Alieberman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:59 am
Totally agree with all of this.
But with this team- if we get to elite 8 game with Alabama.... I think the team will be locked in and may pull the upset. I'm more worried if we get to this team vs someone who has upset Alabama.... and we aren't locked in because it's an easier oponent.
Absolutely no excuse to not be “locked in”, whatever that means!!
Against Alabama, we’ll definitely need to be “locked-and-loaded”!!
That's right, can't bring a knife to a gun fight!!
Arizona State might have the most surprisingly anemic history in men's basketball of any program that you might think is better than it is.
-Norlander.
Alieberman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:17 am
It's really hard not to love this team.
-They have played their best basketball in the tourneys they have played (Maui / Pac)
- They never lost 2 games in a row
- They have come back and won vs every team they had lost to
These are all great signs of a team that could go far in March....
I agree with all of this however....
During the reg. season, they have failed to take the "step" every time when they could've climbed to being a top 4 team (and #1 seed) and stay there.
After the Maui bump, let down at Utah. Then they rebound and then have another let down at home vs Wazzu and lose their gains again. Ditto vs Stanford and ASU later. They either did this repeatedly because they get too confident or get lackadaisical or just didn't have the urgency and intensity match.
Either way, this has happened too many times for it to become a pattern. When this team looks like they'll take the next step, they have a let down of a game. I hate to say this, but if we're mapping the season's roadmap overlayed over the tournament, they go far but falter when they need to take the next step up but fail to do so again - the Elite Eight.
Imo, the reason the team has done this is because they don't have any dynamism as a team and/or because they don't have a player (like a Kemba for example, its almost always a guard) that can just take over when things don't go well or shots aren't going in.
And the pattern you mention is exactly why Arizona won't get out of the first weekend. I can't decide if they're one and done or lose to Missouri in the second round. Not having that go to guy when things aren't going well is probably this team's biggest flaw. Not gonna work in the NCAA tournament.
Alieberman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:17 am
It's really hard not to love this team.
-They have played their best basketball in the tourneys they have played (Maui / Pac)
- They never lost 2 games in a row
- They have come back and won vs every team they had lost to
These are all great signs of a team that could go far in March....
I agree with all of this however....
During the reg. season, they have failed to take the "step" every time when they could've climbed to being a top 4 team (and #1 seed) and stay there.
After the Maui bump, let down at Utah. Then they rebound and then have another let down at home vs Wazzu and lose their gains again. Ditto vs Stanford and ASU later. They either did this repeatedly because they get too confident or get lackadaisical or just didn't have the urgency and intensity match.
Either way, this has happened too many times for it to become a pattern. When this team looks like they'll take the next step, they have a let down of a game. I hate to say this, but if we're mapping the season's roadmap overlayed over the tournament, they go far but falter when they need to take the next step up but fail to do so again - the Elite Eight.
Imo, the reason the team has done this is because they don't have any dynamism as a team and/or because they don't have a player (like a Kemba for example, its almost always a guard) that can just take over when things don't go well or shots aren't going in.
And the pattern you mention is exactly why Arizona won't get out of the first weekend. I can't decide if they're one and done or lose to Missouri in the second round. Not having that go to guy when things aren't going well is probably this team's biggest flaw. Not gonna work in the NCAA tournament.
We're getting out of the first weekend. Beyond that is harder to say.
Is "Captain Obvious" a verified account, or is he possibly an AssU-affiliated bot??
“If you have the choice between humble and cocky, go with cocky. There's always time to be humble later, once you've been proven horrendously, irrevocably wrong.”
Alieberman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:17 am
It's really hard not to love this team.
-They have played their best basketball in the tourneys they have played (Maui / Pac)
- They never lost 2 games in a row
- They have come back and won vs every team they had lost to
These are all great signs of a team that could go far in March....
I agree with all of this however....
During the reg. season, they have failed to take the "step" every time when they could've climbed to being a top 4 team (and #1 seed) and stay there.
After the Maui bump, let down at Utah. Then they rebound and then have another let down at home vs Wazzu and lose their gains again. Ditto vs Stanford and ASU later. They either did this repeatedly because they get too confident or get lackadaisical or just didn't have the urgency and intensity match.
Either way, this has happened too many times for it to become a pattern. When this team looks like they'll take the next step, they have a let down of a game. I hate to say this, but if we're mapping the season's roadmap overlayed over the tournament, they go far but falter when they need to take the next step up but fail to do so again - the Elite Eight.
Imo, the reason the team has done this is because they don't have any dynamism as a team and/or because they don't have a player (like a Kemba for example, its almost always a guard) that can just take over when things don't go well or shots aren't going in.
And the pattern you mention is exactly why Arizona won't get out of the first weekend. I can't decide if they're one and done or lose to Missouri in the second round. Not having that go to guy when things aren't going well is probably this team's biggest flaw. Not gonna work in the NCAA tournament.
We're getting out of the first weekend. Beyond that is harder to say.
I'm looking forward to a high-scoring affair between U of A and Baylor!! But, I'm not going to mention it for fear of jinxing Baylor!!
“If you have the choice between humble and cocky, go with cocky. There's always time to be humble later, once you've been proven horrendously, irrevocably wrong.”
I think our guys relish the spotlight. That's why we won in both Maui and Vegas. And why we struggled against the likes at Utah. If we can get past Princeton, the lights only get brighter and brighter.
pc in NM wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:01 pm
Is "Captain Obvious" a verified account, or is he possibly an AssU-affiliated bot??
Glad to see nothings changed around here.
Ah man, I forgot how much I missed you.
Arizona State might have the most surprisingly anemic history in men's basketball of any program that you might think is better than it is.
-Norlander.
“The reality is that the hardest games to win are over teams on their home court. Teams that don’t play those games can spin it however they want, but what they’re saying is, ‘We don’t want to lose in our non conference season.’" - Sean Miller
So I just want to say before any games begin for us that regardless of how the tourney turns out I have enjoyed this team and to be 61-9 after two years is really remarkable after losing 3 players to the draft. These guys truly look like they enjoy each other and Tommy does not live or die with each game. Their personalities have come out and it is incredible the access we have had to them this year.
I will not be back for a few days if we lose any round because this site, like most, loses perspective. If I recall most were really down on ZU and some even questioned his talent. That is painful to watch after the players have given so much.
Enjoy the tournament and the upsets that are bound to happen. Cheer on all PAC-12 teams as it will help change the view of the conference and hopefully lead to a few more dollars in a media deal. Besides we know we can beat them all!!!
RondaeShimmy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:22 pm
Here are my concluding thoughts on this year's team
RondaeShimmy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:24 pm
This team completely lacks the killer instinct and the knockout punch
Even thinking back to games like Creighton and Indiana, they couldn't completely pull away and both teams made runs to get it close
RondaeShimmy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:13 pm
When was the last time Arizona actually looked like it was a top 10 team?
Indiana? (First UCLA game was awful all around)
Starts at the point guard. Kerr is great when he's on but is shit when he is off. No true leadership or grit. No ability to get this team over the hump when things are going bad
CTL needs to learn how to get the team to peak in the postseason. burned too hot during the preseason and conference play. this isn't the WCC. he'll figure it out.
Alieberman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:17 am
It's really hard not to love this team.
-They have played their best basketball in the tourneys they have played (Maui / Pac)
- They never lost 2 games in a row
- They have come back and won vs every team they had lost to
These are all great signs of a team that could go far in March....
I agree with all of this however....
During the reg. season, they have failed to take the "step" every time when they could've climbed to being a top 4 team (and #1 seed) and stay there.
After the Maui bump, let down at Utah. Then they rebound and then have another let down at home vs Wazzu and lose their gains again. Ditto vs Stanford and ASU later. They either did this repeatedly because they get too confident or get lackadaisical or just didn't have the urgency and intensity match.
Either way, this has happened too many times for it to become a pattern. When this team looks like they'll take the next step, they have a let down of a game. I hate to say this, but if we're mapping the season's roadmap overlayed over the tournament, they go far but falter when they need to take the next step up but fail to do so again - the Elite Eight.
Imo, the reason the team has done this is because they don't have any dynamism as a team and/or because they don't have a player (like a Kemba for example, its almost always a guard) that can just take over when things don't go well or shots aren't going in.
Really need to get some guards. Boswell is good. Sticking with Kerr is settling for 1 good game out of every four. I like his trash talk but there's plenty out there can provide that. We need more.
CardiacCats97 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:33 pm
What a fucking gut punch. Someone remind me not to get excited about basketball next year.
We lost to WSU at home. The signs have been there all year. I couldn't understand people thought we would get to the ff. We are great when things are rolling but have no answer when things go off the rails
I am done. It’s not that I am done with UA basketball, I am done with sports in general. I don’t need the heartbreak anymore and it is too costly. The nice thing is I can shut off all streaming services. There is enough to do. I am older and sports is now dead to me as a priority. I would rather go fishing.
dirtbags wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:25 pm
CTL needs to learn how to get the team to peak in the postseason. burned too hot during the preseason and conference play. this isn't the WCC. he'll figure it out.
I wonder how many teams in the dance only have a 7 man rotation? UA didn't score last 4 minutes of the first half and only 6 points the last 11 minutes of the game.
dirtbags wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:25 pm
CTL needs to learn how to get the team to peak in the postseason. burned too hot during the preseason and conference play. this isn't the WCC. he'll figure it out.
I wonder how many teams in the dance only have a 7 man rotation?
With all the tv timeouts….best players play most minutes
It seems like the 7 man rotation induces us to sandbag whenever we can just dogging it to see if we can win by default. Then, when time demands that we flip the switch we can't get it up in time. How else do you explain the most privileged college athletes in the state playing this way?
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
dirtbags wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:25 pm
CTL needs to learn how to get the team to peak in the postseason. burned too hot during the preseason and conference play. this isn't the WCC. he'll figure it out.
I wonder how many teams in the dance only have a 7 man rotation?
With all the tv timeouts….best players play most minutes
Every game has TV timeouts. The end of half scoring drought and end of game fiasco indicates tired legs, especially all the blocked shots end of the game. UA players could not get any lift on their shots.
The other problem with the 7 man rotation is that you don’t have anyone to turn to.
“Dear so and so, your rebounding effort is crap. Sit the bench for a while.”
“Oh, Vessar, you played 4 minutes in 2023? Go excel.”
“Bal, we need a offensive spark. What? You have taken 3 shots since I publicly stated you are a part of the regular rotation?”
On the pregame they said all the Euro guys play in so many tournaments that they didn’t realize the importance of the NCAA last season. But this year they were ready to go.
Not so much.
I’m also frustrated that this is a team of jrs and seniors not a bunch of underclassmen .
I'm so demoralized I'm going to change my handle to CaptainNobGobbler and troll myself.
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
Just a quickie, as I refuse to let the long laughed-at Hansen ever get the final word. He lamely tried to paint Princeton as some cash-strapped waif compared to Arizona, based on their respective reported hoops budgets. For perspective, Princeton has an endowment of $35.8 billion, compared to Arizona's endowment of $1.2 billion. Regardless of colors or buckets of money, they can spend whatever they want on whatever they want. No athletic scholarships? True. Just extremely valuable academic scholarships, bending over backwards for athletes, just like the service academies. And if you're going to lower your entrance requirements for whatever reason, might as well do it for a baller. Princeton proved their bona fides by beating Missouri and going to the Sweet Sixteen, and that says all anybody needs to say. Yeah, you can cherry-pick the fringe lunatic Arizona fans looking for attention with their hysteria and claim that they're representative. How rational and scientific. Better to have a story line and narrative than do any actual work. On the completely different subject of ASU's basketball arena, there's no reason to knock it down, as it's got perfectly good bones. Just needs some aesthetics, like McKale Center and Dodger Stadium did. Once again, always and forever...they're right, and Hansen's wrong.
TheCatInTheHat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:53 am
Just a quickie, as I refuse to let the long laughed-at Hansen ever get the final word. He lamely tried to paint Princeton as some cash-strapped waif compared to Arizona, based on their respective reported hoops budgets. For perspective, Princeton has an endowment of $35.8 billion, compared to Arizona's endowment of $1.2 billion. Regardless of colors or buckets of money, they can spend whatever they want on whatever they want.
Exactly. As is said about Harvard: A hedge fund with a university attached to it.
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
Just a recap of how our seven rotation players rated for the the entire regular season according to Real GM - "qualified players" only:
C Oumar Ballo: #3 of 12 in the Pac-12; #52 of 390 nationally.
PF Azoulas Tubelis: #1 of 18 in the Pac-12; #7 of 498 nationally.
SF Pelle Larsson: #5 of 17 in the Pac-12; # 170 of 539 nationally.
SF Cedric Henderson: #11 of 17 in the Pac-12; #360 of 539 nationally
SG Courtney Ramey: #9 of 18 in the Pac-12; #293 of 581 nationally.
PG Kylan Boswell: #10 of 15 in the Pac-12; #328 of 541 nationally.
PG Kerr Kriisa" #12 of 15 in the Pac-12; #420 of 541 nationally.
Tough to go far in the NCAA's when you do not have a single guard on the roster that is above average.
PER strives to measure a player's per-minute performance, while adjusting for pace. A league-average PER is always 15.00, which permits comparisons of player performance across seasons.
PER takes into account positive results, including field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals and negative results, including missed shots, turnovers and personal fouls. The formula adds positive stats and subtracts negative ones through a statistical point value system. The rating for each player is then adjusted to a per-minute basis so that, for example, substitutes can be compared with starters in playing time debates. It is also adjusted for the team's pace. In the end, one number sums up the players' statistical accomplishments for that season.
KaibabKat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:49 am
Just a recap of how our seven rotation players rated for the the entire regular season according to Real GM - "qualified players" only:
C Oumar Ballo: #3 of 12 in the Pac-12; #52 of 390 nationally.
PF Azoulas Tubelis: #1 of 18 in the Pac-12; #7 of 498 nationally.
SF Pelle Larsson: #5 of 17 in the Pac-12; # 170 of 539 nationally.
SF Cedric Henderson: #11 of 17 in the Pac-12; #360 of 539 nationally
SG Courtney Ramey: #9 of 18 in the Pac-12; #293 of 581 nationally.
PG Kylan Boswell: #10 of 15 in the Pac-12; #328 of 541 nationally.
PG Kerr Kriisa" #12 of 15 in the Pac-12; #420 of 541 nationally.
Tough to go far in the NCAA's when you do not have a single guard on the roster that is above average.
SabinoDrifter wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:15 pm
Thanks, that is pretty sobering.
I would take Kerr over almost all those people above him. Stats don't tell the whole story and only casuals rely on stats
Like Miller. He never looked at stats, nooooo
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
SabinoDrifter wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:15 pm
Thanks, that is pretty sobering.
I would take Kerr over almost all those people above him. Stats don't tell the whole story and only casuals rely on stats
Got it, casuals rely on stats. The eye test shows a team that was top 10 in offensive efficiency all season sitting at home after scoring 55 points against an Ivy League school.
SabinoDrifter wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:15 pm
Thanks, that is pretty sobering.
I would take Kerr over almost all those people above him. Stats don't tell the whole story and only casuals rely on stats
Got it, casuals rely on stats. The eye test shows a team that was top 10 in offensive efficiency all season sitting at home after scoring 55 points against an Ivy League school.
Yeah a bad game with tired legs and injuries. Sucks but it happens
2018 Bear Down Wildcats Conference Championship Challenge Champion
