Luck

[ChooChooCat]

Oregon had 2 fouls to give and gave Derrick Walton an open 3 that he's more than capable of knocking down that he just missed. TThen in the Elite 8 Oregon's offense stagnated in the second half and Kansas had numerous open looks where the ball didn't fall. Oregon in turn made the Final Four due to this luck. If Xavier missed any of those last couple of 3s they hit or if a foul was called when that play was called for Dusan Ristic, Arizona makes it past the Sweet 16 and who knows what happens.

Luck is either on your side or it's not in the NCAA tournament. We've been very unlucky. I'm not sure what it's going to take, but one day the luck has gotta turn our way.

[rgdeuce]

Normally id agree with you, but we pissed away the right to even ask for luck in the Xavier game. Oregon earned themselves into positions in those two games against two tough teams for luck to decide or help their fate. Our luck was playing so shitty and being lucky enough it was against xavier to where we still had a chance.

It pains me to see Oregon there instead of us, but theyve earned it. We can blame bad luck in 11, 14 and 15, but this was the year it finally seung in our favor (outside of rawles finger) and we blew it.

[CalStateTempe]

Nah...that's mythology in my mind. You make your own luck. You put yourself in the position to win in life and in sports. It's easily to look at one shot or play here, especially at the end of games where everything is magnified due to time dwindling, but the reality is outcomes are based on the aggregate sum of plays in a game.

Oregon could afford to have a dry spell because of what they earn d by kicking ass relief i the game. Kansas had to go all jack city because of thierr failures earlier in offense and defense.

It's not luck, but the constant changing of conditions on the ground that influences strategy and ultimately the outcomes in these games.

[Harvey Specter]

Nah...that's mythology in my mind. You make your own luck. You put yourself in the position to win in life and in sports. It's easily to look at one shot or play here, especially at the end of games where everything is magnified due to time dwindling, but the reality is outcomes are based on the aggregate sum of plays in a game.

Oregon could afford to have a dry spell because of what they earn d by kicking ass relief i the game. Kansas had to go all jack city because of thierr failures earlier in offense and defense.

It's not luck, but the constant changing of conditions on the ground that influences strategy and ultimately the outcomes in these games.

I agree with the part in bold above. But this subject is not nearly the direct cause-and-effect correlation that you suggest.

You should read The Drunkard's Walk by Leonard Mlodinow... if you have not already. It addresses the topic of how randomness rules our lives. (I really think you would enjoy it)

Ask anybody who has sold for an extended period who the best guy on the team is.... and quite frequently it is not the guy on top of the scoreboard (which, if measured properly and fairly, changes every year).

[JMarkJohns]

Play who ya got
Beat who ya play
Never allow yourself to be in a position where a few bad calls/breaks determine your game.

Arizona missed shots it normally makes.
Arizona settled for missing shots rather than driving to the hoop.
Arizona defended like they were impersonating James Harden.
Arizona choked.

Luck factors in on a few plays.

But the luck was potentially only having to play 1 top-10 team to get to the Final game rather than 2 or 3.

[CalStateTempe]

Thanks Harv, I have not, but i do enjoy topics such as this. Appreciate the recommendation.

Your second point is interesting; I became a cats bb fan in 99 when I showed up so really didn't know much about prior other than the basics. I recently watched the 97 run and the guy I ended up rooting for then let was dickerson...that dude was the glue guy for that run. Everyone talks about bibby and Simon, and rightfully so, but for me, the most valuable player to that run was Dickerson.

Same theory as to why I gravitate/love Rawle, just a straight up baller, glue guy that forces the other team to have to adjust to. But in someways under the radar compared to the others.

[CalStateTempe]

Play who ya got
Beat who ya play
Never allow yourself to be in a position where a few bad calls/breaks determine your game.

Arizona missed shots it normally makes.
Arizona settled for missing shots rather than driving to the hoop.
Arizona defended like they were impersonating James Harden.
Arizona choked.

Luck factors in on a few plays.

But the luck was potentially only having to play 1 top-10 team to get to the Final game rather than 2 or 3.

That might be the appropriate definition of luck in this case, the external actions that are outside a teams control, is who wins and loses in other games that clears or strengthens to field for or against your favor.

[catgrad97]

Luck = still the residue of design. Comes to every team after they've responded to their opponent's best shot with all their effort.

Arizona did not this tournament. The opportunity was there, but not everyone was hungry enough to do the little things and seize it.

If that doesn't change next year with Ayton in the fold, more serious questions need to be asked. No Arizona fan should still be whining about luck after their team played pass-the-ball-around-the-top-of-the-key while Xavier stole away its eight-point lead in 90 seconds.

Fortune is ally to the brave. Be the aggressor with your opportunities, and more will come to you. These sayings are not just philosophies; they are real because they are true and should be believed.

Whining for more luck is the degnerate gambler's prayer. Go to work on your challenges to surmount them.

[Harvey Specter]

Luck = still the residue of design. Comes to every team after they've responded to their opponent's best shot with all their effort.

Arizona did not this tournament. The opportunity was there, but not everyone was hungry enough to do the little things and seize it.

If that doesn't change next year with Ayton in the fold, more serious questions need to be asked. No Arizona fan should still be whining about luck after their team played pass-the-ball-around-the-top-of-the-key while Xavier stole away its eight-point lead in 90 seconds.

Fortune is ally to the brave. Be the aggressor with your opportunities, and more will come to you. These sayings are not just philosophies; they are real because they are true and should be believed.

Whining for more luck is the degnerate gambler's prayer. Go to work on your challenges to surmount them.

Bad luck had nothing to do with Arizona's exit from this year's tournament.

But on a much broader scale, those who don't think that factors beyond their control play a major factor in their successes and failures are deluding themselves... As does every person I've ever met who was born on 3rd base and spent their whole lives thinking they hit a triple.

You must be tenured at Harvard by now, George. With your bravery as an aggressor of your opportunities.....

[catgrad97]

No. I am barely employed at all, in point of fact, working harder for less money than at any point in my career.

But I am a success to my family and to myself. What more can any mortal desire or deserve?

A little luck, perhaps? That came to my favorite basketball program, and coach, in my final year of working in their home facility. They more than deserved it.

What a marvelous coincidence that was. Still the most wonderful in my humble life. To experience that, much less to be close to it, made any personal success unhesitatingly subordinate. 1997: Still my favorite year.

That's what you still don't get, Harv: When enough people are willing to put a long-deserved objective before personal gain, anything is possible. That's not luck. That's called sacrifice.

[ChooChooCat]

Great responses guys, most of you are certainly right. We didn't handle business, but still could've won with some luck. Either way obviously this thread is just part of my own personal therapy of getting over this mess.

[NYCat]

They lost Boucher, very similar circumstances to '14, difference is Oregon found a way to win. Not only win but doing it convincingly.

[UAEebs86]

An old quote:

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."

[rgdeuce]

An old quote:

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."

Not much truer than that quote.

Choo, I hear you. If you are looking for a positive in all this, getting your crap pushed in or completely blowing a golden opportunity to a greatly inferior team because you stunk the place up > losing on a bad call, or because two white boys took turns playing Larry Bird on you; in terms of angering, humbling, motivating and waking up. I truly think this is the loss that makes Miller super hungry and causes him to look himself in the mirror to tie up the loose ends in his coaching game.

[HiCat]

Luck counts. Lute Olson mentions it in an interview. (one on one interview)

No matter how hard you work and prepare for a game, things happen. During the season we've seen serious injuries that impact games. Refs don't always get calls right. How many times have we said it? Don't forget when the Ducks shot 65%, and even if you're paying great defense, you still lose. Sure, you must be prepared, but luck can always be a factor in games.

[Longhorned]

I think South Carolina got lucky in drawing PAC-12 refs against Duke ready to foul out a whole damn team who had no idea that any contact, and even implied contact, is an opportunity for a referee to assert his authority.