'Instinctive' Alley-Oop? Sounds Like a Bit of a Stretch
Now, then, about that controversial finish ...
Wyoming's Heath Schroyer probably could have been more conciliatory about his team's last-second, alley-oop dunk in their already-assured 72-64 victory at the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday, if he really has as much respect for coach Jim Boylen and the Utes as he kept insisting in his post-game presss conference.
As it was, he never apologized, or even expressed regret.
Instead, he tried to pass off the play that so incensed Boylen as "instinctive" -- which is probably a plausible explanation for the dunker, outgoing senior Joseph Taylor. After all, if the ball's in the air above the rim, you probably can be forgiven for going to get it, especially for an emotional jam in the last home game of your college career.
But essentially saying that guard Brandon Ewing couldn't control his instincts to avoid throwing the pass is borderline laughable. Maybe the Utes were "chasing" Ewing, as Schroyer explained, but Ewing is one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference, a third-year starter as a junior who has started 90 games in his career.
He knew what he was doing.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Schroyer already was annoyed with Boylen for an earlier tete-a-tete, after Boylen complained -- correctly -- that the scorekeepers had let too much time run off the clock in the final minute.
While the referees explained to the coaches that they were putting three seconds back on the clock -- three seconds? talk about a home-court advantage -- Boylen tried to make nice by clapping Schroyer on the arm and touching him near the cheek and back of his neck in the way he might console a player.
The look on Schroyer's face, however, suggested he viewed that gesture as a lot more condescending than Boylen probably intended it. What's more, he's probably pretty good friends with football coach Joe Glenn, whom the Utes subjected to a disgraceful onside kick with a 43-0 lead a few months ago ...
Wyoming's Heath Schroyer probably could have been more conciliatory about his team's last-second, alley-oop dunk in their already-assured 72-64 victory at the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday, if he really has as much respect for coach Jim Boylen and the Utes as he kept insisting in his post-game presss conference.
As it was, he never apologized, or even expressed regret.
Instead, he tried to pass off the play that so incensed Boylen as "instinctive" -- which is probably a plausible explanation for the dunker, outgoing senior Joseph Taylor. After all, if the ball's in the air above the rim, you probably can be forgiven for going to get it, especially for an emotional jam in the last home game of your college career.
But essentially saying that guard Brandon Ewing couldn't control his instincts to avoid throwing the pass is borderline laughable. Maybe the Utes were "chasing" Ewing, as Schroyer explained, but Ewing is one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference, a third-year starter as a junior who has started 90 games in his career.
He knew what he was doing.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Schroyer already was annoyed with Boylen for an earlier tete-a-tete, after Boylen complained -- correctly -- that the scorekeepers had let too much time run off the clock in the final minute.
While the referees explained to the coaches that they were putting three seconds back on the clock -- three seconds? talk about a home-court advantage -- Boylen tried to make nice by clapping Schroyer on the arm and touching him near the cheek and back of his neck in the way he might console a player.
The look on Schroyer's face, however, suggested he viewed that gesture as a lot more condescending than Boylen probably intended it. What's more, he's probably pretty good friends with football coach Joe Glenn, whom the Utes subjected to a disgraceful onside kick with a 43-0 lead a few months ago ...
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 7:07 AM |
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