What will it take to become respectable in basketball again

This topic has 19 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 2 months, 1 week ago by Holladay Ute.

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- 10/10/2024 at 1:30 PM #227535
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  Walkman
  Participant
  
  So the Big 12 preseason poll comes out and guess who was picked dead last? You guessed it the Runnin Utes – When I was a kid we were worse than average at football but we were consistently great at basketball – what will it take to get back to being good again? Seems to be like we haven’t really been to good at getting or keeping good players lately. Those 90s teams were built on the backs of some strong local kids – seems like we aren’t even in the discussion for good local kids anymore –
  
  What do you think would put us back on track?
- 10/10/2024 at 1:41 PM #227536
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  The Miami Ute
  Participant
  
  Start with a new head coach. I don’t dislike Smith as a person, but I just don’t think that he has what it takes to get Utah to being a consistent basketball power. In basketball, it really starts and ends with recruiting. Unlike football, with just 2-3 outstanding recruits, you can turn around a program really quick. Just look at what Sprinkle did last year in his one season with Utah State. He had essentially a completely new team and was able to take those guys to the MWC title and an NCAA berth. Whatever the case, I have a feeling that, unless something drastic happens, this will be Smith’s last year as MBB head coach. If he’s canned after the 24-25 season, his buyout will be around $4.5M.
  - 10/10/2024 at 4:53 PM #227597
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    TruckStopTerrors
    Participant
    
    I don’t understand the downvotes on Miami’s post. He’s absolutely right. First and foremost now in college basketball you have to be able to recruit at a high level. This has never been Craig’s strength. He was supposed to come in and make even mediocre talent better from preaching the fundamentals and coaching them up. We have not seen that at all. Don’t even get me started on the road woes. So, unless things drastically improve this year, I do think this will be his last as coach. I’m not rooting for that, the results are just not there over his tenure.
- 10/10/2024 at 1:51 PM #227537
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  AlohaUte
  Participant
  
  I’m thinking it either needs to be a generational talented coach like Majerus or a coach with a strong brand like BYU’s recent hire. Something that will generate buzz and hope.
- 10/10/2024 at 1:54 PM #227538
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  thirtyfour-thirtyone
  Participant
  
  Frankly, I think it will be hard without a rich benefactor like Ryan Smith, or Phil Knight. I’m working on getting there… 🙂
  
  <furiously scratching lottery tickets>
- 10/10/2024 at 1:55 PM #227539
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  Jim Vanderhoof
  Participant
  
  NIL $$$ to start. Getting some top local talent. More long athletic players. Better player development. Win some big games at home and win a few games on the road. Fans to fill the arena (maybe some disgruntled Jazz fans).
  
  Depending on how this season goes a new coach. Shouldn’t be that hard to turn things around.lol
  - 10/10/2024 at 2:31 PM #227556
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    Walkman
    Participant
    
    I agree that NIL seems like a huge missing piece – it was a killer to lose our triple double machine due to NIL issues. I keep wondering who our Ryan Smith type hero will be – seems like the Eccles / Huntsmans are getting older and older and I wonder who is going to fill their shoes one day when it comes to donations etc.
    - 10/10/2024 at 3:24 PM #227573
      
      Jim Vanderhoof
      Participant
      
      Huntsman had his checkbook open for Majerus. I can’t see many checkbooks opening for entitled pay me or I’ll leave attitudes from today’s best players. Utah basketball was built on getting the best local kids and finding complimentary players to make a team. Each player had a defined role.
      
      Now it’s every man for himself and who can light up the stat sheet. Everyone is a star out of high school or AAU. Who is willing to play defense rebound and get the loose balls?
- 10/10/2024 at 3:40 PM #227575
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  Charlie Foxtrot
  Participant
  
  I am hoping that being in a new conference helps. There has got to be some overlooked talent in new recruiting areas that Utah has access to now we are Big 12 members.
- 10/10/2024 at 3:57 PM #227582
  
  Jim Vanderhoof
  Participant
  
  Good point Charlie
- 10/10/2024 at 4:41 PM #227595
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  GameForAnyFuss
  Participant
  
  The first thing we need is more money. The second thing we need is even more money. And the final thing we need is gobs of money.
  
  BYU-Provo Campus has shown the path to CBB success: A sugar daddy. They’re one Ryan Smith away from going back to being the ward ball all-star team we’ve seen for decades.
- 10/10/2024 at 5:37 PM #227609
  
  SOWhat
  Participant
  
  Recruiting + coaching + winning.
  It’s that’s simple. I think it’s going to be a year or two more to get competitive in the B12 than what we had to do in the P12.
  So I think that patience is part of the equation.
- 10/10/2024 at 6:12 PM #227612
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  AZUTE
  Participant
  
  I can tell you there are people willing to donate enough money to Utah’s NIL coffers to make the Utes competitive again once Smith is gone. Which should be at the end of this upcoming season.
  - 10/10/2024 at 6:43 PM #227615
    
    The Miami Ute
    Participant
    
    Wow, so you’re saying that there are prospective donors with deep pockets who are sitting on the sidelines because Smith is the coach?
    - 10/11/2024 at 8:25 AM #227646
      
      EagleMountainUte
      Participant
      
      If true(it’s true) Harlan needs to be the one to go first find an AD and then hire a coach.
- 10/10/2024 at 8:08 PM #227632
  
  Holladay Ute
  Participant
  
  I wonder what the Utes need to produce this year for Smith to not get fired? If we finished above the bottom quartile (so 12 or better), is that enough?
  - 10/11/2024 at 8:33 AM #227649
    
    Tony (admin)
    Keymaster
    
    You mean “exceeding expectations” again?
    - 10/11/2024 at 9:40 AM #227657
      
      Holladay Ute
      Participant
      
      Haha exactly. It’d be fascinating to know what the expectations are from administrators and donors. Where do you think Smith’s team needs to finish for him to keep his job? 8 or better? 12 or better?
      
      On the one hand, we’re in the first year of transitioning to the #1-2 basketball conference in the country.
      Colorado was picked 15th. On the other hand, it’s tough when the expectation is that you’ll finish in last place entering our fourth year of a rebuild. We underperformed last year vs Colorado won multiple games in both the conference tournament and March Madness. Also, ASU was picked 12th so maybe that’s not much of an achievement.
      
      If they finish 8 or better, that would be a miracle and he’d for sure keep his job. If they finish worse than 12, he’s definitely gone. It seems like in between is a gray area.
- 10/11/2024 at 9:09 AM #227653
  
  utefansince79
  Participant
  
  My great disappointment the last two seasons has been team started off playing well up until mid January then fell completely apart. Sure we had a few guys banged up but other have to step up when that happens.
- 10/11/2024 at 9:33 AM #227656
  
  Jim Vanderhoof
  Participant
  
  I think we need an honor code like the”Y”. That way we can attract the one and done players to come and play for 9 months and they won’t be tempted to be normal young adults.
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