I'll just leave this here for comment: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8656 ... -2017.html

Well you can't really make it any harder on your player Mark. I will be curious how it helps them later in the year.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

They will have meal money for later trips


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I don't imagine a trip like that does anything positive for the team aside from padding their pocket book. I would guess they lose both games by 30, and I'm not confident that we or nearly any other mid-major would fare much better as that is just a really hard road trip. I don't think it prepares them for the tourney at all, unless you're a play-in 16 seed having to travel after playing in Dayton, but even then at least the first game is against the same level of competition. Sure you can claim that you played two really good teams in a row, but those kind of games aren't going to change the direction of your season unless somehow you pull one of them off. Given that these are the first two games of the season it could be detrimental by starting the season on a sour note.

Imagine how much StanfordAggie would hate that, with how much he hated the Duke game by itself. And while most of us complained about Stew not playing tough teams then liked the Duke, the general consensus was NOT that we wanted Stew to play a bunch of really tough teams, just that ONE a year was all even the most critical, in-your-face-about-scheduling fans ever suggested he do. The travel part alone without a day off would make it tough even if was North Carolina Central the second night. And the least they could do is have one or the other be a more managable foe, like even Tennessee or NC State, or a mid-major in that neighborhood.

I think it is great for UVU. For sure they will get killed both games. But why not do this? Get your name out there. Give your players a sense of what big time programs look like and the skill level. If you are going to raise the bar you have to stick your neck out. Granted he could do it in a more conservative way but good for Pope. I know several kids they have talked to about playing there and they love the idea of going to those kind of places.

gomretat wrote:I think it is great for UVU. For sure they will get killed both games. But why not do this? Get your name out there. Give your players a sense of what big time programs look like and the skill level. If you are going to raise the bar you have to stick your neck out. Granted he could do it in a more conservative way but good for Pope. I know several kids they have talked to about playing there and they love the idea of going to those kind of places.

While what you have said is nice in theory, scheduling these games back to back is beyond stupid. They wouldn't have a good chance at winning either game by spreading them out, but at least give your team a fake chance by giving the team a day or two off in between. There is no coach's speak that can sugarcoat how bad of a scheduling decision this is.

ususports wrote:

gomretat wrote:I think it is great for UVU. For sure they will get killed both games. But why not do this? Get your name out there. Give your players a sense of what big time programs look like and the skill level. If you are going to raise the bar you have to stick your neck out. Granted he could do it in a more conservative way but good for Pope. I know several kids they have talked to about playing there and they love the idea of going to those kind of places.

While what you have said is nice in theory, scheduling these games back to back is beyond stupid. They wouldn't have a good chance at winning either game by spreading them out, but at least give your team a fake chance by giving the team a day or two off in between. There is no coach's speak that can sugarcoat how bad of a scheduling decision this is.

Disagree. An opportunity came up and Pope jumped on it. I know kids in the program at UVU and they are stoked, as are some kids who are considering UVU. They have no chance either way and they know it. Has nothing to do with coach speak or sugar coating. The chance to play at Rupp and Cameron is a big deal and a once in a lifetime thing.

11/22/16 Purdue 85 USU 64
11/23/16 Texas Tech 75 USU 51

I.M.Noone wrote:11/22/16 Purdue 85 USU 64
11/23/16 Texas Tech 75 USU 51

Apples and oranges IMO. The apple being back to back games against perennial top 10 teams on their home floors. The orange being back to back games on a neutral floor in a tournament setting against decent P5 teams. Plus we are not UVU.

bigblue wrote:

I.M.Noone wrote:11/22/16 Purdue 85 USU 64
11/23/16 Texas Tech 75 USU 51

Apples and oranges IMO. The apple being back to back games against perennial top 10 teams on their home floors. The orange being back to back games on a neutral floor in a tournament setting against decent P5 teams. Plus we are not UVU.

And we didn't have to do any traveling between the Purdue and Texas Tech games. And Texas Tech played the night before, just like we did.

Good idea, bad idea -- I don't have an opinion. But the publicity benefit from this move is pretty nice for UVU -- they've hashtagged it #toughest24 -- the toughest 24 hours in the history of college basketball, and gotten good press including from ESPN: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toughest24?src=hash

Everyone is going to have different opinions on whether this is a good or bad idea. While it is important to take the players thoughts into consideration, I don't think it should be the driving force for a decision like that. If TD were to do this, would those who think this is a good idea for UVU think it is a good idea for USU (just because the players are stoked about it)? I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of playing both games if they were spread out, but I wouldn't want USU to schedule two butt kickings within 24 hours. At least if the games are spread out, you have other games in between that can build your team's confidence and not be a demoralizing start to your season. As has been pointed out in previous posts, to compare this decision to an exempt tournament where all teams play back to back in the same neutral location is not even a valid point or consideration.

Do these games really hurt players' confidence so much that it has a detrimental effect on the season? What if they hang with their opponent in the first half and then the better team pulls away in the second half? Maybe the players will think, hey we hung right with them in the first half but our shooting was off in the 2nd half and it will actually build their confidence. Maybe when they face the rest of their lesser opponents during the remainder of the season they will have more confidence because they have played against better players. I'm not a sports psychologist, but it seems like a fair amount of people use the "it will hurt their confidence" as an excuse not to play against the best teams. I think it is great that UVU is playing these teams and getting some press for it as well. It would be nice if they had a day or two between games, but I think overall it is a positive for their program unless they get slaughtered by 50+ in both games, then in hindsight it might look a little foolish.

Pacobag wrote:Do these games really hurt players' confidence so much that it has a detrimental effect on the season? What if they hang with their opponent in the first half and then the better team pulls away in the second half? Maybe the players will think, hey we hung right with them in the first half but our shooting was off in the 2nd half and it will actually build their confidence. Maybe when they face the rest of their lesser opponents during the remainder of the season they will have more confidence because they have played against better players. I'm not a sports psychologist, but it seems like a fair amount of people use the "it will hurt their confidence" as an excuse not to play against the best teams. I think it is great that UVU is playing these teams and getting some press for it as well. It would be nice if they had a day or two between games, but I think overall it is a positive for their program unless they get slaughtered by 50+ in both games, then in hindsight it might look a little foolish.

^^^^^^^^This.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Games in March are won in November by losing to teams on the road with hats in the mall

ususports wrote:Everyone is going to have different opinions on whether this is a good or bad idea. While it is important to take the players thoughts into consideration, I don't think it should be the driving force for a decision like that. If TD were to do this, would those who think this is a good idea for UVU think it is a good idea for USU (just because the players are stoked about it)? I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of playing both games if they were spread out, but I wouldn't want USU to schedule two butt kickings within 24 hours. At least if the games are spread out, you have other games in between that can build your team's confidence and not be a demoralizing start to your season. As has been pointed out in previous posts, to compare this decision to an exempt tournament where all teams play back to back in the same neutral location is not even a valid point or consideration.

So first you say don't take player thoughts into account and then you say the confidence factor is a reason to not play the games? Seems like splitting hairs. Which is it, take their thoughts into account or ignore them? I agree it is not like an exempt tourney but if you have followed this at all you realize that the Kentucky opportunity came available after the Duke game was scheduled and Pope jumped on it. He knows it is not ideal but he seized the opportunity when it presented itself. Maybe it was a bad call but I think it took guts to do so and I have no problem with that.

gomretat wrote:

ususports wrote:Everyone is going to have different opinions on whether this is a good or bad idea. While it is important to take the players thoughts into consideration, I don't think it should be the driving force for a decision like that. If TD were to do this, would those who think this is a good idea for UVU think it is a good idea for USU (just because the players are stoked about it)? I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of playing both games if they were spread out, but I wouldn't want USU to schedule two butt kickings within 24 hours. At least if the games are spread out, you have other games in between that can build your team's confidence and not be a demoralizing start to your season. As has been pointed out in previous posts, to compare this decision to an exempt tournament where all teams play back to back in the same neutral location is not even a valid point or consideration.

So first you say don't take player thoughts into account and then you say the confidence factor is a reason to not play the games? Seems like splitting hairs. Which is it, take their thoughts into account or ignore them? I agree it is not like an exempt tourney but if you have followed this at all you realize that the Kentucky opportunity came available after the Duke game was scheduled and Pope jumped on it. He knows it is not ideal but he seized the opportunity when it presented itself. Maybe it was a bad call but I think it took guts to do so and I have no problem with that.

Hmm...you claim to have quoted me by saying, "First you say don't take players thoughts into account..." Now let's read what I REALLY said (direct quote), "While it is important to take players thoughts into consideration..." Not splitting hairs, but I think without going into more detail, I have clearly highlighted the problem. My point with the confidence issue was to imply that no matter what a coach's scheduling philosophy is, he should try to give his team the best chance to win and grow as a team. I don't think that it is necessary to only schedule cupcakes to accomplish that (because that doesn't help the team grow and progress), but scheduling two of the best programs in college basketball within 24 hours on their court, is a little (or a lot) extreme on the other side. My other point is that Pope didn't have to schedule both games. If he already scheduled Duke, and the Kentucky game became available after that, then be like almost any other logical college basketball head coach and don't schedule Kentucky. Schedule another P5 team when you actually have an opening in your schedule. I am not trying to get in any sort of pissing match. You have your opinion, and I have a different one. I think a lot of people on this board would not be happy if TD did this for USU (even if the players wanted it), so I don't think it is all that great of a move for UVU either. Sure he gets some publicity and can claim to have big balls, but if his team gets the crap beat out of them two nights in a row, his testicles might not look and feel as big as he is proudly promoting them to be right now. If they somehow pull of an upset, good for him, and at that point, he deserves all the praise in the world.

bigblue wrote:

I.M.Noone wrote:11/22/16 Purdue 85 USU 64
11/23/16 Texas Tech 75 USU 51

Apples and oranges IMO. The apple being back to back games against perennial top 10 teams on their home floors. The orange being back to back games on a neutral floor in a tournament setting against decent P5 teams. Plus we are not UVU.

No, we're not UVU. We beat them by 1 in OT.

This is a good thing for UVU, and it shows they're serious about improving their program. But, what matters is what UVU fans, players, and potential recruits think about it. What USU fans, including myself, think about it, doesn't matter at all.

I.M.Noone wrote:
What USU fans, including myself, think about it, doesn't matter at all.

Well one thing I agree on is I don't get a damn about UVU. I just didn't see the correlation to who USU played last year.



Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

freakboy wrote:Games in March are won in November by losing to teams on the road with hats in the mall

No truer statement has ever been made!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd figure I would bump this considering UVU is playing Kentucky at the moment. UVU leading just before halftime.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Up by 9! Go wolves!

Wow. Good for UVU. I knew they were getting better but this is crazy.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Kentucky is going to win it pretty easily I think, but uvu would beat us tonight.