That was one hell of a ride

[dcZONAfan]

I know we are all disappointed because we should not have lost to that team. But guys, let's not forget what a ride this team took us on this year. It was fun as hell, and after the dumpster fire that was last year's team I think we can all agree, once we take a step back, how much fun it was to root for this group of guys. Yes, it's tougher to swallow due to some hero ball and lack of production against the zone and many other things, but god damn we are lucky this is our program.

BTFD and let's go after it again next year.

[scumdevils86]

yeah i suppose. but meh am i just depressed. i'm jealous as hell of the people who've seen us in a final 4. i feel like it will never happen. like how with football i know we will never be a team that competes for conference championships and bcs bowls annually.

[dcZONAfan]

yeah i suppose. but meh am i just depressed. i'm jealous as hell of the people who've seen us in a final 4. i feel like it will never happen. like how with football i know we will never be a team that competes for conference championships and bcs bowls annually.

Well you're going to be excited when Lauri announces he is coming back, Rawle stays and we get Bowen and Duval. Then you will be ready for a celebration

[TheGreatCatsby]

I liked this team, but was never really a true fav of mine because our offense was disjointed all year long and we never really played that well together as a team either. All the kids were likeable at least. But the season for some reason overall seemed to lack joy. That home UCLA game was a great atmosphere and we played like a dud that day, that sucked and stands out during the long season. Conference tournament was a great highlight because we played hard and on a mission, one of the few times all season, except a brief stretch before Trier came back, that we played cohesively. Didn't play that way in the tournament in any of the 3 games. Even ND first round was a slight struggle.

Our offensive system and big picture just needs work in my opinion, but doubt it'll change coaches rarely do significantly. It could be worse, look at how atrocious Virginia is with Tony Bennett, they get about 50 possessions a game. They win, yeah, but that is unwatchable. We're at least slightly above that, but if we don't play more like more recent vintage Oregon or UCLA style of plan, they'll be the cream of the crop of the PAC12, at least in big games.

Critical we get Lauri and Rawle back for next year, we can build from there.

[Bear Down Vegas]

I know we are all disappointed because we should not have lost to that team. But guys, let's not forget what a ride this team took us on this year. It was fun as hell, and after the dumpster fire that was last year's team I think we can all agree, once we take a step back, how much fun it was to root for this group of guys. Yes, it's tougher to swallow due to some hero ball and lack of production against the zone and many other things, but god damn we are lucky this is our program.

BTFD and let's go after it again next year.

I started a thread that was very much similar in theme before I read this...I couldn't agree more. And it's not just next year, it's every year. Go Cats.

[NYCat]

Now you’re at your fourth one, and it doesn’t matter what anyone says, you just don’t want to hear it. You don’t want to hear, ‘That’s a great season.’ You don’t want to hear, ‘Hey, your time’s gonna come.’ You don’t want to hear, ‘When you least expect it, you’re gonna be there.’ You just say to yourself, ‘This is the fourth time. I wish I would have lost in the first round.

-- Sean Miller

[rgdeuce]

The sting and anger from yesterday's loss has only been matched by a couple in my lifetime. But yes, it was one hell of a ride, ignoring yesterday's loss for fairness sake due to its recency. There haven't been many Arizona teams who have grabbed me by my soul like this one. It was almost like your own children were on the team, there was a unique extra interest that pulled you in. Was it the Ray Smith injury? The adversity in general? The fact that three freshmen carried us through hell and we came out nearly unscathed? Lauri himself? All of the above? It's just a shame that a team like this wasn't THE ONE, that would have been the storybook ending to a storybook season.

[Puerco]

I've been disappointed by this team since before the season started. First Ray goes down again, then Trier sits, then PJC gets hurt... The whole season felt snake-bit, and the preseason roster looked dominant even before we knew what Lauri was capable of doing.

Then all through the season, despite entering the tourney with only four losses, it seemed like a struggle, like the guys were playing as hard as they could but couldn't ever manage to just put the hammer down on bad teams. But they found a way to win. Over and over.

So the guys have got my respect for that, but the team as a whole always was short of what I had hoped for before the season started. It was another one of those what-if seasons for me.

[az91]

I've been disappointed by this team since before the season started. First Ray goes down again, then Trier sits, then PJC gets hurt... The whole season felt snake-bit, and the preseason roster looked dominant even before we knew what Lauri was capable of doing.

Then all through the season, despite entering the tourney with only four losses, it seemed like a struggle, like the guys were playing as hard as they could but couldn't ever manage to just put the hammer down on bad teams. But they found a way to win. Over and over.

So the guys have got my respect for that, but the team as a whole always was short of what I had hoped for before the season started. It was another one of those what-if seasons for me.

Definitely a what if season. What if Ferguson had qualified? He would have brought some much needed offense and defense to this team.

[azcat49]

Great year and loads of fun. Only disappointed in that this might be the last time we get to see LM in an AZ jersey. He was and is special. I hope he comes back