Third Straight Time's a Charm?
Maybe the Utes will have a better chance in their next game.
Having endured back-to-back losses against quality teams -- including an 87-76 loss to a team of promising young players from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on Monday -- the Utes will take a crack in a few hours at the worst pro team in Australia.
The West Sydney Razorbacks finished just 5-28 in the National Basketball League last season, seemingly giving the Utes a better chance at turning their trip around. So far, they have won only one game -- and by only one point -- while straining against turnovers and foul trouble.
Sound familiar?
The Utes have enjoyed strong rebounding in all three games so far, at least, and coach Jim Boylen cited that as a "continued bright spot" on the trip. But part of the reason is that the Utes are missing shots. In the loss to the AIS team, Boylen said the Utes did not finish plays in the paint, communicated poorly and did a poor job of moving the ball.
"We need to take this opportunity to continue developing our team defense and improving our defensive chemistry," Boylen said.
Guard Lawrence Borha scored 17 points in the loss to the AIS -- his best game of the tour -- but the Utes never recovered from a poor start and 19 turnovers in their first college-style, 40-minute game of the trip. They committed 26 turnovers in the 103-78 loss to the Perth Wildcats in their previous game last week, in a 48-minute, pro-style game like the one they will play against the Razorbacks.
The Utes were scheduled to tour the iconic Sydney Opera House in the morning before their Tuesday afternoon game at the Auburn Centre in Sydney. (Remember, Sydney is 16 hours ahead of Salt Lake City, meaning the game will start at midnight Utah time.)
Then, the Utes will play for the third straight day on Wednesday, against the Rockhampton Rockets, a second-division club for which Stephen Weigh once played.
The Rockets are part of the Australian Basketball Association, the national developmental league that feeds into the NBL, of which the Razorbacks and Perth Wildcats are a part.
Having endured back-to-back losses against quality teams -- including an 87-76 loss to a team of promising young players from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on Monday -- the Utes will take a crack in a few hours at the worst pro team in Australia.
The West Sydney Razorbacks finished just 5-28 in the National Basketball League last season, seemingly giving the Utes a better chance at turning their trip around. So far, they have won only one game -- and by only one point -- while straining against turnovers and foul trouble.
Sound familiar?
The Utes have enjoyed strong rebounding in all three games so far, at least, and coach Jim Boylen cited that as a "continued bright spot" on the trip. But part of the reason is that the Utes are missing shots. In the loss to the AIS team, Boylen said the Utes did not finish plays in the paint, communicated poorly and did a poor job of moving the ball.
"We need to take this opportunity to continue developing our team defense and improving our defensive chemistry," Boylen said.
Guard Lawrence Borha scored 17 points in the loss to the AIS -- his best game of the tour -- but the Utes never recovered from a poor start and 19 turnovers in their first college-style, 40-minute game of the trip. They committed 26 turnovers in the 103-78 loss to the Perth Wildcats in their previous game last week, in a 48-minute, pro-style game like the one they will play against the Razorbacks.
The Utes were scheduled to tour the iconic Sydney Opera House in the morning before their Tuesday afternoon game at the Auburn Centre in Sydney. (Remember, Sydney is 16 hours ahead of Salt Lake City, meaning the game will start at midnight Utah time.)
Then, the Utes will play for the third straight day on Wednesday, against the Rockhampton Rockets, a second-division club for which Stephen Weigh once played.
The Rockets are part of the Australian Basketball Association, the national developmental league that feeds into the NBL, of which the Razorbacks and Perth Wildcats are a part.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 5:42 PM |
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