Meet the latest victim of the Sports Illustrated curse: the Runnin’ Utes.
In this week’s issue of the magazine, reporter Nick Dunn chronicles Utah’s rise under Larry Krystkowiak. In the article, Dunn discusses a 34-hour stretch that set up the Utes 2014-15 run.
On April 21-22 of last year, Utah received word that Jakob Poeltl would be joining the team, and that star-guard Delon Wright had decided not to enter the NBA Draft and return for his senior season.
Wright’s choice wasn’t an easy one. The star guard originally texted his head coach and said he was putting his name in the draft, but Krystkowiak wanted one last meeting to try and persuade the Ute point guard to stay. After a two-hour meeting, where Krystkowiak explained how it would benefit Wright to return, Wright changed his mind about leaving and the table was set for a Ute run back to the top of college basketball.
So what did the Utes do the week of being featured in the popular sports magazine? They went to UCLA — a team they beat by 32 points in January — and lost, 69-59, Thursday night. Luckily for Utah it still has plenty of time to return to the form that had the national media taking notice.
The issue is available now.
New Utah DC?
The Los Angeles Daily News USC blog is hearing that former USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is the frontrunner to replace Kalani Sitake at Utah.
Pendergast was the coordinator behind USC's Pac-12 leading defense in 2013, and was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals when they reached Super Bowl XLIII.
Lillard, Korver left off all-star teams
Portland Trailblazer point guard and former Weber State star Damian Lillard may have a little extra motivation for the remainder of the season. Despite averaging 21.8 points, 6.2 and 4.6 rebounds this season in leading the Trail Blazers to the third-best record in the Western Conference, Lillard was left off the conference's all-star team.
While some call this a snub, the Portland Police are calling it a crime. The police department tweeted out that it might have to open up a robbery investigation to figure just how Lillard was left off.
On the Eastern Conference side, Atlanta Hawk guard and former Jazzman Kyle Korver was left off the squad. Korver is shooting 53 percent from 3 and averaging 13 points as the league’s best shooter. The Hawks are a full seven games up on Toronto for the best record in the conference.
Lillard and Korver could still end up in the game as injury replacements. Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant will miss the game and remainder of the season after undergoing surgery, and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury and could be sidelined during all-star weekend.
Super Bowl news
— King 5, an NBC affiliate in Washington, is reporting that Seattle Seahawk cornerback Richard Sherman and his girlfriend could be having their baby on Super Bowl Sunday: “If you see Richard heading for the locker room right after it hits zero in the fourth quarter, don't be surprised," said Sherman’s girlfriend, Ashley Moss in the story.
— VP of officiating Dean Blandino told reporters that league officials don’t log PSI in footballs.
— After a week filled with repetitive one sentence answers running back Marshawn Lynch in essence gave the media a lecture, Thursday.