Oh, wait. They ARE the same team. The same players.
The only way to build a winning program is to recruit better players. It doesn’t take three or four years to build a program in college basketball. It takes recruiting three or four elite players.
Is that all? Well, good grief, why hasn’t coach Smith thought of this?
8 Likes
Next season will be really challenging. No HS recruits coming in so there will probably be six senior transfers. I don’t know how successful that model is going to be but it looks like the future of the program.
Of our seniors, only BC and Bajema are at the end of their eligibilty. (Thanks, Covid)
This team can play better than last night, but no question the recruiting needs to keep elevating.
Even with Exacte this team wouldn’t be serious contenders for the title, but I think top half is still achievable. Next year will be tougher, and hopefully the recruiting gets a serious bump up.
6 Likes
I would be happy to see the Utes get an NIT bid this year.
7 Likes
Tough weekend but next up is what will probably be the last visit to the Hunty by UCLA for quite a long time. Everyone try to show up for our team and send the Bruins (who are themselves struggling) home with a loss.
4 Likes
Really?
My heart rate would not budge if we made the NIT this year. It’s NCAA or bust for me.
2 Likes
There’s a chance we make the field but I think it’s pretty slim. I’d love to be wrong, but my gut just says we are not a tourney team.
3 Likes
I tend to agree, but we did just lose on the road to two of the best teams (record wise) in the PAC.
1 Like
I’m just looking for a measurable sign of progress.
2 Likes
Wasn’t expecting big things from this team. An NIT would be bare minimum, although I’d still be disappointed if all we got was the NIT.
The football team underperformed, and the lady basketball team doesn’t appear to be EE/FF material after all. My hopes are resting on the softball team to make a deep tournament run. They have the talent to make it happen. 
1 Like
Disagree… I’d have to give it to the ski team. 
2 Likes
Gymnastics. Maybe with a little more positive coaching, they find the tenths of points to beat OU.
3 Likes
OU will be a problem in softball as well. 
2 Likes
Does anyone know what happened with Mason Falslev? He signed with Utah then went to USU after his mission. He’s looking really good in Logan. It would have been nice to keep him.
Wonder K recruited him, and just doesn’t care for Smith for whatever reason. Seems to be avoiding him.
Totally. And the NIT would definitely be measurable progress.
The fan-“atic” part of me has an addiction that can only be fed by NCAA tourney appearances. Also, unless our recruiting takes off, I see us taking a step back next year with the loss of BC and maybe a couple other contributors. If we don’t make the NCAA, I fear we’re still a couple years away at least.
1 Like
After everything this program has been through the past twenty years, I can wait a bit longer. I think post season is a must this season but we don’t need to get greedy. I went to a basketball game with an old school fan who said the teams goal should be the Sweet 16. Yikes! Talk about setting yourself up to be disappointed. If we make the field this year I’ll be ecstatic, but I’m totally ok with an NIT berth. I just don’t think we have the depth to get any farther, frankly. Look at all of those missed layups by our big men. Oof.
4 Likes
It’s frustrating to think that since 2010, Utah has only been to the NCAA tournament twice, and they’ve only been there three times since 2006. Prior to that, Utah went 12 times in a 15-year stretch from 1991 to 2005. it could be awhile before the Utes get back if they don’t make it this year. And I’m not too optimistic it’s going to happen.
3 Likes
I am just enjoying the games being on TV. This team is not the team that lost to “them” in the NCAA Finals. They are a team that may just win more than they lose that maybe catches fire at the PAC 12 Tourney. Playing a post season tourney would be great, but not a be all end all at this point.
Given the exodus of top talent from HS to the G League and other similar developmental leagues worldwide, the NIL bidding wars for talent, and the “One and Done,” what we are seeing is an era where the game has changed to the point that unless your boosters are shelling out booku bucks to buy a team, the team is going to look kind of like what we are seeing now.
The days of Larry and Magic are Gone.
2 Likes