Because of the late tip off last night I didn’t get to see the Oregon game. The other reason is that I absolutely detest the floor that they play on.
The previous Oregon State game displayed the growing problems that I see. Each time down the floor we would see OSU moving across the key hole around the baseline. It got pretty crowed down there at time that made defending them pretty difficult not the mention rebounding. The other advantage was that when things got busy they could tick the ball out the the three point line for an uncontested shot.
At the other end we would see the Utes standing around the three point line. While not stationary they were still pretty easy to guard. And, most to the time, they had a tough time getting a shot off.
There is an obvious maxim that it is easier to guard a player standing in one place . It is also easier to guard a dribbling player than a pass.
This is gong to be a long year if they don’t get these things fixed.
You need to give your coaching staff a chance. This season and next season should be a pass as far as I’m concerned. The talent you currently have on your roster is inadequate to compete against the teams that you’re going to compete against.
For the love of God, Altman is now 20-2 against Utah. That’s how successful Smith’s predecessors were playing at Oregon. This is like investing in the stock market. If you must second guess the hire every cotton pickin’ game, if you can’t muster the discipline to give it time, I suggest you just ignore the team and check the portfolio in a couple of years.
I know you were trying to be contrary but you just helped make my point. Altman hasn’t scored a single point or blocked a layup yet he has that record.
The point is and shall always be coaching and the high school land the college level makes a huge difference and I am growing in my concern that the new Ute coaches don’t have what it takes
I fear the same thing flyer. They’ve missed on every recruiting target they had including a hard core Ute kid.
I get Alex Jensen would probably have been in improvement over Coach K but I’m not seeing that Smith is any sort of improvement. K got some really good recruits.
If Smith has to settle for his 10th best recruits in a year from now we are in trouble.
In Larry’s first year we won a whopping total of six games. Let’s see how it goes when Smith doesn’t have a cobbled together line up next year before running the guy down.
While I agree, I’m not running Smith down. I hope for the best.
Also, Smith inherited a LOT more talent than Larry did, which is what I find concerning.
Did he? Carlson and Battin are really all that Smith got in the returning talent pool. I can’t count Gach since he came back in, and Larry being gone was likely a factor in it. Thioune? I doubt he will ever get much better. Brenchley? Good guy to have but will never start unless in a crisis.
What I did like the other night, granted I noted it before they coughed up a 14 point lead, was we had played 11 guys in the first half. By this time of the year Larry would have only had faith in seven or eight for a game.
Larssen, Martinez and Jones were here and didn’t leave until Smith came in. That was a good group of players.
Look, I WANT Smith to succeed, I don’t dislike him. I like him just fine, I’m just concerned. He’s targeted several high school players and did not get a single one of them. That concerns me a lot. He missed on a hard core Ute kid and a missionary who was committed and ready to play. That concerns me.
I hope in two years from now I’m wrong but thus far his recruiting and retention of proven players has been awful. The trend is not good. That slimball at byu was miles ahead on recruits at this point.
Smith had nothing to sell in the last recruiting period, other than a nice practice facility,
Not really a selling point to say look what I did somewhere else.
Not sure he will have anything more during on-going recruiting, but they now have time with this entire staff to be constantly building relationships with AAU & high school coaches. Better to have assistants on the road recruiting that all at the games.
Plus how do you invite a recruit to a home game to an arena that has a curtain up & mostly empty seats?
Better to have them visit during practices—-they are very upbeat & in a great facility.
Going to take time to build it—no matter who is the coach.
The Coach Smith detractors are best ignored. Who cares about their blather. What do they know? What does anyone know at this point? I can’t even imagine what motivates someone to be pessimistic at this point, a real fan, that is. They are probably friends of former staff.
Those are great points. That’s why I’m saying if the trend continues next year, and the following year there is trouble. The staff should have already had relationships with a lot of kids.
I’m not a detractor. When did I say anything that would sound that way? All I’ve said is I’m concerned he had several very good players already here and now they aren’t. If that doesn’t give you some concern then I don’t get where you are.
To me, a trend requires at least 3 points and I consider this transition off season just 1. It’s always disruptive and kids leave (more control through their own choice). Aiming high on recruits is always a balance of missing out on many/all of them. It’ll take a while to change the culture and make it attractive to turn the tide on recruits and transfers.
Well, when we get a MWC coach (promising) on a short recruiting cycle, it’s not enough time to get things established. Only superstar coaches are going to come in and make a huge difference right off the bat. And with the transfer portal, the game has changed and kids leave quick when they have the choice (they came for LK but have other backup ideas in mind).