This last week was an excellent opportunity for the Thunderwolves to travel to Salt Lake City and play an exhibition game against the Utes. CSU PUEBLO ARTICLE
The Utah Utes are now a part of the Big 12 conference, a high level of basketball. Tuesday’s game was the first look for the Utah Utes and was the only exhibition game for us.
Exhibition games work out great for both parties since they give us, as a Division 2, the ability to play against better competition than we are used to and allow them to play someone other than themselves in practice.
We lost 98 to 67 but were only down by nine at halftime (45-36). The Utes started fast and pulled a big 17-6 lead after 8 minutes. They went on a big run, but we kept it close until half. We were close to 50% from the field at the half, but the game resulted in the Ute’s shooting being 7% better. Another big difference is that they shot ten more free throws than us. The most significant difference in the game was that we turned the ball over a lot more than we needed to. Looking at the official stats, we turned it over 26 times, and they turned it over half that amount. BOX SCORE
When looking at basketball games from a stat sheet, I believe there are games within the game, and it is easy to pick them apart. If a team wins specific categories, it usually results in wins. For example, you will likely win the game if you win the turnover, rebounding, and free throw battles. It means you get more opportunities to score and typically have fewer fouls than the other team. It is doubtful for a team to shoot the ball poorly enough to lose if they win those categories.
It was great to see the difference in the level of play, and I think one of the biggest separators is the size and athleticism of each team when you get to the Division 1 level. Utah, no question, is a “huge” team, even in comparison to most Division 1 schools, as their 3 and 4 men are 6’8” to 6’10, with a center that is 7’0”.
Another thing that is very different from dealing with the players or setup is their time for preparation. Division 1 schools can have their players on campus during the summer, taking summer classes and having workouts and practices. I think it would be very beneficial to see that at the Division 2 level, possibly enhancing the level of play. A few extra months of practice and team workouts go a long way in preparation for a season. The stricter part at the Division 2 level is that it costs more money for each program to have guys there during the summer from the standpoint of paying for food, classes, and housing.
