You don’t lose the #1 overall pick in the
NBA Draft without the term rebuilding being thrown around. Utah
is rebuilding now under Coach Ray Giacoletti, but the cupboard
isn’t as bare as it may seem. Bryant Markson and Tim Drisdom
were both starters a season ago and will have to be the team
leaders. After that, there are more questions than answers.
Who’s Out:
Andrew Bogut dominated the conference. He averaged 20.4 points
per game, 12.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. You don’t lose talent
like that without taking a major hit. The loss of Marc Jackson
hurts just as much, well maybe a little less. Jackson was second
on the team in scoring with 10.7 points per game and had a team
high 3.7 assists as a senior. Little used Jermaine Calvin and
Jake Schmidt are transferring from the program. The late
departure of Richard Chaney doesn’t help a squad that is already
lacking experience. Chaney averaged 7.8 points in 15 starts as a
junior last year.
Who’s In:
What do you do when you lose a 7-foot center from Australia? You
get another one. Luke Nevill redshirted last year and is ready
to see some minutes and compete for a starting job and the
unenviable job of replacing Bogut. As a senior exchange student
in Marietta, Georgia, Nevill averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds,
3.7 blocks and 2.5 assists per contest. He is still raw, but the
year on the bench helped the transition process. The frontcourt
gets more help with power forward Shaun Green and late signee
Misha Radojevic. Green is a prolific scorer with plenty of range
for a 6-7 power forward. He’s athletic and could play a role off
the bench as a freshman. Radojevic, a 6-10, 250-pound Serbia
native is a tough player. He has two years of eligibility
remaining and averaged 12 points and nine rebounds a game last
year in the Serbian amateur leagues. Guards Garfield Johns,
Johnnie Bryant and Lawrence Borha will help out in the
backcourt. Johns, a transfer from Monroe (NY) Community College,
has the best shot at making a big impact this year. Bryant has
been developing nicely over the summer and will see some minutes
due to necessity. Borha, who played prep ball in California last
year, is a nice pick up for the Utes. He’ll be putting up a lot
of points before his days in Salt Lake City are over.
Who to Watch:
Tim Drisdom has been a fine point guard for
the Utes over the last two years. For his senior campaign he
will need to become more of a scorer. Drisdom will definitely
have the chance to put up some points with the two leading
scorers gone. Last year he averaged just 4.7 points, but Drisdom
does have a solid outside shot. He’ll score more this year when
he has to. The 6-3 Artesia, California native is a good ball
handler, averaging 3.2 assists and just 1.6 turnovers per game.
Projected Conference Rank:
The bad news is Utah will be taking a fall
from last years success. The good news is the MWC is down and
Utah could be right in the thick of the conference race. A 3rd
place finish is right where Utah belongs this year, a middle of
the pack finish for a middle of the pack team. An incoming guard
or returnee Casey Iverson, who saw his minutes drastically
decrease as time went on last year, could crack the starting
lineup if Coach Giacoletti wanted some more quickness on the
floor.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Tim Drisdom, Senior, Guard, 4.7 points per game
Garfield Johns, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Bryant Markson, Senior, Forward, 10.4 points per game
Jonas Langvad, Junior, Forward, 4.0 points per game
Luke Nevill, Freshman, Center, DNP last season
