Schaef Sports

The Draft Aftermath: Utah Jazz Edition

2010-06-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last night's draft was a shocking one for most Utah Jazz fans...when Gordon Hayward's name was called by NBA commissioner David Stern if fell on disapproving ears for most Jazz fans looking for Utah to pick up some length in the low post. My message for Jazz fans, don't give up on your team just yet.

I'll admit as a Jazz fan I thought the pick was a little odd myself. However, the Jazz have never been a team to march to the beat of a drum any other than their own. Something that Jazz fans should be very thankful for since we may have never seen guys like John Stockton and Deron Williams dawn Jazz jerseys if it were any other way.

Now I'm not going to go as far as to say that Gordon Hayward will ever be in a class with those players, but he may just turn out to be a pretty good player for Utah. Jerry Sloan's system gives him a better chance to excel than at any other team in the NBA and that's exactly why I believe the Jazz drafted him -- he fits in their system. Hayward is also a pretty strong rebounder and an impressive playmaker off the dribble. There have been concerns raised about his three point percentage last season (29.4%), but no one really mentions that the previous year he shot an incredible 44.8% from beyond the three point line with close to the same number of attempts. Overall, I think there are a lot of positives with Hayward and Jazz fans ought to give him a chance before they put out judgment on him.

With that said, the Jazz front office isn't off the hook just yet. There is still a lot of work to be done this off season for Kevin O'Connor and his team to gain the confidence of fans and even more importantly his franchise player.

With the kind of cap space some teams around the league have been hoarding for this summer's much anticipated free agency period, Carlos Boozer will almost certainly be on the first plane to Miami, New York, or Chicago. If that happens the Jazz have an even bigger problem in their front court than they do already. Boozer's absence would leave Paul Millsap as the lone power forward on the roster, an injured Mehmet Okur at center, and two young bigs who have shown very little promise for the future.

The Jazz were obviously not impressed with the talent available to them at the power forward and center positions in the draft, so now they have to address the need via free agency or a trade. Outside of the big names like Chris Bosh and Amar'e Stoudemire (who aren't very realistic options) there are a number of free agents out there who I believe could help this team (I'll get a list posted tomorrow). If they are unable to do that then that is when I feel it gets to a point where this team has a real problem and Jazz fans really have the right to be upset with Utah's front office and there inability to make any kind of deals to improve this team over the past few seasons.

NBA Draft 2010 Mock Draft

2010-06-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

1. Wizards - John Wall, G, Kentucky: This one's a no brainer. The Wizards need talent all over the board and what better way to start then go with a floor general. Wall is the best overall talent in the draft and the #1 prospect by a landslide. The whole sporting world be astonished if Washington went with any other player.

2. 76ers - Evan Turner, F, Ohio State: I've heard a lot of chatter that Philadelphia will pass on Turner and go with Derrick Favors, but with the 76ers current roster that just doesn't make much sense to me. Philadelphia is deeper in the front court than they've been in a while and drafting Favors would just clog things up. Turner can fill a need at small forward and allow Andre Iguodala to shift back to the shooting gaurd spot.

3. Nets - Wesley Johnson, F, Syracuse: There's been rumors circulating that will draft Johnson and look to add Utah's Carlos Boozer in free agency. This makes a ton of sense for two reasons one because it meets New Jersey's needs on the wing and at the power forward position and second the Nets have the kind of money Boozer is looking for and probably won't get anywhere else.

4. Timberwolves - Derrick Favors, F, Georgia Tech: Rumors are Minnesota is determined to part ways with Al Jefferson via a trade. If that is true, Favors is a talented big with the skills to be a 20 and 10 guy for the Wolves.

5. Kings - DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kentucky: There has been a lot of talk about the potential risks with Cousins' mental game, but with that said his physical skills can't be overlooked. Sacramento was impressed with Cousins individual workout and won't let him drop any further in the draft.

6. Warriors - Greg Monroe, F/C, Georgetown: Golden State is in desperate need of an offensive presence down low. Monroe has a polished offensive game and the athleticism to fit with in Don Nelson's system.

7. Pistons - Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas: Aldrich is the most NBA ready big man in this draft. He's ceiling isn't as high as a lot of the other big men in this draft, but he also lacks the bust factor. Detroit could use the help of a true center in its front court and Aldrich can fill that role nicely.

8. Clippers - Gordon Hayward, F, Butler: Los Angeles is looking for size at the wings and the 6' 8"
Hayward is exactly what the Clippers are looking for. Combine that with Hayward's play making ability and he'll be the newest member of that other team in L.A.

9. Jazz - Luke Babbitt, F, Nevada: The Jazz desperately need size down low, but at this point in the draft the big man they liked are off the board. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Utah made a move to get a higher pick and take a big. If they can't make that move they'll fill a future need at the small forward with Babbitt a talented wing, who impressed the Jazz front office in his workout with the team.

10. Pacers - Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Wake Forest: The Pacers are looking for a point guard, but based on rumors they've been shopping this pick to grab a young guard like Minnesota's Jonny Flynn or Oklahoma City's Eric Maynor, I don't think they're high on any point guard prospects here. If they can't trade out of this pick expect them to grab the best player available in Aminu.

11. Hornets - Ekpe Udoh, F/C, Baylor: Udoh could become a steal at #11. He's a great defensive big and has more offensive potential then most people give him credit for. New Orleans is looking for size and if Udoh's offensive game develops he could become a solid starter for the Hornets.

12. Grizzlies - Paul George, G/F, Fresno State: Memphis may be looking to replace Rudy Gay this off season depending on how things go with his restricted free agency. George is a shooting guard/small forward who could fill that role for the Grizzlies plus give them a good spot up shooter at the wing.

13. Raptors - Ed Davis, F, North Carolina: Toronto joins the long list of teams in need of bigs and if Davis slips this far the Raptors will happily snatch him. Davis is a very raw talent, but his athleticism and offensive potential could make him the steal of this draft if he works out.

14. Rockets - Hassan Whiteside, C, Marshall: With Yao Ming's future still up in the air, Houston is looking for an insurance policy at center. Whiteside has an impressive 7' 7" wingspan and good touch around the basket. There is the risk he turns out to be another Hasheem Thabeet, but Whitside is worth the risk for the Rockets at #14.

15. Bucks - Xavier Henry, G, Kansas

16. Timberwolves - Damion James, F, Texas

17. Bulls -James Anderson, G, Oklahoma State

18. Thunder - Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State

19. Celtics - Avery Bradley, G, Texas

20. Spurs - Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier

21. Thunder - Larry Sanders, F, Virginia Commonwealth

22. Trail Blazers - Eric Bledsoe, G, Kentucky

23. Timberwolves - Terrico White, G, Mississippi

24. Hawks - Tibor Pleiss, C, Brose Baskets (Germany)

25. Grizzlies - Dominique Jones, G, South Florida

26. Thunder - Elliott Williams, G, Memphis

27. Nets - Patrick Patterson, F, Kentucky

28. Grizzlies - Devin Ebanks, F, West Virginia

29. Magic - Darington Hobson, F, New Mexico

30. Wizards - Daniel Orton, F/C, Kentucky

What's Next for the Utah Jazz?

2010-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in quite a while, but I felt that the with the NBA Draft coming up on tomorrow and the NBA off-season officially kicking off I felt it was time to break my silence. The upcoming off-season may be one of those most important ones the Utah Jazz have faced in recent history. It was very apparent in this past season's playoff series with the Lakers that Utah lacks the front court to put them over the top and it's time for a change.

Deron Williams has the option to opt out of his contract following next season and I fully expect him to say goodbye to Salt Lake City next year if the Jazz don't make significant moves to improve that front court.

Thursday's draft will tell us a lot about what Utah's front office plans to do this summer. The Jazz are high on Greg Monroe, the 6-11 power forward out of Georgetown and they should be. Monroe is exactly the kind of player Utah likes to draft. He is extremely versatile and has the ability to knock down the jumper, create off the dribble, and did I mention he's a very polished passer (perfect for a pick and roll system). Add his size and the ability to affect a shot with that size and you have the recipe to help fix Utah's big man blues.

The problem is Monroe probably won't be available at the ninth pick. Most mock drafts I have seen have him going anywhere from fourth to sixth. This means the Jazz need to be aggressively looking to move up like they were the year the moved up to pick Deron Williams. Utah is not in the draft lottery very often and need to capitalize on this years draft just like they did with Williams in 2005.

If the Jazz are unable to make that move to get Monroe, Ekpe Udoh out of Baylor may be another decent option to fill the power forward/center role or they could look to solidify the small forward position for the future with the 6-9 Nevada prospect Luke Babbitt.

Whether or not Utah gets a big man in the draft their focus in free agency should be to look for size. There are several bigs available in the free agent market and with Carlos Boozer almost surely on his way out of Salt Lake the Jazz can solidify their front court with a good free agent signing.

The most attractive free agent to fill that role would be defensive minded seven footer Brendan Haywood. Haywood's defensive defensive presence in the middle combined with the offensive skills of Paul Millsap or a potential draft pick up like Greg Monroe would be exactly what the Jazz need to be more competitive with the Lakers in the Western Conference and exactly the kind of aggressive movement that would encourage Deron Williams to stick around for a few more years.

BYU vs. TCU - Game Breakdown Preview

2009-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

This week marks the first really big game in Mountain West Conference as the #8 ranked TCU Horned Frogs leap on in to Provo to face off with the #16 ranked BYU Cougars. Bronco Mendenhall and the Cougar coaching staff better have some new tricks in there bag after being outcoached by Gary Patterson and company last season.

WHY IT'S A MUST WIN?

FOR BYU: BYU's BCS chances are hanging by an extremely thin thread and another loss would completely eliminate those distant dreams all together. The Cougars and Max Hall particularly need to silence the doubters that they can make big plays and win the big games. They showed it at Oklahoma this year, but the embarrassing loss to Florida State at home set the back again. A win against an undefeated and confident TCU team would add another much needed big win to the Cougars resume and put them in the driver's seat to win the Mountain West Conference championship.

FOR TCU: TCU is off to a great first half of the season going undefeated through six games. The Horned Frogs problem is there BCS resume doesn't look that attractive with only one win over a team that has a winning record. They need a win over the Cougars to make there claim for the BCS, especially with an undefeated Boise State team sitting at 4th in the BCS standings and looking to grab the non-BCS conferences' automatic bid. TCU also hasn't won the Mountain West Conference championship since 2005 and if you want to win the Mountain West you have to go through BYU.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

FOR BYU:

1) Max Hall has to get rid of the ball quick w/o interceptions - TCU brings one of the pass rushes in the country to Provo. Max Hall is going to have to make decisions quickly and get rid of the football fast just like he did in Oklahoma. He can't; however, make bad decisions because he's trying to get of the ball fast and turn the ball over. If Hall has no more than one interception on the day I think BYU wins this game.

2) Cougars have to establish a run game - The Cougars have to slow down Jerry Hughes and the TCU pass rush to do that the key is to run the ball. BYU's work horse, Harvey Unga needs to run right at Jerry Hughes and power his way against a little undersized TCU defense. Play calling will also be key as sweeps will not work against a speedy Horned Frog defense and instead run off tackle if they want to get to the outside.

FOR TCU:

1) Shut down Harvey Unga - Unga has been key for the Cougars this season. His success has made Max Hall a lot more comfortable in the pocket, especially these last few games where Max Hall has not thrown a single interception. If TCU can manage to shut down Unga, they'll make it a lot harder for the BYU passing offense to execute successfully.

2) Challenge the BYU defense vertically - Last week San Diego State exposed a big weakness in the BYU defense -- the abilty of BYU's saftey to cover wide receivers

QUOTES

"You can have a lot more conversations from me if it turns out well at BYU because we're achieving what we said we would achieve in the first seven ball games. If we don't achieve that then there are no conversations."

--TCU Head Coach, Gary Patterson in the TCU Daily Skiff

"When they beat us last year, they took away our weapons and we didn't have another answer. Last week we converted third downs with 10 different receivers. That makes it tough because the defense doesn't know where we're going. We'll give them a lot of different looks and spread the ball around, and that will help us out."

--BYU Quarterback, Max Hall in The Daily Herald

PREDICTIONS

BYU 34 TCU 24 - This matchup is a tough one to call the College Gameday crew was split on this one and America's vote according to ESPN was almost split 50-50. I like the Cougars in this one though. Max Hall just has too many weapons at his disposal and he's spread the ball out well last few weeks making BYU's offense near impossible to stop. Harvey Unga is a strong powerful runner and he'll get some yardage against the Horned Frogs. BYU's defense isn't great, but at the end of the day the TCU offense won't be strong enough to match what the Cougar offense will put up.

DAILY NEWS SPORTS: GAME PREVIEW

Gary Patterson Interview

2009-10-23T20:50:00.001-07:00

Here's another video I saw on ESPN.com that I thought was worth a look.

Herbie's BYU vs. TCU

2009-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Before I got my BYU vs. TCU preview out I thought I'd put up Kirk Herbstreit's since I think he does a good job breaking it down, especially on the TCU side of things. It's nice to see a national commentator giving the MWC some props.

Scott Johnson & Matt Reynolds Interviews

2009-10-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here's this weeks interviews. I was able to chat with safety, Scott Johnson and offensive lineman, Matt Reynolds about the big game with TCU this Saturday. Here's what they had to say.

Scott Johnson:

Matt Reynolds:

BYU vs. SDSU Preview

2009-10-20T20:51:00.001-07:00

Sorry I'm a little late putting this up here everyone, but here's my preview from last week.

Brett Denney & O'neill Chambers Interviews

2009-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

This week I met with BYU wide receiver, O'neill Chambers and defensive end, Brett Denney. They both had some good comments on their matchup with San Diego State, so enjoy!

O'neill Chambers:

Brett Denney:

Last Weeks Interviews with Luke Ashworth & Brian Logan

2009-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on this a little bit and didn't get last weeks interviews up, so here they are:

Luke Ashworth:

Brian Logan:

BYU vs. Utah State Preview

2009-10-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't have time to write a written breakdown of the game since the game was today instead of Saturday, but here's my preview of the game the aired on the BYU Daily News today.

Matt Bauman & Manase Tonga Interviews

2009-09-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

I just uploaded this week's interviews to YouTube. These interviews feature Matt Bauman and Manase Tonga and their take on Utah State and the in state rivalry game this Friday. Sorry about the video quality this week. There was a problem with the camera's iris that I could not fix. Enjoy!

Manase Tonga:

Matt Bauman:

BYU vs. CSU Game Breakdown Preview

2009-09-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend college football line up features a key game in the Mountain West Conference that stars the BYU Cougars vs. the Colorado Rams. This is a key game for both schools as the kick of their conference seasons.

WHY IT'S A MUST WIN?

FOR BYU: The Cougars are coming off an embarrassing home loss to Florida State that cost them a top ten ranking and some pride. BYU's defense needs to prove they're legit and that Oklahoma and Tulane were not flukes while the offense. BYU needs to win this game big to make a statement to the nation and the conference that the Cougars are still a force to be dealt with.

FOR CSU: The Rams are an up and coming team in the Mountain West Conference. 2nd year head coach, Steve Fairchild, has Colorado State coming into Provo undefeated and ready to prove they belong among the Mountain West "elite" (TCU, Utah, and BYU). Last year, the Rams showed the could play with the Cougars in Fort Collins, but a win at Lavell Edwards Stadium could move Colorado State into the top 25.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

FOR BYU:

1) Getting a push from the defensive line ~ BYU could not get a push all game last week giving Florida State's Christian Ponder all day to make play after play and opened huge running lanes that the Seminoles made great use of. CSU has the personel to get it done in the air and on the ground and if BYU can't get any pressure on quarterback Grant Stucker, players like Dion Morton and Rashaun Greer could create another long night for the Cougar defense.

2) Avoid multiple turnovers ~ The Achilles' heel for BYU the last few years has been turning the ball over, in fact our turnover margin in the games we've lost over the last few seasons is horrendous. I'm not saying the Cougars have to go without turning the ball over at all. In fact, I half expect Max Hall to throw at least one interception this game because he's a confident quarterback is not afraid of attempting difficult passes. So with one and maybe even two turnovers the Cougars will be fine, but if it gets to that three to five turnover range it'll be game over for BYU.

FOR CSU:

1) Control the time of possession ~ BYU is loaded with offensive weapons that can score quickly and often if given the chance, so the more you can limit the amount of tries Max Hall and the offense get at the endzone the better. CSU will find the beating the Cougars a much easier task three to five yards at a time (see the FSU vs. BYU game) then trying to match points with the Cougar offense.

2) Look for and exploit mismatches ~ BYU rarely plays any defensive formations with three cornerbacks on the field together, which means if CSU loads a single side with three wide receivers they'll likely have a receiver lined up against a safety. FSU used this a lot against the Cougars it was very effective since BYU's safties aren't very good cover guys.

QUOTES

"I'm as or mor optimistic than ever about our football team about our future and about reaching our goals. And I'm anxious to apply the lessons learned from the Florida State game and to apply them in our first conference game with Colorado State."

--BYU Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall in his weekly press conference on September 21, 2009

"This will be a good chance to see what we can do on the road against a good team in a good setting. Our goal, just as it was in Boulder, will be to control the crowd, rather than letting the crowd control us."

-- CSU Head Coach, Steve Fairchild on his blog at www.coachfair.com

PREDICTION

BYU 38 CSU 17: I like the Cougars in this one. I think the Rams will give BYU all they can handle in the first half, but in the end Max Hall and the myriad of offensive weapons he has at his disposal will prove to much for Colorado State and the Cougars will run away with this one in the second half.

DAILY NEWS SPORTS: GAME PREVIEW

McKay Jacobson and Andrew Rich Interviews

2009-09-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to catch up with BYU's McKay Jacobson and Andrew Rich to talk to them about their upcoming game with the Colorado State. Here's what they had to say:

Andrew Rich

McKay Jacobson

Interviews with Chris Weinke and Ty Detmer

2009-09-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Former Heisman Trophy winners, Ty Detmer (BYU) and Chris Weinke (Florida State), were both in Utah today shooting clay pigeons at Wasatch Wing and Clay as part of the second annual Ty Detmer's Sportsman Event. The event also included a charity dinner later in the evening. I had a chance to catch up with both Ty and Chris and get their take on Saturday's match up between BYU and FSU as well as learn a little more about the event.

Ty Detmer:

Chris Weinke

Both these college football legends were real class acts and I really enjoyed talking with them.

If you're interested in attending next year's event or just want more info contact Karen at Kfenske@tritonfinancial.com to be put of the 2010 event e-mail list.

The Mountain West Conference's Television Troubles

2009-09-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks another big weekend of college football for the Mountain West Conference headlined by non-conference bouts between the Utah Utes and the Oregon Ducks and the BYU Cougars and the Florida State Seminoles.

And while anyone who subscribes to a cable or satellite provider should be able to catch the Utes and Ducks on ESPN with relative ease, getting a glimpse of the Cougars and Seminoles could prove to be a little more challenging. The culprit...a contract dispute between Versus owner Comcast and DirectTV that will leave 14 million DirectTV subscribers across the country unable to watch Bobby Bowden's boys make a rare trip west to battle it out with Max Hall and company in Provo.

Versus is part of the three channel television deal that has been a thorn in the side of BYU, Utah, and other Mountain West Conference schools seeking to gain national exposure and in BYU's case reach a nationwide fan base.

The Mountain West Conference continues to argue that they belong among the country's top athletic conference, but at the same time continue to settle for an inferior television deal...and I'll add inferior bowl games (but that's a topic for another day).

It is about time the Mountain West Conference and commissioner Craig Thompson start to act like a big time conference instead of just pretending to be one and that starts by fixing this television mess they got themselves into by any means necessary because they won't be taken seriously by the big conferences and by their own fans until they do.

There is no doubt there is a lot of talent in the Mountain West Conference and recent victories over highly ranked BCS schools by BYU and Utah testify to that, but those games were fortunately two of very small number that got those teams national exposure...when will the nation be able to see BYU and Utah battle it out at the end of the year or see the speed and athletism of TCU on a regulart basis?

For the sake of the conference and for the fans of Mountain West Conference teams. I sure hope it's soon.

Throwing the Penalty Flag on College Football's Polls

2009-09-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's week 2 of the college football season and we all already seeing a lot of fans call foul on the BCS and the polls...didn't take long did it?

College football's black eye continues to show its ugly self week in and week out. This week's biggest shiner came in the form of the Houston Cougars. The Cougars led by junior quarterback, Case Keenum, launched an aerial assault on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State that left the #5 ranked Cowboys stunned at home as the Cougars pulled off the huge upset.

When the AP and USA Today top 25 polls were released Sunday the Cougars had failed to jump Oklahoma State and didn't even break the Top 25 in the USA Today poll...this is where the yellow flags start flying.

Houston had beaten one of the nation's so-called "elite" and started off the season 2-0, but unable to impress poll voters enough to make any noise in the polls. Only a week earlier another non-BCS school the BYU Cougars pulled over a similar feat upsetting the #3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners, but BYU's win catapulted them 11 spots in the AP poll and on to the national stage.

Along with a handful of other non-BCS teams (TCU, Utah, and Boise State), BYU has become one of the few non-BCS exceptions to be ranked among college footballs top ten, but that was only after the Provo version of the Cougars had three consecutive seasons with 10-plus wins.

So the question is how do we fix it? And for most of you the first thing that comes to mind is a playoff...of course that is only natural since that is pretty much how every other sport (professional or amateur) determines their champion...but that isn't the answer I'm looking for.

Don't get me wrong I am an avid supporter of a college football playoff, but because of television deals that won't happen anytime soon and in order for the Houston's of the college football world too get a chance other changes need to be made first. My suggestion for a starting point would be changing the way the polls are constructed.

At the present time most the individuals with votes in the AP poll are centralized in the Eastern part of the United States. The problem there is that having a centralized pool of voters greatly increases the probability of bias in the poll. A way to decrease such bias would be to split the country into regions or even just by conferences and have a certain number of media within those regions/conferences that have votes.

As far as the USA Today poll goes I think it should be thrown out of the mix all together because as it exists currently it is private and the coaches who have votes have no accountability for the way they vote.

These changes would help to balance some of the big conference bias that exsists in college football and allow non-BCS teams who prove they can beat highly ranked opponents to be voted among the nation's best, which increases their chances of competing in BCS bowl games at the end of the season.