I count 4 players under 6’6” on the MBB roster.

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- 06/06/2023 at 10:23 AM #190068
  3
  
  Ute Dub
  Ute Fan
  
  @chestercopperpot
  
  If the Utes had to play tomorrow, what would the starting 5 be?. Can the Utes get back to the defensive prowess they showed the the first half of last season? I would love to see Exacte take a big step forward. He has an impressive frame. If he can shoot the 3 a little better, this would really help the Utes. Roster
  
  Lovering 7-1
  Carlson 7-0
  Wahlin 6-10
  Carlson 6-9
  Keita 6-8
  Turlac 6-7
  Bejama 6-7
  Exacte 6-6
  Madsen 6-6
  Worster 6-4
  Ericcson 6-3
  Smith 6-1
  Haddock 6-1
- 06/06/2023 at 11:14 AM #190069
  3 2
  
  chinngiskhaan
  Ute Fan
  
  @chinngiskhaan
  
  If Exacte doesn’t shoot better he’s going to have a hard time finding minutes. That isn’t a knock on him BTW, just looking at our roster we haven’t added anyone great, but the end of our bench looks infinitely better than it has for years now. We now have at least 11 guys that I would be comfortable playing if I were coach.
  
  Even if nobody improves from last year we should end up with another 3-4 wins because we have guys behind our guys now. If Carlson goes down again we have Lovering. If Worster gets hurt we have Smith.
  
  I would LOVE IT if we could keep these guys on the roster and watch this team do their thing. I get the feeling one or two may transfer out before the season starts, but I have no idea who, it just doesn’t feel right having that many guys that deserve playing time.
  - 06/06/2023 at 12:27 PM #190072
    1
    
    Ute Dub
    Ute Fan
    
    @chestercopperpot
    
    Lol, yes. It’s weird that Exacte shot better from 3 than he did from overall shooting. Maybe he can be a 3 and d guy?
    - 06/06/2023 at 12:53 PM #190075
      1 1
      
      chinngiskhaan
      Ute Fan
      
      @chinngiskhaan
      
      For the record, I’m not claiming he’s bad at shooting… It has more to do with the other guys on the team than him. I’m just saying, we have a lot of guys that can play.
      - 06/23/2023 at 2:30 PM #190327
        1
        
        Minnesota Ute
        Ute Fan
        
        @minnesotaute
        
        It also has to do with his decision making, that was pretty bad last year. He was a bit of a turnover machine and shot selection was not good. Unless he grows as a bball player, he is not going to be effective and I agree, will struggle to find minutes.
- 06/06/2023 at 11:31 AM #190071
  3
  
  Rick
  Ute Fan
  
  @utebiquitous
  
  I think the starters right now are:
  
  Carlson
  
  Carlson or Keita (I’d love it if he could step out and guard on the perimeter)
  
  Bajema
  
  Madsen
  
  Worster
  
  We need strong steps forward from Exacte and Turlac to compete in the top quadrant of the Pac-12. We also need one of the new guards to provide quality backup minutes for Worster. I hope Ericson can do that at this level. He demonstrated good defense, ball-handling and decision-making at SLCC. He was an inconsistent shooter. I’ve posted about him before. If he’d tweak the placement of his shot I think he could go from average to good/great as a three-point shooter.
  - 06/06/2023 at 12:43 PM #190074
    4
    
    Ute Dub
    Ute Fan
    
    @chestercopperpot
    
    I didn’t know what to think of Bajema, but considering he rebounds, I can see that being attractive to Craig Smith. I agree on Keita – being able to step out onto the defensive perimeter would earn him a bunch of minutes and help the Utes play bigger and more athletically. Worster was the 3rd leading rebounder on the team behind Carlson and Anthony last year. Would be nice to see Carlson and Keita play together and clean the glass and block some shots.
    - 06/06/2023 at 12:56 PM #190076
      1 1
      
      chinngiskhaan
      Ute Fan
      
      @chinngiskhaan
      
      Bajema seems like a slightly better version of Lazar. They are almost the exact same size.
      - 06/06/2023 at 1:49 PM #190078
        
        Rick
        Ute Fan
        
        @rickyrules
        
        Not sure about that. Lazar scored more and had more assists per game and has two more years of eligibility. In what way is Bajema “slightly better?” Bajema was also on a worse team than Lazar was on. UCLA clearly wasn’t in your camp on this one but what do they know, right?
        
        06/06/2023 at 3:31 PM #190079
        
        Ute Dub
        Ute Fan
        
        @chestercopperpot
        
        Your commenting on the offensive side of the ball. Bejama is a better rebounder, I assume that translates to Utah, not sure if he’s a better defender or not.
        
        06/06/2023 at 6:34 PM #190083
        1 1
        
        chinngiskhaan
        Ute Fan
        
        @chinngiskhaan
        
        I’m not sure Bajema is better, but it seems like that to me. Better 3 pt shooter for his career, better rebounder (last year anyway), averages less than a turnover per game for his entire career… Lazar scored like 1 ppg more than Bajema, and turned the ball over 60% more often than Bajema (despite Bajema playing more minutes minutes).
        
        The fact that one played for a better team than the other is not a reliable indicator of who was the better player. A player on a better team could have better efficiency numbers because of the players around them. A player on a worse team could struggle to make positive things happen when the guys around them aren’t motivated to help them look good. There are a lot of different ways to look at something like that, and none of them are reliable.
        
        If Bajema’s own words are any indication it seems like he didn’t fit in well at UW. He might just be blowing smoke, but if he’s right, and he is a better fit with Utah, he could see an uptick in efficiency and overall output.
        
        I choose to believe Bajema is the better player despite statistics showing they are practically identical.
        
        06/07/2023 at 11:53 AM #190088
        
        Rick
        Ute Fan
        
        @rickyrules
        
        Lazar averaged over 2 ppg more but I guess winning and scoring are not as important to you. Are you related to coach Smith or something?
        
        06/07/2023 at 12:51 PM #190089
        1 1
        
        chinngiskhaan
        Ute Fan
        
        @chinngiskhaan
        
        10.3 – 8.8 = more than 2???
        
        I think you think I have a lot more at stake in this than I do. I happen to think a combination of the better ball security and better cultural fit (allegedly) makes him better. If that’s not how you see it then that is perfectly fine with me. it’s splitting hairs. As I said before, they are essentially the same player statistically.
        
        06/07/2023 at 2:27 PM #190094
        
        Rick
        Ute Fan
        
        @rickyrules
        
        More than 1 ppg.
        
        06/08/2023 at 12:14 PM #190109
        1
        
        chinngiskhaan
        Ute Fan
        
        @chinngiskhaan
        
        Some other interesting stats that I’m not sure are worth anything. Cole Bajema’s 2022-23 season SOS rating was higher (more difficult SOS), his offensive and defensive ratings (per 100 possessions) are both higher than Lazar’s as well.
        
        Do these stats matter? I have no clue. Interesting though.
        
        06/23/2023 at 2:38 PM #190328
        
        Minnesota Ute
        Ute Fan
        
        @minnesotaute
        
        “averages less than a turnover per game for his entire career”
        
        This is music to my ears!! If all other stats were effectively equal, I take this guy all day long. Turnovers are killers. One of the most underrated predictors of lack of success, and one that’s plagued this team for several years now. I’m ready for Craig to show me he can turn that around!!
    - 06/06/2023 at 1:05 PM #190077
      3
      
      Rick
      Ute Fan
      
      @utebiquitous
      
      I’m with you Dub – hoping Keita can play four and obviously move to five. He’s another player that has to take a few steps forward. I thought he should have played more last year but from an offensive perspective I could see why Brandon couldn’t come off the floor much.
      
      Bajema and Madsen have to take some of the scoring load whether they start or not. I wonder if Exacte becomes Anthony but with a higher upside as a shooter?
- 06/07/2023 at 7:55 AM #190084
  1
  
  GameForAnyFuss
  Ute Fan
  
  @gameforanyfuss
  
  If we had to play tomorrow, I think your starting 5 would be:
  Carlson
  Carlson
  Bajema
  Madsen
  Worster
  
  Just because Craig will stick with what he liked last season.
  
  I think by the end of the year, your starting 5 will be:
  Carlson
  Keita
  Bajema
  Madsen
  Smith
  - 06/07/2023 at 8:36 AM #190085
    1
    
    Rick
    Ute Fan
    
    @utebiquitous
    
    That lineup with Worster, Ericson, Exacte, Turlac and Carlson as a second five could be a good group. This team looks stronger/deeper on paper this season.
    - 06/07/2023 at 10:09 AM #190086
      2
      
      GameForAnyFuss
      Ute Fan
      
      @gameforanyfuss
      
      That’s Exacte – uh, I mean, exactly – what I was thinking. *rimshot*
      
      And I agree with the increased depth. That second five you described could win a handful of games in the PAC12.