With our recruiting class we have the potential to be the best ever Utah team

[chinngiskhaan]

in a few years.

Guards: Gach, Jones, Martinez, Larsson… plus guys like Brenchley, Plummer and Falslev. WOW! Every one of those first four guys has All Pac12 1st team potential. Gach (if he continues improving and working on his body), Martinez, and maybe Larsson all have legit NBA potential.

Wings: Allen, Lohner, Gach (doesn’t play here but totally could). I’m not sold on Lohner’s NBA potential, but he is definitely going to be a really good college player, same with Allen.

Bigs: Carlson (already better than anyone we’ve had since Dallin B. and Poeltl), Van Komen (tons of potential there, pretty spry for someone that tall TBH), Thioune (tons of athleticism and great size), Jantunen (great all around player, excellent rebounder already), and Battin (could be every bit the player that Jordan Loveridge was).

By my count, we’ll have at least 10 guys on the roster that are good enough to make an all Pac12 team in some form (overall or defensive) by the time their careers are over.

If the bottom half of those guys all transfered I’d be perfectly happy, and we’d still potentially end up with our best team ever. I don’t see how we keep all of these guys, but it’ll be interesting to see who stays and who goes. My guess is that at least one of Brenchley/Plummer/Falslev ends up transferring at some point… I would count on one of the bigs transferring out as well. As long as the transfers aren’t one of our main guys (don’t see that happening) we will be in great shape.

[UtahFanSir]

To hell with transferring, I want them all!

[chinngiskhaan]

Well. If all the main guys stay that would be 11 guys (Jones, Gach, Martinez, Larsson, Allen, Lohner, Carlson, Van Komen, Thioune, Jantunen, Battin). If we keep those 11 plus Plummer to be a spark when things aren’t going well offensively, it could theoretically work if everyone’s egos were in check… but that isn’t happening. Each of the first 4 guards is going to be expecting to start by their sophomore seasons as will Lohner and Allen.

All the best teams in the country stick to an 8 or 9 man rotation. Having this many (potentially) starter worthy players is a great problem to have, but it IS a problem.

[chinngiskhaan]

As far as this year goes Timmy Allen’s FT shooting will win or lose the majority of games we play against good competition. If he shoots 10+ at 80% or better (don’t expect that to happen) we will have a very good year. If he shoots very few and makes even less, we will have a really hard time scoring against quality competition. Gach is really improved but he cannot carry this team’s offense. Jones is a good shooter and can finish around the basket when open, but he CANNOT create for himself at this point in his college career. Plummer will be a lot like Dakari Tucker was. Shoots lights out some games, and plays horribly bad in other games. Carlson is good enough to score some against poor and/or small defenders, but against teams with experienced big men, he won’t do much. The rest of our current players will be mediocre to bad on offense against good competition.

[Dante Guardi]

i dont think Plummer will transfer. he’s already a junior and i dont think any of these guys will provide the spark off the bench that he does

[chinngiskhaan]

I didn’t realise he was a junior. I think he is a good guy to have on the team. Clearly he is not afraid to shoot.

[Stone]

“best Utah team ever” is a pretty big statement–only way to arguably be the best team ever is to win the NCAA tournament–and even then, there could be some debate. I would be happy to see them back in the dance and competing for Sweet 16 appearances.