2023-2024 Arizona Basketball

[84Cat]

Interesting thread, Arizona and Houston are in a class of their own, even after adjusting for opponent strength

[TheCatInTheHat]

I don't know where to slot the UCLA game in historical perspective. I think we expected to win comfortably against a non-vintage Bruin team with a losing record, and were just fine with settling in for a satisfying win. And maybe, way deep in the back of our minds, a little concerned to make sure we got the final Pac-12 game against them in McKale. But, they were obviously motivated to get that last win in McKale and keep their little winning streak going, and it was an ugly game. The last game at McKale is obviously notable, but so is coming back from 19 down. It would be interesting to know if we've ever done that against UCLA.

[arizonawildcats]

I don't know where to slot the UCLA game in historical perspective. I think we expected to win comfortably against a non-vintage Bruin team with a losing record, and were just fine with settling in for a satisfying win. And maybe, way deep in the back of our minds, a little concerned to make sure we got the final Pac-12 game against them in McKale. But, they were obviously motivated to get that last win in McKale and keep their little winning streak going, and it was an ugly game. The last game at McKale is obviously notable, but so is coming back from 19 down. It would be interesting to know if we've ever done that against UCLA.

We came back from 20 points down in the second half against #9 UCLA at McKale on January 19, 2002.

[azgreg]

[Bordercat]

Pelle is the leader of this team. He needs to step up more.

KJ Lewis needs to play more.

Pelle and KJ driving to the rim is nice.

Bradley is not the answer- he played appropriate minutes.

Keshad is what he is I think.

We need more Pelle and KJ.

[pc in NM]

Pelle is the leader of this team. He needs to step up more.

KJ Lewis needs to play more.

Pelle and KJ driving to the rim is nice.

Bradley is not the answer- he played appropriate minutes.

Keshad is what he is I think.

We need more Pelle and KJ.

I'm focusing less on individual play than team play - player spacing, ball movement, over-dribbling and settling for perimeter threes were all way below what this team has done, and should be expected to do every game.

IMNSHO, focus solely on individual performances only exacerbates the shortcoming in the team plaay. We have great athletes and basketball skills - but in recent games, "the total is less than the sum of the parts"!! And good coaches can exploit that...

[Bordercat]

Pelle is the leader of this team. He needs to step up more.

KJ Lewis needs to play more.

Pelle and KJ driving to the rim is nice.

Bradley is not the answer- he played appropriate minutes.

Keshad is what he is I think.

We need more Pelle and KJ.

I'm focusing less on individual play than team play - player spacing, ball movement, over-dribbling and settling for perimeter threes were all way below what this team has done, and should be expected to do every game.

IMNSHO, focus solely on individual performances only exacerbates the shortcoming in the team plaay. We have great athletes and basketball skills - but in recent games, "the total is less than the sum of the parts"!! And good coaches can exploit that...

it was good team play as well. Neither were just putting their head down. Often they would get in the paint, pivot, look for cutters, there was patience. We played good ball toward the end of that game. It was primarily due to not just throwing it to Ballo, but also not settling for jumpers. There was a concerted effort by Pelle and KJ to drive in the paint and create offense from that. Both those guys have the good, strong frame where they can play through contact and make stuff happen when teams try to pack it in on us.

[arizonawildcats]

Also tied for first place in the Pac-12 with ASSU and Oregon.

[Beachcat97]

Going 2-0 this week would restore some of my confidence in this team. Having to claw and scrape our way out of a 19 pt deficit at McKale, with some serious home cookin, does not inspire great confidence.

[TheCatInTheHat]

The second game at Oregon figures to be pretty rough. While they just got swept at the Mountain schools, the Ducks are undefeated at home with wins over Michigan and both LA schools. As to the Beavers, this is one of the road games we should, and need to, win. They're 9-9/1-6, with one win over USC as their closest to a signature win. They lost neutral court games to Nebraska, Baylor, and Pitt, and at home to UCLA and Stanford, while losing road games at WSU, Washington, Utah, and Colorado. They've got decent size up front, as they can go 6-10, 6-9, 6-9 up front, with 7-2 off the bench. And they've got three pretty good three-point shooters, led by leading scorer Jordan Pope. So, what could go wrong against a tall, decent shooting, zone defense team on the road in the Pac-12 at a place where the hummingbird feeders have frozen solid?

[EastCoastCat]

Going 2-0 this week would restore some of my confidence in this team. Having to claw and scrape our way out of a 19 pt deficit at McKale, with some serious home cookin, does not inspire great confidence.

We had some serious home cooking? I would say rallying back from a 19 pt. deficit is obviously easier at home especially with our crowd.

But I re-watched the 2nd Half and there might have been a play or 2 favoring us, but by in large we were the aggressors and deserved almost all of the fouls committed by UCLA. And don't forget the Bruins had a few and 1's down the stretch as well.

Not our fault the Bruins have a angry elf as a coach or that Ballo found his touch at the FT line.

[Lute4God]

Going 2-0 this week would restore some of my confidence in this team. Having to claw and scrape our way out of a 19 pt deficit at McKale, with some serious home cookin, does not inspire great confidence.

We had some serious home cooking? I would say rallying back from a 19 pt. deficit is obviously easier at home especially with our crowd.

But I re-watched the 2nd Half and there might have been a play or 2 favoring us, but by in large we were the aggressors and deserved almost all of the fouls committed by UCLA. And don't forget the Bruins had a few and 1's down the stretch as well.

Not our fault the Bruins have a angry elf as a coach or that Ballo found his touch at the FT line.

If you Google "Mick Cronin Blames refs" there's some fun articles out there!

Here's one from McKale right after our game, but I think it's behind the Star's paywall. Mick really worked up and fuming

https://tucson.com/sports/college/baske ... e12a3.html

[Beachcat97]

Cronin’s a loser. I give him 2 more years at that job.

[AZCatGirl]

The team has a little extra motivation to win tomorrow:

[Merkin]

Cats 191st in 3 point defense before the ntOSU disaster.

Can't wait to see where they end up tomorrow.

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-m ... eam/518/p4

Lloyd seems to be as stubborn with defensive schemes as Sean Miller.

As the Athletic said, UA will not go far since they have a lumbering center who can't cover big shooters, and the UA guards who can't cover a 3 point ball screen. I recall Lloyd saying is 3 point defense was fine, it was the guards who weren't executing it quickly and correctly leaving all those wide open shots.

[Beachcat97]

Cats 191st in 3 point defense before the ntOSU disaster.

Can't wait to see where they end up tomorrow.


https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-m ... eam/518/p4

Gonna assume someone’s brought this to Tommy’s attention?

[RawleArenas]

This might get some pushback, but I'm gonna say it. I'm not sold on Lloyd. These performances make me embarrassed to be a Wildcat fan.
Gonzaga has historically been terrible with their three point defense and Lloyd has made sure that it's traveled to Tucson.

You can't go into every interview saying, "Well...you know...Walla Walla...

The gloss has faded, the shine has worn off. His denial is legendary. I would rather see Murauskas and Martinez in the lineup to give us a fresh look, but apparently he doesn't trust them either. This team is molded in his image, and I don't like what I'm seeing so far.

[AZCatGirl]

Yeah players have been getting called out (for good reason) but the buck stops with Tommy. Why are there zero consequences for poor play? Why would Tommy rather we lose than play people who deserve it? He needs to give us some real answers.

[Beachcat97]

This might get some pushback, but I'm gonna say it. I'm not sold on Lloyd. These performances make me embarrassed to be a Wildcat fan.
Gonzaga has historically been terrible with their three point defense and Lloyd has made sure that it's traveled to Tucson.

You can't go into every interview saying, "Well...you know...Walla Walla...

The gloss has faded, the shine has worn off. His denial is legendary. I would rather see Murauskas and Martinez in the lineup to give us a fresh look, but apparently he doesn't trust them either. This team is molded in his image, and I don't like what I'm seeing so far.

I don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way.

[KaibabKat]

Pelle Larsson is the best point guard on this team. Play him there.

[Beachcat97]

Pelle Larsson is the best point guard on this team. Play him there.

How about a lineup of Larsson, Love, Lewis, Keshad and Krivas?

[U.P. Zona Fan]

Oh man I feel bad for Boz, is this the biggest soph slump ever?

[Chicat]

At least we aren’t lonely.

[pc in NM]

This might get some pushback, but I'm gonna say it. I'm not sold on Lloyd. These performances make me embarrassed to be a Wildcat fan.
Gonzaga has historically been terrible with their three point defense and Lloyd has made sure that it's traveled to Tucson.

You can't go into every interview saying, "Well...you know...Walla Walla...

The gloss has faded, the shine has worn off. His denial is legendary. I would rather see Murauskas and Martinez in the lineup to give us a fresh look, but apparently he doesn't trust them either. This team is molded in his image, and I don't like what I'm seeing so far.

I don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way.

Amazing how some Arizona fans have no sense whatsoever about the meaning of "Bear Down"!

Let alone evaluating coaching talent!!

[Alieberman]

AZ under Tommy has never lost 2 games in a row

Take AZ @ Oregon

[pc in NM]

It's time to put away the fans sense of entitlement, and look realistically at this team.

Boswell was never a starter last year; he was a great sub, who played well above all expectations. He was no where as good of a point guard as was Kriisa. He might benefit from being a sub vs. starter. Bradley is good, but doesn't really make the team play better.

Oumar is a pretty good center. While he has improved his offense, he has always shown defensive deficiencies. He is not a shot blocker, and gets exposed when he has to defend the perimeter. His rebounding has improved. His FT shooting has declined significantly, and he's an inconsistent shooter. Next year, Krivas may be a better player, but not yet ready to be the starter.

Love is one of the best players to ever wear an Arizona uniform. Pelle and Johnson are really good players.

KJ is easily the best sub, and if anyone "adds value", he is the one!!

Changing the starting five is not a solution - we need an 8-9 regular player rotation to be competitive in today's game. Last night, the starting five dominated for the first 10 minutes.... Starting the second half with Boswell on the bench, they faltered badly.

As things stand right now, Arizona is a pretty good team. They might get to the championship game in the Pac-12 Tourney; They could get a #4 seed in the NCAA's, and with luck, and good match-ups, they could make it to the Sweet 16. Anything more,would be doubtful...

[UAEebs86]

AZ under Tommy has never lost 2 games in a row

Take AZ @ Oregon

Well there's a first time for everything.

[pc in NM]

AZ under Tommy has never lost 2 games in a row

Take AZ @ Oregon

Well there's a first time for everything.

Losing the first game to the lesser opponent on a conference road trip definitely presents a test for this team - but, I wouldn't count them out...

[Merkin]

AZ under Tommy has never lost 2 games in a row

Take AZ @ Oregon

Well there's a first time for everything.

Lloyd has never lost 3 straight road games either. Until last night.

UA now 261st in 3 point defense. https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-m ... eam/518/p6

“Our guards have been getting their asses kicked in these games defensively,” said Lloyd after the Stanford loss.

Tommy, you know more about basketball than the entire BDW and former Goazcats communities combined, but maybe changing up the perimeter defense might be beneficial.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... 9-arizona/

The Wildcats are a mere 6-5 after an 8-0 start that included a win at Duke. Perimeter defense has been a major culprit. In Arizona's five losses, opponents have made 50 of 106 3-point shots. Oregon State nailed 12 of 20,

[MrKyle]

Aside from our awful perimeter defense - what is really puzzling with this team is how much they are very Jekyll & Hyde like.

First half yesterday we looked good and were passing well to setup shots, looked like we did to start the year when we were averaging almost 20 assists a game. Second half starts and we just fall off a cliff, too much milling around perimeter/failing entry passes to Ballo etc.

Don't know if this is effort thing, fact that our PG position is not strong or what

[Alieberman]

Tommy seems to rarely play Krivas in the 2nd half of games it seems.

Don't really know why

[pc in NM]

Aside from our awful perimeter defense - what is really puzzling with this team is how much they are very Jekyll & Hyde like.

First half yesterday we looked good and were passing well to setup shots, looked like we did to start the year when we were averaging almost 20 assists a game. Second half starts and we just fall off a cliff, too much milling around perimeter/failing entry passes to Ballo etc.

Don't know if this is effort thing, fact that our PG position is not strong or what

The last 10 minutes of the first half was really mediocre - both offensively and defensively.

IMNSHO, whatever is wrong, it's a team, not an individual effort or performance issue,,, too many breakdowns on defense, especially giving up points in the paint, and too much creating one's own shot vs passing for the open shot.

Many of OSU's threes were well defended shots - but, the game never should have been close enough for a few of those to be the difference maker...

[MrKyle]

Aside from our awful perimeter defense - what is really puzzling with this team is how much they are very Jekyll & Hyde like.

First half yesterday we looked good and were passing well to setup shots, looked like we did to start the year when we were averaging almost 20 assists a game. Second half starts and we just fall off a cliff, too much milling around perimeter/failing entry passes to Ballo etc.

Don't know if this is effort thing, fact that our PG position is not strong or what

The last 10 minutes of the first half was really mediocre - both offensively and defensively.

IMNSHO, whatever is wrong, it's a team, not an individual effort or performance issue,,, too many breakdowns on defense, especially giving up points in the paint, and too much creating one's own shot vs passing for the open shot.

Many of OSU's threes were well defended shots - but, the game never should have been close enough for a few of those to be the difference maker...

True, I forgot we did start fading in the first half. We had plenty of chances for the game to not be close enough for them to win with the multitude of missed dunks and FT. There were a lot of 3's they hit that were of the 'tip your cap' variety no doubt.

I agree it is a team issue, we are at our best when everyone is looking to setup their teammate for the best shot and we are well connected on defense/switching properly.

This is where we really need that floor general to take the reins and look to get everyone involved.

[Beachcat97]

I can’t believe we’re 6-5 (soon to be 6-6) since starting 8-0. That’s a sobering detail.

[AzCatFan2]

Defense is about effort. Every kid wants to score, but not every kid wants to play D. I'm not sure if Tommy is lighting enough fire under the kids when they don't put out the appropriate D effort. Miller was stubborn as crap when it came to his D philosophy, but he also had a very quick hook when a player was giving 100% on the D end. Tommy? His rotations make zero sense to me.

The shine may be not be completely off Tommy, but it's fading. Teams take on the personas of their coach, and maybe out team is just too much "aw shucks," and not nasty enough to stop anyone? Allowing a team like Oregon State to shoot 53% overall and 60% from 3? We need to take that personally as an insult.

[EastCoastCat]

I actually thought the defense wasn’t that bad but maybe I’m wrong.

OSU made a lot of tough shots.

[RawleArenas]

This might get some pushback, but I'm gonna say it. I'm not sold on Lloyd. These performances make me embarrassed to be a Wildcat fan.
Gonzaga has historically been terrible with their three point defense and Lloyd has made sure that it's traveled to Tucson.

You can't go into every interview saying, "Well...you know...Walla Walla...

The gloss has faded, the shine has worn off. His denial is legendary. I would rather see Murauskas and Martinez in the lineup to give us a fresh look, but apparently he doesn't trust them either. This team is molded in his image, and I don't like what I'm seeing so far.

I don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way.

Amazing how some Arizona fans have no sense whatsoever about the meaning of "Bear Down"!

Let alone evaluating coaching talent!!

I think the phrase 'Bear Down' includes the ideas of accountability, self-awareness and appropriate in-game adjustments. Top coaches make sure that their teams (especially talented ones) are prepared for each game. Last night we witnessed missed dunks, erratic free throw shooting, momentum killing turnovers and porous defense on the perimeter.

I put much of this on the coaching staff and Lloyd's tendencies to deflect responsibility. I said this long time ago (which I stole from Coach Cal): you can't hide at Arizona. Fans and alumni obsess over every aspect of their flagship sports teams. And if you look at the responses from Wildcat Nation, there are a lot of people that are saying the exact same thing - we're sucking. Down by almost 20 at home to a depleted UCLA team and then losing on the road to bottom feeder Oregon State? No, CTL's gonna get read the riot act.

This is the first year with all of Lloyd's players, and it's clear he has some learning to do. There's been rumors that many of the players have been partying before games and if that's true, you can definitely see the product of that on the court. There's no leadership. In a year where we needed Ballo to step up and dominate, he's regressed. The Euros that Lloyd picked aren't available or ready to play, which is Lloyd's fault as well. Personally, I think he has too many Euros, but that's for another post. If highly touted Veesaar was available and just gave us 8 and 8, you could shave at least three losses off of our schedule. But for some reason, he's still not ready. I like what I've seen out of Martinez, but he can't get any burn either.

In all my years of Wildcat fandom, I've never seen a team drop off like this. If something doesn't change, we're gonna be the laughing stock of CBB.

[Siempre Verde]

Not missing bunnies and not making Jr. High level passes would help.

As much as we all loved the tough pre-season scheduling, I do now wonder if that wore on the teams psyche and confidence. Maybe a little more physical wear and tear, too. I don’t know. Just spit balling. I’m not sure anyone, including perhaps CTL knows the entire answer. It’s certainly not a talent issue.

[dovecanyoncat]

I can’t believe we’re 6-5 (soon to be 6-6) since starting 8-0. That’s a sobering detail.

It has the opposite effect on me.

[LuteIsGod]

This might get some pushback, but I'm gonna say it. I'm not sold on Lloyd. These performances make me embarrassed to be a Wildcat fan.
Gonzaga has historically been terrible with their three point defense and Lloyd has made sure that it's traveled to Tucson.

You can't go into every interview saying, "Well...you know...Walla Walla...

The gloss has faded, the shine has worn off. His denial is legendary. I would rather see Murauskas and Martinez in the lineup to give us a fresh look, but apparently he doesn't trust them either. This team is molded in his image, and I don't like what I'm seeing so far.

I don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way.

Amazing how some Arizona fans have no sense whatsoever about the meaning of "Bear Down"!

Let alone evaluating coaching talent!!

I think the phrase 'Bear Down' includes the ideas of accountability, self-awareness and appropriate in-game adjustments. Top coaches make sure that their teams (especially talented ones) are prepared for each game. Last night we witnessed missed dunks, erratic free throw shooting, momentum killing turnovers and porous defense on the perimeter.

I put much of this on the coaching staff and Lloyd's tendencies to deflect responsibility. I said this long time ago (which I stole from Coach Cal): you can't hide at Arizona. Fans and alumni obsess over every aspect of their flagship sports teams. And if you look at the responses from Wildcat Nation, there are a lot of people that are saying the exact same thing - we're sucking. Down by almost 20 at home to a depleted UCLA team and then losing on the road to bottom feeder Oregon State? No, CTL's gonna get read the riot act.

This is the first year with all of Lloyd's players, and it's clear he has some learning to do. There's been rumors that many of the players have been partying before games and if that's true, you can definitely see the product of that on the court. There's no leadership. In a year where we needed Ballo to step up and dominate, he's regressed. The Euros that Lloyd picked aren't available or ready to play, which is Lloyd's fault as well. Personally, I think he has too many Euros, but that's for another post. If highly touted Veesaar was available and just gave us 8 and 8, you could shave at least three losses off of our schedule. But for some reason, he's still not ready. I like what I've seen out of Martinez, but he can't get any burn either.

In all my years of Wildcat fandom, I've never seen a team drop off like this. If something doesn't change, we're gonna be the laughing stock of CBB.

I agree. The staff should ask each player if they practiced and/or played as hard as they possibly could have each and every time.
Tommy could at least make the team appear enigmatic i.e. a happy go lucky group outside of basketball and a hard fouling, elbow throwing , balls to the wall team during games. Make our opponents wish they hadn’t attempted some of the shots they took.
Ballo’s lack of improvement and our PGs inability to attack defenses and recognize clear paths to the basket are Tommy’s failings.
I am fine watching this team getting to 100pts and losing games because we have the talent to do that every game, but I don’t like the stagnation and lack of effort.

[Beachcat97]

It's possible I'm revising our history, but haven't there at times been good AZ teams who had an almost business-like approach to road games in places like Corvallis, Pullman, and Berkeley? Like, we'd impose our will early in these games and not let off the gas until the closing minutes. We basically made it clear that our opponent was going to lose; it was just a matter of by how many. Some of Lute's teams did this, and some of Miller's too.

This year's team will get a big lead and then wait for the other team to stop playing, which they never do. Or they'll come out flat in the 1st half, give up a bunch of 3s and not have much of a chance to catch up (Stanford, Purdue). The UCLA game was an anomaly because we got down by a ton early on and then actually came back to win, thanks to Cronin doing Cronin things and that team just not being very good.

Maybe it's that "nastiness is required" element that's missing. Not sure. But when Tommy just repeatedly shrugs off a loss and tells his guys it's all good, I'm a little uneasy about how that plays out over the course of a season. Maybe we were too loose going into the Princeton game last year. Or against Stanford, WSU and (gasp) OSU this year.

[PHXCATS]

Not worried at all. Lloyd had earned the trust

Fans wanted him to adjust for March after the last two years.

Now those same people are upset about the regular season they said was meaningless before.

[prh]

The last 2 years, we seemed to peak in late January and February. I hate how we're struggling too, but there was a team last year that went 2-6 from Christmas to January 25 and had a good tournament run, so I'll just hope we're getting the shit out of our system now instead of in March.

[Merkin]

I know Johnson is out of eligibility, which is a shame, but are people expecting Larsson and Love to come back next season? Love took it upon himself to win the game and almost did. Larsson is playing the best basketball of his career.

Fans wanted him to adjust for March after the last two years.

What adjustments has Lloyd done? He said after last years disappointing NCAAs that he wanted to bring toughness to the team.

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail - Bill Walton probably from John Wooden

They just seem as soft and complacent as ever. Need to bring in some Eugene Edgerson types who aren't afraid to throw some elbows. Also some quick and athletic rim protectors like Christian Koloko instead of all the lumbering stiffs we have now.

[AzCatFan2]

Love an Eugene Edgerson. Or RHJ type that took being scored on as an insult. Parrom or Dalen Terry too come to mind.

I think Keyshad could be this player. But I'm not sure Tommy is the right coach to get the most out of him in the D end?

[Merkin]

Love an Eugene Edgerson. Or RHJ type that took being scored on as an insult. Parrom or Dalen Terry too come to mind.

NO EASY BUCKETS! Especially loved the push in the back by KP after he clobbered him on the head.

Although not really. Still just a game, and that could have caused an injury, just the intensity was fantastic.

[PHXCATS]

Arizona favored by 3.5 tomorrow

Everyone take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. This team is really good still.

R

E

L

A

X

[84Cat]

The Wildcats have lost the last six and 8 of the last 9 games in Eugene (lone win 2015).

[UAEebs86]

Haven't swept the Oregon Trail since 2009 either.

[PHXCATS]

The Wildcats have lost the last six and 8 of the last 9 games in Eugene (lone win 2015).

Doesn't mean a damn thing tomorrow