2018-2019 Arizona Basketball

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 7:42 am

Our freshman class last year underperformed their lofty expectations. I really think this now sophomore class takes a huge step up and leads this team. I'm excited to see their transformation throughout the year.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:05 am

I gotta see more from Coleman offensively. I don't want him being our alpha or even one of our top 3 offensive threats, but literally from what little we've seen it looks like a carbon copy of Parker out there with how little of a threat offensively he is being. If that continues then I'll be on the start Williams at the 1 and Akot at the 3 train all season long.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:22 am

That was a fun game last night. Maybe CSM really is going to open up the offense.

Coleman is much more mature on the court than pjc ever was. That alone makes him an upgrade but I hope to see him assert himself when we need him to.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:24 am

ChooChooCat wrote:I gotta see more from Coleman offensively. I don't want him being our alpha or even one of our top 3 offensive threats, but literally from what little we've seen it looks like a carbon copy of Parker out there with how little of a threat offensively he is being. If that continues then I'll be on the start Williams at the 1 and Akot at the 3 train all season long.

This was my biggest concern, if I really had any, other than Luther being alone with a big man on the block, after this exhibition. He isn't going to fill it up from deep, and he has really good instincts passing, but that isn't going to be there unless he creates some drive to score opportunities. People will sit off of him. He is in desperate need of something like TJ's elbow jumper to make quicker guards not play off of him.

I see Brandon Williams at the 2 a lot because he has so many options off the pass there. He can shoot, drive, and if you get him in triple threat, he will be even more effective than if he is dribbling into the offense, though he will dribble into early offense quite a bit. I want to see that Coleman can be effective at the 1, then get the ball in the right hands in the offense.

Brandon Randolph...don't care if it is against 4th graders. 5-5 from 3 is really nice to see.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:30 am

Ranking Every Team in College Basketball, From Kansas (No. 1) to Delaware State (No. 353)

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2 ... e-kentucky" target="_blank

49. Arizona (5th in Pac-12)
It’ll be an interesting season for Arizona (No. 49) after the Wildcats lost their entire starting five, but Sean Miller has something to work with in freshman Brandon Williams, ex-Duke transfer Chase Jeter and a group of role-playing returners

Btw here's how our main OOC opponents were picked to finish in their conference

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle. ... =211776387" target="_blank

Iowa State: 6th
Baylor: 9th

Potential Maui 2nd round matchups: Gonzaga: 1st | Illinois 13th

http://www.secsports.com/article/250003 ... c-champion" target="_blank

Alabama: 7th

http://theamerican.org/news/2018/10/14/ ... orite.aspx" target="_blank

Connecticut: 5th

I think Iowa State will be a real challenge. Gonzaga lost Killian Tillie for 8 weeks which could make a potential Maui matchup slightly easier but still really tough.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:52 am

Iowa State strikes me as a measuring stick game. They're a solid midlevel team that is like us, pushing to be a tournament team. Beating those bubbly teams is how you figure out where you stand.

baycat93 · Post by **baycat93** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:54 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote:Iowa State strikes me as a measuring stick game. They're a solid midlevel team that is like us, pushing to be a tournament team. Beating those bubbly teams is how you figure out where you stand.

Iowa State also lost a starting PF/Big. They are pretty light in the front court like us. Like us their talent is in the backcourt. Should put a lot of pressure on our perimeter D, but we likely won't be at a major rebounding disadvantage.

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:04 am

My biggest takeaway, other than the Brandons looking great...

With Jeter out and Lee on the bench, Miller ran Luther at the 5 and Akot at the 4. Nothing out of the ordinary and something I am sure we will see plenty of this season. However, what caught my eye was that WNMU was pulling Akot's man into high ball screens, and Miller was having Akot switch on the the ball each time in his coverage.

This little tweak of added defensively flexibility is sure to be a sight for sore eyes for many of us. I love Akot and think he is primed to be a key contributor, even off the bench, for this very reason. Miller finally has the luxury, again, of being able to scheme a switch on a team's typical ball screen action by putting Akot on that man.

Obviously, teams can certainly just pull Luther into this action, albeit not with their preferred big, but this is something I will have my eye on all season. Add this flexibility to Jeter's mobility and defensive potential, and I think our defense at the point of attack in ball screen actions is going to to be more flexible and stout. What happens behind that coverage is a different story.

Lastly, I think people are going to be disappointed by Coleman because they are expecting a guy who will get to the rim and score, or shoot from outside with more regularity. That said, I thought he was much more aggressive than PJC on his best day. He attacks with a purpose, and that purpose isnt to score, but to actually break down his man off the dribble and fire a pass when the defense shifts.

Id still prefer to give the ball to Williams and let him develop, bringing Coleman off the bench for added ball handling support.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:11 am

84Cat wrote:Coleman is much more mature on the court than pjc ever was. That alone makes him an upgrade but I hope to see him assert himself when we need him to.

Agreed. Much more presence and he will have much better games. Great form too, this is ridiculous:

but this...

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:46 am

82-3 in the last 85 at home

EOCT · Post by **EOCT** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:24 am

TucsonClip wrote:My biggest takeaway, other than the Brandons looking great...

With Jeter out and Lee on the bench, Miller ran Luther at the 5 and Akot at the 4. Nothing out of the ordinary and something I am sure we will see plenty of this season. However, what caught my eye was that WNMU was pulling Akot's man into high ball screens, and Miller was having Akot switch on the the ball each time in his coverage.

This little tweak of added defensively flexibility is sure to be a sight for sore eyes for many of us. I love Akot and think he is primed to be a key contributor, even off the bench, for this very reason. Miller finally has the luxury, again, of being able to scheme a switch on a team's typical ball screen action by putting Akot on that man.

Obviously, teams can certainly just pull Luther into this action, albeit not with their preferred big, but this is something I will have my eye on all season. Add this flexibility to Jeter's mobility and defensive potential, and I think our defense at the point of attack in ball screen actions is going to to be more flexible and stout. What happens behind that coverage is a different story.

Lastly, I think people are going to be disappointed by Coleman because they are expecting a guy who will get to the rim and score, or shoot from outside with more regularity. That said, I thought he was much more aggressive than PJC on his best day. He attacks with a purpose, and that purpose isnt to score, but to actually break down his man off the dribble and fire a pass when the defense shifts.

Id still prefer to give the ball to Williams and let him develop, bringing Coleman off the bench for added ball handling support.

Yes, yes Clip---your observations!

Miller's instructions to Akot to switch on the ball worked perfectly. Dude Akot should be a D inspiration to his teammates. His position flexibility showed he can play both the 4 and 3 on both sides of the ball, and probably the 2 as well in a pinch. His nice line last night was 4/4, including 2/2 from the 3; 4 boards and 3 As.

Smith looked so nice last night with 3/5, a very notable 7(!) boards, 2 As in 23 mins.

Desjardines 2/4, 3 boards in 8mins. Yeah.

Love the projection of Luther and Lee working in support of a mobile Jeter! Luther was a terrific get for us. Dude's got to stay healthy.

baycat93 · Post by **baycat93** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:00 pm

EOCT wrote:
TucsonClip wrote:My biggest takeaway, other than the Brandons looking great...

With Jeter out and Lee on the bench, Miller ran Luther at the 5 and Akot at the 4. Nothing out of the ordinary and something I am sure we will see plenty of this season. However, what caught my eye was that WNMU was pulling Akot's man into high ball screens, and Miller was having Akot switch on the the ball each time in his coverage.

This little tweak of added defensively flexibility is sure to be a sight for sore eyes for many of us. I love Akot and think he is primed to be a key contributor, even off the bench, for this very reason. Miller finally has the luxury, again, of being able to scheme a switch on a team's typical ball screen action by putting Akot on that man.

Obviously, teams can certainly just pull Luther into this action, albeit not with their preferred big, but this is something I will have my eye on all season. Add this flexibility to Jeter's mobility and defensive potential, and I think our defense at the point of attack in ball screen actions is going to to be more flexible and stout. What happens behind that coverage is a different story.

Lastly, I think people are going to be disappointed by Coleman because they are expecting a guy who will get to the rim and score, or shoot from outside with more regularity. That said, I thought he was much more aggressive than PJC on his best day. He attacks with a purpose, and that purpose isnt to score, but to actually break down his man off the dribble and fire a pass when the defense shifts.

Id still prefer to give the ball to Williams and let him develop, bringing Coleman off the bench for added ball handling support.
Yes, yes Clip---your observations!

Miller's instructions to Akot to switch on the ball worked perfectly. Dude Akot should be a D inspiration to his teammates. His position flexibility showed he can play both the 4 and 3 on both sides of the ball, and probably the 2 as well in a pinch. His nice line last night was 4/4, including 2/2 from the 3; 4 boards and 3 As.

Smith looked so nice last night with 3/5, a very notable 7(!) boards, 2 As in 23 mins.

Desjardines 2/4, 3 boards in 8mins. Yeah.

Love the projection of Luther and Lee working in support of a mobile Jeter! Luther was a terrific get for us. Dude's got to stay healthy.

As highlighted EOCT, if Smith can continue to pull down 7 boards a game, he is going to remain heavily in the rotation. Our wings have to rebound. I did not yet watch the second half so not sure if his boards were caroms or he was hitting the glass.

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:13 pm

baycat93 wrote:As highlighted EOCT, if Smith can continue to pull down 7 boards a game, he is going to remain heavily in the rotation. Our wings have to rebound. I did not yet watch the second half so not sure if his boards were caroms or he was hitting the glass.

I was not expecting Smith to hit the glass like that. If Miller has any guard who can grab 6+ per game, that has to be a huge relief. Ill take a wait and see on that though.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:16 pm

TucsonClip wrote:My biggest takeaway, other than the Brandons looking great...

With Jeter out and Lee on the bench, Miller ran Luther at the 5 and Akot at the 4. Nothing out of the ordinary and something I am sure we will see plenty of this season. However, what caught my eye was that WNMU was pulling Akot's man into high ball screens, and Miller was having Akot switch on the the ball each time in his coverage.

This little tweak of added defensively flexibility is sure to be a sight for sore eyes for many of us. I love Akot and think he is primed to be a key contributor, even off the bench, for this very reason. Miller finally has the luxury, again, of being able to scheme a switch on a team's typical ball screen action by putting Akot on that man.

Obviously, teams can certainly just pull Luther into this action, albeit not with their preferred big, but this is something I will have my eye on all season. Add this flexibility to Jeter's mobility and defensive potential, and I think our defense at the point of attack in ball screen actions is going to to be more flexible and stout. What happens behind that coverage is a different story.

Lastly, I think people are going to be disappointed by Coleman because they are expecting a guy who will get to the rim and score, or shoot from outside with more regularity. That said, I thought he was much more aggressive than PJC on his best day. He attacks with a purpose, and that purpose isnt to score, but to actually break down his man off the dribble and fire a pass when the defense shifts.

Id still prefer to give the ball to Williams and let him develop, bringing Coleman off the bench for added ball handling support.

Akot has a very high defensive ceiling. He gives us flexibility, speed and length we haven't had since Rondae and Aaron.

Our pick and roll D (basically defending any kind of screen) sucked last year. We have to potential to inprove a lot there this year. Lee, Jeter and Akot all give us options that are better than last year. Dusan always struggled with footspeed and Ayton lacked great positional awareness.

Across the board, this could be a vastly improved defensive team. Every personnel substitution gives us a higher ceiling.

baycat93 · Post by **baycat93** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:45 pm

TucsonClip wrote:
baycat93 wrote:As highlighted EOCT, if Smith can continue to pull down 7 boards a game, he is going to remain heavily in the rotation. Our wings have to rebound. I did not yet watch the second half so not sure if his boards were caroms or he was hitting the glass.
I was not expecting Smith to hit the glass like that. If Miller has any guard who can grab 6+ per game, that has to be a huge relief. Ill take a wait and see on that though.

Agreed. Just adding fuel to the fire of Smith's PT or lack thereof discussion

. And noting we will need the guard/wings to be crashing the defensive glass. We can not give up many cheap OR.

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:59 pm

is there a full replay of the western new mexico game up on youtube that someone knows about? I searched around but only found a few highlight reels.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:27 pm

PieceOfMeat wrote:is there a full replay of the western new mexico game up on youtube that someone knows about? I searched around but only found a few highlight reels.

All I've seen is this recap/highlight video.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 2:45 pm

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:37 pm

uh....not a fan of that artwork

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:51 pm

“Add 20 years to everyone and make them look generally acrid.”

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:04 pm

Longhorned wrote:“Add 20 years to everyone and make them look generally acrid.”

Have all the players look away in different directions so they look shady.

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 8:37 pm

That artist was clearly inspired by...Hanna-Barbera's poster of Charlotte's Web?

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sun Nov 04, 2018 9:32 pm

Way less Dylan Smith and much more Devonaire Doutrive please.

There are issues aplenty, but issue seemed the most immediately fixable, so start with that and go from there.

goslingswagg · Post by **goslingswagg** » Sun Nov 04, 2018 9:57 pm

ChooChooCat wrote:Way less Dylan Smith and much more Devonaire Doutrive please.

There are issues aplenty, but issue seemed the most immediately fixable, so start with that and go from there.

For the love of god please, we need more Devonaire and less Smith. I’ll take the ceiling improvement from him for sure but on top of that, not sure how he would be worse than Smith right now. It just has to be done. Thought Barcello had a key few plays today in a time of need. The bigs we’re really bad but was very encouraged with the guard play (minus Smith). Hopefully Jeter looks better when healthier.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:05 am

The thing I loved about B Williams last night- his outside shot was money but then in the 2nd half it looked like he lost his legs and all his outside shots were coming up short... he then totally switched his game and started driving to the rim every time.

I also love Luther's game.

I'm gonna give Jeter a pass since it was his first game in over a year... but he was awful.

I don't ever need to see Dylan anymore, thanks.

billk78 · Post by **billk78** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:03 am

Does anyone know the minutes breakdown from last night? It just felt like Dylan Smith was out there a ton. Maybe it's just because I needed a Xanax every time he had the ball. He needs to be lower in the rotation, or not play much at all.

Thought Coleman looked better last night than the first game. He's pretty quick coast to coast. These guys are still learning to play together but I think when they gel they will be okay. For example...end of first half....Coleman takes the ball, drives, dumps to Jeter, who was too far under the basket. It was actually one of the better thought out plays with time running out within the last few seasons. Usually it's just ISO, try to chuck up a basket, but normally turn it over or let the clock expire before you get the shot off. Anyway, my point is, Jeter was too far under the basket. He got fouled and got the free throws, but he needs to be out a little more (or Coleman needs to dish a little sooner). These are the kinds of things that should get corrected with time. And I was happy to see Coleman and Jeter discuss the play.

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:13 am

billk78 wrote:Does anyone know the minutes breakdown from last night? It just felt like Dylan Smith was out there a ton. Maybe it's just because I needed a Xanax every time he had the ball. He needs to be lower in the rotation, or not play much at all.

Thought Coleman looked better last night than the first game. He's pretty quick coast to coast. These guys are still learning to play together but I think when they gel they will be okay. For example...end of first half....Coleman takes the ball, drives, dumps to Jeter, who was too far under the basket. It was actually one of the better thought out plays with time running out within the last few seasons. Usually it's just ISO, try to chuck up a basket, but normally turn it over or let the clock expire before you get the shot off. Anyway, my point is, Jeter was too far under the basket. He got fouled and got the free throws, but he needs to be out a little more (or Coleman needs to dish a little sooner). These are the kinds of things that should get corrected with time. And I was happy to see Coleman and Jeter discuss the play.

Smith played for 17:40 per the box score over on the official site https://arizonawildcats.com/documents/2 ... vember.pdf" target="_blank

but going 0-7 in 17 minutes will make those feel like a lot more.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:19 am

Dylan Smith had 5 rebounds in less than 18 minutes, and zero turnovers. Only Jeter had more boards than him. And only the point guards had more assists than his two assists.

But the problem is what you see when you watch him play. All those misses that turn into easy buckets on the other end by teams that know how to execute off a clank. It's like skiing too fast when you don't know how to turn or stop. And that's against D2 competition. The danger is the ups and downs you get on good shooting nights v. bad shooting nights. There's a history of Arizona shooting guards who don't let the game come to them, and we're all kind of ready to move on from that.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:38 am

Exactly. He does some decent things on the floor, but those things are always outweighed by the ridiculously bad shots he takes. I still can't stomach not seeing Doutrive out there last night.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:00 am

Alieberman wrote: I'm gonna give Jeter a pass since it was his first game in over a year... but he was awful.

Also playing on a bum ankle. They gave him some run in situations he might not have gotten if it weren't an exhibition...

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:11 am

Not seeing Doutrive...not sure what that is. It seems to be the question of the night

Barcello had good minutes and got some run in crunch time because of it...defended well, finally hit a shot, then got the drive opportunities he is so good at because of the made shot. Would have liked to see him get more looks from his teammates right at that moment where his confidence finally seemed to be there, but there were some bad possessions. When he came back in, he never got a look.

Smith? Yes, he can hit some 3's. He can also miss them all. He defends, but he also seems out of place at times on both sides of the ball and, my God, every time he passes a ball, even just a normal half-court pass, I hold my breath. Even the good idea he had dropping the ball down to Jeter, I believe, was a tough pass and hard to handle.

Coleman...OK, I can see what he has. I am glad he hit the 3 he took when it was needed...but I don't want him shooting that very often. He is good with getting us into early offense, and taking it to the hole if no one stops ball. His size is not as much a detriment on that drive to the hole as with, say, PJC, because he is quick and can change his shot angle. Nice little off-foot push shot in the lane, too...you make that mid-range stuff, and it opens everything up.

The Brandons...they are the engine of this team. Williams ran out of gas, but his body control for a freshman around the basket is remarkable. He seems prone to tired legs affecting his shot because he elevates so well on his 3 that I can imagine it is harder to get to his usual shooting elevation after a few fast breaks 30 minutes in, but he will get stronger and he can score and dish outside of the 3. Randolph...would like to see a bit more arc on that shot, but if it is going in, why should I care? There were moments of hero ball from them last night, but someone has to want the big shot.

Akot...did some little things well, but was also a mess at times. That shot...Bill frickin' Cartwright from 3? I mean, if it goes in, and he has a decent career 3-point percentage in a small sample but...does anyone feel comfortable when he shoots from 3?

The bigs were questionable tonight. Not Luther's best game, Jeter is still bum wheeling it, and Ira seemed off in more than just play. I'd keep an eye on that kid if I were the people who are close to him, because he is obviously going through a rough patch. Keep him well.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:11 am

Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:16 am

84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do

Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:25 am

PHXCATS wrote:
84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do
Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game

I love pointless snark!

Some players are streaky shooters. He is a streaky shooter. You don't wait for the Dylan Smiths of the world to shoot their way out of a slump in a game.

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:30 am

EVCat wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do
Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game
I love pointless snark!

Some players are streaky shooters. He is a streaky shooter. You don't wait for the Dylan Smiths of the world to shoot their way out of a slump in a game.

It is the exhibition season. Smith had big shots and big moments last year. He deserves time to fix a bad game or two. And yeah I bet Kobe or MJ or Curry or Durant never started a game 0-3 so no way Smith should be able to........

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:51 am

PHXCATS wrote:
EVCat wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do
Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game
I love pointless snark!

Some players are streaky shooters. He is a streaky shooter. You don't wait for the Dylan Smiths of the world to shoot their way out of a slump in a game.

It is the exhibition season. Smith had big shots and big moments last year. He deserves time to fix a bad game or two. And yeah I bet Kobe or MJ or Curry or Durant never started a game 0-3 so no way Smith should be able to........

It's like saying, "Yeah, I went to a bar and grill on Speedway and Campbell, and they served me a shit sandwich. Just a splat of feces between two pieces of Wonderbread. The next time I ordered the special, they gave me the same thing. And again at noon today. But I'll keep going back because I'm sure Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Rene Redzepi had to get in a groove the first few times they walked into a kitchen."

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:55 am

I can't wait to see this on Jeopardy!

Answer: This player has been compared to Kobe MJ, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant

Question: Who is Dylan Smith?

prh · Post by **prh** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:57 am

Longhorned wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
EVCat wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do
Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game
I love pointless snark!

Some players are streaky shooters. He is a streaky shooter. You don't wait for the Dylan Smiths of the world to shoot their way out of a slump in a game.

It is the exhibition season. Smith had big shots and big moments last year. He deserves time to fix a bad game or two. And yeah I bet Kobe or MJ or Curry or Durant never started a game 0-3 so no way Smith should be able to........
It's like saying, "Yeah, I went to a bar and grill on Speedway and Campbell, and they served me a shit sandwich. Just a splat of feces between two pieces of Wonderbread. The next time I ordered the special, they gave me the same thing. And again at noon today. But I'll keep going back because I'm sure Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Rene Redzepi had to get in a groove the first few times they walked into a kitchen."

You just nailed his take on attending UA football games so not surprising it infests basketball as well

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:09 am

Longhorned wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
EVCat wrote:
PHXCATS wrote:
84Cat wrote:Smith should be shut down after he goes 0-2 or 0-3. If he is hot, keep taking good shots. No way he should have a green light like the Brandons do
Yeah no one has ever turned it around mid game
I love pointless snark!

Some players are streaky shooters. He is a streaky shooter. You don't wait for the Dylan Smiths of the world to shoot their way out of a slump in a game.

It is the exhibition season. Smith had big shots and big moments last year. He deserves time to fix a bad game or two. And yeah I bet Kobe or MJ or Curry or Durant never started a game 0-3 so no way Smith should be able to........
It's like saying, "Yeah, I went to a bar and grill on Speedway and Campbell, and they served me a shit sandwich. Just a splat of feces between two pieces of Wonderbread. The next time I ordered the special, they gave me the same thing. And again at noon today. But I'll keep going back because I'm sure Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Rene Redzepi had to get in a groove the first few times they walked into a kitchen."

Except Smith has made lots of big shots for UA. Way too early to write him off and 2 shots in one game is too early to give up on someone for that game.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:19 am

What big shots did Smith make last year (his only year at Arizona)?

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:40 am

NYCat wrote:What big shots did Smith make last year (his only year at Arizona)?

I've seen him take a handful of ridiculously bad shots that went in. I wouldn't qualify those as big shots, but that's as positive as I can be in regards to discussing what Dylan Smith has done at Arizona.

prh · Post by **prh** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:44 am

NYCat wrote:What big shots did Smith make last year (his only year at Arizona)?

Went and looked up some stats. Maybe interesting maybe not.

Dylan Smith last year:
498 minutes, 49 FG. 1 FG / 10 minutes. 31 turnovers, so 1.58 FG/T ratio (since turnovers were a huge issue). 36 assists for 1.16 ATO. 2.74 (FG+A)/TO

Brandon Randolph last year:
361 minutes, 41 FG, 21 TO, 26 AST. 1.95 FG/TO, 1.24 ATO, 3.19 (FG+A)/TO

Zo sophomore year (similar minutes)
575 minutes, 91 FG. 31 TO, 48 AST. 2.94 FG/TO, 1.55 ATO, 4.48 (FG+A)/TO

Each one of those seasons had a different role, and Randolph's defense was not as good as Smith's last year, but our perceived issue with Smith (TOs) is definitely an issue. For a non-primary ball handler, he should not be turning the ball over anything like he does.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:56 am

prh wrote:
NYCat wrote:What big shots did Smith make last year (his only year at Arizona)?
Went and looked up some stats. Maybe interesting maybe not.

Dylan Smith last year:
498 minutes, 49 FG. 1 FG / 10 minutes. 31 turnovers, so 1.58 FG/T ratio (since turnovers were a huge issue). 36 assists for 1.16 ATO. 2.74 (FG+A)/TO

Brandon Randolph last year:
361 minutes, 41 FG, 21 TO, 26 AST. 1.95 FG/TO, 1.24 ATO, 3.19 (FG+A)/TO

Zo sophomore year (similar minutes)
575 minutes, 91 FG. 31 TO, 48 AST. 2.94 FG/TO, 1.55 ATO, 4.48 (FG+A)/TO

Each one of those seasons had a different role, and Randolph's defense was not as good as Smith's last year, but our perceived issue with Smith (TOs) is definitely an issue. For a non-primary ball handler, he should not be turning the ball over anything like he does.

Good analysis

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:57 am

Been saying it since last year, but if Smith is gonna play a role, that role should only be to catch and shoot. Him taking more than two dribbles results in something bad a majority of the time. He cant finish at the rim, and he turns the ball over trying to create, or drive and kick. Just play defense, dont foul, catch and shoot. Not sure why this is so hard.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 10:57 am

Our bigs need to play much bigger. We got out-rebounded by Chaminade.

DrWildcat · Post by **DrWildcat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:00 am

Texas A&M was the one game last year that I remember Smith hitting some needed shots in. He had 13 pts in 18 mins going 3-3 from 3. However, he still had 3 TOs. I can't think of any other game where he was an overall net positive.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:07 am

Other than Williams, is there anyone that does anything of note offensively (besides maybe shoot a 3pt-er)?

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:15 am

NYCat wrote:Other than Williams, is there anyone that does anything of note offensively (besides maybe shoot a 3pt-er)?

Not really, Randolph can hit a mid range jumper too though I guess, he's not strong enough to take it to the hoop like Williams can though. Doutrive has the craftiness and quickness to take it to the hoop too, but getting Barcello and Smith minutes over him is more important for reasons?

What most concerns me is our one true center (from a small sample of viewing) seems to have zero touch around the basket. I certainly didn't expect him to be Ayton or especially Ristic in regards to touch, but wow it doesn't look good.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:19 am

NYCat wrote:Other than Williams, is there anyone that does anything of note offensively (besides maybe shoot a 3pt-er)?

I trust Randolph and Williams to get buckets. I trust Luther to make the right play. Akot will make an impact across the board - stat stuffer.

The rest of the guys are TBD.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:24 am

FWIW I really liked what I saw out of Barcello - played like I always hoped he would: dogged defender, confident shooter.

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