Utah Utes Basketball: Post Season Thoughts Vol. 1

I’m sure I’m going to write several of these as I consider things and refine my thoughts on the Utah Utes Basketball Season.  I suppose that is what a blog is for really.

Some reactions from last night

– Did that really happen?

– Really?

– It Did?

– Are you kidding me?

Lost in what happened last night was the coaching job that Randy Bennett did.  His team could have folded a hundred different times.  They should have have been down more at the half.  Should have folded when they were down double digits in the second half.  They should have folded when Stephen Holt fouled out and Brad Waldow was looking just awful.  Instead the Gaels just kept swinging.

And the Utes folded like a cheap suit.

What does that mean for the season?

Well we saw some form of this ever since the Boise game and it didn’t get better all year.

Is it crazy to say that’s a coaching issue?

And I’m not a hoops genius but I’ve seen enough late game situations to know when things start getting tight late you go to your sexy guys.  Jahii Carson driving to the hole 937 straight times for example.  So why doesn’t Utah run a shit ton of setting a pick high for Delon, spacing Taylor and Tucker out for threes, Delon attacks the hole and he shoots, dishes out for a three or to Loveridge who is going where the defense isn’t or too the hole for a rebound.

My thought is when you want to win late, have your best guys doing what they do best.

I think Larry falls so in love with these pro-sets that when they’re working it’s awesome (at home) but when they don’t (on the road) we have no offense.  And it’s taking the ball away and having guys do things they can’t or shouldn’t be doing.   I think that is why our road problems are so amplified.  Four road wins in three years folks.

And one other thing, I think this team will be better if they can/do move Loveridge to the bench next year and reduce his minutes.  After opening 3-3 early, he was 3-10 for the rest of the game last night.  And that was against a team much less athletic that most Pac-12 teams.  Let’s get Chapman-Kuzma-Reyes on the floor.  Loveridge backing those guys up playing 20-25 a game, freelancing, picking up garbage, being able to pick his spots makes him much more effective.  He’s a four who is too small or a three that is too slow and has a shot you can’t count on.

Jordan Loveridge cannot be a primary option on a top of the Pac-12 team.

I’ll stop there and let people start swearing at me.  And I’ll be back tomorrow.