I agree. I would add Madsen as a talented player to your list. He can shoot the basketball. He’ll need to make significant strides in the weightroom to contribute in other ways.
Jenkins is actually a cautionary tale for Madsen. All he can really do is shoot the three. Opponents know it and they guard him. He cannot do anything else – not a good enough ball handler or quick enough to penetrate, not a playmaker and a poor defender. I noticed he didn’t come off the bench in the second half last night.
Both needs to be coached the Greg Popovich way – you have one second to shoot, pass or dribble. When he is decisvie with the ball good things can happen. Both’s good moments last night came that way. But Smith is allowing him to search dribble too much. He’s ineffective in those moments. I share Tanute’s frustration stated above but Both is doing some good things.
I love the team defense last night. To play at that level against a UCLA team that brought everyone back from last year was awesome to watch. We had the Bruins frustrated.
I’m not one to blame officiating but in 40 years of attending U games I can’t remember a player getting the kid glove treatment Johnny Juzang received last night. It was a pleasure to watch a player so smooth and under control; but it was equally frustrating to watch the officials (particularly the older referee) favor him like they did. There were some egregious calls where terrific defense by Utah should have been rewarded or simply no whistle should have blown.
Still, the U played at a high level last night against a terrific opponent playing at a high level. Great basketball.
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