first media timeout, Utes teasing us again playing good defense and up 11-8
Then shut out until the next break. Ellis is a real problem for us.
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Getting out rebounded 15-7. Only two TOs though.
playing 4 games in 1 week seeming to catchup with Utah
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USC 10 for 20; Utah 5 for 20. Hard to compete with that.
Helluva scramble back to make it a five point game at half, but they did it all with Ellis on the bench. We shall see….
our best offensive play seems to be drain the clock till there is just a few seconds left and then let Gabe Madsen hit a fall away three from the corner 
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Hate to say this but Lahat is nearly useless. Better than nothing with Carlson out, I guess.
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We are badly outmatched. Craig Smith is too nice to say this. But if Big Rick were here he’d simply say “I need better players.”
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That quote came right after losing the title game and from that point on his tenure was marked by inconsistency, drama, awful recruiting and transfers. We should probably put that one away.
I had forgotten when he said it. Bad show. It does apply to this group of Utes, however.
Rick was never the same after 1998. The post-Final Four Rick was much harder to like.
EDIT: I do love this group. They play hard and mostly smart and don’t quit. But they are who they are.
so apparently nothing is going to happen to USC, UA and Kansas after the scandal of a couple of years ago?
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Peterson is simply killing us this half. Good player.
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I wonder what percentage of USC’s shots are from inside 5-7 feet? We miss Carlson.
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These guys are down by 11 with 1:45 to go and are still playing their hearts out. Love that.
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I’m sure those watching on TV didn’t get to see much of it, but the Wat Misaka jersey ceremony was really nice. I thought his granddaughter speaking on behalf of the family did great. Especially touching was her noting that it wasn’t just his skill, but how all these people from junior high school through the Knicks also gave him the opportunity. Given the era that is exceptionally important to the story. Definitely a Utah hero and it’s cool to see his accomplishments and memory recognized.
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As you noted above Lahat is basically useless and Battin not much better, so when they take out Dusan—who is probably not 100%, they have to have some size & toughness, so Smith has to play Brenchley & Ballstaedt (sp?)—they at least mix it up underneath. But neither one is a D-1 talent.
Yet they gave USC a game. Petersen couldn’t miss—except from the FT line. That & USC’s size killed them.
USC vs. UCLA will be interesting.
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