tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202404502009-09-30T13:51:13.181-06:00Tribune sports writer Michael C. Lewis gets the scoop on University of Utah basketball.www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.comBlogger888125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-15550617115452703262009-09-21T11:25:00.001-06:002009-09-21T11:27:20.067-06:00

Just a quick update (finally, right?) to let readers know that with a switch in coverage plans for the upcoming season, our Utah Utes basketball blog soon will be wrapped into one that also covers the football team.My colleague Lya Wodraska will handle that, as she will be taking over coverage of the basketball team while I prepare for and cover the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in Canada. The switch

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-57111177700422741452009-08-04T21:24:00.001-06:002009-08-04T21:25:36.642-06:00

Unfortunate news for coach Jim Boylen and the Utes tonight … looks like Alex Dragicevich has decided to go elsewhere.The 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Glenbrook North High School in suburban Chicago has committed to Notre Dame. “I just really like how they use their guards,” Dragicevich said. “There’s a lot of freedom on the perimeter. I think it’s a free-wheeling offense. They shoot a lot of

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-27673386769491536622009-07-02T09:51:00.002-06:002009-07-02T09:53:23.945-06:00

Sadly, some other commitments kept me from attending the Utes' elite camp last night, where about 30 top players joined the current and incoming Utes — all of them are back on campus, except point guard Luka Drca — in a workout and competition at the Huntsman Center.Word is that everything went well, though coaches are not allowed to comment on prospective recruits unless and until they sign

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-71763295358226206932009-06-30T06:47:00.001-06:002009-07-02T09:53:40.187-06:00

He might have gone undrafted, but that doesn't mean Luke Nevill isn't going to get his chance.The 7-foot-2 center is expected to play for the New Orleans Hornets at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where 21 teams will compete from July 10-19 at the Thomas & Mack Center. That means that not only will Nevill have a chance to impress the Hornets, but also any of the other teams that will be

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-23500023040736323462009-06-19T07:04:00.000-06:002009-06-19T07:04:01.979-06:00

Check out most of the online mock drafts that are floating around out there, and you'd conclude that center Luke Nevill is not going to hear his name called during the NBA Draft next week.His agent, however, thinks otherwise.“I would be surprised if he wasn't drafted,” agent Keith Glass said.While Nevill said he's pretty confident about being a second-round pick — he has worked out for nine teams

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-40697916764325954672009-06-17T17:24:00.005-06:002009-06-17T18:20:53.897-06:00

Coach Jim Boylen was clearly upset at hearing the news from an assistant coach that counterpart Dave Rose of Brigham Young has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.The Cougars announced in a statement that the cancer was discovered by tests Rose had performed when he underwent emergency surgery to remove his spleen and part of his pancreas at a hospital in Las Vegas last week. He's home now, but

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-34191855366884917362009-06-17T10:41:00.001-06:002009-06-17T10:46:02.564-06:00

We're well into the offseason, yet coach Jim Boylen's name just keeps popping up on the periphery of one of the nation's most high-profile coaching searches.Given his pro experience, though, it's no wonder that Boylen keeps getting mentioned as a possible candidate for the USC job, especially since the Trojans evidently are searching for somebody with that on his resume. Boylen was a longtime

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-59513358853537807042009-06-15T08:17:00.001-06:002009-06-15T08:17:00.726-06:00

While coach Jim Boylen has been busy with his summer camps and analyzing the NBA Finals for us, his players have been working out on their own — with two notable additions.Incoming recruits Matt Read and Marshall Henderson both have paid their own way to enroll in summer school and get a jump start on their careers with the Utes. Both look good, as far as Boylen can tell in his office — coaches

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-67439906837261503582009-06-12T15:18:00.005-06:002009-06-12T15:21:16.673-06:00

Quick update on center Luke Nevill, who's hoping to find a place in the NBA Draft later this month, but whose stock does not seem to be rising appreciably -- at least not according to the online mock drafts that largely predict he won't be drafted.According to DraftExpress.com, the 7-foot-2 Australian might have a hard time in the NBA."Nevill got almost 4 touches per game at the rim as a finisher

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-69115293150116703732009-06-11T08:22:00.001-06:002009-06-11T08:23:35.426-06:00

Should fans start crossing their fingers again?Coach Jim Boylen just signed a fat new contract to remain with the Utes for years to come, but could become a target for USC athletic director Mike Garrett, who's trying to hold together a wreck of a basketball program in the wake of former coach Tim Floyd's resignation.At least, that's what Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman suggests, in his column dooming

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-40442155042503865112009-06-08T13:46:00.002-06:002009-06-08T13:46:53.526-06:00

The Utes are about to start their annual “Jimmy Ball” summer basketball camps, and report that they still have room for more kids to join them.Parents can register their kids online for any of six camps. The first ones — a junior Ute camp for young elementary school children and a day camp for older kids — start Wednesday, with others commencing next week and in the first week of August. Prices

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-7157478021826169372009-06-05T15:48:00.003-06:002009-06-05T15:55:01.050-06:00

Coach Jim Boylen has taken another step in connecting with the Utes' glorious basketball history, appointing Michael Doleac to join his staff as a graduate manager.Boylen said Doleac — one of the most prolific players in school history — will play a limited role in the “support position” that typically involves administrative and behind-the-scenes duties, but “we're thankful that he wants to be

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-28818991255532540272009-06-02T16:25:00.004-06:002009-06-02T16:32:17.459-06:00

Not that it bothered the Utes too much last season, but they will have to contend with playing the Mountain West Conference tournament in Las Vegas for a few more years.That's because despite the annual complaints about giving UNLV an unfair advantage by playing on its home floor, the league has decided to keep its men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-72562682560529835482009-05-26T15:43:00.005-06:002009-05-26T19:00:45.075-06:00

Now that the Utes have released their non-conference schedule for next season, maybe we should aggravate the coaches by noting right off the top that they again will be opening with an exhibition game against a Division II team.Nah … let's not bust their chops over that one, again.After all, the Utes won the Mountain West Conference tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-43601705367495333482009-05-21T15:37:00.001-06:002009-05-22T14:39:30.812-06:00

Coach Jim Boylen is enjoying his first family vacation in four years, with his wife and children in beautiful San Diego.How do we know?He's telling us about it on Twitter.Indeed, the coach has started using the latest hot social-networking site to keep fans apprised of what's happening in his program and no doubt expand his appeal among potential recruits. He's not the first coach to use it, even

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-42937128555072554022009-05-13T12:30:00.000-06:002009-05-13T12:31:34.299-06:00

Now that coach Jim Boylen has signed his lucrative new contract, he has a little more ammunition with which to fight off in recruiting the claim that “he's not going to be there” — something he has encountered quite a bit.Of course, it's not necessarily true.Although my understanding is that the buyout in the first couple of years of the contract is quite substantial — haven't seen the actual

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-66073362067104805802009-05-12T13:45:00.001-06:002009-05-12T13:46:18.945-06:00

Even in a troubled economy, rebuilding a major college basketball program is lucrative work.Having guided the Utah Utes back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years, men's coach Jim Boylen has been rewarded with a new five-year contract through the 2014 season worth at least $850,000 annually, the university announced today. That's about a 55 percent increase from his original

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-50519905891632815262009-05-07T17:29:00.002-06:002009-05-07T17:31:29.909-06:00

Looks like coach Jim Boylen might be getting close to hauling in another top prospect for the Utes.According to an interesting article in the Las Vegas Sun, the Utes are the favorites to land Godwin Okonji, a 6-foot-9 forward at Findlay College Prep, the heralded basketball prep school in suburban Las Vegas whose team went undefeated last season and beat famed Oak Hill Academy in the first ESPN

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-483965562525540162009-05-01T22:07:00.004-06:002009-05-02T06:35:44.446-06:00

Rick Shoff buried a crucial three-pointer to help Salt Lake Community College mount a spectacular comeback and win the national junior-college championship last season, and he soon will be bringing his skills to the Utes.The 6-foot-3 guard from American Fork (and younger brother of former Brigham Young player Jake Shoff) is expected to join the Utes as a walk-on next season, when he figures to be

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-79541666432129681882009-04-21T16:17:00.003-06:002009-04-21T16:24:10.104-06:00

Now that we're back from burning some vacation time after the season ended, we can get you caught up on a few things going on with the Utes.Center Luke Nevill remains in Salt Lake City preparing for the NBA Draft in June, mostly by swimming, lifting weights with university strength coach Doug Elisaia and scrimmaging with the Utes. The 7-foot-2 Australian has hired agent Keith Glass, and said he a

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-19964984677014421532009-04-01T13:33:00.005-06:002009-04-01T13:38:51.211-06:00

Somehow, it slipped under the radar when the team was first announced, but center Luke Nevill has been named an Associated Press All-American honorable mention, making him the first Utah player to receive All-American recognition since fellow Australian Andrew Bogut was a first-team pick four years ago.“This is a real honor and something that I never expected,” Nevill said in a statement. “I

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-8016502769493012912009-03-31T16:57:00.002-06:002009-03-31T16:59:32.913-06:00

Center Luke Nevill will play in the annual Hershey’s College All-Star Game, an event sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and held the day before the Final Four begins next weekend in Detroit.Nevill will anchor a team coached by former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson that also includes Brigham Young's Lee Cummard and fellow Australian Aron Baynes of Washington State. The

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-42424685731624973472009-03-31T10:07:00.000-06:002009-03-31T10:08:44.994-06:00

With new players poised to play such a prominent role for the Utes next season, many readers have wondered how the redshirts developed while practicing but not playing last season under coach Jim Boylen.In a word, promisingly.That's how Boylen feels about point guard Chris Hines, center Jason Washburn and forward Josh Sharp — although Sharp is due to leave on an LDS Church mission soon and isn't

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-22830700731610046682009-03-31T09:41:00.001-06:002009-03-31T09:41:55.995-06:00

Anybody wonder whether the Utes might have to rebound from a season-opening exhibition loss to a Division II team again next season?Probably, we wouldn't bet on it.But in their first game after losing so much of their production, the Utes will be opening next year against Findlay University of Ohio, the team that won the Division II national championship over the weekend and finished a perfect 36

www.sltrib.comnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20240450.post-48260200548006605312009-03-27T18:44:00.002-06:002009-03-27T18:51:57.683-06:00

Leading the Utes into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years could pay off handsomely for Jim Boylen.The coach and the university are in the early stages of negotiating a new contract, his agent confirmed today. “The intent is to get something done,” agent Warren LeGarie said. “Sooner, rather than later. But ultimately, it will be the university's decision.”Boylen just completely

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