Hardwood Quarterback Must Improve In the 'Pocket'
He was recruited specifically to solidify a wobbly backcourt, and point guard Tyler Kepkay has had his moments. But the junior-college transfer clearly is still adjusting to Division I basketball -- as illustrated by his unspectacular assist-to-turnover ratio.
In four games, he has 13 assists and 15 turnovers.
That's not good.
But coach Jim Boylen believes Kepkay is simply going through the growing pains that come with making the big jump to the big time from the College of Eastern Utah. He calls Kepkay a "developing player" who's tough and competitive and destined to play well once he gets truly comfortable, something at which he will get another chance when the Utes play Weber State at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Wednesday night.
"He has never played in a system before, he's never played with players better than him before or guys of equal talent that he has to share with," Boylen said, "and it's going to be an adjustment. He has improved every day. He has to handle his frustration level when things don't go his way, and he's working on that."
Kepkay figures to get a good test from WSU's Juan Pablo Silveira, a sophomore point guard from Uruguay whose assist-to-turnover ratio is nearly 2-to-1.
Having led the nation in junior-college scoring last season, Kepkay is averaging only 8.3 points for the Utes as he focuses on running the offense and setting up his teammates in the traditional point-guard style.
But to do that better, Boylen said Kepkay has to improve his decision-making in the area between halfcourt and the free-throw line, a zone that Boylen calls "the pocket" from which point guards do most of their distributing, either on the fast-break or in a halfcourt set.
"That decision-making area, he has struggled with," Boylen said. "When he takes it all the way and makes a lay-up, he has been terrific. ... In that pocket area, he has been about 12 percent on his decisions, so he's got to get better."
In four games, he has 13 assists and 15 turnovers.
That's not good.
But coach Jim Boylen believes Kepkay is simply going through the growing pains that come with making the big jump to the big time from the College of Eastern Utah. He calls Kepkay a "developing player" who's tough and competitive and destined to play well once he gets truly comfortable, something at which he will get another chance when the Utes play Weber State at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Wednesday night.
"He has never played in a system before, he's never played with players better than him before or guys of equal talent that he has to share with," Boylen said, "and it's going to be an adjustment. He has improved every day. He has to handle his frustration level when things don't go his way, and he's working on that."
Kepkay figures to get a good test from WSU's Juan Pablo Silveira, a sophomore point guard from Uruguay whose assist-to-turnover ratio is nearly 2-to-1.
Having led the nation in junior-college scoring last season, Kepkay is averaging only 8.3 points for the Utes as he focuses on running the offense and setting up his teammates in the traditional point-guard style.
But to do that better, Boylen said Kepkay has to improve his decision-making in the area between halfcourt and the free-throw line, a zone that Boylen calls "the pocket" from which point guards do most of their distributing, either on the fast-break or in a halfcourt set.
"That decision-making area, he has struggled with," Boylen said. "When he takes it all the way and makes a lay-up, he has been terrific. ... In that pocket area, he has been about 12 percent on his decisions, so he's got to get better."
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 8:25 AM |
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