2023-2024 Arizona Basketball

[dovecanyoncat]

Was there any explanation for Kylan’s benching? If there’s anyone on the team who heats up the more minutes they get, it’s him.

He couldn't defend anyone for shit. He also apparently banged up one of his knees a bit. Don't think it's overly serious, but likely impacted him defensively for sure.

He also took 9 shots to make 6 points while the opposing pg went for 26 points. He didn't play well against Wisky either. We need him to step up to get to the ff

If Boswell can't make the transition to producing in big games I fear Caleb will feel the pressure to revert to his Tarheel hero ball. The only release valve would be Lewis and Bradley coming into their own in a very big way.

[Beachcat97]

Boswell had 10 and 9 vs. Wisconsin (and 2-5 from 3), so he has it in him to play steadier and hit shots in big games. I think those Purdue guards just got to him, and he lost his flow. He’s a tough kid and is going to bounce back. We don’t need him to get 20. Just need him in the 10-15 range, and he needs to hit around 40% from 3.

[pc in NM]

Was there any explanation for Kylan’s benching? If there’s anyone on the team who heats up the more minutes they get, it’s him.

He couldn't defend anyone for shit. He also apparently banged up one of his knees a bit. Don't think it's overly serious, but likely impacted him defensively for sure.

He also took 9 shots to make 6 points while the opposing pg went for 26 points. He didn't play well against Wisky either. We need him to step up to get to the ff

If Boswell can't make the transition to producing in big games I fear Caleb will feel the pressure to revert to his Tarheel hero ball. The only release valve would be Lewis and Bradley coming into their own in a very big way.

I'm not worried at all about Boswell moving forward. Everyone has an off game. But overall, our offense performed at a high level almost all of the game. Really!! That was a hell of a game throughout!!

Our breakdowns were mainly on defense - too many offensive boards allowed, too easy shots from the perimeter - and both those are correctable!!

I'm chalking it up as a really good learning experience, and not in any way a cause for concern...

BTFD!!!!

[Merkin]

Can't remember a worse +/- for a starter than Boswell's -19.

Thinking maybe during the UNC beatdown of UA in 2007 when the Cats were 1-23 3 pointers and lost by 28 at home. Shakur had 8 TOs. https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens ... core/12379

[84Cat]

Alabama has the #1 offense so we will see if we've made some adjustments They're 87 or something on defense so we should have no problem scoring against them.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

143 if you sort the data for this year only at torvik

[Merkin]

143 if you sort the data for this year only at torvik

Thanks for that site, never heard of it.

Interesting UA stats which do seem concerning.

3 PT Defense: 238th
Turnovers: 106th
FT Rate: 149th

Didn't see FT%. Thankfully Larsson, Love and Johnson balance out Ballo.

Boswell is shooting 100% FTs, but has only taken 6 all season, and none since 11/17. Dang Krissa!

Even Kriisa had 4 FT attempts v. UMass in his one game this year and 60 last year at UA.

But Boswell >>>>>>> Kriisa. All the best to Kerr, but good luck elsewhere. Bam-Bam is the man.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

I like torvik, you can change the date ranges to get rid of last seasons bias or to see if a team is improving or regressing. There's a fair amount of customizability to it for a free site.

Gary Parrish turned me on to it years ago. Three man weave also reference it a fair amount I think.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Bama's 6-4. Nate Oats has been their coach since 2019, and after moving to Tuscaloosa from Buffalo, he's got them launching threes a la Bobby Hurley. They're a high-scoring team, but that's weighted by big scores against some of their lesser opponents. They lost at Wake Forest and at home to Clemson, and they dropped neutral court games to Ohio St, Creighton, and our common opponent, Purdue. Their win of note was against Oregon on a neutral court. (For some reason, they list the loss at Wake Forest as an exhibition and don't count it in their record.) In addition to hitting threes, they've got some decent-sized bigs.

[Dave]

This site has our 3 PT Defense ranking at #251.
https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-m ... eam/518/p6

[TheCat]

Their bigs are very springy. Rebounding will be key and hopefully we can correct any problems that were identified at Purdue. They play really fast also. My biggest fear is they foul a ton, reach in a ton, bump the dribbler constantly and at some point the refs just stop calling the fouls.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

Sears is awesome, we gotta put a lid on him, he isn't huge, but man can he shoot.

[Postmaster]

Well he is only 18….

[Postmaster]

Was there any explanation for Kylan’s benching? If there’s anyone on the team who heats up the more minutes they get, it’s him.

He couldn't defend anyone for shit. He also apparently banged up one of his knees a bit. Don't think it's overly serious, but likely impacted him defensively for sure.

He also took 9 shots to make 6 points while the opposing pg went for 26 points. He didn't play well against Wisky either. We need him to step up to get to the ff

If Boswell can't make the transition to producing in big games I fear Caleb will feel the pressure to revert to his Tarheel hero ball. The only release valve would be Lewis and Bradley coming into their own in a very big way.

I'm not worried at all about Boswell moving forward. Everyone has an off game. But overall, our offense performed at a high level almost all of the game. Really!! That was a hell of a game throughout!!

Our breakdowns were mainly on defense - too many offensive boards allowed, too easy shots from the perimeter - and both those are correctable!!

I'm chalking it up as a really good learning experience, and not in any way a cause for concern...

BTFD!!!!

Isn’t Boswell from the Indiana area? Maybe thinking about family being there messed him up?

[Chicat]

Illinois

[Beachcat97]

We owe Nate Oates some payback.

Gotta win on Wednesday.

Note to PHX: using “gotta win” in sports discourse is a form of rooting for one’s team, while acknowledging the actual stakes of a competitive engagement; it should not be taken as inflated urgency or threat. This point will already be readily understood by any sports fan past the age of 5.

[UAEebs86]

We owe Nate Oates some payback.

Gotta win on Wednesday.

Note to PHX: using “gotta win” in sports discourse is a form of rooting for one’s team, while acknowledging the actual stakes of a competitive engagement; it should not be taken as inflated urgency or threat. This point will already be readily understood by any sports fan past the age of 5.

C word incoming!

[SunnyAZ]

Looking like Chance Comanche murdered someone.

[EastCoastCat]

Looking like Chance Comanche murdered someone.

There's a separate thread for this (former Cats in the NBA).

[dovecanyoncat]

Looking like Chance Comanche murdered someone.

There's a separate thread for this (former Cats in the NBA).

NO POST FOR YOU!

[UAEebs86]

Search function is your friend.

[TheCat]

Boswell had 10 and 9 vs. Wisconsin (and 2-5 from 3), so he has it in him to play steadier and hit shots in big games. I think those Purdue guards just got to him, and he lost his flow. He’s a tough kid and is going to bounce back. We don’t need him to get 20. Just need him in the 10-15 range, and he needs to hit around 40% from 3.

The thing that we need also is consistent tough defense. We know he has that ability.

[Beachcat97]

Boswell had 10 and 9 vs. Wisconsin (and 2-5 from 3), so he has it in him to play steadier and hit shots in big games. I think those Purdue guards just got to him, and he lost his flow. He’s a tough kid and is going to bounce back. We don’t need him to get 20. Just need him in the 10-15 range, and he needs to hit around 40% from 3.

The thing that we need also is consistent tough defense. We know he has that ability.

Absolutely. During the second half vs. Purdue, my friends were all saying we're missing a Nick Johnson type. Just a lock down defender who doesn't need to score to impact the game. Boswell, Love and Lewis are all good defenders, and I expect we'll see them pick it up as the season wears on.

What's funny is that Arizona's biggest challenge this March is just gonna be getting through the early rounds. If we can crack the S16, I love our chances to win two more games at that stage. If I had to guess who the #1 seeds will be, given what I've seen so far, I'd say Arizona, Purdue, Kansas and UConn. So if we're looking at the group of teams that'll likely be 2s and 3s: Houston (would love to give them some payback), Kentucky, Tennessee, Marquette, Illinois, UNC, Baylor, Creighton, a couple others. It's a formidable group, but there's no one in there I consider an obvious match-up problem for Arizona.

But you're right, TC: Boswell and our other guards have to be able to disrupt and contain opposing guards, even when a couple guys are shooting the lights out like Loyer and Smith did against us.

[KaibabKat]

Boswell started out this season like gangbusters in his first four games (2 KenPom MVP performances) - looked like he had an All American type year starting. In his last four games he has been mediocre at best. Looks like he may now be in a Sophomore slump instead of having made a Sophomore jump. The season is still very young but if his poor performances keep up it will become more and more concerning.

[Chicat]

I’m not worried about Kylan. Everything is an opportunity to learn and get better for that kid, and he’s never backed down from a challenge.

[Beachcat97]

I’m not worried about Kylan. Everything is an opportunity to learn and get better for that kid, and he’s never backed down from a challenge.

That's my sense too. He's tough, and he's competitive af.

And everyone's favorite fact about Kylan: he's (still!) incredibly young. Doesn't turn 19 until April! He's going to keep getting better.

[EastCoastCat]

To be honest, the only thing that concerns me on this team right now is Ballo’s free throws.

[Merkin]

To be honest, the only thing that concerns me on this team right now is Ballo’s free throws.

He was a 70% FT shooter his first season at Arizona.

Now he is 39%. The ball size hasn't changed, the rim height is still 10', and the FT line is still 15' feet away.

Not like he is playing 38 minutes a game. He played 15 mpg his first UA season, and now is at 23 minutes.

[UAEebs86]

To be honest, the only thing that concerns me on this team right now is Ballo’s free throws.

He was a 70% FT shooter his first season at Arizona.

Now he is 39%. The ball size hasn't changed, the rim height is still 10', and the FT line is still 15' feet away.

Not like he is playing 38 minutes a game. He played 15 mpg his first UA season, and now is at 23 minutes.

He's got the yips.

[Chicat]

He’s got the ball all the way back on his palm and he’s pushing it at the rim. So his shots are flat and either short or off the back rim.

Should go to the underhand.

[Frybry02]

He’s got the ball all the way back on his palm and he’s pushing it at the rim. So his shots are flat and either short or off the back rim.

Should go to the underhand.

Or just have bank it like in pop a shot

[EastCoastCat]

He’s got the ball all the way back on his palm and he’s pushing it at the rim. So his shots are flat and either short or off the back rim.

Should go to the underhand.

A la Rick Berry who said he could get Shaq to shoot 75% in a couple of weeks.

Shaq declined as he said that approach was not cool looking.

[TheCatInTheHat]

I think coaches err on the side of worrying about messing with a player's head too much on free throws. if a FT shooter's mechanics are bad, it should be addressed. If you just have somebody work with him and say "no" and take away the bad superfluous stuff, stripping it down to basics has to get you to at least 60 percent, even if you don't go the granny route (which technically is actually better, but good luck convincing a player.) I bet he shoots over 70 in practice, so they think he'll come around. If they make him lift his chin up, the ball will follow a higher arc.

[84Cat]

Big O hit 60% last night so he's on track

[Chicat]

If Ballo shot granny style he’d instantly become one of the most famous college basketball players in America. Jay Bilas would slobber all over him daily.

[Merkin]

Didn't Sean Miller not even work on free throws in practice? Something about free throw shooting being all about muscle memory and you don't need to practice it.

Recall Lute trying to fix Miles' and Shakur's shot mechanics. Not sure he was ever successful based on their lack of their lack NBA minutes.

[VegasCatFan]

He shot 70% his first year in Tucson so he's got the ability to shoot a decent % at least

[U.P. Zona Fan]

He shot 70% his first year in Tucson so he's got the ability to shoot a decent % at least

He did, they were ugly as hell back then too, and I always wondered how he shot such a high percent.

Love the dude, gonna be an all time fave! He passed RHJ. His free throw shot just looks funky.

[UAEebs86]

He shot 70% his first year in Tucson so he's got the ability to shoot a decent % at least

He did, they were ugly as hell back then too, and I always wondered how he shot such a high percent.

Love the dude, gonna be an all time fave! He passed RHJ. His free throw shot just looks funky.

Maybe he needs to add the Rondae shimmy.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

That would get him to 70%again for sure!

[AZCatGirl]

DWill will be at the game Saturday!

[VegasCatFan]

Looks like there's a ton of tickets available still for the Florida Atlantic game if anybody is thinking of coming out here to Vegas. And pretty cheap tickets at that.

[TheCatInTheHat]

#14 FAU is 9-2 on the season. In terms of notable games, they beat Texas A&M, Butler, and Virginia Tech at the Disney World complex. They were upset at home early in the season by Bryant, and they lost to Illinois at Madison Square Garden. They have a 7-1 Russian center with 20 blocks who gives them a bit of a Zach Edey look, and they like to spread it around and launch threes, with 4 players over 38 percent from beyond the arc. The last game before the Christmas break always concerns me, and continuing on the road with some fatigue, likely a flat crowd in Vegas, and against a potentially troublesome team is what's on the menu.

[Captain Obvious]

FAU is a very formidable opponent returning most of its roster from last years's Final Four team. They love to shoot the three and I haven't been too impressed with Arizona's perimeter defense........or free throw shooting for that matter. If Alabama had made just a third of their three's they would have won rather easily and they had a TON of open looks. I believe this will be Arizona's undoing come tournament time. We run into a hot 3 point shooting team and get bounced early as usual by some mid major schlub team. Not an upset if FAU wins IMHO. They match up with us well. Their center could give us problems and they have a lot of players that can hurt you from 3. And let's not forget this is a Final Four team and a legit one. So hard to believe U of A hasn't been to the Final Four in well over two decades. So disappointing. A fading coach in Olson and an inflexible antiquated style coach in Miller didn't help. I think CTL get's it done, hopefully before he bolts for a blue blood program.

[TheCatInTheHat]

DWill will be at the game Saturday!

DWill with the epic dunkathon game against Duke is up there in Wildcat lore. (So was nailing them this year at Cameron with Rat Face in the front row.)

[AZCatGirl]

[dmjcat]

Boswells bad day from the field not withstanding the common thread in our two losses has been our defense of the pick and roll.

We basically have 3 choices:

1) Sag off the screener (Ballo sags back)
2) Switch the screen (Ballo ends up guarding a guard on the perimeter)
3) Hedge the screen (Ballo attacks the guard coming around the screen) and hope that the screener doesn't rapidly slip the screen and
get to the bucket

I really think we should at least consider #3 when we come across the next hot 3 point shooter we are bound to face (#1 didn't work against Purdue/FAU)

[Captain Obvious]

It's not what anybody wants to hear but the better team won today and they did so with fundamental TEAM basketball. Boswell has to learn when to hold em and when to fold em. The confidence a point guard shows affects the entire team. What concerns me is now we enter conference play in a weak conference that will do virtually nothing to prepare us for the NCAA tournament. Another first round/early round exit is very likely. Discuss. And don't be a dick!

[azcat49]

What a game. Very enjoyable to watch and except for a missed layup we get the win.

FAU was very good and hit some tough shots. Had an elite 8 game feel. We could use more of those but we won’t see that again until the tournament.

Thought Keshad could have been more of a force but he was contained pretty well. Boswell expended a lot of energy on defense today so his poor shooting wasn’t a surprise.

Love did all he could and I love he and Lewis out there. They just bring attitude

[Postmaster]

Did we have any dunks other than Love’s fast break?