FountainofUte

While we all remember the high’s of the Majerus era, it’s easy to forget how it ended in a whimper. After that ’98 run the ’99 team was surprisingly good and probably underachieved by losing in the second round with a team that most thought was at least a S16-type team.

And from ’00 until Rick left, it seemed like the team struggled with some…[Read more]

Part of the clan? **Eye roll**

It’s apples and oranges comparing these two sports programs. Fb and bb success don’t really map to each other. Ute fan perception of our standing in the two sports is different.

We look at the PAC-12 and only UCLA (by a long shot) and Arizona (we’re in the ballpark) really have more to offer historically than…[Read more]

I don’t buy into this. Things change.

I’d just leave a holistic basketball category. I think the wbb threads will get more participation if it stays with the mbb. It’s not that confusing to have a women’s team post mixed in with the men’s.

I was pretty bummed about Chapman leaving. I have no insight to what he was like as a teammate or player for LK, but I saw him as a key piece to future success in his last two years. I was surprised to hear that he wanted out.

The Mawien case is an interesting one. Again, I don’t have insight to the program, but the “not ready” narrative seems…[Read more]

Agreed. I’m not interested in seeing college sports become pro. While a lot is better for Utah being in the PAC-12, college football is as subjective and “bought and paid” as it ever was when we were in the MWC and we knew we were on the outside looking in before the season ever started.

A part of me wishes that college sports would go Ivy…[Read more]

He still has my support, for now. I don’t much care about the salary. I’m not a booster, so whatever. I do think we need to pay our coaches well, and frankly, probably better than well to establish our school as desirable place. When we and LK part ways, we want the best coach we can get to take us seriously.

With that said, I’m taking this BYU…[Read more]

Eh, let ’em have it. We still talk about some of our epic dunks in the rivalry. If the Utes don’t want it to happen to them, then they need to play better.

I think our biggest problem is that we’re still perceived as the small-time mid-major that “luckily” got called up to the big leagues. That, while we’re in a P5 conference, we can’t offer a kid the trimmings of a P5 school; that somehow a kid will get a second-rate experience coming to the U. I think we’re tearing down that issue a little more…[Read more]

I thought by now we’d see a red version of the interlocking U’s helmet.

I’m not sure I agree. I think our problem was with who we did play, not who we didn’t play in week 3. It’s too bad we had to step up to probably the best team in the conference so early. How many of the other 10 teams could we have played and likely beaten in week 3 at LES. I’d say all but probably UW, UO and possibly USC.

I’m hopeful because things are never as bad as they seem. Our offense has gotten out of the gates slowly, but that doesn’t mean they have to be hapless for a whole season. In our three games, they scored a lot on Weber, they struggled on the road against a pesky, motivated G5, and struggled at home against a Top 10-ish team known for its stingy…[Read more]

So…what you’re saying is that it IS about dollar bills in the bank. Now. In the future. Whatever. What difference does that make? The question is, did UofA do anything illegal to pull in this kid? I’d be shocked if they did. It’s not like the FBI just opened up their file for the Wildcats. Arizona has no idea what the FBI knows. Why would they,…[Read more]

I wouldn’t go that far. This thing is still playing out. But whatever they were doing before, they’re probably not doing anymore – at least not in the same way. That would be completely moronic of them while they’re being investigated by the FBI.

Worst part is, I’d bet my lunch he didn’t get a dime. The Wildcats are WAY TOO under the microscope to do that stuff right now. For whatever reason, the stars aligned such that a Top Ten recruit is just growing on the vine in their own backyard. Then, amidst their current controversy which has scared many blue chips away, they still sold him on…[Read more]

So many good memories here already. One of my favorites was in the ’97 Utah/BYU game down in Provo. I was a jr at the U and made my way down there with my girlfriend at the time. Of course, we were basically the only Utes sitting in a sea of blue. (I’m pretty sure they were still royal blue back then; it’s hard to remember anymore).

It was a low…[Read more]

I think Vonte will be the secret weapon/X-factor for the Utes this year. We have Tillman, Barefield, Jayce, and Van Dyke who I’m expecting to all take steps forward, backed up by a stable of true freshmen packed with talent. While Vonte is also a Freshman, he’s been in the program now for a over a year, knows what LK is looking for, practiced with…[Read more]

And on a side note, while you’re right that I don’t think we’ll ever catch USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon on a regular basis, I think Stanford is catchable. They’re riding high right now with Shaw running their program at a very high level. But I think we’re seeing their peak. Perhaps historically so. You look back, and Stanford is usually more…[Read more]

I’ll be nervous if it still looks like this come mid February.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

For all of the celebratory Pac-12 stickers and shade we’ve thrown at BYU, I wonder how secure our own future is against the winds of change? We got in at the right time to be able to build up our own brand value among the P5s should another shift happen. If Utah athletics were a stock, I’d say we’re…[Read more]