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Hope hauled out of the debris from the crushing Utah suffered at the destructive hands of Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament last week comes from a general principle by which Larry Krystkowiak coaches. He doesn't worry much about the past, or dwell on it, be it positive or, in this specific case, negative. He looks ahead, constantly forward, to whatever it is that comes next.
"Our kids are going to bounce back," he said. "We'll get over it, grow through it, and we'll be OK."
There's room for belief and room for doubt about that. Krystkowiak, naturally, said he's a believer.
Not even the 27 wins the Utes earned means all that much to the man. He appreciates them, acknowledges them, but neither the wins nor the losses stamp him or his program as any sort of certified success or failure. That label is yet in the adhering, always in the adhering.
Asked if, over the past five seasons, he's turned Utah's program around, having pulled a proud basketball outfit from a miserably deep hole, his response is telling:
"I would never be the one to say we've turned it around. It's always a present-tense kind of deal, and it always has been and will be. It sounds like coach speak, but my whole thing isn't what has been done in five years, but what can be done tomorrow. It's always a present tense. The old saying, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey? Well, we're in the middle of it."
Nobody's sure what that next stretch of road will bring.
While Krystkowiak's teams the past two seasons made it to a Sweet 16 finish and then through a mostly encouraging Pac-12 run that ended in the Tournament's disappointing second-round ouster, next year's Ute iteration has questions swirling around it.
Krystkowiak's lost his senior point guard (Brandon Taylor). He's lost the highly recruited senior (Jordan Loveridge) whose signing as an incoming freshman seasons ago marked the start of an upward climb. He's likely to lose to the NBA a center (Jakob Poeltl) who could be a lottery pick.
What now? What's left? What's next?
It's notable that the two players who demonstrated the most calm and poise in the shellacking against Gonzaga were underclassmen: guard Lorenzo Bonam, who hit six of 12 shots, and forward Kyle Kuzma, who scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from distance. Those two will continue to have a major presence for the Utes.
Brekkott Chapman, an undersized four who picks up fouls quickly, might come along. Transfers David Collette, from Utah State, and Cedric Barefield, a point guard from SMU, likely will help, as will 6-foot-11 sophomore center Jayce Johnson.
It will be left to Krystkowiak to deftly tilt the junk drawer, allow the remains and additions to roll into a useful corner, and utilize the collection to grow not just into big new roles, but also to grow together. It's a task for which Krystkowiak is well suited, the departing seniors said.
"He's a great all-around coach," said Taylor. "Some like to call him a players' coach. Once the guys are out there, he's out there with them, supporting them. He'll put a lot of responsibilities on his players. He's one of those coaches who lets guys go and do what they do best. Coach K gets up in you, too. He imposes his will. He's not lackadaisical. He's straightforward, and brutally honest. That should help."
Added Loveridge: "He's just real easy to talk to, a family-type guy. He has players over to his house for barbecues. He builds that kind of relationship with his players. He picks everybody up by saying the right things. He motivates. He's played at every level of basketball: college, NBA, overseas. He's coached at every level. He's definitely got the experience. He knows what he's talking about, and he has proof.
"I liked him. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't."
Krystkowiak said a simple explanation for Utah's past ascent bodes well for its future: "One of the biggest things is our staff. I've got the best group of assistant coaches on the planet. They can make me look good, they can make our players look good. They're really dialed into what they do. It takes a village."
He also said there would be no shortage of focus and diligence, coaches and players striving for improvement.
"We'll just keep grinding," he said. "I never want to feel like we've arrived. I feel like I've got a long way to go. I wouldn't define myself as any kind of master coach. I'll just keep chopping wood. I'll just stay with what my beliefs are and keep working."
GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson. —
Krystkowiak's Utes
Utah under head coach Larry Krystkowiak:
Season Overall Pac-12
2011-12 6-25 3-15
2012-13 15-18 5-13
2013-14 21-12 9-9
2014-15 26-9 13-5
2015-16 27-9 13-5