Bear Down Wildcats

Posted: **Tue Dec 15, 2015 4:36 pm**

sorry for looking ahead -- i couldn't help myself -- but was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on this game.

is zimm still banged up? while it's kind of a bummer that we won't be able to see zeus go brick wall on him, i think dusan and RA matchup nicely with zimm and carter down low.

this will be another good benchmark game for us. will be keeping an eye on the scoreboard with their warmup tonight vs. asu. hope our guys can put nau away early tmrw and rest up for saturday.

Posted: **Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:25 pm**

I'm tempted to comment, but I'll stick to "Take them one game at a time", but I am interested in answers to your question and comment.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:20 am**

Cats sure could use Zimmerman now.

Too bad the Cats don't have a Korcheck to put a body on him.

UNLV is a bubble team, so they will be bringing their A game to McKale.

Fortunately for UA it's not the last game before Christmas, which historically has not gone well, at least according to urban legend.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:23 am**

This game worries me.......alot

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:48 am**

Merkin wrote:
Fortunately for UA it's not the last game before Christmas, which historically has not gone well, at least according to urban legend.

That is more than just urban legend. I lived in Tucson during some of those holiday flame-outs.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 10:31 am**

UNLV almost always plays up when they play us. I expect a tough game but I am not super concerned. Their Kenpom overall is 62. Their adjusted O ranks 172 and their defense ranks 17. If those numbers were flip flopped I would be a little more worried.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 11:18 am**

DiehardDave37 wrote:
Merkin wrote:
Fortunately for UA it's not the last game before Christmas, which historically has not gone well, at least according to urban legend.
That is more than just urban legend. I lived in Tucson during some of those holiday flame-outs.

yeah, the game-before-xmas curse was painful, though much of that wretched streak occurred like 10-20 years ago -- we were 6-10 from '90-'05 but have gone 9-1 since (5-1 in the CSM era) so it feels safely behind us now. but, nb: last year's loss to unlv was the GBX.

totally derailed our confidence and tourney seeding; lots of despair among the fanbase, which is why it feels sorta strange that this weekend's game doesn't feel quite like the big payback opportunity that it is. maybe it's because there's little cultural memory of last year's loss with all the turnover on the team, including rashad vaughn & christian wood on the unlv side, and kaleb sitting on the bench. i hope our guys, the coaching staff, the holiday zoo, everyone gets pumped for this.

my apologies for misstating the asu-unlv game time up above, btw.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 11:38 am**

rgdeuce wrote:UNLV almost always plays up when they play us. I expect a tough game but I am not super concerned. Their Kenpom overall is 62. Their adjusted O ranks 172 and their defense ranks 17. If those numbers were flip flopped I would be a little more worried.

We need to not commit stupid turnovers. If we take care of the ball, the remainder should work itself out. Bringing defensive intensity from the tip would be nice too.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 11:47 am**

Not sure Zona Zoo will be a factor since school will be out and many will be gone for the holidays.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:01 pm**

Pretty sure the last game for the zona zoo until the Washington series in January is tonight and even then it'll probably be half empty. Finals end tomorrow and a lot of kids are already gone or leaving today.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:32 pm**

This is the one time every year that Dave Rice, normally a below-average to downright perplexing head coach, lobs his annual phone call to George Carl or whomever to give him an ingenious game plan that wreaks havoc on Arizona. I don't know how else to explain it.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:51 pm**

Longhorned wrote:This is the one time every year that Dave Rice, normally a below-average to downright perplexing head coach, lobs his annual phone call to George Carl or whomever to give him an ingenious game plan that wreaks havoc on Arizona. I don't know how else to explain it.

I don't see Jimmer on the roster. Time to give these guys a beat down. UCLA beat these guys by 2.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 2:24 pm**

If Gabe and Zo and RA show up, we win this by 5 to 10.

Posted: **Wed Dec 16, 2015 3:30 pm**

UNLV. Lots of very good athletes. Great classes for two years running. No Zeus for Zimmerman, who is very clever on O.

If Rice can bring these athletes together, a very close game and possibility for a UNLV win. Big Cats test.

Posted: **Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:28 am**

I sure to god hope that if this happens in Vegas:

LAS VEGAS -- Arizona State's men's basketball team is becoming a creature of habit.

For the third time in their last five games, the Sun Devils overcame a halftime deficit to secure a win.

After falling behind by 14 with a little more 17 minutes left Wednesday night, Arizona State staged a furious comeback to defeat UNLV 66-56.

That we can at least do something similar in Tucson.

Posted: **Thu Dec 17, 2015 7:27 am**

Dave Rice is just awful. With that being said though we'll of course get UNLV's best shot and I expect an ugly game.

Posted: **Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:12 am**

ChooChooCat wrote:Dave Rice is just awful. With that being said though we'll of course get UNLV's best shot and I expect an ugly game.

I think we're going to spank them. As Kadeem said in the presser, this game is revenge.

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:53 pm**

Suggested opening line at AZ -11.5. Let's see where the Wynn opens it at

Wynn opens at 10.5

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:27 pm**

azcat49 wrote:Suggested opening line at AZ -11.5. Let's see where the Wynn opens it at

Wynn opens at 10.5

If ASU can beat them by 10 at Tommie and Mack, how can we be favored by only 10.5 at McKale where the nation's bettors are learning about a home winning streak?

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:30 pm**

DiehardDave37 wrote:
azcat49 wrote:Suggested opening line at AZ -11.5. Let's see where the Wynn opens it at

Wynn opens at 10.5
If ASU can beat them by 10 at Tommie and Mack, how can we be favored by only 10.5 at McKale where the nation's bettors are learning about a home winning streak?

Maybe bettors know that UNLV is a different team with a different coach against Arizona.

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:34 pm**

They got caught looking ahead. We all know this as an intense rivalry. ASSU once again benefits from our tradition.

F ASSU and a UNLV

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:42 pm**

azcat49 wrote:They got caught looking ahead. We all know this as an intense rivalry. ASSU once again benefits from our tradition.

F ASSU and a UNLV

No kidding.....ASSU's recent success is becoming intolerable......and we must beat that sleazy UNLV program! Bear Down.

Posted: **Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:36 am**

Longhorned wrote:This is the one time every year that Dave Rice, normally a below-average to downright perplexing head coach, lobs his annual phone call to George Carl or whomever to give him an ingenious game plan that wreaks havoc on Arizona. I don't know how else to explain it.

No, it isn't done by phone, Karl goes to a restaurant, diagrams a play on their napkin and sends it to Rice. But not the triangle and two- he already used that one. That one has been done, and boy did it hurt.

They are 2-0 vs Top-15 teams this year and the ASU loss should have them madder than hornets. I hope KaDeem gets in the face of every player and reminds them of what happened in Vegas last year.

Posted: **Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:46 am**

azcat49 wrote:They got caught looking ahead. We all know this as an intense rivalry. ASSU once again benefits from our tradition.

F ASSU and a UNLV

Yeah, I looked at it that way, too.

Posted: **Sat Dec 19, 2015 9:43 am**

Odogg in McKale today. Same with Josh Jackson. Coincidence?

Posted: **Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:46 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:50 pm**

Chicat wrote:

Wow that turned bad real fast . . .

Posted: **Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:10 pm**

Frybry02 wrote:
Chicat wrote:
Wow that turned bad real fast . . .

You can't have all that talent and be 9-6. Peopl,e are not happy in Vegas. They realize Zimmerman is a Rebel at best 2 years

Posted: **Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:25 pm**

You so rarely see in-season coaching changes in CBB. Makes me wonder what happened.

Posted: **Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:45 pm**

Chicat wrote:You so rarely see in-season coaching changes in CBB. Makes me wonder what happened.

Losing 5 of last 6 happened and missing the post season 2 years in a row. I think the powers that be in Vegas had seen enough. Plus, Rice has possibly the worst haircut on the planet.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:46 am**

He always recruited well. As a game coach, he was a good recruiter. As a player developer, he was a good recruiter.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:48 am**

Dave Rice was a Livengood hire btw.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:54 am**

Oh, I assume Josh Jackson cut UNLV from his list.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:30 am**

Merkin wrote:Dave Rice was a Livengood hire btw.

And they just extended his contract last year.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:11 pm**

If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:18 pm**

Dumped by a chick. Dang.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unl ... rice-fired" target="_blank

I love the "mutually agreed" line. Keep saying it even after Rice says he wasn't going to resign. Kinda like when the boss says, "You and me are going to go dig a ditch."

Long drop from Lon Kruger.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:34 pm**

gumby wrote:Dumped by a chick. Dang.

Such a Kunzer....

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:42 pm**

carolinacat wrote:If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.

Waiting has effects too. Think about being a recruit who signs right before the predetermined firing happens. Recruit is locked into a coach the school never had the intent to keep.

This isn't the NBA, where midseason firings are always about W's and L's. If UNLV gets a replacement fast enough, they don't have to mislead their 2016 class or risk losing their 2016 class.

I'm not saying it is always the right move, just that things aren't black and white. Allowing players to reopen their recruitment if the coach is fired is the right move, but that is the NCAA. It would prevent the weird incentives here, though.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:40 pm**

Chicat wrote:You so rarely see in-season coaching changes in CBB. Makes me wonder what happened.

He should have been fired two years ago.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:46 pm**

az91 wrote:
Chicat wrote:You so rarely see in-season coaching changes in CBB. Makes me wonder what happened.
He should have been fired two years ago.

Just hope they don't hire a good coach....I hate UNLV just a tad less than ASSU....but right up there with Kansas

.

So looks like Zimmerman made a good choice...smh, how does anyone pick Rice over Miller? Any UNLV recruits that we might pick up from this?

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:08 pm**

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
carolinacat wrote:If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.
Waiting has effects too. Think about being a recruit who signs right before the predetermined firing happens. Recruit is locked into a coach the school never had the intent to keep.

This isn't the NBA, where midseason firings are always about W's and L's. If UNLV gets a replacement fast enough, they don't have to mislead their 2016 class or risk losing their 2016 class.

I'm not saying it is always the right move, just that things aren't black and white. Allowing players to reopen their recruitment if the coach is fired is the right move, but that is the NCAA. It would prevent the weird incentives here, though.

By all reports, Rice did everything right regarding recruiting, academics, player relationships, etc... The knock wasn't enough wins. I can perfectly understand dumping a coach because of off court issues or behavior, treatment of players, etc... But this was simply about not winning enough, which frankly isn't fair to Rice or the players. Unless UNLV already has someone in mind that is available immediately, what's the point of canning Rice now? You gain nothing. The hire isn't going to be made until after the season anyway and all you've done is throw in the towel on this season and the current players. This decision should have been made prior to this season, or until the conclusion. Not midway.

Posted: **Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:26 pm**

carolinacat wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
carolinacat wrote:If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.
Waiting has effects too. Think about being a recruit who signs right before the predetermined firing happens. Recruit is locked into a coach the school never had the intent to keep.

This isn't the NBA, where midseason firings are always about W's and L's. If UNLV gets a replacement fast enough, they don't have to mislead their 2016 class or risk losing their 2016 class.

I'm not saying it is always the right move, just that things aren't black and white. Allowing players to reopen their recruitment if the coach is fired is the right move, but that is the NCAA. It would prevent the weird incentives here, though.
Firstly, wish nothing positive for UNLV......BUT maybe this does give them a chance to 'trial run' their Inter-rIm HC without having to commit??? Whoever that is.....

But I agree with everything you state above.

By all reports, Rice did everything right regarding recruiting, academics, player relationships, etc... The knock wasn't enough wins. I can perfectly understand dumping a coach because of off court issues or behavior, treatment of players, etc... But this was simply about not winning enough, which frankly isn't fair to Rice or the players. Unless UNLV already has someone in mind that is available immediately, what's the point of canning Rice now? You gain nothing. The hire isn't going to be made until after the season anyway and all you've done is throw in the towel on this season and the current players. This decision should have been made prior to this season, or until the conclusion. Not midway.

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 6:29 am**

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:
az91 wrote:
Chicat wrote:You so rarely see in-season coaching changes in CBB. Makes me wonder what happened.
He should have been fired two years ago.
Just hope they don't hire a good coach....I hate UNLV just a tad less than ASSU....but right up there with Kansas .

So looks like Zimmerman made a good choice...smh, how does anyone pick Rice over Miller? Any UNLV recruits that we might pick up from this?

Only one I can think of is 2016 recruit Justin Jackson from Findlay if miller really wanted to grab him. Zimmerman, brown, rabb, Simmons and blakney all screwed up by going to the up start programs and they are not getting the exposer they would've gotten at a big school. Well Simmons is getting the exposer but he won't be playing the ncaa tourney! I would imagine we stop seeing players trying to blaze there own trail at non traditional schools.

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 6:40 am**

We aren't going to get a Findlay kid to flip. Too much hometown pressure. So we can cross Jackson off the list.

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:03 am**

3goggles wrote: Only one I can think of is 2016 recruit Justin Jackson from Findlay if miller really wanted to grab him. Zimmerman, brown, rabb, Simmons and blakney all screwed up by going to the up start programs and they are not getting the exposer they would've gotten at a big school. Well Simmons is getting the exposer but he won't be playing the ncaa tourney! I would imagine we stop seeing players trying to blaze there own trail at non traditional schools.

For the majority of those guys listed you are probably right. Although for Simmons he could have sat out the year a la Dante Exum and been the number 1 pick in a landslide

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:14 am**

carolinacat wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
carolinacat wrote:If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.
Waiting has effects too. Think about being a recruit who signs right before the predetermined firing happens. Recruit is locked into a coach the school never had the intent to keep.

This isn't the NBA, where midseason firings are always about W's and L's. If UNLV gets a replacement fast enough, they don't have to mislead their 2016 class or risk losing their 2016 class.

I'm not saying it is always the right move, just that things aren't black and white. Allowing players to reopen their recruitment if the coach is fired is the right move, but that is the NCAA. It would prevent the weird incentives here, though.
By all reports, Rice did everything right regarding recruiting, academics, player relationships, etc... The knock wasn't enough wins. I can perfectly understand dumping a coach because of off court issues or behavior, treatment of players, etc... But this was simply about not winning enough, which frankly isn't fair to Rice or the players. Unless UNLV already has someone in mind that is available immediately, what's the point of canning Rice now? You gain nothing. The hire isn't going to be made until after the season anyway and all you've done is throw in the towel on this season and the current players. This decision should have been made prior to this season, or until the conclusion. Not midway.

It's a business. For what it's worth, the firing now is probably something UNLV views as not throwing the towel in on this season.

Coaches are hired to win. All that other stuff is nice, but ultimately it is about winning. Rice had already made his bed in that department. What benefit is there to keeping a lame duck on to fire him at the end of the year?

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:28 am**

Chicat wrote:We aren't going to get a Findlay kid to flip. Too much hometown pressure. So we can cross Jackson off the list.

Plus, the interim HC Simons was the HC at Findlay.

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:33 am**

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
carolinacat wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
carolinacat wrote:If you're gonna fire the guy, fine. Do it at the end of the season. But why embarrass your entire athletic department? All it does is turn off potential recruits and alienate your current players. Stupid move. It's not as though the guy was mistreating his players or behaving badly. On that issue, Rice was very, very good. He just wasn't winning.
Waiting has effects too. Think about being a recruit who signs right before the predetermined firing happens. Recruit is locked into a coach the school never had the intent to keep.

This isn't the NBA, where midseason firings are always about W's and L's. If UNLV gets a replacement fast enough, they don't have to mislead their 2016 class or risk losing their 2016 class.

I'm not saying it is always the right move, just that things aren't black and white. Allowing players to reopen their recruitment if the coach is fired is the right move, but that is the NCAA. It would prevent the weird incentives here, though.
By all reports, Rice did everything right regarding recruiting, academics, player relationships, etc... The knock wasn't enough wins. I can perfectly understand dumping a coach because of off court issues or behavior, treatment of players, etc... But this was simply about not winning enough, which frankly isn't fair to Rice or the players. Unless UNLV already has someone in mind that is available immediately, what's the point of canning Rice now? You gain nothing. The hire isn't going to be made until after the season anyway and all you've done is throw in the towel on this season and the current players. This decision should have been made prior to this season, or until the conclusion. Not midway.
It's a business. For what it's worth, the firing now is probably something UNLV views as not throwing the towel in on this season.

Coaches are hired to win. All that other stuff is nice, but ultimately it is about winning. Rice had already made his bed in that department. What benefit is there to keeping a lame duck on to fire him at the end of the year?

If it was advantageous to fire coaches mid-season, you'd think you would see it happen more often.

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:00 am**

DiehardDave37 wrote:
Chicat wrote:We aren't going to get a Findlay kid to flip. Too much hometown pressure. So we can cross Jackson off the list.
Plus, the interim HC Simons was the HC at Findlay.

only for 1 year

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2016 11:39 am**

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:Just hope they don't hire a good coach....I hate UNLV just a tad less than ASSU....but right up there with Kansas .

what if they hire sendek?

agree that the midseason firing is just weird. unlv was 10-4 in the preseason, beating oregon, losing to ucla by 2, and giving wichita state all they could handle on the road. the team then loses their season opener on the last possession, drops the next two on the road (to last season's conf tourney champion and the #2 mwc team), is a kenpom top 10 defensive team, and rice gets canned? ouch.

btw - is it a foregone conclusion that zimm is a OAD? any chance (rumors) that he'll xfr? i guess Miller could make room for zimm and his mom if he wanted to...

Bear Down Wildcats

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