The schedule's good and looking better
So, my first thought after looking at the Utes' schedule this season?
Just wait till next year.
Not that the schedule this year is bad, by any stretch. It's just that most of the best games are on the road -- Oregon, Cal, Gonzaga, potentially Washington. What's left for the fans who buy tickets at home is a little less impressive, with the likes of Missouri State, UC Irvine and Santa Clara coming to the Huntsman Center.
Certainly, that's a much better lineup than some the Utes have featured in the past.
But next year is when the Utes will enjoy the return trips from the marquee teams they're playing on the road this season. Oregon, Cal and Gonzaga (as well as Weber State, in place of Utah State this year) all are expected to play the Utes in the Huntsman Center in 2008-09, when the Utes are loaded with experienced upperclassmen and theoretically in far better position to take advantage of the opportunity.
Still, the overall quality of the current schedule is pretty strong.
The Utes will face at least five teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season -- Oregon (26-7), BYU (25-8), Gonzaga (23-10), Weber State (20-11) and UNLV (28-6). They also could play two others, depending on how they fare in the NIT Tip-Off Classic in Seattle.
If the Utes beat High Point and then, presumably, Washington, they will advance to the tournament semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where they could play any of four tournament teams -- Ohio State (30-3), Texas A&M (25-6), Oral Roberts (23-10) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (26-6).
That would seem to accomplish what Boylen wants -- to test his players in difficult situations early, so they can be ready for the Mountain West Conference season. Whether that works or not, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Just wait till next year.
Not that the schedule this year is bad, by any stretch. It's just that most of the best games are on the road -- Oregon, Cal, Gonzaga, potentially Washington. What's left for the fans who buy tickets at home is a little less impressive, with the likes of Missouri State, UC Irvine and Santa Clara coming to the Huntsman Center.
Certainly, that's a much better lineup than some the Utes have featured in the past.
But next year is when the Utes will enjoy the return trips from the marquee teams they're playing on the road this season. Oregon, Cal and Gonzaga (as well as Weber State, in place of Utah State this year) all are expected to play the Utes in the Huntsman Center in 2008-09, when the Utes are loaded with experienced upperclassmen and theoretically in far better position to take advantage of the opportunity.
Still, the overall quality of the current schedule is pretty strong.
The Utes will face at least five teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season -- Oregon (26-7), BYU (25-8), Gonzaga (23-10), Weber State (20-11) and UNLV (28-6). They also could play two others, depending on how they fare in the NIT Tip-Off Classic in Seattle.
If the Utes beat High Point and then, presumably, Washington, they will advance to the tournament semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where they could play any of four tournament teams -- Ohio State (30-3), Texas A&M (25-6), Oral Roberts (23-10) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (26-6).
That would seem to accomplish what Boylen wants -- to test his players in difficult situations early, so they can be ready for the Mountain West Conference season. Whether that works or not, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 5:45 PM |
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home