TORONTO – A three-goal third period by the Toronto Maple Leafs led to a 5-3 loss for the Utah Mammoth. Michael Carcone, Mikhail Sergachev, and Dylan Guenther scored for the Mammoth while Dmitri …
The Mammoth’s line of Michael Carcone, Jack McBain, and Lawson Crouse has brought energy and effort throughout the season. Crouse’s hard work in the final minutes of the first period led to the game’s opening goal. After Crouse gained possession of the puck in the corner, he worked behind the goal and quickly fed the puck to a waiting Carcone on the doorstep. Carcone capitalized and the McBain line gave the Mammoth a 1-0 lead.
“Like every night, they work hard, they put pucks deep, they get on the forecheck, they put pucks on the net, they’re a really good identity line for us,” Tourigny said. “They do a good job for us.”
Toronto pushed back with a pair of goals in the second period by two of the team’s most dynamic players, William Nylander and Auston Matthews. However, like in the first, Utah found a goal late in the period. Mikhail Sergachev’s tally with 3:33 left in the second period tied the game, 2-2. Sergachev’s third goal of the season was set up by his fellow countryman, Dmitri Simashev, and the assist was the rookie’s first NHL point.
“Obviously, they turned it over, he picks it up, he’s in the right spot, finds me and I see that there’s two or three guys skating by the goalie and I just send one along the ice and it goes in,” Sergachev said of the goal. “I’m happy for (Simashev). He’s a great player and going to have a lot more points coming in.”
The Maple Leafs outscored the Mammoth, 3-1, in the final frame. John Tavares, Matias Maccelli, and Matthew Knies (empty net) scored for the home team, while Dylan Guenther’s tally with 67 seconds left in regulation was the final goal of the game. With the loss, Utah is 9-5-0 this season and is 1-1-0 to start the four-game road trip.
As the Mammoth look to grow from this game, they’ll work on their consistency and simplicity, especially on the second half of back-to-backs.
“It’s about consistency for a full-60,” Sergachev explained. “Obviously, we’re on a back-to-back, where conditioning might be a thing, because we feel a little bit tired. But you got to dig deep and play simple, simplify the game. We didn’t at times and it cost us.”
After the unfortunate news about the Utah Jazz losing Walker Kessler for the season, the Jazz take another L and fall to the Detroit Pistons with the final score being 103-114. Cade Cunningham led the …
After the unfortunate news about the Utah Jazz losing Walker Kessler for the season, the Jazz take another L and fall to the Detroit Pistons with the final score being 103-114. Cade Cunningham led the way for the Pistons with 31 points, 10 assists, and 3 rebounds, while Svi Mykhailiuk attempted to carry the Jazz to a victory, ending with 28 points.
Whether you like tanking or not, it’s what the Jazz have got to do if they want to be great again — and we can start that turnaround as soon as next year. Losing Walker Kessler was very unfortunate, and it was definitely felt tonight against the Detroit Pistons. Jalen Duren was a monster on the glass and in the paint — he ended the game with 22 points and 22 rebounds. Surely Kessler would have made Duren struggle a lot more than he did tonight. However, this loss increases the odds of the Jazz landing a top 5 pick in this year’s LOADED, yes, loaded, NBA draft. If the Utah Jazz succeed at doing so, they would be entering the 2025-2026 season with a healthy Walker Kessler (barring a contract extension), a top 5 pick, Ace Bailey in his 2nd year, anyone we trade for, and likely, Lauri Markkanen. Now, that’s just music to my ears; I genuinely think that the Utah Jazz can start creeping into the playoffs as soon as next season! (I just got chills sent down my spine while writing that).
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Ace Bailey:
Ace Bailey did a few good things tonight, such as grabbing offensive rebounds and taking some good shots, and it might just be me, but I am kind of just waiting for that one breakout game from him — he was the 5th overall pick after all. The ball is not falling for the 19-year-old kid, but eventually it should start finding the net more times than not. Random note, but I was watching Oregon vs Hawaii (college basketball) yesterday, and there’s a kid on Oregon named Kwame Evans Jr who reminded me of Ace Bailey… long story short, it’s likely he won’t be on an NBA roster long if he ever finds his way there. Anyway, I think there is a justifiable question to ask: Is Ace Bailey going to be a defensive Kyle Kuzma, or is he going to be better than that?
Keyonte George:
One thing I did not take into consideration before essentially writing Keyonte George off was his body transformation. At Baylor, Keyonte George was playing a stockier 215lbs because Scott Drew was playing a 3-guard lineup with Flagler & Cryer, slotting Key at the 3. Keyonte didn’t have to put on that weight, but he knew that being 6’4 & 185lbs would not be easy at the 3, so he decided to take on the extra pounds to endure the physicality of a forward. The athleticism had dropped off compared to where he was in HS because of the weight gain, and you could tell — he only had 3 dunks during his season at Baylor, BUT he was finishing around the rim at a fine rate (58.5%). Now, as soon as Keyonte went through his pre-draft process, he had lost a significant amount of weight. He entered his rookie season at 190lbs — a loss of 25lbs. He started his NBA career in a whole new body, THAT’S INSANE. It was reflective in his finishing around the rim. His first 2 years in the NBA, he averaged around 55% at the rim (per dunksandthrees). Throughout this young season, Keyonte George is shooting 77.8% from 0-3 feet (9% of his shot location) and 66.7% from 3-10 feet (32% of his shots), per Basketball Reference. Another great thing about Key is that he is getting to the FT line at a much-improved rate compared to years prior; that is a huge lift to his offensive production and overall impact on that side of the ball.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
With that said, the jumper is still inconsistent, and with how many he takes… it’s just got to get better. The pull-up jumpers and shot in general is something that he’s struggled with for a long time. He was 134th out of 166 players on all pull-up jumpers out of those who took >100 FGA & played >25 games. If he keeps up this tenacity on defense, compared to the previous 2 years, keeps up the willingness to share the ball, and continues his “foul grifting”, then he’s probably a rotation player in the NBA. Starter? IDK, we’ll find out. I won’t tell you which way I lean.
Detroit Pistons:
Quick Hitters:
Ausar Thompson was very active on both ends of the court. He does everything for the Pistons and could be a respected Swiss Army Knife in the league if the shot ever comes around. He did not attempt 1 three-pointer tonight.
Cade Cunningham had a rough outing from the field……… UNTIL THE 4TH QUARTER, WHERE HE TURNED INTO MICHAEL JORDAN.
Ron Holland looked like he can be an interesting rotation piece for Detroit. As he enters his 2nd year in the league, his fit with the Pistons still feels as awkward as it did when he was selected on draft night last year. Could he be a potential trade piece in the near future?
As said earlier, Jalen Duren was feasting on the Jazz.
Utah Jazz:
Walter Clayton Jr. is 3rd in potential assists among rookies, so that’s pretty cool. I still love the element he brings to the game. It will be interesting to see what the Jazz do once Isaiah Collier is healthy enough to suit up and play.
Kyle Filipowski’s sophomore slump continues. Flip shot 1-5 from the floor tonight in 20 minutes. The great thing about Flip is that no matter what, he is going to be a threat on offense due to the fact that he is an excellent passer and can put the ball on the ground. I am a believer in Kyle as an NBA player and expect him to turn it around at some point.
Svi (I hate spelling his last name) banged out _ on efficient shooting. We are all awaiting the news where Svi has Will Hardy’s family held hostage, because WHY IS HE ON THE FLOOR FOR 30+ MINUTES!!!
Lauri Markkanen looked like he was frustrated tonight. He had a rough game scoring. He shot
BRICE SENSABAUGH WAS ON THE FLOOR FOR 7 SECONDS TOTAL. NO INJURIES OR ANYTHING. 7 SECONDS. Frustrating to say the least.
CINCINNATI — The Bearcats are working through the bye week with all sights set on beating the Arizona Wildcats next week to inch closer to the Big 12 Championship game. One key part of that pursuit is …
CINCINNATI — The Bearcats are working through the bye week with all sights set on beating the Arizona Wildcats next week to inch closer to the Big 12 Championship game. One key part of that pursuit is safety Xavier Williams, who is coming off of his best game as a Bearcat despite the 45-14 result at Utah.
Williams told me Tuesday the defense knows that wasn’t “to par” and they are doing all they can to clean things up ahead of some tough offensive matchups the rest of the way.
“Just not up to par,” Williams said after Tuesday’s practice. “You know what I mean? We didn’t go out there and execute the way that we looked to execute, obviously, but I mean, pretty much from here, we’re on a bye week looking to regroup, you know? I mean, focus on, back on the basics, the things that we need to focus on to continue to plan Bearcat football, as we have in the past. So just looking to regroup, obviously not the result that we wanted, but we can only build from it.”
Check out our full conversation below on everything from his transition to the Big 12 up to how he likes to utilize the Sheakley IPF:
Bookmark Bearcats Talk for the latest news, breakdowns, and so much more. Check out our YouTube page as well, starting with the video below.
Also, don’t miss the podcast, Bearcat Blitz, wherever you get your shows!
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders understandably hasn’t been pleased with his team’s struggles this year, and he reportedly quietly made a major change on his coaching staff.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders understandably hasn’t been pleased with his team’s struggles this year, and he reportedly quietly made a major change on his coaching staff.
According to Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), Sanders demoted offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur following a 53-7 loss to Utah on Oct. 25.
Shurmur, who coached the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants in the NFL, reportedly is now the quarterbacks coach. Sanders was asked about making offensive changes during a press conference on Tuesday, and he said those moves would be kept in-house.
“I might have already changed it, and you don’t know,” Sanders said. “I don’t do stuff and blow the whistles and make major announcements.”
Unfortunately, the change didn’t do much to improve the situation for the Buffaloes, as they suffered a 52-17 loss to Arizona this past Saturday to fall to 3-6 this season. Florio noted that tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Brett Bartolone was the offensive play-caller for that game.
Colorado went 9-4 in 2024 with Shurmur calling plays, but the team lost a significant amount of talent from that team, most notably quarterback Shedeur Sanders and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
It’s clear that Sanders still has a lot of work to do to get the Buffaloes back on track, and they will try to end their two-game skid when they face West Virginia (3-6) on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on TNT and HBO Max.
Gavin Newsom is looking like a winner this Election Day as polls suggest Proposition 50 is cruising to victory in California, and consequently a “whining” Donald Trump is having an online temper …
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Below is a list of all local election results as updated by their respective counties. All races are placed in alphabetical order and you can navigate to the race of your choice accordingly. ABC4 is tracking some of the major contests. If you don’t find the race you are looking for, you can visit electionresults.utah.gov.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
After two losses, Utah football fans may still have a shot at seeing their team compete for the Big 12 Championship, but the odds are slim.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After two losses, Utah football fans may still have a shot at seeing their team compete for the Big 12 Championship, but the odds are slim.
University of Utah football has had a redeeming season to say the least. After missing a bowl game last year, the Utes have catapulted to #17 in the nation, according to the AP Top 25 poll.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
After a statement win over a ranked Cincinnati team, Utah finds itself still in the running for a visit to the Big 12 championship game. However, the team does not control their own destiny. Here’s what needs to happen for the Utes’ title hopes to stay alive:
Big 12 tiebreaker rules
Utah is currently tied for 4th place in the Big 12 with Houston and Arizona State. As per conference rules, Utah would have the edge over Arizona State after the Utes beat the Sun Devils 42-10 last month.
Utah also has the tiebreaker over Houston which will hold as long as the Utes get a win at Baylor in two weeks.
In the event that two teams do not play head-to-head during the season, as is the case with Utah and Houston, Big 12 policy states that the tied teams will be compared based on win percentage against common conference opponents. Houston’s loss against West Virginia last week gave Utah an edge over the Cougars. A win at Baylor will seal the deal, leaving the Utes alone in 4th.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Winning out is a must
Before any scenario can play out, the Utes have to win every game left this season.
Utah finishes with two road games against Baylor and Kansas along with one more home game against Kansas State.
A tale of two outcomes
Utah’s destiny relies heavily on the results of the BYU-Texas Tech game on Saturday, Nov. 8.
In the case that top-ranked BYU wins on Saturday, Utah fans will need Texas Tech to lose one more game in order for them to fall below the Utes in the title race. However, after playing 8th-ranked BYU, Tech finishes the season with UCF who is 1-4 in conference play, and West Virginia, who is 1-5 in conference play.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
In the case that BYU loses on Saturday, the Utes will need the Cougars to lose at least two more games to end the season. While it is very unlikely, BYU finishes the season with a harder schedule than anyone in the race.
First, the Cougars play at home against TCU, a team who was ranked earlier this season after going 3-0 to start. Next, BYU plays on the road against 25th-ranked Cincinnati. To finish the season, they will play UCF at home.
The Cincinnati problem
Assuming Tech and BYU do exactly what Utah fans want, the U won’t be out of the woods yet. Cincinnati will still need to lose at least one game to finish their season in order for Utah to jump above them in the standings.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The bearcats remain in the Top 25 and finish the season playing Arizona, #8 BYU and TCU.
Latest headlines:
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BUFFALO – In a goaltender battle, Clayton Keller’s overtime goal secured a 2-1 win for the Utah Mammoth over the Buffalo Sabres. Nick Schmaltz also scored for the Mammoth in the win. It was a close …
Both goaltenders showed up strong throughout the game, especially Utah’s Karel Vejmelka who delivered time and time again. His timely saves were a big reason why the game was 0-0 going into the third period. In the final frame, when the Mammoth only allowed three shots, Vejmelka remained sharp. Utah’s netminder stopped 17 of Buffalo’s 18 shots in the win.
“It’s all about staying sharp mentally and just being ready for another shot,” Vejmelka reflected postgame. It’s as simple as that but I didn’t have that (many) shots, but it was a good game, but we need to be a little better defensively.”
On the other side, Buffalo’s goaltender Alex Lyon was strong in net to keep Utah from scoring on the majority of their opportunities. The Mammoth outshot the Sabres 34-18 through 60:47 of playing time. The Mammoth had a 15-5 shot advantage in the second period and a 12-3 advantage in the third. Utah stuck with it and kept pushing despite Lyon’s saves.
“We just kept going, no matter what,” Keller said of sticking with it. “Their goalie played awesome tonight, and I think that’s the biggest thing is when you’re getting chances, you got to stay positive, no matter how pissed off you are. It’s very hard to do but I think that’s the maturity in our team. Everyone has, as individuals, has gotten so much better at it.”
Four minutes into the third period, Nick Schmaltz broke the 0-0 tie and scored his eighth of the season. The goal was the result of Clayton Keller and Schmaltz’s strong chemistry, as the Captain knew exactly where his linemate was and that Schmaltz would convert. John Marino picked up an assist on the goal for his fifth helper of the season.
TORONTO — The Utah Mammoth are out to prove that the momentum the team is riding after just one month of the regular season is no fluke, both on the ice and off.
TORONTO — The Utah Mammoth are out to prove that the momentum the team is riding after just one month of the regular season is no fluke, both on the ice and off.
In its inaugural season in Salt Lake City after relocating from Arizona, Utah’s young core showed plenty of growth in finishing a respectable 38-31-13 for 89 points, including an impressive 6-2-2 to finish the 2024-25 season. While it still left them seven points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, general manager Bill Armstrong’s team was trending in the right direction.
It’s a wave of improvement that the Mammoth have carried into this season, one the entire organization hopes will bring playoff hockey to the Delta Center. That particular quest for the postseason will continue when Utah visits the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, Utah16).
“We’re our biggest critics on the inside,” Armstrong said in a 1-on-1 with NHL.com. “Nobody has higher standards than we do. So we’ve always set high standards in our organization, and we’re not afraid to put them out there and challenge.
“We want to make the playoffs. That’s our goal. We feel like our team is good enough to take that step. The Central Division is hard. You’re going to need a little bit of luck. But usually, if your team works, you find that luck. So obviously, yeah, we want to do that.
“We were disappointed last year when we didn’t get in. It’s all about consistency and not getting too high, not too low, and see what we can do. The season is young yet, but we’re off to a good start.”
In so many different ways.
Consider how much has happened to the franchise in the past few months alone.
First off, it is now known as the Mammoth, not the Utah Hockey Club as it was called a season ago. Prior to their home opener against the Calgary Flames at the Delta Center on Oct. 15, they unveiled their new mascot Tusky, a 6-foot-5 mammoth that busted out of a block of ice.
The Utah State Aggies opened the 2025-26 season Monday night by playing the Westminster Griffins, as well as the 2024-25 version of themselves. Utah State crushed the Division II Griffins, 110-54, at …
The Utah State Aggies opened the 2025-26 season Monday night by playing the Westminster Griffins, as well as the 2024-25 version of themselves.
Utah State crushed the Division II Griffins, 110-54, at the Spectrum in Logan, coming up just short of matching last year’s 117-53 dismantling of Westminster on Stew Morrill Court.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
However, the new-look Aggies did rack up 19 3-pointers — two more than last year — while coming up with eight more rebounds than last November.
And Vanderbilt transfer guard MJ Collins Jr. scored a game-high 23 points in his Aggie debut, just one fewer than last year’s leading scorer Ian Martinez had against the Griffins.
“It was amazing just being able to feel like myself again,” said Collins, who set a new career-high in points by going 9 for 11 from the field and 5 for 7 from 3-point range. “First, I just want to thank God, of course, my family, my teammates, and most importantly, my coaches for all believing in me and allowing me to go out there and just be a player.
“… I’ve always been able to shoot the ball, but my confidence was up and down, but coach (Jerrod) Calhoun and my teammates always keep me uplifted and keep confidence in me and it’s fun to go out there and play hard for those type of people when they really believe in you.”
Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) celebrates with guard Mason Falslev after making a basket while being fouled against Westminster in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State forward Adlan Elamin (35) dribbles the ball as Westminister forward Mitch Jeppesen (32) defends in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) drives to the basket as Westminister forward Michael Fraizer (35) defends in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard MJ Collins (2) goes up to dunk the ball against Westminster as forward Tucker Anderson (3) looks on in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard MJ Collins (2) grabs a rebound against Westminister forward Boston Painter (25) and forward Mitch Jeppesen in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) celebrates after dunking the ball against Westminster in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Westminister guard Tommy Ball (2) dribbles the ball as Utah State guard Drake Allen defends in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard MJ Collins (2) celebrates during a timeout against Westminster in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard Drake Allen (8) dribbles the ball as Westminister guard Colin Hayes (24) defends in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State forward Tucker Anderson (3) shoots a 3-pointer as Westminister forward Jonah el-Farra (42) defends in the first half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard MJ Collins (2) smiles after dunking the ball in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State guard Jordy Barnes (5) gets fouled by Westminister forward Michael Fraizer in the second half Monday Nov. 3, 2025, in Logan. | Eli Lucero/Herald Journal
Utah State (1-0) also got 16 points from Butler transfer guard Kolby King and a double-double from fifth-year senior forward Garry Clark (12 points, 11 rebounds).
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Freshman wing Allan Elamin scored 12 points, while freshman guard Elijah Perryman finished with 10 points and eight assists.
That means USU’s five leading scorers are all newcomers to a program that won 26 games and earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Returnees Mason Falslev and Tucker Anderson each contributed nine points, and junior forward Karson Templin ended up with eight points.
As a team, Utah State shot 60.9% from the field, finished 19 for 37 from 3-point range and totaled 32 assists against 12 turnovers. The Aggies also came up with 13 steals and compiled 38 fast-break points vs. the Griffins’ zero.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
“We want to be on the attack for 40 minutes,” Calhoun said after the first game of his second season as the head coach at Utah State.
“I’ve told this group that if they value the ball, they could be one of the best offensive teams in the country, and you saw that they really like playing with each other. They’re very unselfish, and we’ve got a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket.”
The Aggies took control of the contest with a 17-2 run midway through the first half that put the home team up 41-15 with just over six minutes left before intermission.
Utah State, which led 53-27 at halftime, did most of its damage from beyond the arc, knocking down 9 of its first 14 3-point attempts and finishing with 11 treys in the first half.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
But early in the second half, Utah State turned up the defensive pressure, coming up with steal after steal while pressing, which led to easy baskets in transition.
In the first five minutes of the second half, the Aggies made nine of their first 10 shots (on seven assists) while scoring 19 of the first 21 points coming out of halftime.
“It’s fun; we’re all happy for one another,” Collins said of that decisive stretch. “Everybody’s happy for each other’s success, and that’s what makes our team so good.
“This is the most connected team I’ve been on, and that makes it fun to go out there and play for each other. We don’t really care who gets the success at the end of the day because we know it’s a team sport.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Westminster ended up shooting just 33.3% as a team, while going 5 for 18 from 3-point range. Junior guard Collin Hayes led the Griffins with 12 points, while graduate forward Michael Frazier totaled 11 points and six rebounds.
“I’m glad we don’t have to play them again,” Westminster head coach Norm Parrish said. “Defensively, they do different things than we’ll ever see. Especially in the second half, we didn’t handle their pressure, and they speed you up.”
The Utah men’s basketball team earned its first win under head coach Alex Jensen, outlasting San Jose State in an 84-75 final from Jon M. Huntsman Center on Mon …
The Utah men’s basketball team earned its first win under head coach Alex Jensen, outlasting San Jose State in an 84-75 final from Jon M. Huntsman Center on Monday.
Seydou Traore led the way with a career-high 23 points, 18 of which came in the second half, while Don McHenry dropped 16 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes of action against the Spartans.
McHenry’s backcourt mate, Terrence Brown, chipped in 12 points, eight assists and three rebounds in his debut with the Runnin’ Utes, while freshman Kendyl Sanders provided a spark off the bench with nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes.
Here’s what Brown and Sanders had to say following their team’s victory.
Brown: “Just really being in the huddle with coach and just telling us to calm down and finish the game, let it come to us, and just being Smart down the stretch.”
Sanders: “Another big thing was rebounding. They had us beat on the rebounds in the first half, and he told us we just need to keep crashing the boards because they shouldn’t be beating us on the boards.”
Brown: “Especially down the stretch, he went out for a little bit — got hit in his mouth — but he had a good stretch where he was knocking down shots again, getting rebounds for us a lot. Especially him and Don, they were knocking down tough shots today, so just good job for them to step up and carry the load tonight.”
Sanders: “He’s a great player. He has a big role on this team. We didn’t have him against Oregon, but he really showed out in this game. He proved we need him on the court.”
Brown: “I would say, just really emphasizing it in practice every single day, and then obviously emphasizing it in the film room and when we’re going over scout every single day. They really emphasize the transition defense, so we emphasized that. We emphasized that this whole week in practice. The turnover part is on us, just taking care of the ball.”
Sanders: “We go through [transition defense] all the time in practice. It’s one of the main things we talked about in film. But yes, it’s real important, so we just keep working on it. We’ll be better at it.”
“Just giving the other team different faces. That’s really what it is, just switching it up. Whether I could bring the ball up the court, him bring the ball up the court; I play off the ball. It just gives defenses different schemes and throws different things at them.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t really expected to come here playing a whole lot. Then obviously we had a bunch of injuries coming down, so one of my coaches told me I got to step up, I got to play harder because I’m gonna get some minutes.”
“And that transition was great. I mean, I was happy. I stepped on the court for my first time against Nevada. It felt great. So I’m happy where I’m at, for sure.”