Visions of the future
Shooting guard Carlon Brown watched the Utes play San Diego State last weekend - and it's a shame he was wearing his maroon letter jacket from King High School in nearby Riverside and not a red-and-white uniform with high-tops.
The Utes could have used him.
They shot just 2 for 17 during a 15-minute span of the second half in which they blew an 11-point lead and wound up losing 63-53 at Cox Arena, just the latest in a series of discouraging losses that have all but wasted the season. The Utes keep saying they can put things together in time to make a run deep into the Mountain West Conference tournament next month, but then keep right on giving no reason to believe them.
Meanwhile, Brown is having a having a fine year.
One of three recruits who will join the Utes next year, the 6-foot-4 senior is averaging some 16 points per game for the high-scoring, 21-2 King Wolves. He's also one of the area's top three-point shooters.
Yet Giacoletti seems almost resigned with this current team anymore, which is perhaps an outgrowth of his Christmastime decision not to kill himself worrying about the external pressures surrounding one of the worst seasons in school history.
He's not bludgeoning his young team with fury, either, saying he has hardly raised his voice at the players in about a month, believing their collective psyche is too fragile to endure it. A cynic might even think that he's been reassured that he's not going to lose his job anytime soon, allowing him to take a more measured and long-term approach with his team.
Incidentally, athletic director Chris Hill also attended the San Diego State game, and spent a few moments in the locker room after the game.
The Utes could have used him.
They shot just 2 for 17 during a 15-minute span of the second half in which they blew an 11-point lead and wound up losing 63-53 at Cox Arena, just the latest in a series of discouraging losses that have all but wasted the season. The Utes keep saying they can put things together in time to make a run deep into the Mountain West Conference tournament next month, but then keep right on giving no reason to believe them.
Meanwhile, Brown is having a having a fine year.
One of three recruits who will join the Utes next year, the 6-foot-4 senior is averaging some 16 points per game for the high-scoring, 21-2 King Wolves. He's also one of the area's top three-point shooters.
Yet Giacoletti seems almost resigned with this current team anymore, which is perhaps an outgrowth of his Christmastime decision not to kill himself worrying about the external pressures surrounding one of the worst seasons in school history.
He's not bludgeoning his young team with fury, either, saying he has hardly raised his voice at the players in about a month, believing their collective psyche is too fragile to endure it. A cynic might even think that he's been reassured that he's not going to lose his job anytime soon, allowing him to take a more measured and long-term approach with his team.
Incidentally, athletic director Chris Hill also attended the San Diego State game, and spent a few moments in the locker room after the game.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 10:35 AM |
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