To take a break here and discuss Utah hoops...

[Flattop]

He was a diamond in the rough that Utah was lucky to find and keep. If Utah can unearth another coach in the prime of his career that is willing to stay for 10 years that would work. However they appear to be 0-2 in diamonds in the rough since him.

I don't understand why Boylen is being written off as a failure. Yes, this was a long and painful season, but it was only one season. One season does not a trend make.

[U-Ute]

I don't understand why Boylen is being written off as a failure. Yes, this was a long and painful season, but it was only one season. One season does not a trend make.

I'm with you on this. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Let's see if he's able to develop some of these freshmen before we throw him under the bus.

[DrumNFeather]

I'm with you on this. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Let's see if he's able to develop some of these freshmen before we throw him under the bus.

I also think it has taken Boylen some time to figure out what "type" of player he wants. Obviously, he's had some misses with Cyphers and Read, but hopefully he's starting to get a better idea of what type of player he needs in this program to be successful.

[U-Ute]

I think that is a more appropriate comparison to a BYU player. Mike Rose.

Wait... I didn't know Rose played at Snow.

I prefer to think of him as Nick Jacobson, on a bad hair day.

[Flattop]

I don't understand why Boylen is being written off as a failure. Yes, this was a long and painful season, but it was only one season. One season does not a trend make.

I posted this on Facebook and got this response:

You have been to Utah games in the last three years right? No offensive schemes, no defensive prep for other teams, and his team has no respect for him.

I've been big on Boylen from the start. Not because he "won the press conference" when he came in. He looked at what Utah had, and went to his interview with Dr. Hill with a plan on how to improve those players. He said they were his guys, not somebody else's, and he got more out of them than most Ute fans thought was possible. He took and 11 win team and improved them to 18 wins and then 25 wins. He made them champions, winning a share of the regular season title and then the conference tournament.

But it seems that all of that was forgotten in a moment when Utah lost its game against Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Within a matter of minutes some Ute fans were calling for Tommy Connor to be the next coach (mind you, it was at the D-News comment pages which are among the biggest wastes of Internet space going).

Still, despite his passion, his loyalty and his success, many Ute fans turned on him quickly when the going got tough. I knew coming in that this could be a difficult year, considering what Utah lost. But even I have to admit that it was a little bit tougher than expected. The Utah program appears to be in disarray, with rumors flying around about players not respecting him, and about how several might leave. If it is that bad, I can only wonder at how it went so wrong.

[New Mexican Disaster]

I posted this on Facebook and got this response:



I've been big on Boylen from the start. Not because he "won the press conference" when he came in. He looked at what Utah had, and went to his interview with Dr. Hill with a plan on how to improve those players. He said they were his guys, not somebody else's, and he got more out of them than most Ute fans thought was possible. He took and 11 win team and improved them to 18 wins and then 25 wins. He made them champions, winning a share of the regular season title and then the conference tournament.

But it seems that all of that was forgotten in a moment when Utah lost its game against Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Within a matter of minutes some Ute fans were calling for Tommy Connor to be the next coach (mind you, it was at the D-News comment pages which are among the biggest wastes of Internet space going).

Still, despite his passion, his loyalty and his success, many Ute fans turned on him quickly when the going got tough. I knew coming in that this could be a difficult year, considering what Utah lost. But even I have to admit that it was a little bit tougher than expected. The Utah program appears to be in disarray, with rumors flying around about players not respecting him, and about how several might leave. If it is that bad, I can only wonder at how it went so wrong.

Good post. An unrealistic fan base that are spoiled by success contribute mightily to this impression and that is exacerbated by the rival cycling up. Regardless of whether it is fair, the questions about Boylen are a part of the program's future, and he had better win next year, and win quite a bit.

The good news is that they should be able to clean up the horrible losses that they had this year and make a dramatic improvement in w/l's almost immediately. There is some talent there, just not win the conference talent next year.

[Flattop]

Per the original post on this thread regarding possible transfers, Sorenson had this to say in his blog today:

Still nothing to report on specific players leaving Ute program, but it won't include any key players the Utes are counting on for the future. We may get an official announcement sometime this week.

http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/20/1...to-finals.html

[DrumNFeather]

Per the original post on this thread regarding possible transfers, Sorenson had this to say in his blog today:



http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/20/1...to-finals.html

It sounds like there may be as many as 2 new players coming in, in addition to the 3 or 4 already signed. But that is reading between the lines a bit on several sources.

[Blueintheface]

"Still nothing to report on specific players leaving Ute program, but it won't include any key players the Utes are counting on for the future. We may get an official announcement sometime this week. "

Um...not to be a wise ass, but what player on this team would any Ute fan think is a "key player"? The fanbase has all-but written off leading scorer Carlon Brown as a selfish guy you hasn't bought into the system which would leave Foster and Liza Minnelli. Key cogs to a 6th place team to be sure but not exactly great program builders like Bogut or Miller.

[Flattop]

would leave Foster and Liza Minnelli. Key cogs to a 6th place team to be sure

Yes, because everything will remain static in the off season with these two.

Clearly, a lot depends on Foster getting rid of the mission legs, his off season conditioning, and the development of his offensive game.

[Blueintheface]

Yes, because everything will remain static in the off season with these two.

Clearly, a lot depends on Foster getting rid of the mission legs, his off season conditioning, and the development of his offensive game.

I have no doubt that Henderson's shooting percentage will increase as a true point emerges for the Utes but if you think mission legs are the only thing holding Foster back from any sort of offensive game than you're kidding yourself. His footwork on the offensive end isn't half of what a sophomore Neville had, and that isn't saying much. If the light switch goes on for Foster like it did for a midseason junior Neville than he can be something other than a liability on the offensive end but it's my guess, based on no small part to watching Foster's decline this season, that if anything improves it will be his shot blocking and defensive footwork. That's saying a lot considering he was DPOY but I just don't see his offensive game getting much better.

[SeattleUte]

"Still nothing to report on specific players leaving Ute program, but it won't include any key players the Utes are counting on for the future. We may get an official announcement sometime this week. "

Um...not to be a wise ass, but what player on this team would any Ute fan think is a "key player"? The fanbase has all-but written off leading scorer Carlon Brown as a selfish guy you hasn't bought into the system which would leave Foster and Liza Minnelli. Key cogs to a 6th place team to be sure but not exactly great program builders like Bogut or Miller.

Who cares what the Utah fan base thinks. They're ignorant, like you.

[SeattleUte]

This guy cracks me up. I wish he posted here. He's a total Ute coach gad fly, and very knowledgeable and witty. He started posting on Utefans after Giacoletti was hired over Kerry Rupp. We used to think he was Rupp.

http://www.utefans.net/message.php?i...#message978298

Is there some Utefan who knows him and can invite him here?

[Blueintheface]

This guy cracks me up. I wish he posted here. He's a total Ute coach gad fly, and very knowledgeable and witty. He started posting on Utefans after Giacoletti was hired over Kerry Rupp. We used to think he was Rupp.

http://www.utefans.net/message.php?i...#message978298

Is there some Utefan who knows him and can invite him here?

You are an island unto yourself. If more Ute fans were like you, there would be no Ute fans.

[Goatnapper'96]

This guy cracks me up. I wish he posted here. He's a total Ute coach gad fly, and very knowledgeable and witty. He started posting on Utefans after Giacoletti was hired over Kerry Rupp. We used to think he was Rupp.

http://www.utefans.net/message.php?i...#message978298

Is there some Utefan who knows him and can invite him here?

I have never seen Ute fans defend a tied regular seasonMWC championship, MWC tourney championship and a first round beatdown in the NCAA tourney with such gusto!

When did Steve Cleveland become successful in the eyes of Utenation? I thought most Ute fans enjoyed getting their asses handed to them in the regular season because it ensured not getting beat in the first round of the NCAA tourney.