13 years ago today, UC Irvine spoiled Pacific’s senior night 69-58.
The boxscore isn’t available, but three of Pacific’s four honored seniors didn’t play, I’ll say. One was always injured, one recovered well enough to go back on the floor (according to the trainer) but evidently didn’t want to, and one was the last player on the bench.
At least once that month, Coach Roberts gestured toward the practice floor, and said: “You’re watching next year’s team”.
You know a coach has surrended in an evening when the last five players on the bench report to the scorer. You know Roberts doesn’t like her team’s chances to make the NCAAs in a season when she says it’s next year’s team practicing.
Roberts hasn’t yet mentioned next year’s Utes for two reasons. 1) This group is one of those ‘any given night’ teams that’s capable of beating anybody, so the focus is still on this group; and 2) I don’t think she knows what next year’s team looks like.
Alissa Pili is a unique player. I think the most apt comparison is a young Shaq, while Rebecca Lobo thinks it’s Le’coe Willingham. (We’re both way off, which says a lot about Pili. Neither O’Neal nor Willingham shoots well from the FT line, or at all from the 3FG line. But they’re both as wide as they are tall, with a surprising grace about them for people that big.)
If Utah wanted to operate in the same offensive framework, they’d have to find a replacement for Pili in the transfer portal. Who has that skill set? Tom Chambers, a Utah product who was one of my favorites in NBA Phoenix, but I think he’s lost his eligibility.
If they look within, they’re hoping Reese Ross evolves from the turnover- and foul-prone freshman she is today.
Otherwise, they’re re-engineering the offensive framework, which is something we don’t have to think about for at least, um, another week.