My prediction for the Utes and the NCAA tourney

[ProudUte]

If we lose in our first game in the PAC12 Tourney – we are definitely not in.

If we win game one and play a close game against a top ten team in our second game – we may be in.

If we win two games – I believe we are in, especially if the second game is against a top ten team.

Of course – if we win three games, we are in for sure.

 

I have to admit that this team has been difficult for me to watch.  They are so bi-polar.  We played very well against UCLA and Arizona in losses.  We looked very good in some of our wins.  But, the loss to OSU is unexplainable and unacceptable.  Playing poorly both times against Stanford makes me wonder how good/bad we are.  If we get hot from three – anything can happen with this team.

 

[EUte]

Assuming we beat Cal/OSU, we will almost certainly play Oregon on Friday.  I think that’s the game we will need to win in order to have a shot at the tourney.

[UtesRock]

We are peaking at a good time to make the tourney.

[Rick]

Peaking?  Without Zo going off in the last four minutes of Saturday’s game we lose to Stanford by at least 6 points.  The rest of the team gave us nothing.  If we play the way we did Saturday we won’t even beat Cal.

[UTau]

But if we play the way we did Thursday, we’ll beat Cal by 30.

[Utah]

I mean this in the most completely, unsarcastic way humanly possible. 

It’s almost like this is a really young team that has never played together before and didn’t become a full team until the preseason was almost over. 

Don’t we only return two contributers from last year? 10 new players? And we still finished fourth? Man, if/when we add Akot/Tillman next year and bring everyone back…wowza. We will be really, really, really good. 

[Staples]

I’ll echo EUte, the only way we’re possibly in the tourney is with 2 wins with that second being over Oregon. That gives us a shot and even then it’s not a guarantee.

[Milton Vanderslice]

My understanding is that you schedule big games pre-conference to make the tournament.  If you don’t do that then all your eggs are in your conference basket.  We didn’t beat any of the big 3 and failed to have a NCAA Tournament resume. 

It’s not going to happen.  There’s only one path to the tournament now and that’s to win the whole thing.

[Tacoma Ute]

I think we have a shot if we beat Organ. Not a sure thing but a chance.

[TheJuggernaut]

Beating Oregon puts us in the conversation, but our bad OOC schedule, lack of marquee wins, and horrific loss to Oregon State keeps us out. I agree with Milton, we have to win the whole thing to get in.