Bear Down Wildcats

The guy had Ernie Kent as his winner up until a few weeks ago

Damn, you're fast!

Congrats, Coach Miller! RiseandFire's head just exploded.

Pastner got $35k for winning the ACC COY

Main Event wrote:

Good decision. Here's to many, many more.

Sean absolutely 100% deserved it. I honestly have no idea how he managed to keep this team together with such a thin bench for much of the season and with so many new faces playing so many minutes. Masterful job by an incredible coach.

Chicat wrote:Sean absolutely 100% deserved it. I honestly have no idea how he managed to keep this team together with such a thin bench for much of the season and with so many new faces playing so many minutes. Masterful job by an incredible coach.

This! BTFD CSM.

It has been an absolutely masterful coaching job. You have a team that still has some of the hangover of last year's issues, then add the May through October shitfest that this program was hit by. He has a bench of all american level freshmen and upperclassmen vying for playing time off a loaded bench, then suddenly has walk-ons playing and no bench to teach lessons with...playing time is plentiful. Then, the pieces start coming back (PJC's injury, Trier), and suddenly, he has to manage an explosive situation, especially potentially with Rawle, who until his stint here was not known as the most levelheaded player, and Kobi, who moved back and forth between team savior/human highlight real and liability, sometimes in back to back possessions. Then the freshmen hit the wall, and he has to figure out how to keep them present mentally. Yet he takes Rawle out of the starting lineup for the first time like 25 games into the season (not easy to take), Kobi is logging more bench minutes than playing time, and he has to move the 1st half's most deadly 3 point shooter from his insane 7-foot-guard position to a more traditional post position...and rather than being like every other elite shooter in the country, who do all the other things better only when they are hitting their shots, Lauri nuts up and starts dominating on the boards, in the post, and most recently, as a man who will literally steal your soul if you try to go to the hole on him.

So Miller has talent, then has a thin bench, then has potentially explosive personnel/ego issues that he manages, and then, at ASU, makes the ballsiest move yet...a move that looks so clear to make, if this was a video game, but in a real world situation, has the potential to cause more dissention: he runs Pinder out vs a smaller ASU team in the 2nd half and sits Dusan. Every move Miller made, if this was his final game upon which to be evaluated for the COY, was masterful in his final statement...from the Pinder move to bringing Lauri back in and keeping him engaged with 2 fouls, to a masterful rotation with PJC/Kadeem/Rawle/and sometimes not a lot of Kobi.

Yet when that team got to the locker room, it sure looked like a team that likes each other and were together. When a friend ran into Trier, Kadeem, Kobi and one of the other players (maybe Chance?) at Circle K later that night, they were definitely in a good mood (though my friend noticed Zo seemed to have a cold) and were yet very willing to humor an old (45) man as he told them how much winning over ASU still means even though they suck and how we all wish them the best in Vegas. It is just a team of some goofy kids. And with everywhere from Seattle via Vegas to Cali, to Atlanta, to NYC, to Finland and Serbia represented, the hardest thing for Miller to do might be holding disparate backgrounds together when things go bad, or when playing time changes. In that respect, Miller might be showing he may some day be a capable NBA coach. He managed the potential mixed messages of playing time and egos and got to the finish line with a team that, by Ray's knee injury and Terrance's bail and Zo's suspension, none of us were pencilling in at 16-2 in conference, and he got us there. Yeah, it is Arizona...the talent is there. But the talent management was masterful this year.

And, for the Miller critics, if they are willing to pay attention and not just want to win the argument, they would see a coach who grew a LOT this year, maybe because of the difficulties of last year. This team played a little zone. This team changed up some of its offensive complexion. Miller changes substitution patterns, tinkered with lineups a bit more, ran Pinder out to start the 2nd half vs ASU in a tight game. He's a relatively young coach and is learning. And this year might have been his best coaching job ever.

The video from the locker room had a great quote from Miller, and I am paraphrasing here, but he said, basically "This isn't easy. Conference championships don't just happen because you are Arizona. You have to earn them". This team earned it, even if it is a tournament #2 seed. 18 games, we didn't get a return shot at Oregon so I hold 1-0 at home as a tiebreaker in considerably less regard than a head to head 2 game tiebreaker, and we won 16 of them. We never stumbled to a lesser team. That is hard to do. That is exponentially hard to do with 3 Freshmen in your regular rotation.

Congrats CSM. Well Deserved. I thought this team after the injury to Ray and the loss of Terrance was a Sweet 16 ceiling team. Then I saw Lauri play and thought maybe more. Then we got over the awkwardness of the Trier return and right now, I still think we are a Sweet 16 team, but as a floor, with a Final Four as a distinct possibility. Matchups will matter...I don't want to see a lifer zone team (I will take a team that plays some zone...we will get to the boards...but I don't want a team that plays zone only), and I don't want a hard ball pressure backcourt like WSU was last year. But I think we saw vs ASU what you can do with a team that wants to put pressure on then zone you...just beat them down the court, get into early offense, dictate the matchups. That is what I wanted to see us do vs WSU last year, but I think that team was already checked out. This team appears to want to stay together a while longer.

Sorry for the novel...just been away a while (a few days) and had a few discussions about this, so all my thoughts are vomited upon this post in a less-than-organized method.

Feel free to vomit like that, EvCat.

I think the biggest compliment I could think of for Miller is how unsurprised I am by the exceptional job he did this year. It's not that he didn't produce a great coaching job, it's that I've grown to expect that he will deliver.

That's why Miller is the guy for us. It's nice to expect an exceptional job every year. We just can't get spoiled. Arizona is ****ing lucky to have Sean Miller.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:Feel free to vomit like that, EvCat.

I think the biggest compliment I could think of for Miller is how unsurprised I am by the exceptional job he did this year. It's not that he didn't produce a great coaching job, it's that I've grown to expect that he will deliver.

That's why Miller is the guy for us. It's nice to expect an exceptional job every year. We just can't get spoiled. Arizona is ****ing lucky to have Sean Miller.

Amen to that

Hats off. Outstanding coaching CSM! Keep the train going forward.

Next up: Naismith Coach of the Year.

If Drew wins it im gonna puke.

Good company...amazing he got on this list without playing zone

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/ ... ar-AAnZTZa

I am in awe of the man. I don't know whom you people are that don't think he's the best coach for our program out there, but every time I hear him in a presser, an interview or in a "behind the scene" situation, I am ready to run through a wall for him.

Congrats to Miller, and we should all take a moment about how lucky we are as a fan base to have him as coach.

Chicat wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:So, does this make Gershon and Scheer heroes?

They were the heroes we needed at that moment. That's for shit sure.

Consider your virtual rep account credited with 10,000 points for that understatement of the decade.

By the way those 10,000 points plus 4.50 Australian dollars will buy you a great cup of coffee in Melbourne.

Mark Few is the Sporting News coach of the year.

Chicat wrote:Mark Few is the Sporting News coach of the year.

Why?

I like Few, but it's hard to do much else with that team.

I didn't get to see our loss to UCLA at McKale so can someone please explain the timeout call at the last second? Thanks!

Biggest man crush ever.

Damn!

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:I didn't get to see our loss to UCLA at McKale so can someone please explain the timeout call at the last second? Thanks!

Alford called a TO under 5 seconds left in McKale with the game in hand.

Merkin wrote:Biggest man crush ever.

Damn!

+1

84Cat wrote:

That smirk at the end is top notch!

UAEebs86 wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:I didn't get to see our loss to UCLA at McKale so can someone please explain the timeout call at the last second? Thanks!

Alford called a TO under 5 seconds left in McKale with the game in hand.

Thanks! What a POS Alford....classless move and soooo glad CSM gave it back

RichardCranium wrote:

84Cat wrote:

Agreed 'Dick Head', lmao. CSM is Da' Man!!!!

That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

rgdeuce wrote:That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

He is a nice eloquent guy in interviews...But Coach Miller would choke a bitch if he had to.

I'm almost, but not quite, embarrassed, by CSM's "FU" to Steve Alford tonite...

... no one deserves it more than that shithead!!!

rgdeuce wrote:That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

I want to know what Alfraud was saying word for word.....He is so easy to dislike.

Move over EMFM, coach is now Sean Mother F*%kin' Miller! Hot damn that was awesome! SMFM has a nice ring to it.

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

I want to know what Alfraud was saying word for word.....He is so easy to dislike.

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

I want to know what Alfraud was saying word for word.....He is so easy to dislike.

It was a 3 point game with 1.2 seconds left when Bryce was fouled. Shots made, called TO. Pretty sure Alford had no idea what was happening with that that TO tonight. Alford handled it great but I really think he didn't even know what was going on haha

Did you see him chuck that ball UCLA's direction?! Then he's just lighting the huddle up and Kobi has his arm around him big smile on his face. Coach is going off! Patting him on the back. That was amazing. I bet that's what Alford's talking to him about, chucking the ball, not the time out itself. Would love to know what CSM was saying in that huddle. He is one fiery MF. Just took it up a notch for me.

Poise will be Poise !

Thanks 84! Re Alford my bullshit detector just went off.....over here Alford's statement is what we call trying to 'save face'. I don't believe him for a minute....he wanted payback for us abusing them in Pauley.

He is the talk of Vegas. Time for a duck hunt. Miller rocks and takes no prisoners. Damn we defended and rebounded.

The fuckin man. The mothafuckin man

Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

ASUHATER! wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:That was the most gangster shit I have ever seen from a CBB head coach.

He is a nice eloquent guy in interviews...But Coach Miller would choke a bitch if he had to.

Never confuse nice/kindness with weakness.

To add, Sean Miller would switch blade you if he had to.

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

It's far past time that you rescind you'd "fandom" and go be a fan of Syracuse or some zone team.

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

If you go back and watch the game, after he called the TO, he took his team to the side and was instructing them to not guard the guy inbounding the ball and to play for the long pass. Once nobody was guarding the inbound play, Arizona simply tossed it in and time expired

I dont think the crowd even booed it.

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

Nobody other than Steve Alford is embarrassed. And lying because of it. Miller put his behavior on blast.

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

Dude, please do like my favorite Motley Crue song: 'Girl don't go away mad....just go away!'

BearDown89 wrote:Did you see him chuck that ball UCLA's direction?! Then he's just lighting the huddle up and Kobi has his arm around him big smile on his face. Coach is going off! Patting him on the back. That was amazing. I bet that's what Alford's talking to him about, chucking the ball, not the time out itself. Would love to know what CSM was saying in that huddle. He is one fiery MF. Just took it up a notch for me.

1) look up a sniveling in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of Alford.
2) his coaches runner interview was so weak, couldn't even look at the camera.
3) KON gets in and was all over it on lost game with Matt chiming in "now it get it, and it makes sense what Sean did it.

KON: set your defense?!? Is there a five point shot?

RiseAndFire wrote:Is it true that in Tucson it was a 5 point game when the TO was called? I don't remember it being a thing at all and not a word about this great offense in the game thread

Seriously there's nothing gangsta about calling a to when the other team has conceded - it's just petty and bad sportsmanship. Embarrassing moment on an otherwise great night/win

Kick fuckin rocks