What will it take to become respectable in basketball again

[Walkman]

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?

[The Miami Ute]

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.

[TruckStopTerrors]

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.

[AlohaUte]

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.

[thirtyfour-thirtyone]

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>

[Jim Vanderhoof]

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

[Walkman]

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.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

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?

[Charlie Foxtrot]

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.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Good point Charlie

[GameForAnyFuss]

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.

[SOWhat]

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.

[AZUTE]

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.

[The Miami Ute]

Wow, so you’re saying that there are prospective donors with deep pockets who are sitting on the sidelines because Smith is the coach?

[EagleMountainUte]

If true(it’s true) Harlan needs to be the one to go first find an AD and then hire a coach.

[Holladay Ute]

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?

[Tony (admin)]

You mean “exceeding expectations” again?

[Holladay Ute]

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.

[utefansince79]

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.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

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.

[Author]

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