Utah is in a rebuilding year. Having one of their worst seasons in the last 8 years yet went 1-1 on its road trip to Arizona beating ASU and losing to UA in overtime. Damn near went 2-0 on a road trip to the desert in a rebuilding year. Coach Larry K. is a good coach. Recruiting is picking up for them. Riley and Battin were ESPN 4* and he has 3 more 4*s coming next year. Charles Jones was the NJCAA player of the year and JUCO All American (similar to Gatling, but doesn't start for them).
They've won 20 games at least each year since 2013. They've been above .500 in league play the last 5 years straight. We've done that just 4 times period in the Pac 12. In fact, as bad as Utah was starting in the Pac 12 (3-15) while we were winning the conference title, CU is 64-64, .500 on the nose. Utah is 66-62, above .500. We have gone to 4 tourneys with seeds 8, 8, 10, 11 while Utah has gone to just 2 as seeds 3 and 5. We've hit the bubble lottery better than they have for sure. Right now though, they have officially passed us as a program.
When the 2 schools were added, we were supposed to be the bigger fish school. It seems, we're the smaller fish school now. Soccer, Volleyball, basketball, football, the Utes have pretty much eaten our lunch lately. Sad to see that we have given up the basketball edge back to those guys. This might be the biggest indictment of Tad really. Watching the Utes program pass us by from the "ashes". Yes, actual "ashes" as that program had few scholarship players back then and honestly no talent that hadn't transferred away. Now they have been in the top half of the conference yearly (not the bottom). Even in their bad year now, they look a lot better than CU and might again be a top half of the conference team. I thought this was the year we would start beating them again on the hardwood, but alas, I'm likely wrong.
They've won 20 games at least each year since 2013. They've been above .500 in league play the last 5 years straight. We've done that just 4 times period in the Pac 12. In fact, as bad as Utah was starting in the Pac 12 (3-15) while we were winning the conference title, CU is 64-64, .500 on the nose. Utah is 66-62, above .500. We have gone to 4 tourneys with seeds 8, 8, 10, 11 while Utah has gone to just 2 as seeds 3 and 5. We've hit the bubble lottery better than they have for sure. Right now though, they have officially passed us as a program.
When the 2 schools were added, we were supposed to be the bigger fish school. It seems, we're the smaller fish school now. Soccer, Volleyball, basketball, football, the Utes have pretty much eaten our lunch lately. Sad to see that we have given up the basketball edge back to those guys. This might be the biggest indictment of Tad really. Watching the Utes program pass us by from the "ashes". Yes, actual "ashes" as that program had few scholarship players back then and honestly no talent that hadn't transferred away. Now they have been in the top half of the conference yearly (not the bottom). Even in their bad year now, they look a lot better than CU and might again be a top half of the conference team. I thought this was the year we would start beating them again on the hardwood, but alas, I'm likely wrong.
