KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Utah basketball coach Craig Smith was talking with his director of operations this week about what’s next.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Utah basketball coach Craig Smith this week weighed in on travel schedules and what the Utes face this season in a Big 12 that spans four time zones due to realignment. I was talking with the operations manager about what to do. .
It’s a long flight from Salt Lake City to Orlando, Florida, where Utah will play UCF, longer than I expected.
“With charters, you have to stop and refuel,” Smith pointed out. “And if you include the time zone change, it’s eight hours. You leave at noon and land at 8 p.m. That’s just part of the story. You adapt and adjust.”
Of course, it’s a two-way street, with teams like UCF, West Virginia and Cincinnati making the long journey west to Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado, the other three newcomers to the Big 12 this season. And that could also be an advantage for those in the older, somewhat more centrally located Big 8 areas like Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa.
“It’s going to affect everyone. We’re all going to have to play schedules that move us through different time zones,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said, comparing it to his days playing in the NBA. He said. “We’re kind of used to being able to make that switch, but it’s different. We have to be really prepared when we go on the road and when we come back.”
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley has already begun preparations. He has scheduled closed-door scrimmages on the road and will play in an exhibition at Duke University this weekend to give the team a dry run of what such a cross-country trip would be like.
“Hopefully it will yield some results in time for the conference schedule,” Hurley said.
The fact that Big 12 teams will play 20 conference games this season makes this struggle even more difficult. This schedule has some coaches worried because it leaves fewer weeks with an extra day or two of rest.
“We’ll see what happens this year,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said. “I don’t think that’s set in stone. We’re going to evaluate that with our coaches during the season and after the season and decide if that’s something we stick with.”
second chance
Once a high-profile rookie, Mikey Williams, whose career at Memphis was derailed before he even set foot on the floor after he was accused of firing into a car outside his home, is currently playing for UCF this season. I’m getting a second chance.
Williams faced nine felonies after his arrest in April 2023, but the charges were reduced and he pleaded guilty to one felony charge last November. He was sentenced to one year of probation and the felony was reduced to a misdemeanor.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said Wednesday that his staff did “due diligence” before offering Dawkins a spot on the team and believed the former five-star recruit “was a great fit for our program.” He said he is doing so.
“If we were in a world where we weren’t given second chances, I don’t know what we would do now,” Dawkins said.
injury news
Baylor guard Langston Love, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in February, has increased his practice and Bears coach Scott Drew hopes to have him back at full speed in time for conference play. are. Love was averaging 11 points before getting injured.
Cincinnati guard Dayday Thomas, who averaged 10.4 points before breaking his foot in the NIT last year, had a small hiccup in practice this week. This will prevent him from attending Big 12 media day, but he is not expected to be sidelined for long.
“Everything went according to plan until the end of practice yesterday,” Bearcats coach Wes Miller said. “I don’t think it’s anything serious, but he was stumbling a little bit so we held him back as a precaution.”
young and hungry
Few players in Division I hoops this season are younger than Arizona State’s Jaden Quaintance, who just turned 17 in July. He was young enough to lead the U.S. U-16 National Team to FIBA Americas Championship gold last year.
“It’s scary what he’s going to be like in a few years, because he’s so advanced for his age,” Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley said. “When you look at him, physically he’s ready to compete in college basketball.”
Notice from officials
John Higgins, hired by the Big 12 to help oversee officials, instituted a game-by-game evaluation process. The goal is to provide league officials with better and more timely feedback this season.
“Within 48 hours, we will communicate that assessment to the relevant parties,” Higgins said. I’m getting it. ”
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