was 5’Nothing there


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[justaute]

Hate it when Collette does his cute church-ball moves inside the paint against superior athletes.

[Mormon Red Death]

Ayton is a freak....and to have another 7 footer to pair with him? Hard to deal with that.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHow heavy do you think the bag of cash that was "accidentally" dropped on ayton's floor was?

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[Mormon Red Death]

Akot gets to play with Alkins out. Man, he is not polished at all. And Gus Johnson called him "Ayot". Hee hee.Well that 80k he got was probably worth it

U of pAy!
U of pAy!

Bear down and drop that bag of cash!

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[Diehard Ute]

This is probably Bibbins worst game of the season


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[LA Ute]

I just turned in and saw UA’s big stiff hit a three. Apparently they can’t miss today. It doesn’t help that we let them take uncontested shots.

[Diehard Ute]

Yeah. He was 0-5 coming in to today.


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[Mormon Red Death]

Trier should have been called for 2 technicals now.

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[justaute]

PVD with a big 3!

[LA Ute]

That was an intentional trip.

And yet he complained about it vociferously. I don’t like that kid.

[Mormon Red Death]

Yeah. He was 0-5 coming in to today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk3-3....

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[Diehard Ute]

3-3....

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And he’s obviously not that good of a shooter cause Miller was pissed even after he made the third.


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[Mormon Red Death]

3-3....

Sent from my SM-G930T using TapatalkSo you call bibbins on a loose ball but not Cartwright?

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[Diehard Ute]

He walked Tillman right out from under the basket.....


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[justaute]

man....Tillman way rushed that shot. Had enough time for at least one dribble.

[LA Ute]

An inch the other way and Tillman gets that foul. Too bad.


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[Mormon Red Death]

So you call bibbins on a loose ball but not Cartwright?

Sent from my SM-G930T using TapatalkSo apparently you can push with your body and it's ok?

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[DrumNFeather]

Amazing how quickly that Arizona team lost its composure, Trier in particular. They can be had.

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[mUUser]

Cant be too unhappy with that road swing.

[justaute]

Cant be too unhappy with that road swing.

Agreed. I would say can't be unhappy at all.

[chrisrenrut]

Agreed. I would say can't be unhappy at all.

Especially since Colorado went 0-2. If we can beat them Friday, we will be in a good position to close out the conference season strong.

[LA Ute]

I think I'll be there.

We’re all depending on you.

[DrumNFeather]

DNF, you making the trip?

Not this time. One of these days though.

[DrumNFeather]

It was interesting to see the reaction on Twitter to this game, particularly from Arizona fans. They sure thought the refs were out to get them. Trier seemed to act that way as well. I'll give Larry some credit here, when you have a talent gap against a team like Arizona, you've got to manufacture possessions. Smart too for them to learn from the play Bibbins fouled out on against ASU, and use that against Arizona. Loved that. You had to figure they weren't going to get a foul call in that situation, but I wonder if Tillman had just taken an extra second or so and gone up strong if he doesn't draw the call against Akot.

Speaking of Akot, he sure played with a chip on his shoulder against us, which I thought was weird, but whatever, something to prove, perhaps?