If Smith can convince Allen and others to return, they legit have a serious chance to make the Tournament next year. They could be next year’s Oregon State.
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Oregon state was picked to finish 12th. If Smith gets the core to stay, we should be picked to finish in the top half of the conference.
Starters: a first team all-conference senior Allen, juniors Jantunen and Carlson, and sophomores Larssen and Martinez. That’s a great front court, and 4 out of the 5 can shoot from beyond the line.
Bench: Jones, two Euro freshmen, and the best forward we can get in the portal.
We would expect Larry to take that group dancing, so it’s reasonable to think Smith can do it. It all depends on keeping this group together.
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I hope he can keep all of those guys. But I’m not going to count on it. Every damn time I thought we were set up with good players, a good chunk of them would transfer. I know a lot of folks thought several of those guys were “cancers” or “non-contributors”, but it still got old. I’m just hoping that Smith reverses that trend.
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Yes, this is his big chance. If he keeps them, it’s hard to imagine him failing here. If he loses them, it’s hard to imagine him being successful.
This is what he did at USU, right? He inherited a strong group of players and took them to new heights. He may be a great fit for this situation.
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What are the chances of guys staying? I would say they are pretty good with Carlson, Jones, Brenchley. I have no idea on Pelle, Miki, Martinez. It is possible that both Pelle and Miki decide to get paid to play in Europe. Martinez probably stays if dad stays. I don’t think Fonz, Timmy, Battin or Lahat return. Smith will have 6 or 7 roster spots to fill.
Do you think that guys like Allen know much about Utah’s BB history and who Alex Jensen is, to the point of wanting to leave when he’s not the new coach? I don’t.
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Last I heard, Timmy Allen had not actually entered the transfer portal, he just said he planned to. So there’s hope.
Josh Newman said both Carlson and MJ were very likely to reurn, FWIW.
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the one negative I’ve gleaned about Coach Smith is that he is supposedly close with Mark Pope. Nobody wants that or needs that. BYU/Utah is better entertainment when their are villains. The fact that LK stirred up hatred in the Y fan base was delicious. I’ll take that over this we all need to be BFF’s.
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The Jazz have typically gotten to know the Utes a little bit. They show up at games on occasion, maybe at practices. And Donovan Mitchell is amazing. If he told a Ute that AJ was all that, I think that Ute would listen.
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After Pope’s behavior during/after then game Utah beat them in the Hunty, I decided then he was easy to hate as any coach they’ve had since Frank Arnold. And the business with Lohner just added to that.
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I think Craig Smith mentioned in his press conference there are now 1,000 players in the portal
Indiana has seven in the portal. Four of those were rated 90 or higher out of HS.
The Penguin (Reid) is high on that despicable list. But the Lohner business gives Pope the early edge. But Frank Arnold is clearly the most easy to hate.
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Actually all the players will return at the same class level as last year. This year didn’t count towards eligibility
Yes, and hope he suffers a career ending groin shot in his next game.
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Yep. I have no problem ridiculing him. That was dishonest of him and Pope. Pope learned the ropes well at Kentucky.
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And one thing that I will always admire about Coach K was when he told byu-provo to pound sand and bought out the contract on the next game.
That same incident is what made me lose respect for Rose. He just stood there and watched Emery rant and did nothing. And then refused to take K’s calls, and that’s when K said “screw them”
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I don’t follow hoops that closely, so maybe we already knew this?
Yeah. It was widely expected he would not come back.