Jim Vanderhoof

Yes NBA ties matter in recruiting Miami. Coach K had them Smith doesn’t. No point guard and lack of athleticism has been the Achilles heal of Smith. His recruiting and playing style doesn’t fit a P4 conference. Smith should have listened to the past players 4 years ago. If it’s true he rejected Millers offer to help coach he deserves to be fired…[Read more]

You bring some good points Minnesota. I think the biggest disconnect with Smith was recruiting and style of play not actual coaching. You can’t tell me there isn’t any local players the last couple years that aren’t better than Little and Erickson. Smith just recruits talent but some don’t fit his system. The most successful past coaches had a s…[Read more]

I wouldn’t be to concerned with losing players. Mike gives you a secondary ball handler and Dawes has some starter qualities. Wahlin and Azur are good bench players. The rest should hit the portal.

I listened to the Tony Jones interview (he follows the NBA). He knows the local market and Bryant was his first pick. He raved about Bryant’s credibility in the NBA and his development skills would make him the best recruiter. He is next in line for an NBA head coaching job (according to Jones) so would have little interest in the Utah job.…[Read more]

I hear you Miami. I’ve followed Ute bb since the old Einer Neilson fieldhouse( pre Huntsman). We need to get the best local talent and find players to fit a system. We can’t get the big stars so have to settle for secondary talent. Jensen would be best at local recruiting because of his local ties and he is LDS which helps with the locals. Mil…[Read more]

I agree with everything AZUTE. One other point Jensen is LDS. Lots of the top Utah recruits are LDS. The Josh Grant interview was spot on. I’ve followed Utah basketball since the Hunstman center was opened. Local talent has always been a backbone of the program. Hard to believe we can’t find a point guard or any other position with all the in sta…[Read more]

Novel thought utesfan. Players that actually know how to play as a team. Miller and Jensen were two of the best team players. We may never get the best players but we can play smart team BB. Turnovers and poor foul shooting are team stats that reflect bad coaching.

Smith thought his success pre Utah would transfer to a higher level of competition Minnesota. The talent and athleticism is hard to overcome if you can’t match it. The Josh Grant interview showed Smith’s lack of respect for past players.

I couldn’t agree more Rick. The same 4 I would keep. The turnovers and lack of free throw success is on coaching. Smith never defined roles and never settled in to a rotation. Josh Grant interview backed these thoughts.

Watched Smith play a couple games for St Johns. He looked like a true point guard under Pittino. Coaching matters.

Seems strange to not wait for the season to end. He has been a lame duck since last year. BYU has set a blueprint. Jensen and Bryant are equivalent to Young. Miller has NBA experience and connections. Boosters will step up with a coach that can recruit. No honor code to keep non LDS talent to stay more than 1 year.

It’s hard to tell about 2025 yet proud Ute. We looked better on paper last year and lost 7 in a row. QB was the glaring weakness along with a complicated offense that nobody seemed to grasp. The new offense should be more player friendly and easier to learn.

I expect a different mindset with players and coaches. ASU and BYU have the targets on t…[Read more]

I don’t think Miller will play second fiddle. Dream come true if both Jensen and Miller came back. Johnny Bryant is a sleeper. He has become a star development coach and has a great reputation in the NBA.

All talented players want to play in the NBA. Having a coach that is experienced in player development at the NBA level would be a big recruiting tool.

Hard to believe we couldn’t make the tournament last year. This year record is similar to last year in a better conference and without Smith and Carlsen.

I would hope Alex Jensen and Johnny Bryant are at the top of the list.

`we are not a blue blood program. BYU hired an NBA assistant with NBA development skills and connections. The boosters stepped up to get their coach then players. We have 2 alums that could fit the same bill. Jensen or Bryant would be an upgrade in recruiting. The blueprint is there.

He is also on the #10 ranked team. Pittino has made a big difference in his game. He looks like a true point guard and gets his teammates the ball.

Maybe more boosters will step up if we get a coach that can recruit. No doubt money can make a difference but without a coach that can get talent and develop that talent it won’t matter.

Average coach below average recruiter = average to below average team. Turnovers and poor FT shooting have plagued this team since Smith arrived. Give him 1 more year while you work on getting Bryant or Jensen.

Coach K got burned out. The program was stagnant and his “old school” offense and style didn’t resonate with the up coming players. Recruiting is everything. Coach K had NBA experience and connections that helped him recruit. Smith doesn’t offer anything to attract top talent.