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Utah Utes basketball: Team rallys but finds way to lose to New Mexico
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Money-G | 8:24 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Yes Kepkay did make a mistake in judgement. However, I believe Boylen has to
take some ownership in his players as he repeated tells them. Kepkay is not a
point guard and will never be a point guard. He is a shooter, scorer, spot of
shooter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Why does
the Utah ooaching staff insist on forcing him to run the team. Not having
enouth time outs for situations that can occur in the game is a sign of an
inexperience coach to ensure that his players understand what to do. Nevil made
the comment the coach will have his hand picked player next year to bring in
feshman to get the job done. This sounds like Nevil will not be around to play
and may opt for the NBA. Can't say I blame him. However, I know Boylen is
not that foolish enough to think his recruiting class is the answer to the Utes
ineptness. The Utes as well as Boylen are still learning and they will get
better, although not this year. Go Utes
Coach | 10:39 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008
If I'm playing the Utes, I want the ball in Kepkay's hands at the end
of the game. Hill has failed again with this current Coach. Who's next?
Comments continue below
Nevill will not opt out | 11:17 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008
At least not to go to the NBA. As of right now, he's not NBA-ready. He will
need another solid year of college basketball with substantial improvement to
have a chance of playing in the NBA. If he "opts out" he will probably
go back to play in Australia. But more likely, he'll play his senior year.
Nevil in the NBA? | 12:46 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Are you people serious? Nevil would get absolutely worked in the NBA. He
doesn't run the floor well, he is weak inside, and he's not going to
be taller than everybody else at the next level.
I also disagree with anyone blaming this on the coach, he is doing a great job with what he has. He has made some mistakes, but he is new to head coaching and it will take him a while to figure out end of game situations. He has done a great job of installing his system and the in-game coaching will come around. Give him some time.
Go Utes!
I also disagree with anyone blaming this on the coach, he is doing a great job with what he has. He has made some mistakes, but he is new to head coaching and it will take him a while to figure out end of game situations. He has done a great job of installing his system and the in-game coaching will come around. Give him some time.
Go Utes!
Utes | 1:45 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
It's obvious that top to bottom Utah has the best team in the
conference.
If we can get them together by tourney time. can you say MWC champs.
If we can get them together by tourney time. can you say MWC champs.
Utes II | 2:54 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
I agree. Even though we have a .500 record in confernce, we have shown that we
can beat BYU, UNLV, SDSU, and New Mexico (we got hosed against BYU and should
have been NM).
Look out MWC tourney! Here come the Utes - best team in the MWC and the Intermountain West!!!
Look out MWC tourney! Here come the Utes - best team in the MWC and the Intermountain West!!!
Judy | 3:07 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
I'm a BYU fan, but I like to see the Utes do well when they are not up
against the Cougs. The way this game ended was just unfortunate. Kepkay
shouldn't be made to feel the bad guy, though. It rarely comes own to one
single play. But often fans see only the timing of an unfortunate play. The
thing that made me, once again, praise the day many years ago when I transferred
from the U to BYU and received my degree at Provo, however, was exemplified by
Coach B. When asked if he was would at least give his team kudos for clawing
back at the end, he, with cameras and microphones in his face, responded with
the most classless comment I've ever heard from a head coach. Part of it
had to be "bleeped". Way to go, coach. That's real leadership.
Kepkay Is Clutch!! | 3:36 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Kepkay is absolutely clutch...at losing close ball games down the stretch. Why
does Kepkay seem to think he is the man to take the shot at the end of a close
game- rather than Johnnie Bryant, Shawn Green, Johnnie Bryant, or Johnnie
Bryant? He seems to choose taking a bad shot himself over getting the ball to a
better shooter with a better shot. Boylen really needs to get him out of the
game down the stretch if it is close. Put me in the game in his place. I know
how to pass to Johnnie Bryant.
NothingButNet | 3:48 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
With the way the game was ref'd that last play could have gone like this
... drives for a layup, missed the layup but stayed with it, put it back for 2
and got fouled and then went to the FT line where Kepkay is money and that would
have taken it into OT. The problem as stated in earlier comment posting is the
Utes could not separte themselves from NM with 5 minutes to go. NM just kept
breaking down our large man defense. And as for Luca Drca if you are going to
continue to complain about other players on your team, why don't you stop
turning over the ball, and quit taking stupid fouls so you can TAKE THE LAST
SHOT.
Watch The Film | 4:03 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
NM was back on defence, where were the rest of the "Runnin Utes",
Kepkay made a fast break down the left wing, two NM defenders were closing down
on him, one broke off and created a hole for Kepkay but closed off the option to
pitch the ball. Hey fella "Kepkay is clutch" you couldn't run the
floor with the likes of JB, SG or TK let alone make the pass, if you could why
aren't you jersey'd up. Real easy to judge from the cheap seats. I for
one like the Utes chances in the MWC. Finishing 4th, 5th gives you a great
opening tournament opportunity. You play a team you have already beaten and it
readies you for 2nd round play against a more confident team. BYU is expected to
win, the Utes are going to be the "SPOILERS". GO UTES
B | 4:09 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Shouldn't it be rallies, not rallys in the headline? Or use rallied...
Kepkay is making too many mistakes and isn't quite ready to lead at the point guard position.
Kepkay is making too many mistakes and isn't quite ready to lead at the point guard position.
utah_man18 | 4:41 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
It's very foolish to crown our team as the best, top to bottom, in the
league. On paper, yes, we are very skilled, but we need to show up to every game
and keep getting better before we think of ourselves as being better than
anyone.
Personally, I think Boylen is the best man to have at the helm of this team. Luckily, Dr. Hill doesn't pay attention to the suggestions of those on these posts, so Jim will be around for some time to come, and you can bet that when he has his players in here, Utah will be back on top in basketball.
Personally, I think Boylen is the best man to have at the helm of this team. Luckily, Dr. Hill doesn't pay attention to the suggestions of those on these posts, so Jim will be around for some time to come, and you can bet that when he has his players in here, Utah will be back on top in basketball.
Missing Majerus | 5:05 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
This wouldn't have happened under Thick Rick. Every player on the court
would have known the situation and would have at least known that the game clock
is right in front of his eyes when he's driving toward the basket in the
Huntsman Center.
I had really hoped Giacolletti was an aberration; I really hoped that the programs was still good, but the coach was bad. Boylen's tenure is not confirming it. Instead, it's confirming that the program is bad, and the coaches are awful. Let's face it: Majerus isn't walking through those doors. He was a once-in-a-lifetime coach. He made us a perennial Sweet 16 program. Now that he's gone, reality is coldly slapping us in the face: We are merely an NIT team on a good year.
I had really hoped Giacolletti was an aberration; I really hoped that the programs was still good, but the coach was bad. Boylen's tenure is not confirming it. Instead, it's confirming that the program is bad, and the coaches are awful. Let's face it: Majerus isn't walking through those doors. He was a once-in-a-lifetime coach. He made us a perennial Sweet 16 program. Now that he's gone, reality is coldly slapping us in the face: We are merely an NIT team on a good year.
Anonymous | 5:34 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Sorry but even if by some HUGE miracle the utes were to win the tourney they
still wouldn't be MWC champions.
Anonymous | 5:59 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
DON'T put the ball in Kepkay's hands again for the game winning shot.
He hasn't come through -- and he's had plenty of chances.
Utards | 10:20 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
Am I reading posts that are stating that the Ute's are the best in the MWC?
Did BYU, SDSU, NM, and UNLV transfer to a different conference? Utah will be
out of the Conf. Tourney in the first round.
Math Program? | 11:18 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
I'm a little confused about the comments made about Utah being the
'best team in the MWC'. Do Yewts take into account anything like...
oh say, their record in making that statement. Fighting to stay above .500 in
conference play, and they are the best? Lern too Du Math Yewts. I guess thats
why Kepkay decided to take a 2-pointer, there wasn't enough time to take
off his shoes figure out how many he needed.
To Utes 2: remind me again which one of the losses to BYU proved that they can beat them.
Utah basketball is merely a reflection of the University as a whole, a stellar example of mediocrity. I'd be surprised if Utah is the best team playing from the MW in the NIT, if they get there. Have fun watching the BYU games in March.
To Utes 2: remind me again which one of the losses to BYU proved that they can beat them.
Utah basketball is merely a reflection of the University as a whole, a stellar example of mediocrity. I'd be surprised if Utah is the best team playing from the MW in the NIT, if they get there. Have fun watching the BYU games in March.
To: Judy | 11:55 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008
I never heard that quote from Boylen but he did say this about the Utes comeback
effort, "The guys played hard. I'm proud of my team. We battled. New
Mexico made the plays down the stretch and we didn't." You have no
idea what kind of person Jim Boylen...seriously, there are alot worse things
than swearing. Wasn't there an apostle of the Church that had a
"loose" tongue a while ago? Typical BYU fan...close minded and very
judgmental. Oh, and guess what? President Monson went to the U of U, and
wait...so did Eyring. Clearly the University of Utah isn't all that bad if
good men like these guys chose to go there.
give it up! | 8:42 a.m. Feb. 25, 2008
For the last time, could we please just leave religion out of the Utah/BYU saga?
It's getting old and anyone with any brains can see it is not a factor in
winning or losing. What is a factor is recruiting, and sorry, Utah, but you are
waaaaaay behind BYU when it comes to that. Until your coaches can lose their
egos about not recruiting players that "might" go to BYU, you will be
in a losing battle. I know several tremendous athletes who would have gone to
Utah over BYU, but Utah wouldn't recruit them because they were worried
they would lose the recruiting war with the Y. Just go after the best players,
regardless, and you might be surprised who you get!
Former Ute | 1:40 p.m. Feb. 25, 2008
From the final scores and the comments about the Utah game and the BYU game, it
looks like I should THANK THE MTN THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO WATCH EITHER ONE OF
THESE MWC GAMES!
Leads... | 1:48 p.m. Feb. 25, 2008
Utah had double digit leads at SDSU and at New Mexico before blowing them and
losing in OT with Neville getting in foul trouble. They lost by 3 vs BYU and
then this last one which the lead was back and forth. Again Neville only played
20 minutes cuz of foul trouble. Thats how we know Utah can beat anyone, they
are within a shot or 2 of being undefeated in league play. Neville is not an
excuse, he is the factor. He doesnt get in foul trouble and Utah wins, when he
does Utah loses. BYU was smart in going at him Wed. Had he made that layup he
wouldnt have gotten the over the back 4th foul and who knows the outcome. Utah
has shown they can play with anyone, BYU has close wins, Utah has close losses.
The difference is small, it shows the parity in the conference.
Re: Leads... | 2:22 p.m. Feb. 25, 2008
News Utah fans: close losses are losses. Utah could have led by 100 points, but
if they blow it, nobody cares how much they led by, its a loss. Did you not
read the title of the article? 'finds way to lose...' If we played
20 minute games, maybe Utah would have more luck. In the real world however,
games last 40 minutes, and the only score that matters is the one at the end.
Typical Utah mentality, can't admit defeat, stuck either in the past or the
future, blaming your team's many failures on anything but your team. Wake
up, teams that play all 40 minutes are the teams that win. Utah has a great
team, but can't pull it together to play good ball the whole game. So I
guess what you are really taking pride in is that Utah is probably the best
loser in the conference. So who are you going to blame things on during March,
the selection committee?
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I don't think this is coach's fault at all. He is the right man for this job. I think what it boils down to is this current batch of players have become bred losers (after the last two years) and just don't know how to win or believe they can do so. I'll be glad when they (Nevill, Bohra, Green and Kepkay)are all gone after next year; when my beloved Utes can get back to winning again and the JMHC can again become the arena in this conference teams feared to come to. Go Utes!