Home 'n' home with the Utes?

[BBskorer]

At least according to this.

When Jim Boylen was named as Utah basketball coach, he vowed to upgrade the schedule.
He's off to a good start, although the home schedule may not reflect the upgrade in his first year.
Boylen has arranged for road games against two NCAA tournament teams from last year, Gonzaga and Oregon with another against California.
The Utes will play Gonzaga at the Bulldogs' home arena, while the other two will be played at neutral sites, the Rose Garden in Portland and the Oakland Arena, where the Golden State Warriors play.
The good news is that all three teams will return to Salt Lake City the following year with all three games being played in the Huntsman Center.

...wonder if we can get a decent scout on their personnel.

[GU32]

I’m guessing Ray Giacoletti would love to beat the Utes by no less than six hundred points

[RebornZag]

I like this. I good team with lots of history (a good name). Playing in K2, great, giving our fans a decent game to see at home (there's been some complaint here about the OOC teams coming to K2).

[former1dog]

Well, that should be a heck of a lot of fun for the F1Dog's on the return trip!

[Nevtelen]

I love that they're playing us at K2. I just hope (with all due respect to Giacoletti) they'll have a better record than last year. This part of the article makes me perhaps doubt it:

GOING SMALL: With Deane gone, as well as backup centers Misha Radojevic (transfer to Hawaii Pacific) and David Foster (LDS Church mission to Charlotte, N.C.), who will be the backup center behind Luke Nevill?
Well, no one.
"We don't have anyone," said Boylen. "We'll probably go small and use Kim Tillie or Morgan Grim or Shaun Green. It will give us a different kind of look."

I don't really know theire personnel, but we know how rough it can be being thin down low.

[Rubbadub]

Interesting subject-- do you guys think that the Utes are going to be a good team the next few seasons?

[CDC84]

Re:

Ray felt that the players in the system were going to be quite good come their junior and senior years. See, when RayG was at Utah, he had two choices after Bogut and others left: rebuild from the beginning, or get a bunch of juco players and transfers. He decided to rebuild, and so he got the best freshmen he could get into that program. That's a long term project, especially considering the fact that Utah has a glass ceiling when it comes to recruiting blue chip talent. If that weren't obvious before Majerus made the final 4 run, it became patently obvious when he still couldn't get blue chippers after the final 4 run. Unfortunately, the athletic dept. and others couldn't understand this fact, so Ray and Utah parted ways.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if Jim Boylen is any good as a coach, the Utes should have some pretty good teams the next couple of seasons.

[El Voce]

Glad to hear that the Utes are coming to K2. I think GU needs to make a conscious effort to upgrade its "true" home schedule. We have a beautiful building that deserves games against good programs.

[BobZag]

I’m guessing Ray Giacoletti would love to beat the Utes by no less than six hundred points

Maybe seven hundred points. lol. But seriously, RayG is a class act and he knows all of those Ute players. He won't want to pour it on IF the Zags are able to.

Idaho
PSU
Wazzu
Montana
Utah

The K2 ooc schedule suddenly looks better today.

[CDC84]

re

If Gonzaga could get another good BCS team to come to K2 to go along with Wazzu, the K2 out of conference schedule would be looking pretty good. That and maybe bringing in a quality non-BCS opponent that GU is likely to beat but that will put forth a stiffer challenge than your average Big Sky school (say, an CAA team like Old Dominion).

[madness]

I think Depaul might fit this category? Have we even spoken with them regarding a home and home?

[mtzaga]

Utah State would be a good matchup. A good team from the WAC. You would think ex-Zag Stew Morrill would want to play in K2. He hasn't been seen in Missoula either.

[CDC84]

Re:

I think Depaul might fit this category? Have we even spoken with them regarding a home and home?

I sure hope GU does or has, because I have been advocating this matchup for awhile.

The Blue Demons are likely going to be a tournament team this year, and they are the type of school that might agree to a genuine home and home. A home and home with them would also allow Gonzaga to give Pargo a home game in Chicago during the 08/09 season. Wainwright's 2007 recruiting class is ranked just ahead of GU's.