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Nov 29, 2021
10:12:52pm
lbmango Truly Addicted User
Thoughts--finally--on BYU/Utah game...
I finally had a chance to watch the BYU/Utah game on YouTube. Here are my thoughts:

1. The Huntsman Center is, and will always be a tough place to play. Utah played hard all game. It appears they, finally, have a good coaching staff which is going to make this rivalry very interesting in the years to come.

2. I thought the game announcers were good. It was clear that they wanted Utah to win (what do you expect from guys employed by the Pac 12 Network?), but they were fair in their analysis for both Utah and BYU, calling out the positives and negatives for both teams.

3. Lots of discussion on CB during the game on Saturday about the officiating. I thought that, overall, the officiating was fine. There were a couple of times they called blocks on BYU which looked liked charges to me. And a couple of times when Baxter was called for fouls when he was guarding Carlson that were questionable. But probably the worst call, at least to me, was when Lucas was called for a foul when the Utah player was shooting a long 3. I couldn’t see any contact at all. But, overall, the officiating was fine.

4. Carlson for Utah is a difference-maker. The matchup between him and Baxter was fun to watch. It will be fun to watch how both Carlson and Baxter continue to develop this year.

5. After watching this game I am even more positive about this BYU team. They won a hard-fought 11-point victory on the road against probably their biggest rival. Here’s why I’m even more bullish on the Cougars after this game.

• BYU missed A TON of short, inside shots that they will normally make. Traore missed at least 4, but Baxter, Barcello, and others missed easy, close-in shots as well. For Traore this will be a great learning experience. One time in particularly he looked shocked as one of his shots rolled off the rim.

• BYU missed a number of wide-open 3s, including a couple from Barcello. I’m confident they’ll start hitting a normal percentage of those shots as the season progresses.

• BYU’s rebounding effort was outstanding! Utah had a significant rebounding advantage over all of its previous opponents but BYU won the battle on the boards in this game by around 15. Very impressive! Probably the key to winning the game tonight.

• BYU’s defense, overall, was very good, especially in the 2nd half. As long as this team plays tough defense they’ll be in most games.

• The overall effort of all the BYU players was terrific. That kind of effort will bear more and more fruit in the games to come.

• Despite an impressive win, there is much BYU can learn from this game. As the coaches and players apply those lessons, it will make them an even better team.

6. Quick takes on individual players:

• It was clear they were focusing a lot of their defensive attention on Barcello, and he still got 17 points. He’s a great player who plays under control.

• Lucas is a stud who is getting better each game. What a coup getting him to come to BYU. He is embracing his role, the entire team, and the entire BYU experience. BYU doesn’t win this game without him.

• Every time I watch Baxter play I feel like his ceiling is even higher. Pick and roll dunks, blocked shots, altering shots, making more little hook shots. I’m so excited to see the player he can become.

• Lohner is a rebounding machine. But he does so much more than that. He plays great defense and is always looking for the open man. And he’s starting to assert himself a bit more inside on offense. After watching this game I’m more confident that he’ll become the player we are all hoping for.

• This was a great learning experience for Traore. We need to remember that he’s still young and still has a lot to learn. I think he’ll learn quickly. So impressive for a freshman.

• Knight is going to be a very big contributor on this team. He is so disruptive on defense. He got a couple of great steals and cause other issues for the Utes when he was on the floor. He also hit a couple of difficult shots. It’s taking some time for him to find his role, but once he does look out!

• Johnson missed his 4 3s, but the shots he took (except one when the shot clock was running out) were wide open and shots he should take. He’s shown he can hit those shots. His overall game, defense, rebounding, passing were all very good.

• I was so happy to see Knell get 3 really nice assists. He’s starting to show that he’s more than just a spot-up shooter, which bodes well for this team.

7. After watching BYU’s Saturday night game, I love this team even more than I did before. They play great defense, they play together, they play hard. Their results so far have been impressive but their ceiling seems to be getting higher all the time. I’m happy the season is only about 1/5 done, because I really enjoy watching this team play basketball.
lbmango
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lbmango
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