Krystkowiak Uses Jerry Sloan Analogy When Preparing For Opponents
Dec 10, 2019, 2:48 PM | Updated: 4:19 pm
Utah Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak talks with reporters during media day in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. (Courtesy of Deseret News)
(Courtesy of Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Utes basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak played for Utah Jazz legend Jerry Sloan for one season and it has had a lasting effect on him and the way he prepares for opponents.
At his weekly press conference, Krystkowiak was asked if he fully utilizes statistics and everything they have to offer, including very particular stats.
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“I am somewhat balanced,” Krystkowiak said. “Like a Jerry Sloan analogy, I played for Jerry for one year here (with the Jazz). If you asked Jerry ‘hey, what are we doing in pick-and-roll coverage?’ He would just say GYFG (guard your guy), it had a little sauce in there along the way, but it was never really about anything other than effort, kind of like the playground.”
He paused his thought and said the following.
“It would be great if everybody could say a little prayer for him (Sloan),” Krystkowiak stated. “It’s not great (Sloan’s health).”
Krystkowiak compared Sloan to the time he played for Del Harris and the two were very different coaches, but Krystkowiak took a lot of what he learned from Sloan and applied it to his game when he played for Harris.
“I played for Del Harris for five years where it was all schemes,” he said. “Del rarely talked about effort. So, sometimes you can get bogged down relying on a coverage but, if you don’t bring a little of the Jerry Sloan mentality with you, you are going to be in trouble. You don’t want want to overcook guys with numbers because there is a lot of GYFG.”
The Utes will face the Weber State Wildcats on Saturday afternoon at Vivint Smart Home Arena in the Beehive Classic. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
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