I’d say ASU overachieved. They’re not a good 3 point shooting team and they just made it rain the last few minutes.
2 Likes
Well, guess we are going 0-2 on this trip.
1 Like
I would call this performance an opportunity for growth. ASU ended up shooting the lights out at the end which is uncharacteristic for them, but we put ourselves in that position. We had every opportunity to take control of this game. Hoping we don’t get totally owned by UA.
A team can learn a lot by falling apart In a game this way. I’m serious.
What are we, 1-9 in the second half from three?
We can’t continue to dig holes and then try to get out of it. Sure, we swept both Washington schools, but we were also down big. UW didn’t even have its starting center.
At some point, consistency is required from us. If not, forget about NCAA. I’d feel badly for Carlson because he will have been with a program for 5 years and never played in post-season.
2 Likes
Not unlike UWBB, which has only Pili as a player the team can count on. Carlson is not enough. Not remotely.
1 Like
Mini rant…
I hope Coach Smith owns this loss because this one’s on him. This was THE game on the road trip that proves the program is heading in the right direction not Saturday’s game. Because even if Utah beats Arizona I can’t unsee this fiasco.
This team wasn’t ready to play, they allowed a very poor shooting team to get into a rhythm and they couldn’t flip the switch like they did at home. His rotations are becoming baffling as were his offensive and defensive schemes.
I was at the St Mary’s game earlier this year and the Utes played inside out the whole game, yet tonight against an ASU team who’s tallest/biggest starter is listed as 6’9” 200 we opted to rarely go inside. Carlson had a mouse in the house on nearly every possession, and it was easy buckets the 5-6 times he posted and received the ball. Madsen only took 4 shots, none of it should be occurring 14 games into the season.
Give me a starting five of Carlson, Keita, Bajema, Madsen and Worster, with Smith, Lovering and Carlson as the other rotational players. When Smith is fully ramped up, he should slot into the starting five.
This is the most disappointing loss that I’ve watched in quite some time, because this team has the pieces to actually play with anyone in the country. Utterly painful viewing. Regardless, I’ll be at the Stanford game cheering and hoping for a much better performance. Go Utes
3 Likes
Yeah. Like they not only can’t make a layup, but also miss embarrassingly.
ASU has a lot of athletic guys with some length and they play a chaotic, high intensity style. Then they got hot after our zone stopped being effective and we went to man and we just struggled picking up shooters in transition.
When Deivon missed the finger roll, you could sense any way for Utah to hang in there was probably over. We missed bunnies, they knocked down threes, over and over.
(I had no idea Deivon has a 45" vertical. 6-0 guy dunking in traffic like he’s 6-11. That’s what you do when you have a trampoline in your shoes.)
Guys like Ben C and Tarlic are important to get your offense and defense set early in the season, but when you run into serious athleticism and length, they become liabilities. Kind of the same with Erickson.
I know, because I was that kind of player. You hang, you hang, you hang… until the level of athleticism makes it like you’re running around like an extra ref without a whistle.
4 Likes
I believe the team (and Craig Smith) probably learned a lot from that collapse. This is over-simplified, but I think they lost what Majerus used to call “the eye of the tiger.” As I understood it then, that means a desire to work your will on the opponent, unflappably, no matter what. You finish at the rim, you set the hard pick, you take the charge. When you lose that, and the other team becomes the predator, the game is over.
2 Likes
It was one of those games where too many of our players were caught flat-footed. It hurt when their team got hot from outside the arc and hit their high percentage shots. It hurt worse when our team is doing the “Benoit for Two!” It was like there was a lid on the basket when we shot our gimmies, and it wasn’t like we weren’t getting good looks. If I were to put a finger on it, the response would be road jitters. They can learn from it and bring a better level of performance to the next game in Tucson.
Hopefully the loss pisses them off enough to want to burn down Gumby in his own house.
GO UTES!!!
4 Likes
A couple thoughts:
This is the kind of game where BC needs to assert himself as the leader MUCH earlier. If we’re going to win on the road, it’s because he’s touching the ball virtually every time down. He’s a nice kid, but we need to see his inner dawg on the court more often. I’d rather go down with him taking twice as many shots as he did last night than see us bloop our way through stagnant stretches of offense
Secondly, I hate calling out college guys, but there is a certain player who came from a very nearby community college whom I can’t figure out why he has a D1 scholarship. I can’t see what he does well. He can’t shoot, can’t pass, can’t handle the ball, can’t defend. And he’s getting A LOT of time on the court. And it feels like at best we’re 4-on-5 when he’s out there. I can’t believe what a miss of an assessment that one was by our coaching staff.
4 Likes
What worries me is that that individual obviously must be performing better than his replacement. I’m with you on not wanting to dump on kids, but I’m with you on the shortfall. I can’t see what he’s bringing to the table right now.
Edit to add: I’m not sure it was so much of an missed assessment, but, as UF.N has legendarily put it, a panic pickup to fill a roster spot.
1 Like
As a slight aside, the ASU game marks the second game in a row for Utah where the SL Tribune hasn’t bothered to cover in any way, shape, or form. For UW that was bad. For ASU that might be good.
3 Likes
I hope that’s it actually and there aren’t outside sources “encouraging” the playing of certain players. Bajema while inconsistent provides at least an offensive option and in my opinion should be keeping the other player relegated to the bench.
2 Likes
Couldn’t watch the ending of the game until my lunch break.
One of our poorer efforts and a few strong moves to the hoops ended in shots that didn’t give the shooter the kind roll. But give credit to ASU for one of their better efforts.
Have to regroup. Too bad that next up is Zona, only PAC12 team we haven’t beat on the road in conference play. Wildcats were unhappy about their loss in Palo Alto and crushed Colorado last night so perhaps they won’t be quite as angry tomorrow. (Meanwhile Stanford won at Pauley last night for what that’s worth).
3 Likes
i went the game . I have not watched a game in the Craig Smith era and the last two years of the Krysco era.
Need to work on the layup line.
#5 could be exciting dunkwise and drive to the basket wise .
#2 needs to stop shooting
#13 needs to work on his footwork and never bring the ball all the way down the court.
#25 i liked his drive but needs to drive more.
Carlson’s legs are small for a big guy. The two other tall skinny guys are interesting to watch All need some Jordan Wynn diet.
Students are out . we bought high and sat low. THe arena felt very spacious. you could hear the players calling out screens.
Pac 12 refs i mean they just keep on giving.
5 Likes