Larry K

[NewbombTurk]

I’m glad that you have insight to the whole episode. Please keep us informed as to other developments as the season progresses.

[HoopUte]

Probably explains the negative quotes from Plummer, he doesn’t like being coached.

Please explain. What negative quotes?

[NewbombTurk]

I have the same question. I haven’t heard any negative quotes (nor have I looked for them). All I know about the situation is what I saw. Plummer was put into the game. He was guarding Prichard. He didn’t foul him and Prichard drove the length of the court. K was yelling at Plummer as the team was exiting the floor at halftime. My conclusion based on this was that he was expecting Plummer to foul, but I don’t know that for a fact because I wasn’t in the huddle during the timeout.

[HoopUte]

…pecifically rewatched that play twice because I was shocked that he wasn’t just screaming at him to foul. He just stood there casually, like it seemed like that was all according to planSomething smells bad to me about this. I know he specifically called that out after in post game interviews, but his reaction at the time makes me feel like he is just throwing Plummer under the bus after the fact.

Does anyone other than me remember a kid on an early Majerus team named Antwon (spelling?) Gillespie? Seemed to be a big guy we needed at the time and I sort of recall he wasn’t eligible to play until after fall quarter was completed. In maybe his first game he went in, played about 2 minutes, and was pulled. When Majerus was asked about it on the radio post game he said (paraphrasing since it’s been so long), “I told him to do two specific things when I put him into the game and he didn’t do either one of them. If he’s not going to follow my instructions he can’t play.” Gillespie quit the team soon after.

Is it throwing a kid under the bus or holding them accountable? I, personally, don’t have any issue with Larry pointing out the screw up. These players have been around the game enough to know better and they’re working at a high level of college basketball. The bar should be high.

[MinnesotaUte]

I don’t either, just like I was saying, it was a pretty straightforward and critical thing, I was surprised that he wasn’t yelling ‘foul’ if that was the intent and the plan. Just seemed weird to me.

[MinnesotaUte]

I’m glad that you have insight to the whole episode. Please keep us informed as to other developments as the season progresses.

No insight, just an observation. And I will continue to share those observations hoping someone else can make sense of it. Maybe Larry was just so sure in his expectations that by the time he realized that Plummer gapped it that it was too late. Not sure, just thought it was weird, that’s all.

[HoopUte]

I don’t know what the college rule is right off, but in high school now if a coach does that it’s a technical foul. That rule went into place prior to the 2002 HS season because my son’s coach told all us parents about it in the pre-season meeting.

[MinnesotaUte]

Now that would make sense to me. If it’s a tech from a coach calling for a foul, then that would explain it.

[MinnesotaUte]

All that aside, I was far more disappointed in the final possession. This one was just weird to me because it was so straight forward and obvious. But the end game possession, ug. I hate that we never can seem to get a decent shot in those situations. I hope that get’s fixed with this group that, this situation with Plummer aside, seems to be very coach-able. If not, then it really is a coaching issue as the pattern suggests.

[sancho]

I hate that we never can seem to get a decent shot in those situations.

There is some selective memory going on here. We’ve had plenty of moments like Saturday’s where we can’t get a good shot off at the end, but we’ve also had plenty of successes where we’ve been able to make a play work for a good shot at the end.

[HoopUte]

Oregon knew who we preferred to take the three and defended it appropriately. Sometimes you have to give some credit to the guys who beat you, not just go to thinking that your guys didn’t know what to do.

[Guba]

I don’t know what the college rule is right off, but in high school now if a coach does that it’s a technical foul. That rule went into place prior to the 2002 HS season because my son’s coach told all us parents about it in the pre-season meeting.

I was the 10th man on my HS team. My job was generally to foul whoever I was asked to. I wound up the the HS record for career fouls by the time I graduated. I got pretty creative at disguising fouls but also sometimes had to straight up hack a guy to prevent fast break points or whatever. Usually the coach would just tap me and say “you know what your job is. Take care of number 34” it was never an overt statement because that would be a technical. I also had the job of defending guys who were going off big against us. The job was generally “just stick in his hip pocket no matter what”. I just had to smother the guy and if I picked up fouls that was ok as long as I kept the guy from scoring. I got pretty good at that.

[salUTE]

That’s bad. What are the other coaches’ records vs Altman? Oregon has been so good over that time span. I guess most of the other coaches haven’t been around long enough for the record to be meaningful.

I believe that Altman has never won at Colorado…

[LAUte]

Oregon knew who we preferred to take the three and defended it appropriately. Sometimes you have to give some credit to the guys who beat you, not just go to thinking that your guys didn’t know what to do.

My suspicion is that this was largely a matter of good coaching by Oregon.

I do know that sometimes we do an excellent job in these situations. The end of the UCLA game at Pauley last year is a classic example. That was a designed play that worked perfectly.

Still, when we often look like the Keystone Kops, it makes me wonder.

[FountainOfUte]

It’s easy to grouse about a play here or a play there. Those two end-of-half plays frustrated me as well, but pulling back and looking at the big picture, I was pretty proud of this team. They’re coming right along. This year is one of those for which we shouldn’t really expect any big things. Just growth. (I know, I know, I’m tired of this, too, but I actually think this time will be different).

The two things that stuck out to me are:

1. Timmy Allen and his free-throw shooting. You can almost guarantee that he’ll miss one of his FT’s. I was pointing this out to my son and at one point bet him a quarter that TA would miss one of his free throws. Of course that time he hit both. But for the kind of high-contact, around-the-basket game Allen plays, FT’s are going to be a big part of his world. He’s got to figure out how to get his percentage higher.

2. We really only have two scorers in Allen and Gach. Jones definitely has come ability, but I don’t think we necessarily want to ask him to be a scorer for the next 4 years. Maybe he could be a tad more aggressive, but there are better options. I’m looking specifically at Battin. I think Riley needs to get rid of whatever nervous tick he has about shooting. He looks scared when he has the ball. If he could just feel more comfortable jacking up some shots and not worrying if he misses, I think he’d really become a weapon for us. But even the shots he takes often don’t seem confident – so of course he’ll miss them.

It’s also possible that we need to give Jantunen more of a green light. He may not be prolific, but I think he’s certainly capable to keep the defense honest. Regardless, we need a third scoring option. It’s just too easy for good teams to key on Allen and Gach. If one of them is off, we’re screwed.

[NewbombTurk]

Allen’s FT% is 77% for the year. 88/114

[Redblood]

…pecifically rewatched that play twice because I was shocked that he wasn’t just screaming at him to foul. He just stood there casually, like it seemed like that was all according to planSomething smells bad to me about this. I know he specifically called that out after in post game interviews, but his reaction at the time makes me feel like he is just throwing Plummer under the bus after the fact.

I was at the game and based on Larry’s reaction as they were going into the tunnel, he definitely told him to foul.

[sweetgrass]

Palm has Utah as first four out. That actually got me a little excited to see

SportsPac12 (SportsPac12)

[Utahute72]

Please explain. What negative quotes?

Earlier this year Plummer posted some stuff on social media about how discouraged he was with how he was being used, or not used. I guess that’s why, if you aren’t doing what the coach wants you may not get PT.

[77ute]

…ither one of them. If he’s not going to follow my instructions he can’t play.” Gillespie quit the team soon after.Is it throwing a kid under the bus or holding them accountable? I, personally, don’t have any issue with Larry pointing out the screw up. These players have been around the game enough to know better and they’re working at a high level of college basketball. The bar should be high.

Antoine Gillespie played for UTEP in the early to mid '90s. The guy you are referring to is Antoine Davison, a JC transfer on the '91-‘92 team. He was athletically gifted but didn’t fit Majerus’ system.