We need a real point guard to take over what worster is doing in order to be competitive. We need someone to create their own shot / create plays. 3 PGs that are being targeted via portal:
Mike Mitchell Jr., Pepperdine
Mike Meadows, Portland
Taran Armstrong, Cal Baptist
I’ve see all 3 play and Mike Mitchell is the most promising. In the past, I recall 2 transfer guards that have changed the chemistry or our team; Jarred Dubois (LMU) and Justin Bibbins (LBSU). As long as Worster is running the point, we cannot build any traction.
Aaaaaah…Justin Bibbins…one of my favorite all-time Utes, even if he only played one season with us. He was literally the “Little Engine That Could”…that kid had the heart of a lion…how I wish we could get a few guys like him…
Yeah watching Nowell for KSU this tourney reminded me a lot of Bibbins. We really need a more consistent play maker at point. Rollie would be better served running the 2nd unit, and being the 6th or 7th man in my opinion.
Rollie would be better served running the 2nd unit, and being the 6th or 7th man in my opinion.
My opinion is that Utah’s roster is entirely filled with this type of player with the possible exception of Carlson. Any future success is really all down to Smith and his staff and how well they can recruit and develop players. Also crazy to think that the best basketball school in this state is UVU. Where Utah went to Boulder and got blown out, UVU went to Boulder recently and blew the Buffs out there in the NIT.
Bless your heart. There is this school in Logan that beat UVU and made the tourney this year…
The rebuild is on schedule. Relax and let Smith work his magic.
I believe we need to wait things out two more seasons on Smith….He needs to have us back in the Tourney by then to satisfy me, IF not by next season.
Yeah, I think that’s fair although I’ll temper expectations if we lose Carlson. That’ll hurt and set things back a bit.
Well now…shill alert…is Utah State still playing? LOL..I have no choice but to let Smith “work his magic” as you so profoundly exclaim, seeing as he’s got four more years left on his contract. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if Harlan the Magician extends Smith next year if the Utes once again put up a “winning” season. As Mike Florio once famously said, and I paraphrase, dysfunctional programs make dysfunctional decisions.
Thank God I still have Miami to watch in basketball.
You’ve convinced me. Fire his a$$ because this thing ain’t working out.
Harlan better watch his back too.
And UVU is definitely the best team in the state.
Delon was a transfer. He definitely changed things.
And s SG transfer and a wing scoring transfer and a power forward transfer and a center transfer and a 6th man who can put up 10 ppg transfer and….
And a coach transfer?
New beginnings #goutes pic.twitter.com/FPiDNGWzy7
— Lawson Lovering (@lawson_lovering) March 25, 2023
See, not all is lost. The portal is going to seem far more dramatic in Basketball, because there are so few players on the team.
Yeah. Plus we have an ace big man recruiter and dang good development coach in Chris Burgess.
I’m confident Burgess can help him out, which would be great, because he’s been just okay at Colorado so far. Not a whole lot of production for the minutes he’s been getting. For reference Carlson averaged nearly double the PPG in the same amount of MPG his second year. IOW if Burgess doesn’t make him significantly better he’ll be a nice depth piece and nothing more. (I think Burgess will help him a lot though)
What would be sweet if BC decides to come back is having LL and Keita get the minutes at 5 and have BC take over the 4.
I would imagine the NBA feed back would be for him to work on being more of that stretch 4. I never understood why CS never played Keita more down low. He likes being physical and Brandon obviously didn’t.
Not sure why Carlson wouldn’t stay and use up his eligibility. I haven’t seen one NBA Mock Draft where he even gets drafted. At this point, his best bet to play professionally would be the G League or somewhere in Europe.
Isn’t his wife in law school at the U? I think one more year left too.
Yes, she is… that’s the main reason why I thought him coming back for the 23-24 season was pretty much a given. If he leaves her and his family here, without any chance of getting drafted, to pursue a non-NBA professional dream, well, that tells me a lot about the state of the program.
It would have to be situational. Most college teams don’t have tall forwards. Putting Brandon at the 4 vs. many teams would be a massive speed/quickness disadvantage.
LOL, how easily impressed is this fanbase. I saw this guy play a few times this season…he’s just a big version of “just a guy” and doesn’t even begin to move the needle. Last season he only averaged less than 5 PPG in a resoundingly mediocre Colorado team and was a horrible FT shooter at just over 40 percent. His biggest pro is that he might be able to spell Carlson for 15-20 minutes a game if he decides to stay for one more year. To me, getting guys like this is akin to rearranging the chairs in the Titanic…you’re still going down. In no way, shape, or form can this guy even begin to come close to Carlson’s offensive production. If this is what Smith’s vaunted recruiting skills bring to the Hill, we might as well start passing the hat around to take up a collection to buy out his contract.
Craig just loves these guys from the square states of wyo, sd, and mn.
I have noticed that…
Logic FAIL, mostly. Carlson averaged 7 and 9 ppg his first two years and like Lovering, Carlson’s sophomore team was ass. Nobody said he would replace Carlson, anyway. The kid had 21 points and 7 rebounds in his last NIT game. He can improve with Burgess and if he’s a 10 ppg and 7-8 rebounds, he’ll be a solid PAC 12 center that can help on the defensive end. And if he doesn’t work out, he can come off the bench behind Keta. Carlson has played 4 years and is now at 16 ppg but his biggest jump happened from his sophomore to junior year. And that makes sense for big guys who have bodies to grow into and as they go from underclassman to upper, big changes can happen. Lovering needs reps and Utah gets him at a time of most growth potential. Let’s book mark this post and revisit at the end of next season.
Lovering averaged over 22 minutes a game this season. How many more reps than that do you need to make a legitimate assessment on the guy? We’ll see how he shakes out but saying that he’s going to take a “Great Leap Forward” with Utah is probably wishful thinking.
It’s a lil bit different when you’re taking a huge chance on a portal kid then a HS/JUCO kid. You have a better assessment on the proven talent and can mitigate the risk because the player has some body of D1 work. LL doesn’t have impressive numbers and we are just hoping to develop him. Not the way to go with our limited scholarships. I would prefer a player that can give us that point production right away. Utah is a big enough name to attract a mid-major conference player that wants to play in a big conference.
HS player is where you develop them. Transfer kids are a bandaid that can help right away.
Utah fans: “We need to hit the transfer portal hard!”
Also Utah fans: “No, not that guy!”
They problem with having BC at the 4 is he can’t guard anybody away from the basket. He doesn’t have the foot speed or lateral quickness to guard out on the perimeter.
Utah would have to play a lot of zone where he just guards an area.
By playing a stretch 4, he can spend more time away from the basket. He can work on the 3’s and mid range shot. His game is not a power forward/center and any future he has with the NBA is going to be trying to “stretch” the opposing player and creating mismatches (because of his size). He’s been utilize in this position about 70% of the time this past season.
On defense, he retains his ability to defend the opposing power forward or center. He wouldn’t have to guard another 3 or 4.
The question was why didn’t BC and KK play more together during the season.
It because neither can guard away from the basket.
Offensively yes BC can play the 4 and KK the 5 but defensively they are the same player.
You’re question was why didn’t CS play Brandon Carlson and Kieta at the same time. This team was, admittedly, short on depth. If you play them at the same time who do you send in to spell them. Kieta has a good future, but is still in need of more coaching, especially on offense. He may become a well rounded player, but isn’t there yet. I also think that signing a big guy transfer is a good get. Getting centers is the hardest position to recruit to, and finding one with some experience is a plus. We can’t look into the future to see what difference he will have is a risk, but as they say you can’t teach height.
Keita averaged less than 10 minutes a game. You don’t need someone to spell him. All you need is for him to play 20 minutes a game while at least 10 of those minutes he and Brandon Carlson are on the floor at the same time.
We needed another big man even if Carlson returns. It allows all the big men to play more aggressive allowing us more fouls to give. If Carlson does not return we need another big man. We are not limited with scholarships, we had one unfilled last year. Still room for a PG, a wing, and a PF. Transfers are fine, some of our best have been transfers. HS players are mostly known at this point so I don’t look for many this year. International players can be a complete mystery before they are on their way. The portal is interesting because the BB season ends with still time to go in the semester. It may take some weeks or months to fill out the roster.
…this afternoon in Detroit. It was our first “road” win of the season.
Utah follows up this roadie with a midweek match vs. a significantly tougher opponent in Air Force (5-3). Air Force beat #17 Denver 12-10 just one week after Utah had lost to them 4-12. So hopefully, we’ll be better prepared.
GO UTES!!!
I’m looking at you, @bamafanky.
yep, though a complete different caliber team now compared to back then. but, i reckon looserish SMU will be our division mate.
I thought the PAC-12 eliminated divisions. If they keep them for scheduling, wouldn’t the two new teams (if any) be in the South division since UCLA and USC were both in the South division?
I’m surprised dystopiamembrane didn’t respond to you….She ALWAYS has to get in the last word.
I hope we can be friends.
PS Did you use the ‘she’ pronoun because I have long hair?
Yeah. They were right there. I won’t blame the whole game on a couple missed free throws but that one could have gone the Utes way. Fun team with everyone coming back next year.
Whole team comes back next year. Get some help for when Pili needs to sit and we could have another special season.
Also flamingo lady makes $2.5 Million a year. Good for her
Indeed. Great season, Utah!!
Crazy the turn around. Utah men’s program is going to get there. SLC is still too big of BB town for the Utes to be down and out for too long. What Lynn Roberts has done shows how quick the Utah commununity rally around the Ute programs. Since joing the P12, Utah’s women programs overall have absolutely blown up.
Shows us how important free throws are. tough to lose on that, but a great season.
Close loss to an opponent who was closer to home and has lost only twice. Once to South Carolina, and by only 2 points in the SEC tourney to Tennessee (who is themselves a 4 seed and still standing heading into tomorrow).
Proud of our ladies and can’t wait to attend more games next year in the Hunty.
Expectations will be through the roof next season with literally the entire team returning.
Rate your satisfaction: 2022-23 Utah Men's Basketball
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...
