The End of Ute Hoops Self Imposed Death Penalty…

Today in the Utedom there is both relief that five months of the worst basketball every seen in the JMHC is over and hope bursts forward from out bosom again.  Also there is much debate over what next years team will look like.  But if you’re reading this blog you know most of the answers already.  (I love saying that mostly because the people who hate me are really pissed off when I say things that are right.)

As for next year we have seven new guys (assuming  Seymour gets to Utah academically).

1. Dean
2. Dotson
3. Seymour
4. Heariliy
5. Loveridge
6. Olsen
7. Balchynski

And with Foster returning that makes eight.  It means we have five spots left.  Hines and Washburn you would think would have to be locks to return unless either doesn’t like their situation with the minutes and chooses to leave.  Both will graduate and can transfer without penalty.  That puts us at ten assuming they stay.  We have three slots for four guys.

Martin, Farr, Storey, Odunsi.  I think that two of those slots have to go to Martin and Farr.  Martin and Farr can provide some minutes off the bench contribute a couple of things and we have open scholarships a year later.  Storey and Odunsi can go elsewhere and still have three years to play after they sit out.  Plus if we can’t find better players than these two either for next year or the year after, our staff sucks at recruiting.

My guess is if we can’t sign anymore recruits (which would be sad considering how hard this staff is recruiting right now) Odunsi returns.  If we sign one he’s gone.

And I think anyone thinking George Matthews returns is crazy.  Larry showed no faith in Matthews for whatever reason.  And if you’ve got a coach who won’t put you on the floor in this mess, you’re not coming back.

A way too early guess at the starting five.

Dean, Dotson, Loveridge, Washburn and Foster.  Hines is the first one off the bench for Dean and or Dotson, Olsen is the back up at four and five first.  Farr becomes a defensive specialist off the bench, Martin for a bit more offense.  Also this depends upon if we bring in another player or two and what their talents are.

As for some final hoops thoughts…

If we can get last years team back, at least Clyburn, Jiggy, O’Brien, Glover, Foster, Hines, Washburn and Lee.  That group makes a run at the Pac-12 title regardless if Jim or Larry is the coach.  And if we finish anywhere near the top Will Clyburn would probably have been Pac-12 player of the year.

The group we have coming in will determine whether Larry will still have a job to coach Parker Van Dyke if we can land him.  And you have to wonder if that group is enough.

I worry about Jordan Loveridge and not because of his talent.  Too many Ute fans are retiring his jersey.  If he’s just very good, Ute fans scorned become very nasty.

I’d really like Larry to stop calling timeout seconds before the media timeout.

It feels like people are working far to hard to say things are improving.  Just stop.  We’ll have answers next year.  Stop saying that somehow six wins means all is now well in Utah hoops.  Or that we even know the storm is over, because we don’t.

Outside of that, next year will be interesting.  It will be interesting to know if that is a good thing?