The loss to New Mexico was good for the U basketball team and Ute fans should be happy that it happened.
Is there such a thing as a good loss? Absolutely.
Even though it dropped them in the rankings and took away their chance to go undefeated through the conference, it’s not a big deal.
Besides, it wasn’t exactly a gimme.
The Utes were caught in a trap. After a huge win at Air Force, they had to muster up enough energy and deal with the raucous crowd in The Pit.
Not to say it is completely excusable that the Utes lost, but it was certainly a tough game to win.
Good thing, they needed it.
If they went into the NCAA tournament without a loss, I would almost guarantee one in the second round. Why?
Because the team seemed to be losing focus and letting teams that they should beat handily, hang around and contend for a win.
The Utes are easily the best team in the conference and I don’t care what New Mexico did. Utah played stupid basketball and let the crowd get to them.
Here is a tip-when there are four guys surrounding Andrew Bogut as he gets the ball in the post, at least three guys should be wide open.
It seemed the only person with the stones to shoot the ball was Marc Jackson.
All of the players on the court shouldn’t be scared of shooting a three or a jumpshot.
Cutting to the basket may be easier if nobody is guarding the offensive player.
It amazes me how tentative a few of the players on the team are with the ball on the perimeter.
Besides the offensive flow issue, I think the main thing the Utes will learn from the loss is that they can’t play bad basketball and expect to win games.
Against Colorado State at home they played bad basketball and won. The quality of their opponents is not high, and yes, they can win at times without playing their best ball, but that’s not the best mindset to have going into a game.
The Lobo win may have given them that kick they needed in order get into gear at just the right time.
It gives them time to regain all the confidence they had with a home game against BYU this weekend, followed by the conference tournament.
People who say there is no such thing as a good loss are idiots. If the loss gives a team a better chance to achieve its season goals, how is it bad for the team?
Not to mention the loss wasn’t exactly detrimental to the Utes’ NCAA seeding potential and ranking.
The Utes only slipped two spots in the poll and are still good to get a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. If they don’t lose a game from here until Selection Sunday, they could possibly jump back up to a No. 4.
I’m not saying the Utes are now destined to reach the Sweet 16, but I do think they needed some type of motivating factor before the tournament- in order to have a chance to make some noise in the big dance.