MBB vs Texas Tech

[The Miami Ute]

Slow start…down 17-7 with just over five minutes played… Lovering has already missed 3 out of 4 FTs. Utah getting outrebounded by Tech…

[Rick Walker]

We really just struggle. I hope this team can hit a hot streak some point this season and get some entertaining wins

[D T]

We allowed TTU to shoot over 60% in the 1st half.

Not going to win very often playing that sort of D.

[//r00t4Utes]

It wasn’t just that they gave up 60% shooting, it’s they didn’t get their first rebound until about 4min into the game and it was an offensive rebound and they didn’t get their first defensive rebound until about 6min into the game.

I’m not a big fire, the HC guy, and I’m still not, but I am a, everyone who was calling for coach K to get fired careful what you ask for, your of guy.

[The Miami Ute]

What’s that supposed to mean? That Utah should stick with one mediocre coach because the guy who replaces could also be a mediocre coach? You do realize that Krystkowiak hasn’t worked another basketball job since he got fired by Utah, right? What does that tell you? I know what it tells me.

[Ute Dub]

I thought we were supposed to be good at defense under Smith.

https://x.com/whoamisir3/status/1875727972914884881?s=46

[The Miami Ute]

Not this season…they’ve given up 80+ points in three straight games.

[UteManX]

It tells Me that Larry K doesn’t want to Work for a major College basketball program. He would take a small
One. But he’s enjoying his time living In La Jolla and watching his daughters sign with Stanford and penn state in volleyball. Great dude that still loves it here, but like many does not want to deal with the current climate of college sports, but has certainly had the offers.

Harlan messed up in letting him go just to get smith. Sure Larry needed to go eventually but to Hire someone possibly less Of a Coach made no sense to fire Larry K.

Harlan out.

[The Miami Ute]

Yeah sure…there’s pent up demand for mediocre basketball coaches all over the nation. Why don’t we just say that Krystkowiak got lucky in signing a way above market contract that set him up for life and leave it at that? Because that’s what happened.

[UteManX]

So you were fine with horrible
To replace mediocre?

Most people outside of Utah could
See smith was a lazy hire. The problem Harlan. Hes a disease on this athletic program. Ask any of us that are somewhat connected

[The Miami Ute]

Brother listen…I’ve been on Harlan’s case since the day he hired Smith, calling it the “Easy Button” solution, because all he did was take three days and a drive an hour north of SLC to seal the deal. I’ll never forgive Harlan for that and he definitely bungled that hire, which was the first major thing he had to do at the U. Because of that, I don’t trust him to find the right person to replace Smith. But that’s neither here nor there…the point is that by the end of Krystkowiak’s tenure, his team, with better players, was nearly the same dumpster fire that Smith’s team is now.

[MG_Ute]

Love that point. And let’s be honest Coach K was a better recruiter. I know the whole NIL thing has changed things, but Larry brought in some serious talent. Other than Daivon who left, Craig Smith has done a pretty crappy job recruiting and bringing talent to SLC.

[chinngiskhaan]

Problem on offense and defense is the same tonight. Letting the other team play their game. We are timid on both sides of the ball. Afraid to shoot on offense. Afraid to attack on defense.

[Ute Dub]

Yup. Utah’s bench outscored its starters. By a lot! 41-24

What is our identity?

[The Miami Ute]

I saw that…not many nights something like that happens.

[Minnesota Ute]

Right, but who the F are our starters anyway?? Seems like every night it’s different. By this time of the season, you should have whittled your rotation down to 8 or 9 of the best players. Your starters should be more or less set give or take an injury. Instead, every game is a new lineup. I know starting is for HS and all that, but it’s just human nature to be demotivated and unsettled by not knowing your role. Consistency, predictability, and perceived “fairness” are essential to accountability, something that is sorely lacking on this team IMO.

[The Miami Ute]

Utah came back to take a 30-29 lead. But then Tech closed the half on a 17-6 run. No mistake, Tech’s a good team…I just checked and they finished 3rd in the conference last season plus they made the NCAAs… going to be a tough slig to beat them.

[Rick Walker]

Say it with me now… “fire Smith”

[The Miami Ute]

Oh Rick, there’s no doubt in my mind that Smith is a “Dead Man Walkin’.” Based on the first two performances in conference play, this team might not win another game this season. And not only that, they’re going to struggle to keep the games competitive. By the end of the season, the Huntsman might resemble a cemetery and that’s when you’ll know that Smith is done.

[Kellso]

I will not renew my season tickets unless something changes drastically. I’m sure there are more saying the same.

[The Miami Ute]

Yeap, I’ve had tickets for five seasons now and I’m really leaning in that direction. Or maybe I’ll just transfer my eyeballs to the WBB team. Whatever the case, having football and gymnastics season tickets (plus Utah Hockey Club) I already feel that I’m starting to be spread too thin.

[Tony (admin)]

My dad and I had season tickets sine the 70’s. We finally bailed on them a couple of years ago.

[Utopia]

Yikes, this team is cooked. Smith should cherish the remainder of his contract/salary because he has to know he’ll be making his way back down to the mid-majors in a year or two and might not ever get another opportunity at P4.

[AZUTE]

Unless Smith goes winless in conference and loses every game by 25+ points and every player transfers he’s not going anywhere.

The entire focus of the athletic department is on the football program.

They are getting all the money and all the resources right now because football is what will get Utah into the big10.

It’s sad and ugly and will probably only get worse before C Smith is gone.

No Coach worth a damn is gonna take this job when he gets told he will have absolutely no support from the administration.

[GameForAnyFuss]

I tend to think you’re right. Sure, we can fire Craig…but what happens next? Do we really think the university is going to suddenly shell out the money and hire a home run coach? And do we think the next coach is going to suddenly uncover a whole bunch of NIL money to buy better players? Or do we think he’ll be such a great recruiter that he’ll convince good players to not take NIL money elsewhere and play for Utah for free instead?

We’ve put all our eggs in the football basket. Basketball is not going to get much better until that changes…regardless of who the coach is.

[The Miami Ute]

Well, hell, if they’re going to do that then just get rid of the MBB program and save all of us our time, money and aggravation. It’s going to be a horrible look for the university if March rolls around and the only people at the Huntsman are Smith’s relatives.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Well, hell, if they’re going to do that then just get rid of the MBB program and save all of us our time, money and aggravation.

If I take that to its absurd extreme, shouldn’t we just get rid of all sports that we don’t routinely win national championships in? Because let’s face it: Football is going to win exactly as many trophies next year as basketball is this year. Same with baseball, track, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, etc. Let’s take all our money and throw it at skiing and gymnastics.

There has to be more to the whole college sports thing than just winning, right?

[The Miami Ute]

It’s not an extreme position to take if you have concrete proof that the administration is not willing to compete and has relegated the sport to “also ran” status. There’s a difference in trying hard to actually achieve something and just going through the motions to put some product on the floor.

[jshame17]

They could save money and be just as competitive, if they just fire Smith, and let the team play pick-up style basketball like at the rec. center.

[The Miami Ute]

That’s what it’s looked like since they started the conference schedule. You surely can’t do any worse.

[The Miami Ute]

Unless Smith goes winless in conference and loses every game by 25+ points and every player transfers

The odds of that happening are greater than the odds of that NOT happening.

[D T]

There’s a great chance we lose out, but without NIL, who would replace Smith?

My expectation is we might win 1-2 more games, IF the Madsens heat up from deep at some point, & that Smith remains our HC.

[MG_Ute]

One more point – is it just me or are we seriously devoid of talent? I read these posts and people sound understandably disappointed. But man, Gabe Madsen is our best player? Seriously? Have people been paying attention to his offensive #’s? They’re abysmal. I feel bad for the dude. He’s at best a come off the bench and give us 10-15 points kind of player. Dude has disappeared lately. His #’s have been dwindling under tough competition, as have our best PG, Little. We seriously don’t have a single go to guy and that equates to a ton more losses this year. Daivon performed under pressure and made everyone better. I’m seriously just trying to be honest here – who do we have? With all due respect – an entire roster of mediocrity. Either Craig is a seriously bad recruiter, or we’re seriously lacking NIL funds to pay a couple go to guys to come to Utah. Or both. Either way, this is brutal.

[The Miami Ute]

Honestly, all of the above. I thought that the team would struggle playing the conference schedule but I didn’t think that they would be outright so uncompetitive. There were times last night when I thought I was watching a high school team playing a college team. And boy, does it get rough from here. Next up is #3 Iowa State, who just destroyed the Baylor team that annihilated Utah a few days ago. At this point, all I’m looking for is for the games to be competitive halfway through the second half.

[//r00t4Utes]

Miami, since you got season tickets to MBB, maybe you could get the crowd to start one of these

Funny IG futball fans link

[//r00t4Utes]

Bah…. that didn’t work… and I can’t edit to delete

[D T]

Meanwhike, our WBB team’s surging….We should move into the Top-25 this week after defeating a good ISU team in Ames.

Huge game at home against #12 KSU this Wednesday….Attend if at all possible.

[Rick]

This entire thread screams out that we need a new AD. It sounds like our AD cannot chew gum and walk at the same time if all he can do is pour resources into the football program that has gone 12-13 over the past two years. Dr. Hill had football, basketball, gymnastics, women’s b-ball, women’s volleyball, skiing, and even in a few years baseball all clicking at high levels. If it is due to NIL or transfer portal, well then we have an AD that is not capable of managing that very well. If the last two year’s focus of getting us into the Big 10 is truly what he has been up to, he has failed miserably.

My issue with Smith is that he is a proven bad recruiter, his teams play very timid on defense and are not very good on the boards, they are horrible free throw shooters, and their player rotations don’t make a lot of sense. Smith was not a good hire. Also, anyone who thinks Larry’s last team here at Utah would not just absolutely throttle the current Utes team, doesn’t know the sport of basketball very well.

[The Miami Ute]

Hill>Harlan…but Hill’s also the guy that gave Coach K the extension that made him unfireable for a number of years.

In terms of sheer talent. Coach K’s last team was definitely streets ahead of the current version of the Utes. That being said, it’s not all about talent because that team also lost multiple games to less talented squads.

[D T]

K’s teams oozed with talent, but greatly underperformed that talent-level.

Anybody saying his team at the end of his tenure would have “throttled” our current team obviously didn’t pay close attention to how dire things got there towards the end of his tenure….That team absolutely could’ve lost to ANY team of ANY caliber.

[Author]

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