OSU is pretty bad. That being said, I expect a close game. I won’t be up watching this because I have work early in the morning. I give Utah a slight edge.
Well, thanks to a bed-wetting crap-fest in the first half against a terrible team, Utah can kiss an NCAA Tournament bid goodbye. Way to go Utes.
1 Like
NIT lock, middle seed
I am sorry to be critical of young men whom I am sure are trying hard. But I am tired of mediocre basketball. Minus three seasons, this team hasn’t tasted the Big Dance since Bogut was here.
Though they are playing better now and making a game of this.
Next year in the Big 12 is going to be Ugly.
3 Likes
Looks to be another loss. The team can only blame itself.
Where is Craig Smith recruiting from? Utah, Idaho, Montana, Upper Michigan peninsula? Northern Scandinavia?
I remember Coach Majerus’ Teams played tough defense on the road, this team left their defensive skills in SLC.
2 Likes
I feel really badly for Branden. You stick with a program for 5 years and got nothing in terms of post-season – hopeful he got some decent money out of it.
2 Likes
Actually, they made it in 2015 and 2016. And 2009.
2 Likes
I am well aware of that, which is why I said “minus three seasons.”
1 Like
I’m really looking forward to football!
What do you see here? I see a failure to recruit true D1 players.
Carlson has had a pretty stellar individual career during his time at Utah, sticking it out in Salt Lake City through a rebuild when Smith was hired in 2021.
He’ll end his career as the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots and games played, along with being in the top 10 in points, field goals made, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds. He’s given his all to the program, and it’s a shame that it looks like he’ll never suit up in an NCAA tournament game for the Utes.
Credit Carlson’s teammates for being able to find him while he had it going on Thursday night, but the Utes needed more out of their bench players.
Deivon Smith had 19 points and Gabe Madsen added 13, but the other six players that saw minutes for Utah didn’t do much on the offensive side of the ball — especially the Utes’ bench, which was outscored 23-4.
“Listen, our bench needs to be better,” Craig Smith said. “Specifically our guards, we got little to no production out of our bench tonight. I did think Ben Carlson played well. He really defended at a high level, probably our best defensive player tonight, but we got to get more out of our guys.
“We have to get more production out of our bench so we don’t have to play these (starting) guys the amount of minutes that they’re playing.”
Well, who recruited those guys?
1 Like
Smith & his staff either can’t evaluate players or just can’t recruit better players.
Hunter Erickson was on the team when Burgess was coaching at BYU—how could he possibly think he was a D-1 talent. Hunter would not start at Westminster.
Bajema never started at either Michigan or Washington during his 4 years—why would you think he could start here?
Ben Carlson was on the end of the bench at Wisconsin after 2 years.
Problem if you replace Craig SMith is they lose Devion & Keita & no chance Madson comes back so they will be at the bottom of a better league that they are close to the bottom in now.
So 1 more year, but tell your assistants to skip the rest of this year & go & find some players.
4 Likes
Is Majerus still available?
I don’t think Majerus will come back to Salt Lake after we ran him out of town.
2 Likes
Well, I guess we’re off to the NIT.
2 Likes