The problem is not talent. Yes, we don’t have a ton of it, but that isn’t the main problem. Less talented teams have accomplished far more than this group will. So what is the problem? CONFIDENCE. This is 100% the problem. Confidence is everything in basketball. When you think about it, you are trying to throw a ball into a basket that, from the free throw line, looks to be only slightly larger than the ball.
I see a lack of confidence in the free throws: The fist step to becoming an elite FT shooter is knowing you are going to make every free throw you ever shoot, even if you just missed.
I see a lack of confidence in the offensive play. Ausar and Mike are perfect representations of this. They will, at times, dazzle with their offensive abilities. Other times, they pass up wide open shot after shot only to commit turnovers. Those of you that saw Ausar in the BYU game know what I’m talking about. In the first half he was passing up WIDE OPEN bunnies and looking for someone to pass to instead, resulting in turnovers. There is no reason guys like Ausar and Mike shouldn’t be confident in their ability to put the ball in the hoop. Mike is a great shooter, and Ausar is a great athlete who knows how to get to the hole.
Finally, I see a lack of confidence in the coaching. Nothing screams, “Oh s**t! I’m going to lose my job if I don’t pull of a miracle here!” like constantly changing lineups from game to game, and pulling players when they make mistakes. That shows that the coach is not confident in himself, or his players. How can guys like Mike, Keanu, and Ezra have confidence in themselves when the coach is constantly jerking them around? Smith says he believes in these guys, but his in-game decisions don’t reflect that.
Also, I see a lack of confidence in the fans (obviously, I don’t need to explain that one).
Utah @ 
Oklahoma State 
.
