| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
SALT LAKE CITY - Kevin Bradley had no trouble beating his man off the dribble, getting into the lane and positioning himself for a mid-range jumper just below the free-throw line.
Instead of using his athleticism to finish the play and take the shot, Bradley tried to awkwardly dump the ball inside to a post player.
"I should have shot it," Bradley said. "But I was trying to do the right thing and get it into the bigs."
|  | | Britton Johnsen played for the '98 Utah team that lost to Kentucky in the national championship game. |
Good idea, bad execution.
Rick Majerus stopped practice to essentially say those things to Bradley, pointing out that he had the shot and should take it, rather than make a two-foot pass.
The Utah coach has loosened his reigns on his guards, trying to get them to think more athletic when they're on the floor. He did the same thing with Andre Miller, but Miller earned it over a four-year career. Bradley and junior college transfer Travis Spivey are less than a week into their first practices.
Majerus doesn't want his players to sacrifice the offense for a careless play. But he does want them to use their natural ability to their advantage.
The Utes are walking a fine line as Majerus introduces more athleticism in his backcourt after a year hiatus once Miller left for the NBA. Utah struggled in losing to more athletic teams like Wyoming, UNLV and Michigan State last season because of their inability to get out on the break and outrun teams the way they did under Miller's direction during a Final Four run in 1998.
So, he recruited Bradley and Spivey to zap some energy into the Utes and get them thinking run as much as which way to screen and roll. Spivey is the likely team leader, a journeyman point who has been to Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Salt Lake Community College. Spivey is getting a second chance after an alleged assault charge brought by a woman while he was sitting out at Iowa State.
That issue has died down over the past year or so. Meanwhile, Spivey is in a totally different environment, trying to get his up-tempo style to work in Majerus' system.
"Coach is talking a lot about running this year with guys like me and Bradley getting the ball to the bigs running the floor," Spivey said Monday during ESPN.com's preseason tour. "At the schools I was at before, coaches would say to just go and make something happen. Now, I'll be a lot more under control.
"I'll see openings and take it all the way, and see the bigs busting. I've got a feel for seeing when to pass to the bigs, but now I can slow it down more and that should stop me from making all the turnovers."
Majerus hasn't resisted athleticism, but doesn't want a player to run wild on the court. Defense is Utah's staple and he's a stickler for good shots on offense. Majerus takes pride in being able to count the Utes' bad shots in a season, let alone just a game.
Miller was able to walk the delicate balance at Utah by playing at a few different speeds. He took the Utes to the Final Four. In '98, Utah's ability to run was deceptive as teams got burned when players like Alex Jensen or Michael Doleac would beat them back for a fast-break layup.
But Utah missed that last season when the Utes had to go with Tony Harvey and Gary Colbert at the point, neither one a true playmaker nor too quick. Nagging injuries to Hanno Mottola limited the Utes' frontcourt depth and quickness.
That shouldn't be a problem this season with the return of Britton Johnsen. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward was a reserve on the Final Four team before leaving for a two-year Mormon Church Mission. But Johnsen is as quick a small forward in the country for his size. Add Johnsen to Duke transfer power forward Chris Burgess and senior returning, albeit plodding center, Nate Althoff, and the Utes have some options inside for Spivey.
|
“ |
The '98 team had a
lot of overall stars, but this team has more overall athleticism That's what excites me.
Teams won't know how to play us. ” |
|
|
— Jeff Johnsen,
Utah junior |
"We've had Britton before, so it's not like we went out and got a new athlete there," Majerus said. "Burgess is an average athlete, about the same as Hanno, but neither is as quick as Keith Van Horn or Josh Grant (past Utes). The conscious thought was to go and get more depth. I wanted depth and perimeter shooting."
The guards are quicker with Bradley and Spivey able to play together. The return of redshirt shooting guard Nick Jacobson and returning missionary Trace Caton, another reserve on the '98 team, add depth in the backcourt. Even Phil Cullen and Lance Allred, a pair of lanky forwards, have deceptive foot speed, able to cut and get into the lane to set up for post move.
"Our bigs have gotten more athletic with Chris and Britton," Althoff said. "We need that to go against teams like Vegas and Wyoming and with those guys it will help all of us get open."
And that's the difference with Utah's quickness. It's not just about getting on the break and beating a player downcourt. It's as much about cutting hard to the basket, creating space and getting ready to receive an entry pass from a guard. Do that quickly, rebound the ball, and the Utes have used their athleticism to fit their style.
Burgess said the difference between Duke and Utah is the depth of athleticism and talent. Duke has athleticism from 1 to 15 on the court. But Utah has the bigger post players and focuses on them offensively.
"That fits my game," Burgess said.
"We've won without athleticism," Majerus said. "But it's better to have it. The year we beat Arizona to go to the Final Four, they were more athletic then we were; most teams were and have been. The way we've won is with guys who bought into unselfishness and defense.
"We won with our defense, and most coaches would say the best defensive team in the West. We aren't a team that is going to extend our defense. We'll guard you in the halfcourt and make you beat us."
But it helps to get out and run, and beat the other five down court, too.
"Britton surprised me by how fast he is," Spivey said. "He could be on the track team. He really gets out and goes. Burgess runs the floor well for someone 6-11. If the get down court, I'll get them the ball."
Utah had more talent in '97 when the Utes had three future first-round picks in Miller, Van Horn and Doleac on the court. That team lost in the Elite Eight to Kentucky. But this Utah team could be quicker, albeit more inexperienced.
Majerus, however, is quick to remind them and anyone else that no one on this team has been anymore than a role player on a Utah conference championship team.
"The '98 team had a lot of overall stars, but this team has more overall athleticism," Utah junior Jeff Johnsen said. "That's what excites me. Teams won't know how to play us.
"They know that we're the type of team that will pound the ball in and run the shot clock down. But coach wants to give them something they're not used to like running more and using our strength. We were quick last year, but 10-11 deep quick.
"It'll be slow at first for Kevin and Travis, but once they learn the system, they're athletic enough and know how to play basketball to get out and help us."
Remember, the nickname is the Runnin' Utes. Don't be surprised to see it used a bit more this season.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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