Jace Tavita leaves the basketball program
by JazzyUte on Dec 2, 2010 1:23 PM MST
in Basketball
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PrintUtah basketball has lost another player, as Jace Tavita officially requested a transfer today. He cited lack of playing time as the reason.
Tavita's departure marks the fifth player to leave Jim Boylen's program in the last nine months.
Though he lacked the minutes this season, which mostly went to Chris Hines, Tavita was the co-captain on this year's squad.
So hard to spin this as a positive for Boylen, whose team is actually off to an okay start - though they've had a pretty easy schedule and did lose at home to Oral Roberts last Saturday.
We'll see how this impacts the team in the coming weeks.
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It may be hard...
to see this as positive, but I don’t think it hurts either.
How much playing time can you expect when you avreage 1.5 points/game? No matter how good of a defender you are.
I’m starting to think that it may be best to get anyone associated with last years team off the roster. With the exception of Foster and Watkins, it seems like there was a lot of attitude issues there.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I think this hurts in perception...
Boylen recruited Tavita and he was supposed to be one of his top-recruits.
It appears Boylen just doesn’t have an idea of how to recruit to Utah.
Will he be missed? Probably not. But it’s not about him being missed, I guess and more about creating some stability here. Losing five players in nine months certainly ain’t helping. Especially when a few were Boylen recruits.
Yeah...
I see the perception issue here.
I think Boylen knows how to recruit. The problem is that I don’t think he knows how to handle these kids. I don’t know if it’s how he’s treating them, or false promises, or what it is. It just seems like a lot of these kids are turning on him.
There could be a serious ‘atmosphere’ issue around our basketball program right now.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I have to whole heartedly disagree.....
I don’t think this hurts perception wise at all. Boylen has brought in Clyburm, Jiggy, Washburn, J-Wat, Kupets, Hines, Glover, O’Brien, plus this ARizona kid coming in next year. To say he doesn’t know how to recruit to Utah is baseless.
Yeah, the kid was a team captain, but this team is going places. They are getting to know each other this year, and next year, watch out, they are going to be SCARY.
The kids who are turning on him are losers anyway. I am not worried at all.
Always have been and always will be a Boylen supporter.
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Will Clyburn, Jiggy?
They are looking VERY good thus far……
Are we perfect? Heavens no. But we are better than last year. Seriously. I really don’t see how this mass defection has hurt us. I dont think players look at it the same way that you and I do.
I think guys like Clyburn and Jiggy look at Utah and say “dang, I can go there, to a storied program, get some playing time, and get my name out there.”
Additionally, athletes have egos. I really doubt that most recruits said “oh gee, a whole bunch of guys just left, I better stay away.” I think they consider that a challenge, in addition to an opportunity.
Athletes think differently than you and I. All this means is another scholarship available for next year.
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I think we're going to be an okay program under Boylen...
Nothing spectacular, though. Maybe 20-wins every few seasons. My hope is that we get a talent bump in the Pac-12 and that Boylen isn’t watching players he recruited depart at five per year.
Wow, a team captain decides to bolt for greener pastures due to playing time (or lack thereof)
Forget about Boylen, what does this really say about Mr. Tavita? Grow some balls kid! Being a team captain comes with responsibility to hold the ship together when shi* happens. What a bad example for the rest of the team… I agree with the comments above that it probably is best if we just erase last year (and most of the players) out of memory. Too bad Jace stuck around once the ship looks like it may be back on track, makes it looks like things haven’t entirely settled internally. Jumping ship at this point makes no sense to me at this point, what a waste of time for everyone!
Agreed
Today’s generation of college athletes are spoiled snobs. They get college paid for plus a ridiculous per diem, they get an education, and they get on a decent enough bball team to get some national attention.
If he worked his butt off at practice, improved, and used his position of authority as a captain, he would have been given more of a chance than any other player on the team.
He is not going to have a future anywhere else, beyond a junior college team where he gets to pretend he is an all-star.
What an idiot. Please take your attitude with you and don’t let the door hit you on the way out. I hope the U does not waive his year of eligibility that he loses when he transfers.
The thing I dont get at all.....
Why now? Hasn’t he played too much to get a redshirt year? So if he quits now or finishes the season, he still has only one more year of eligibility right? Or maybe he is aware of a deadline that we aren’t and he can still get two years.
If he really only has one more year to play, he is wasting his time. Why not just finish this year? you are the captain! Be an example! Work on your game and be ready when your number is called!
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I grew up playing ball with Gil, Miah, and Jace Tavita...
Not one of them had attitude problems, they were talented and all worked hard. Sad to see a talented player go.
Why was he still here?!
Seriously, he was a HUGE liability last year, this year was no different. I went to quite a few games last year and every time he came in to spell Marshall we all collectively gasped and knew we were in trouble. His defense was horrible and shooting was not much better. I still can’t forget how close we were to upsetting New Mexico last year at home, but then Marshall fouled out and we were left with Tevita…knew the game was over there. Good luck to him, hope he finds a place to play and finds his shot.
I have watched Jace over the last year work his butt off in my gym in Sandy with his brother. Shooting drills, running, crazy ball handling drills, lifting HEAVY weights striving to get bigger, stronger and faster and I seriously know only one other person that has worked just as hard as he has. There is a reason he was VOTED as team captain and is justified in getting more court time, This kid could play Pro overseas and probably will! Jace, just use all of this as fuel to your fire bud.
by Benjamin Paul Anderson on Dec 3, 2010 3:21 PM MST reply actions
It's terrible
Could we have a worse reputation as a B-Ball program? I mean, we’ve fallen off a long way and we’ve done it by hiring, essentially, an idiot and a guy who is in over his head in our last two coaches.
Boylen, to my mind, would make an excellent assistant coach. [An aside of the modern kind: That’s not a knock, he has some really solid skills and I was happy when he came in as he preached fundamentals and toughened up that guard line]. Either that or our program was in even worse shape when he took over than I thought. I personally think Giacoletti screwed us so badly it took a throw away hire to get the taste out of our mouths and unless a miracle occurs we move forward ASAP.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."--John Heisman
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