Best performance of the year

This topic has 15 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 2 hours, 24 minutes ago by Utopia.

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- 01/15/2025 at 7:26 PM #240013
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  NashvilleUteFan
  Participant
  
  There is still 14 min left in this game and I can already confidently say this is our best performance of the year and it’s not close. We have not fared well on the road in conference play for several years now and tonight we look comfortable. Playing at our pace, getting into our sets on offense, and playing solid defense. Just quality basketball. What a welcome sight.
- 01/15/2025 at 7:31 PM #240015
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  The Miami Ute
  Participant
  
  Thumbs up but I hope that you didn’t jinx us. I will admit that I’m very pleasantly surprised to see Utah in control in an arena that BYU lost in last Saturday night. Maybe once Utah gets its second wind in the conference their decided length advantage over the vast majority of teams will pay some dividends.
- 01/15/2025 at 7:55 PM #240016
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  The Miami Ute
  Participant
  
  Oh my Lord!!! Why hasn’t Dawes been playing regularly? Seems like a tough ask to guard him.
  - 01/15/2025 at 8:04 PM #240017
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    NashvilleUteFan
    Participant
    
    Been asking myself the same thing. Seems every year since Craig was the coach we have a guy who breaks out a few games into conference play who hadn’t been getting many minutes up to that point. Deivon last year (although I think some of that time he was waiting on eligibility), Mike Saunders the year before, and David Jenkins the year before. Figure it out Craig!
    - 01/15/2025 at 9:00 PM #240028
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      Utopia
      Participant
      
      Saunders and Jenkins may have had a couple of good games, but otherwise they were consistently pretty bad. I especially remember Saunders getting plenty of opportunities and getting pulled because he was immmediately awful. His A:TO ratio and shooting percentages were dreadful. Neither of those two were P5 players and nowhere near as productive as Deivon and Dawes.
      - 01/15/2025 at 9:10 PM #240030
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        The Miami Ute
        Participant
        
        I can only imagine where this team would be if Smith hadn’t transferred to Saint John’s. Certainly better than 10-6 at this point of the season. Smith, by the way, is having a good season with the Johnnies (15-3 this season so far), averaging almost 11 PPG/6 RBG/4 APG on 28 Minutes a night.
  - 01/15/2025 at 8:52 PM #240027
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    Utopia
    Participant
    
    Keanu Dawes highlights vs TCU
    
    That is an impressive highlight reel.
    
    I commented early in the season he looked like he had major potential and could end up being our best big by the end of the year…and then he was inexplicably benched for six games. Not only is he an athletic scorer, he’s a good passer. He’s made a number of really nice touch passes to other bigs for easy dunks in the last few games. Why in the world was Keller playing ahead of him for so long? Keller hasn’t shown anything and shouldn’t be getting any regular minutes at this point.
    - 01/15/2025 at 10:49 PM #240034
      
      //r00t4Utes
      Participant
      
      Well, Keller plays backup 5, where Keanu plays backup 4.
      
      Now you could ask why Lohner was getting so many minutes over Keanu.
      
      Any fan can and does question a coaches substitutions, and I’m definitely one of those, and Smith’s has been frustrating since year 1.
      
      I thought he has always played favorites and overplayed their minutes to talent ratio. Now Rollie Worster and Anthony had more talent than Erickson and Lohner, but those are the easiest examples to me.
      
      But I’m very surprised and very happy with the win, hoping this is a momentum building win.
      - 01/15/2025 at 11:26 PM #240035
        
        Utopia
        Participant
        
        That might be the official positional rotation, but Keller and Dawes are about the same size and in college you can usually get away with playing 6’9″ at center. Also, you don’t always need a true center. Dawes certainly is no less physically capable than Keller. Play the guys that make a difference. Keller just isn’t impactful at all (doesn’t even rebound). Lohner was decently productive in his first six games before Dawes’ re-emergence in the last few games. I’d rather see Lohner get more minutes at the expense of Keller with combinations of Lovering, Wahlin, Dawes, Lohner covering the 4 & 5 (Wahlin can also play some 3). Relegate Keller to getting minimal spot duty when really needed. He should not be regularly playing 10+ minutes.
        
        Anyway, I’m glad Smith seems to have found a lineup/rotation that is clicking and hope it continues. Good timing with TDS next.
- 01/15/2025 at 8:14 PM #240018
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  The Miami Ute
  Participant
  
  Well, I’m feeling a hell of a lot better going into Saturday’s game versus the TDS. If Utah easily handled a TCU team that beat BYU, and who hadn’t lost at home until tonight, we might have a shot on Saturday.
- 01/15/2025 at 8:16 PM #240019
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  Tony (admin)
  Keymaster
  
  Utes win. Utes win.
  - 01/15/2025 at 8:17 PM #240020
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    The Miami Ute
    Participant
    
    Hip Hip Hooray!!!
- 01/15/2025 at 8:20 PM #240021
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  Kellso
  Participant
  
  Good win! Go Utes!
- 01/15/2025 at 8:21 PM #240022
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  GameForAnyFuss
  Participant
  
  I love this bigger lineup. The length makes up for some of our subpar athleticism. It seems to be causing opponents some problems around the rim on both ends of the court.
  
  Tonight I’m especially encouraged that we can have an off shooting night and still get a wire-to-wire road win.
- 01/15/2025 at 8:30 PM #240023
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  SteelUte
  Participant
  
  Good win! Keep playing tough boys!
- 01/15/2025 at 8:34 PM #240024
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  D T
  Participant
  
  Excellent showing tonight….Defeat the zoobs on Saturday & we’re at .500 in conference play after that rough start.
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