Big Victory Hints at Crucial Progress
Knowing coach Jim Boylen, you'd figure he would be jumping out of his suit after a landmark victory like the 66-65 win his Utes delivered over No. 16 Gonzaga at the Huntsman Center tonight.
Yet he was remarkably composed in his post-game interview, though he hardly downplayed the victory's value.
"It's big," he said. "I just think it talks about progress. Guys, we're a developing, growing program. It talks about the progress we've made, it talks about my guys winning a close game, and it's growth. When you beat a quality opponent and it's a Top 25 team, it's a national game. And for Utah to win a national game is what we've been striving for. It's why we built the schedule. It's what I want this program to be, is a national program. So it's a big deal."
In their first home game against their old coach -- several former players such as Tim Drisdom and Johnnie Bryant attended the game, and visited with Ray Giacoletti afterward -- the Utes delivered the biggest victory for their new one by playing good defense and making free throws down the stretch.
The Utes made but a single basket in the last nine minutes, in fact, but hit their last 10 free throws in a row and hold Gonzaga's two leading scorers, forwards Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye, to 18 points on 8-for-29 shooting. In all honesty, they both looked terrified to venture into the lane against 7-foot-2 Luke Nevill, and the Bulldogs made just 2 of 13 free throws amid their 35 percent shooting.
"We kind of got in their heads a little bit, and they were hesitant and they weren't playing their game," Nevill said. "That was because of our defense."
The Utes also took a big step in winning a close game against such a highly regarded team. They had been 2-10 under Boylen in games decided by five points or less or in overtime.
Amusingly, the Utes made sure the public-address announcer did not introduce the assistant coaches, as usual, presumably to avoid giving the fans a chance to boo Giacoletti. But Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who made it to the game a few hours before tip-off, his pregnant and overdue wife having still not given birth back home in Spokane, defended Giacoletti against the general perception that he ruined the Utes in his three seasons coaching them.
"He is a very, very, very good basketball coach," Few said. "I don't know that that's understood around here. It needs to be. I don't think it was easy for him [to come here], but he handled it like he handles everything, with incredible class. He only knows one way, and that is to work hard. He doesn't really focus on the other peripheral things."
Next up, Heath Schroyer and the alley-ooping Wyoming Cowboys. Happy New Year!
Yet he was remarkably composed in his post-game interview, though he hardly downplayed the victory's value.
"It's big," he said. "I just think it talks about progress. Guys, we're a developing, growing program. It talks about the progress we've made, it talks about my guys winning a close game, and it's growth. When you beat a quality opponent and it's a Top 25 team, it's a national game. And for Utah to win a national game is what we've been striving for. It's why we built the schedule. It's what I want this program to be, is a national program. So it's a big deal."
In their first home game against their old coach -- several former players such as Tim Drisdom and Johnnie Bryant attended the game, and visited with Ray Giacoletti afterward -- the Utes delivered the biggest victory for their new one by playing good defense and making free throws down the stretch.
The Utes made but a single basket in the last nine minutes, in fact, but hit their last 10 free throws in a row and hold Gonzaga's two leading scorers, forwards Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye, to 18 points on 8-for-29 shooting. In all honesty, they both looked terrified to venture into the lane against 7-foot-2 Luke Nevill, and the Bulldogs made just 2 of 13 free throws amid their 35 percent shooting.
"We kind of got in their heads a little bit, and they were hesitant and they weren't playing their game," Nevill said. "That was because of our defense."
The Utes also took a big step in winning a close game against such a highly regarded team. They had been 2-10 under Boylen in games decided by five points or less or in overtime.
Amusingly, the Utes made sure the public-address announcer did not introduce the assistant coaches, as usual, presumably to avoid giving the fans a chance to boo Giacoletti. But Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who made it to the game a few hours before tip-off, his pregnant and overdue wife having still not given birth back home in Spokane, defended Giacoletti against the general perception that he ruined the Utes in his three seasons coaching them.
"He is a very, very, very good basketball coach," Few said. "I don't know that that's understood around here. It needs to be. I don't think it was easy for him [to come here], but he handled it like he handles everything, with incredible class. He only knows one way, and that is to work hard. He doesn't really focus on the other peripheral things."
Next up, Heath Schroyer and the alley-ooping Wyoming Cowboys. Happy New Year!
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 10:48 PM |
3 Comments:
When Utah first scheduled this home-and-home with the Zags, there was talk that it was just the beginning of what would be an annual New Years Eve matchup. Do you know if that is still the plan?
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Naven? BigUteFan? Nothing to say? WE ARE GETTING BETTER. Are we perfect, no. We played a great game and had a tough time finishing it out. We will lose that "fear of failure" at the end of games after we win a few more close ones. GREAT CROWD! GO UTES!
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