Bear Down Wildcats

YoDeFoe wrote:

enfuego wrote:Any nationally televised games for Arizona this year?

Do you really want to talk about nationally televised games

Trying to gauge where I would put Arizona in the Pac-12 this year. Right now, sight unseen, I'd go Oregon, Washington, Utah, then MAYBE Arizona. Do I need to buy a special streaming service to catch a game?

Whinge, fart, disappear, repeat.

Love the depth of this team - if one group lacks energy or focus, Miller can bring in a whole second group. Those bench players that are worth more minutes than they're getting offer a lot of pent up hunger and talent.

Jeter slows the game too much, too half court oriented

Zeke keeps the faster pace going and is better in transition

We're pretty good.

Holding SJSU to 23% from the field and 11% from 3 is a very promising sign. I mean, they aren't good, but we beat them down without Nico going off.

Just gotta keep on building and growing.

RondaeShimmy wrote:Jeter slows the game too much, too half court oriented

Zeke keeps the faster pace going and is better in transition

Fully agreed. Still think there could be games where we get ground down in the half court and Jeter could be a tool to get those tough buckets. But he's got to make the shots he's taking now for the team to have confidence in him down the road.

The more stats I see, the happier I am about tonight.

Outrebounded them by 13. Only 8 to's, forced 18. 24 assists to their 5.

enfuego wrote:Any nationally televised games for Arizona this year?

Yes

Any other questions that Google could easily solve for you and make you look less like a eunuch?

Wanted to point out a few interesting things from this **** kicking, including two new defensive coverage wrinkles I am pumped about and hope we see more often moving forward.

First, props to Nico for one of the few skip passes over the zone that I recall of throwing the last few years. While we really didnt even need to tonight, because SJSU was awful, its a great way to shift the defense. Its even more dangerous with shooters on either side of the floor and a back screen set with a skip over the top for three. Think second half Salim @ Phog.

Next, Zeke is a joy to watch. It might get lost in the slush of the action, especially with eyes likely focused on Nico or Josh, but Zeke's movement is outstanding. He is barely ever caught watching, he moves with a purpose at all times, loves to slide and duck in when the defense isnt focused, and always seems to trail the ball and be in great position. The good news is that his movement has translated to the defensive end of the floor as well. The first two games he was notably slow to react or late on rotations. Not so tonight, albeit a very small sample size. Still, you can see his basketball IQ on display is the way he moves around the floor on both ends. He was routinely ready and in help position on time, and not trying to lunge into driving lands and picking up cheap fouls or chasing blocks. I highly recommend focusing on him for a few possessions in a row at both ends so you can appreciate what hes doing.

Speaking of joys to watch, Nico is already so advanced for his age in making decisions and manipulating defenses. For a brief example, imagine watching Lonzo play at UCLA. He was a push ahead, move the ball, get my team out and running with easy baskets, and people had googly eyes for him (rightfully so). Well, Nico is everything Lonzo wasnt/isnt in ball screen situations already. Hes crafty with his handle, but his hesitations and change of tempo screw with defenders. On top of that, he is already showing signs of attacking, reading and then manipulating the coverage. Early in the first half, he attacked off a side PNR with Zeke. Zeke set a good screen, caught his Nico's man and Nico realized the big had the lane covered. So he slowed down his attack, drew out the big defender, waited for the guard to recover and then split the coverage with a slick pocket pass to a rolling Zeke for an easy finish. That stuff is NBA level PNR mastery.

Finally, and probably my favorite part of this post; two new ball screen coverages!

The first one I noticed was a side PNR trap. While we have run this in some situations, it was interesting to see us bust this out early in the season (and game). I noticed it mainly when the guard/wings being screened were Green, Baker and Smith. It might have occurred with others, but alas. Think of our typical side ball screen coverage... The big hard hedges middle of the floor to cut off penetration, the guard gets off the screen and recovers to cut off the ball which has now been push OUT towards half court. The big recovers back down the lane with help from the tag man. The difference here is that the big would still hard hedge, but the guard/wing would trap and press up on the ball from the wing instead of getting around the screen and recovering middle. Keep an eye on this, because its a case of Miller either seeing a mismatch with our length and defense, or him trying to create transition opportunities. Maybe both.

Finally, and something near and dear to all our hearts (which you probably dont even know yet), is our ball coverage on middle ball screens. Typically, the big is going to come up to the level of the ball screen, show and slide with the ball across the top of the key/3PT line (like he is sliding directly across the FT line extended). The guard gets over the screen and recovers, the big then slide back down to his man with help from the tag man. The difference in this coverage, which is called "ICE" (or BLUE or DOWN) is that the big is going to drop into the lane and the guard/wing is going to deny the ball screen by setting up above the screen to keep the ball on one side of the floor. This forces a decision by the ball handler, but the goal is for them to abort the action or attack into our big, who has dropped into the lane and is squared up for a drive.

Now, keep in mind there are variances in our typical coverages. We ran them every now and then, and I am not sure what the alert is to activate them. BUT, the good news is that we are seeing a flux in how we defend ball screens. This might be a one game test run for when we really need them. This might be something Miller wants to get the guys some game action to get them ready for when he wants/needs to adjust. Either way, I want more. I am more than fine with our regular coverages when we have correct personnel to run them, but these are new tweaks that can really help our scheme and potentially get us out in transition more often.

enfuego wrote:

YoDeFoe wrote:

enfuego wrote:Any nationally televised games for Arizona this year?

Do you really want to talk about nationally televised games

Trying to gauge where I would put Arizona in the Pac-12 this year. Right now, sight unseen, I'd go Oregon, Washington, Utah, then MAYBE Arizona. Do I need to buy a special streaming service to catch a game?

Funny post. But if someone held a gun to your head and asked that question you know damn well Arizona is your choice for PAC 12 favorite. And that pisses you off so much. Good thing KU doesn’t have to face middling PAC 12 ASU this year.

NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

Clip, thank you for such a detailed insightful post.

Your notes on D are why I've argued Miller is more flexible than some here give him credit for. Not every tweak needs to be inserting zone. There are adjustments we can make to confuse offenses without switching out of man or even packline.

Nico just has an incredibly mature game for his age. His understanding of how to vary pace and set the D up is (at the risk of getting overheated) reminiscent of Chris Paul.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: Your notes on D are why I've argued Miller is more flexible than some here give him credit for. Not every tweak needs to be inserting zone. There are adjustments we can make to confuse offenses without switching out of man or even packline.

Exactly, and ive been arguing for adjustments like these, even in the certain situations they are allowed, for years.

4 starters combined for 19pts, we scored 7 pts in the first 8 mins of the 2H and nearly won by 50. Wow

Coach Clip! Love me a detailed Clip breakdown - thank you, dude.

That PnR trap was a shock (I almost thought it was a mistake bc Smith was involved haha). Love the aggressive defensive play with our length on D and ability to get out in transition.

We wondered what Miller would work on in these cupcake games with the team looking so good - here it is. The ability to deploy these little changes to our regular coverage could be crucial down the road as we attempt to disrupt the elite offenses we'll eventually face.

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

Vegas is gonna have us at least -10 to cover vs. NMSU.

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

it wasn't Borzello, it was some guy named Jordan Schultz

TucsonClip wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote: Your notes on D are why I've argued Miller is more flexible than some here give him credit for. Not every tweak needs to be inserting zone. There are adjustments we can make to confuse offenses without switching out of man or even packline.

Exactly, and ive been arguing for adjustments like these, even in the certain situations they are allowed, for years.

I like the idea of a defensive changeup much more so when it is something like this as opposed to zone. You don't have to instill entirely new principles across the board, just adjust the coverage of a single set to try to disrupt the offensive flow.

The change to the high p & r philosophy isn't even all that different from packline. You can basically play the same rotation strategy, it's just funneling the ballhandler into the double without letting him get to the screen.

The offensive counter requires the roll man to be a dangerous shooter. For teams who have their roll man as a rim runner only, this is an effective tweak.

zonagrad wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

Vegas is gonna have us at least -10 to cover vs. NMSU.

Pascoe just said 2 starters are out with injuries. Old news?

Jefe wrote:

zonagrad wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

Vegas is gonna have us at least -10 to cover vs. NMSU.

Pascoe just said 2 starters are out with injuries. Old news?

Starting PG and SG haven't played yet this season.

In their place, the replacement PG has one made field goal (against a DII school) and the replacement SG had a 3 rebound and nothing else line in 19 minutes against UTEP (their best opponent, who they lost to by 15).

We're going to murder this team.

Their star guard Terrell Brown has a -13 BPM... which seems impossible but I'm not here to question math. Their best player right now is Trevelin Queen who is avg'ing a very nice 18 / 5 / 3 - he's 6'6" and he plays SF. I hate to leak this... but he's not getting that against Josh Green and Dylan Smith.

We're going to murder this team.

Their final "best player" is Ivan Aurrecoechea... he's done a pretty respectable job as their starting center this season, but he's 6'8". That'd be the sixth tallest guy on our team. Excuse me while I double check if I took Zeke in this game's RAP...

I really like Chris Jans as a coach but this isn't a roster that can withstand the loss of two starters. Concerns of the Wildcats playing flat are offset by what we keep seeing: a deep bench hungry for opportunity and overflowing with talent. I respect NMSU but...

We're going to murder this team.

new mexico state game thread is up

RondaeShimmy wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

it wasn't Borzello, it was some guy named Jordan Schultz

The guy who says Arizona will land every big named transfer out there? He know his stuff.

YoDeFoe wrote:Starting PG and SG haven't played yet this season.

In their place, the replacement PG has one made field goal (against a DII school) and the replacement SG had a 3 rebound and nothing else line in 19 minutes against UTEP (their best opponent, who they lost to by 15).

We're going to murder this team.

Their star guard Terrell Brown has a -13 BPM... which seems impossible but I'm not here to question math. Their best player right now is Trevelin Queen who is avg'ing a very nice 18 / 5 / 3 - he's 6'6" and he plays SF. I hate to leak this... but he's not getting that against Josh Green and Dylan Smith.

We're going to murder this team.

Their final "best player" is Ivan Aurrecoechea... he's done a pretty respectable job as their starting center this season, but he's 6'8". That'd be the sixth tallest guy on our team. Excuse me while I double check if I took Zeke in this game's RAP...

I really like Chris Jans as a coach but this isn't a roster that can withstand the loss of two starters. Concerns of the Wildcats playing flat are offset by what we keep seeing: a deep bench hungry for opportunity and overflowing with talent. I respect NMSU but...

We're going to murder this team.

Top five team

New Mexico St was supposed to be a tougher test than Illinois, but wasn't.

I was super excited for a probable Providence (who were #21 in Kenpom at the time) matchup in the Wooden legacy but then they lost to Northwestern who had lost by 10 to Merrimack.

Can't wait to see what they look like vs Gonzaga at home. Definitely the toughest matchup, but it's at home.

And then at Baylor should be tough because it's the road game, even they didn't look that good vs Washington in a neutral court

Winning 2/3 would be great and looks doable

What kind of team is this team's nightmare opponent? I mean, Buffalo was obvious two years ago, but clearly a five-guard lineup isn't working against this squad.

The best I can come up with is a team led by an elite point guard and with really good wings and a dynamic, athletic big who tends to get the shot he wants, and an aggressive defense that protects the paint while turning you over. And a really tough Australian guard who wills everything to go his way through contact while still killing you on the perimeter. Wouldn't it suck to play that team?

Longhorned wrote:What kind of team is this team's nightmare opponent? I mean, Buffalo was obvious two years ago, but clearly a five-guard lineup isn't working against this squad.

The best I can come up with is a team led by an elite point guard and with really good wings and a dynamic, athletic big who tends to get the shot he wants, and an aggressive defense that protects the paint while turning you over. And a really tough Australian guard who wills everything to go his way through contact while still killing you on the perimeter. Wouldn't it suck to play that team?

Yeah, but where do I find a team like that? Sounds like a wet dream, not reality.

Longhorned wrote:What kind of team is this team's nightmare opponent? I mean, Buffalo was obvious two years ago, but clearly a five-guard lineup isn't working against this squad.

The best I can come up with is a team led by an elite point guard and with really good wings and a dynamic, athletic big who tends to get the shot he wants, and an aggressive defense that protects the paint while turning you over. And a really tough Australian guard who wills everything to go his way through contact while still killing you on the perimeter. Wouldn't it suck to play that team?

That team sounds mighty spooky... must be ranked in the top five

YoDeFoe wrote:

Longhorned wrote:What kind of team is this team's nightmare opponent? I mean, Buffalo was obvious two years ago, but clearly a five-guard lineup isn't working against this squad.

The best I can come up with is a team led by an elite point guard and with really good wings and a dynamic, athletic big who tends to get the shot he wants, and an aggressive defense that protects the paint while turning you over. And a really tough Australian guard who wills everything to go his way through contact while still killing you on the perimeter. Wouldn't it suck to play that team?

That team sounds mighty spooky... must be ranked in the top five

But it plays right on the edge of the flat earth where a temporal vortex pulls up dragons from the ether into a vortex of nonbeing that swallows everything.

RondaeShimmy wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

it wasn't Borzello, it was some guy named Jordan Schultz

No, it was Borzello.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... ajor-upset" target="_blank

Not that it matters.

Beachcat97 wrote:

RondaeShimmy wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

it wasn't Borzello, it was some guy named Jordan Schultz

No, it was Borzello.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... ajor-upset" target="_blank

Not that it matters.

Schultz as well

Arizona now #11 on KenPom - highest riser among the top 25 in the first two weeks (jumping 15 spots). #12 in the nation on offense and #20 on defense. Let's roll.

Surprised the Cats aren’t top 15 in defense. Only giving up 53 pts per game.

UAEebs86 wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:

RondaeShimmy wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:NMSU has already lost to UTEP by 15, but that didn’t stop Borzello from picking the Aggies to beat AZ on Sunday. At McKale. #dotheyevenwatchtheseteamsplay

it wasn't Borzello, it was some guy named Jordan Schultz

No, it was Borzello.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... ajor-upset" target="_blank

Not that it matters.

Schultz as well

Schultz picked AZ to win by 9.

Chicat wrote:Surprised the Cats aren’t top 15 in defense. Only giving up 53 pts per game.

KenPom takes awhile to catch the on-court product up to the preseason projections. Give it time we will keep rising.

Chicat wrote:Surprised the Cats aren’t top 15 in defense. Only giving up 53 pts per game.

Your math doesn't have enough algorithms.

This is the first time in a while I don't see us struggling to put away bad to mediocre teams. Feels like recently we could never maintain a 20 or 30 point lead in the 2nd half.

Might be jumping the gun, but I think this freshman class has a shot at "best AZ freshman class of all time." We've had so many elite freshmen over the years, but I can't remember a year with three guys at this level. This is Caliparian.

I have really enjoyed the amount of firepower on this team. It also looks like all the guys are active and engaged most of the time on defense. A true joy to watch.

Beachcat97 wrote:Might be jumping the gun, but I think this freshman class has a shot at "best AZ freshman class of all time." We've had so many elite freshmen over the years, but I can't remember a year with three guys at this level. This is Caliparian.

I don't think call has had a class this good in a while.

Beachcat97 wrote:Might be jumping the gun, but I think this freshman class has a shot at "best AZ freshman class of all time." We've had so many elite freshmen over the years, but I can't remember a year with three guys at this level. This is Caliparian.

We’ve had some incredible classes under Lute. The Micahel Wright, RJ class, the Gardner class, etc. i do agree this one is right up there though.

For scoring and impact you would have to go back to 73 and Money, Norman, Fleming, Irving and Rappis

Took my two boys, 7 and 4 and they made it through 75 percent of the game. Glad it was a bloodletting.

McKale had a bunch of vacant seats. People are gonna regret not seeing this team play in person...

13,161 announced attendance. Just don’t get why the students wait until the second semester to get engaged

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsspo ... and-1/amp/" target="_blank

How he has us ranked behind a 2 loss Florida team that squeaked one out against Towson is beyond me

Not an ideal viewing experience with two young kids constantly needing attention, but we were in the first row for pre game shoot around and it was different than what I’ve witnessed in prior years—this team seems to genuinely like each other. Years past I saw lots of guys shooting by themselves with headphones on, or only talking to certain players etc.

It’s early, but it’s clear this team has good chemistry.

Also noted that Miller, I wouldn’t say he’s relaxed, but he doesn’t appear on the razors edge as he has with every play years past. I know he has a ton of faith in the guys on the team, and his demeanor seems different as well.

Also, to my eye, Murphy was a huge addition to the coaching staff. He’s into it, and reminds me of Archie and Pasternacks role back in the day.

Also...PAC officiating is even fucking worse live.

azcat49 wrote:13,161 announced attendance. Just don’t get why the students wait until the second semester to get engaged

I'll tell you why. They have absolutely no awareness of anything. For example, if you were to suggest to them what an awesome idea it was to go to a game, it would be the first time they've heard of it. Then, they'd have no idea how to go about getting tickets. You'd have to sit down with them and walk them through every step. Then at game time, you'd have to show up at their dorm, remind them, and take them there. And if, by chance, on the way to McKale, you were to ask them who will win the PAC-12 this year, it would be the first time they've ever heard of the PAC-12.

I'm not joking. There are a relatively few juniors and seniors who are on board.

They don't even know that impeachment hearings are going on, or what impeachment is.

They enjoy sitting in their dorm and playing video games.

Kicking the crap out of Gonzaga is irrationally important to me. I assume that I’m not the only one.

Baylor as well but for much different reasons.

Longhorned wrote:

azcat49 wrote:13,161 announced attendance. Just don’t get why the students wait until the second semester to get engaged

I'll tell you why. They have absolutely no awareness of anything. For example, if you were to suggest to them what an awesome idea it was to go to a game, it would be the first time they've heard of it. Then, they'd have no idea how to go about getting tickets. You'd have to sit down with them and walk them through every step. Then at game time, you'd have to show up at their dorm, remind them, and take them there. And if, by chance, on the way to McKale, you were to ask them who will win the PAC-12 this year, it would be the first time they've ever heard of the PAC-12.

I'm not joking. There are a relatively few juniors and seniors who are on board.

They don't even know that impeachment hearings are going on, or what impeachment is.

They enjoy sitting in their dorm and playing video games.

Damn millennials. I kid, I kid, now get off my lawn

azcat49 wrote:

Longhorned wrote:

azcat49 wrote:13,161 announced attendance. Just don’t get why the students wait until the second semester to get engaged

I'll tell you why. They have absolutely no awareness of anything. For example, if you were to suggest to them what an awesome idea it was to go to a game, it would be the first time they've heard of it. Then, they'd have no idea how to go about getting tickets. You'd have to sit down with them and walk them through every step. Then at game time, you'd have to show up at their dorm, remind them, and take them there. And if, by chance, on the way to McKale, you were to ask them who will win the PAC-12 this year, it would be the first time they've ever heard of the PAC-12.

I'm not joking. There are a relatively few juniors and seniors who are on board.

They don't even know that impeachment hearings are going on, or what impeachment is.

They enjoy sitting in their dorm and playing video games.

Damn millennials. I kid, I kid, now get off my lawn

It's true, though. You used to listen to albums and discover songs. Your window to the world was today's Daily Wildcat. You had a T.V. in your dorm (maybe even your dorm room), and it got local channels that talked about Arizona Wildcat football and basketball.

All that's gone. Students have no idea where they are.

So we're looking for volunteers. Your help is needed.