The 2020-2021 Season Thread

[az91]

These are dark days for Wildcat fans. We get to look forward to the upcoming season with a lame duck, failing coach and a team with limited talent, no depth, and low expectations.

[goslingswagg]

Outside of Johnny Juzang, I'd keep an eye on this guy as a grad transfer with two more years of elibility, as a primary target.

I wouldn’t mind him at all, looks like a solid wing shooter and I really like that he has two years of eligibility.

[97cats]

Arizona should end up fielding a competitive team next season, but not conf champ/final four caliber.

[ChooChooCat]

Arizona should end up fielding a competitive team next season, but not conf champ/final four caliber.

Agreed.

[97cats]

and Trey Murphy would be a nice addition at this point.

[Beachcat97]

Arizona should end up fielding a competitive team next season, but not conf champ/final four caliber.

So in other words, we’ve officially arrived at 2nd tier status.

[97cats]

im not as much of a labeler of things like that but perhaps - i don’t really look at it that way tho.

[ChooChooCat]

im not as much of a labeler of things like that but perhaps - i don’t really look at it that way tho.

How do you look at it brother? A merely down period?

[97cats]

i think there has been a downward trend since Wichita State - that was the first time I saw a significant crack in the armor - some unfortunate circumstances and poor behavior and here we are.

Arizona will always remain Arizona, but Miller’s formula of recruiting in the top 10 as a viable path at Arizona needs to be adjusted.

if Richardson wasn’t so sloppy, things at Arizona would be far different, more of the same, but it’s not, and Sean Miller doesn’t have the infrastructure in tact the way he did from ‘09-17...those days are gone now.

whether it’s Miller or whoever, a new path needs to created - the way Arizona got its spine under Miller is gone now.

[ChooChooCat]

i think there has been a downward trend since Wichita State - that was the first time I saw a significant crack in the armor - some unfortunate circumstances and poor behavior and here we are.

Arizona will always remain Arizona, but Miller’s formula of recruiting in the top 10 as a viable path at Arizona needs to be adjusted.

if Richardson wasn’t so sloppy, things at Arizona would be far different, more of the same, but it’s not, and Sean Miller doesn’t have the infrastructure in tact the way he did from ‘09-17...those days are gone now.

whether it’s Miller or whoever, a new path needs to created - the way Arizona got its spine under Miller is gone now.

So ultimately you don't think Arizona is currently a 2nd tier program, but rather the current path we're on and perpetually stuck in for the moment is merely 2nd tier. FWIW I get blaming Richardson and of course his actions impacted our recruiting in a sense, but with the gift if hindsight we can look at what that 2018 class would've been and it's hard to argue that we wouldn't be in the same situation we currently are in regardless.

We certainly agree though that a new path is required whether it's under Sean Miller (I don't foresee him creating said new path) or somebody else.

Fwiw the Wichita State loss didn't bug me. It was criminal that we had to face them in the 1st round and quite frankly whoever the leader of the team is dictates how the team performs and we know Gabe York was the leader of that team. We've certainly had plenty of leadership issues whether it be bad or simply lacking and it's pretty clear this past season's team was LACKING. That and roster make up has been the cancer that we haven't gone in remission of.

[97cats]

i don’t think Arizona is set up to land top 10 and top 5 recruits at the clip it did under Miller for those seven plus years with him or without him. Lute had great success and didn’t touch what Miller did in terms of landing the premier guys, because Miller and the Arizona program was committed to elevating its participation in that space - then entire staff and program, not just Book, are responsible for thag deterioration.

Wichita State was the first time I saw players quit, and a Sean Miller coaches team get bitch slapped. unfortunately, I’ve seen that repeat itself many times over the last four years.

[ChooChooCat]

i don’t think Arizona is set up to land top 10 and top 5 recruits at the clip it did under Miller for those seven plus years with him or without him. Lute had great success and didn’t touch what Miller did in terms of landing the premier guys, because Miller and the Arizona program was committed to elevating its participation in that space.

Wichita State was the first time I saw players quit, and a Sean Miller coaches team get bitch slapped. unfortunately, I’ve seen that repeat itself many times over the last four years.

Amen on all counts here.

[Beachcat97]

Does it matter whether we’re recruiting guys who care whether they do something significant at AZ, like win a Pac title or get far in the tourney? I ask because the number of guys who visibly care about the AZ program and tradition seems to be getting smaller. TJ, Parrom,
Kadeem, Ristic, NJ, Solo...I’m sure we could list a few others, but the majority of guys seem unconcerned with the mark they leave on AZ and mainly focused on leaving school as quickly as possible.

Under Lute, there was MUCH more pride in being part of this program. I’m reminded of this today watching the ‘97 team this morning. Those guys LOVED UofA, and it meant a great deal to them to get where they got. This may be a reflection of the bond Lute and Bobbi created with the players.

[NickyBCats]

Alan griffin cut his list also. I think we can be really good next year if we can land one of these guy and/or pull Zaire. That’s they big thing here.

Akinjo
Bwill*
Baker
Terry
Mathurin
Lee
Brown
Koloko

That’s not a bad starting point whatsoever.

Juzang, Griffin, Murphy, Kriisa, Zaire?!?

Land one or two of those guys and possibly Zaire? That’s a solid squad. We’ll see what happens once the roster is set.

[ChooChooCat]

At this point the goal is just to field a competitive team.

[Longhorned]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

[97cats]

i don’t expect much if anything from Williams - i do however expect the team to be competitive - not a conf championship caliber type team.

[97cats]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

ya man you said it, elite freshman who become sophomores and juniors is where it’s at these days

[Beachcat97]

i don’t expect much if anything from Williams - i do however expect the team to be competitive - not a conf championship caliber type team.

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

[97cats]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

[Beachcat97]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

And I expect the exact same outcome next year. How many seasons has Miller had at AZ when expectations and results were the same?

[goslingswagg]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

I’m frustrated that we didn’t get to finish the season, in some ways it’s sort of Miller getting let off the hook. Very frustrating regular season for sure though. Willing to stay hopeful next year but definitely need this offseason to go well to have a chance next season.

[Longhorned]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

ya man you said it, elite freshman who become sophomores and juniors is where it’s at these days

For example, I personally was really excited about Tolefsen. Now I don’t remember how to spell his name. The most recent freshman I was excited about was Mannion. Against Illinois, he was what I expected. In every other game, he was awesome as measured theoretically against how his game is suited for the open floor of the NBA.

[midnightx]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

I’m frustrated that we didn’t get to finish the season, in some ways it’s sort of Miller getting let off the hook. Very frustrating regular season for sure though. Willing to stay hopeful next year but definitely need this offseason to go well to have a chance next season.

It was frustrating, but most objective Arizona fans saw where it was going, likely a first round exit in the NCAA tournament. Next season's team on paper could be competitive, but likely undermanned and mediocre.

[SCCats]

^^

It’s probably another fringe top 25 team doing fringe top 25 things.

Real exciting.

[Longhorned]

You never know. What if chemistry is right and it's a great group and we love next year's team? But if not, it's hard to see how we haven't been at the end of a road to nowhere for five years.

[ChooChooCat]

You never know. What if chemistry is right and it's a great group and we love next year's team? But if not, it's hard to see how we haven't been at the end of a road to nowhere for five years.

Chemistry was good on this year's team, but there was no leadership. I'm not sure the leadership issue is fixed next year either.

[azcat49]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

ya man you said it, elite freshman who become sophomores and juniors is where it’s at these days

For example, I personally was really excited about Tolefsen. Now I don’t remember how to spell his name. The most recent freshman I was excited about was Mannion. Against Illinois, he was what I expected. In every other game, he was awesome as measured theoretically against how his game is suited for the open floor of the NBA.

Can someone please explain the “open floor” concept about the NBA. They play on the same 94/50 court and with clock that is only a few seconds shorter. Yes I get 48 minutes vs 40, more shots attempted and fewer zones but why is the league a more “open court”

[Dosia]

I’m still over here wondering if there will even be a basketball season. Maybe they will play, but if there is no vaccine yet I’m assuming no crowds. Just crazy times.

[BigSkyCatinMT]

Expected returning starters;

None.

Expected returning reserves;

Koloko,
Baker,
Lee.

Did not play last year;

B Williams (status unsure)
Brown.

New to program.

Terry,
Mathurin,
Akinjo.

Rest of roster;

9. Open
10. Open
11. Open
12. Open
13. Open.

Odd, not being on any early top 25 lists.

[Gladiator Cat]

I may be in the minority on this but I believe Zeke as a true freshmen not only met any lofty expectations I had for him, he wildly exceeded them. The kid was the X-factor and I believe whole heartedly that Zeke by himself saved Millers ass this year.

Without that kid blossoming and developing into the best player on the team, hands down, and one of the best in the nation Miller's goose would be cooked.

Without Zeke this team probably loses 4-6 more games resulting in the program actually being in meltdown mode. I like Miller but he's lost his mojo, he looks tired and beatdown and he looked that way a few years ago in my eyes.

The trend is clear as day for those who have eyes to see and are intellectually honest enough to admit that 'Arizona" on the uniform doesn't mean what it once did in the days of Lute.

There's plenty of blame and BS to go around, but all I know is as a program we better get it figured out soon.

[zonagrad]

I may be in the minority on this but I believe Zeke as a true freshmen not only met any lofty expectations I had for him, he wildly exceeded them. The kid was the X-factor and I believe whole heartedly that Zeke by himself saved Millers ass this year.

Without that kid blossoming and developing into the best player on the team, hands down, and one of the best in the nation Miller's goose would be cooked.

Without Zeke this team probably loses 4-6 more games resulting in the program actually being in meltdown mode. I like Miller but he's lost his mojo, he looks tired and beatdown and he looked that way a few years ago in my eyes.

The trend is clear as day for those who have eyes to see and are intellectually honest enough to admit that 'Arizona" on the uniform doesn't mean what it once did in the days of Lute.

There's plenty of blame and BS to go around, but all I know is as a program we better get it figured out soon.

This is a classic case of cherry picking for your argument. While Zeke Nnaji's performance this year was terrific (and many were saying he was going to perform beyond his ranking) you can't argue that Zeke saved Miller without admitting that Mannion's performance wasn't up to his lofty pre-season ranking. Maybe the rankings are the problem. They aren't gospel, yet we treat them as such. So when a player over-performs, we say he performed better than expected. And when a player under performs, we rip that player and blame him for not meeting expectations. But who's to say those expectations were accurate to begin with? That's total bullshit. Those rankings are devised by many people who haven't even seen these players in person. They're derived from other people's evaluations.

Arizona's struggles this season can be attributed to many factors:

1. Relying on 3 freshmen for the bulk of production.
2. Brandon Williams' absence from the roster. He was THE best player a year ago before injury sidelined him. Having him in the starting line-up and healthy would've transformed the roster and would've taken enormous pressure off all three freshmen -- especially Mannion.
3. Departure of Devonair Doutrive. No other player was better positioned to make a meaningful impact this season than Doutrive. He had all the physical attributes to really make a seismic jump from his freshman to sophomore season. By playing substantial minutes -- he would've limited the minutes (and damage) of playing Dylan Smith for long stretches. Coaches need to have standards to maintain a culture of accountability and the fact that Doutrive was dismissed in such a critical time shows how far he drifted before Miller finally made the decision to cut him loose.
4. Injuries. Yes, ever team has them and they are a part of the game and how a team copes with injuries ultimately factors into the season's success or failure. Chase Jeter's injuries (he's always been hampered to some degree) impacted his production. Jeter was very serviceable when he first arrived on campus. Jeter was the type of player who had trouble staying productive when he was hurt. It's not his fault he was injured frequently -- but his chronic health problems deteriorated a once promising career.
5. Max Hazzard - whatever happened with Hazzard that kept him off the court because of "personal reasons" hasn't been fully explained. Blame Hazzard. Blame Miller. Whatever you want. Because of the above reasons (freshmen, Williams' absence, Doutrive dismissal) Arizona needed Hazzard to be everything as advertised. He was a disappointment because he couldn't be on the court for long stretches with Nico, otherwise creating a huge defensive liability. The fact that he missed so many games down the stretch certainly contributed to the overall struggles of the team. He wasn't someone who could be counted on like, say, Zeke Nnaji. You would expect more from a graduate transfer.

[Longhorned]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

ya man you said it, elite freshman who become sophomores and juniors is where it’s at these days

For example, I personally was really excited about Tolefsen. Now I don’t remember how to spell his name. The most recent freshman I was excited about was Mannion. Against Illinois, he was what I expected. In every other game, he was awesome as measured theoretically against how his game is suited for the open floor of the NBA.

Can someone please explain the “open floor” concept about the NBA. They play on the same 94/50 court and with clock that is only a few seconds shorter. Yes I get 48 minutes vs 40, more shots attempted and fewer zones but why is the league a more “open court”

I might misunderstand this myself, but the NBA has always had - and continues to have - a three-second violation on defense, which prevents defenders from hammering a nail in the middle that prevents penetration. If you combine that potential for movement with the fact of full-time, highly skilled professionals able to execute sophisticated offensive sets and keep defenders honest at all positions far from the basket, the players stretch across the open divides.

As a fan watching this at a table in a bar, the effect of an open court prevents compression in the spectator's soul, which relaxes the breath and spreads out one's body in a loose way. When you pan from the table of rubbery fans watching the Lakers v. Heat to that other table where they're watching Seaton Hall v. Providence, you'll note a more upright position, with knees pressed together, and jaws clenched. That's the embodiment of watching a game that's all clogged up in the half court.

[Postmaster]

Just heard Wade Phillips on the radio.
Two points he made:

When a coach gets all pissed about a mental mistake a player made, the coach probably didn’t teach the player well enough.

Adjust your scheme to take advantage of a player’s abilities.
You don’t make Vaugh Miller drop into pass coverage.

Interesting points from a pretty successful coach.

[SabinoDrifter]

I think a lot of what's happened the last few years is a combination of some bad choices by players, Miller and his staff,some poor talent evaluation and some bad luck. Dovetailing on 97's post, Alonzo Trier was the first elite player I saw Miller completely loathe coaching. He was a very good player immediately, Miller needed him (for multiple years), but you could tell there was something that was off. Trier got better in certain parts of his game, but still remained an incredibly selfish player in others and had no leadership qualities whatsoever. Book followed it up with Alkins and Simmons, and it's been a pile of shit with a few exceptions since that time.

[TucsonClip]

Transfers and freshmen are never going to be as good as you hope they’ll be.

ya man you said it, elite freshman who become sophomores and juniors is where it’s at these days

For example, I personally was really excited about Tolefsen. Now I don’t remember how to spell his name. The most recent freshman I was excited about was Mannion. Against Illinois, he was what I expected. In every other game, he was awesome as measured theoretically against how his game is suited for the open floor of the NBA.

Can someone please explain the “open floor” concept about the NBA. They play on the same 94/50 court and with clock that is only a few seconds shorter. Yes I get 48 minutes vs 40, more shots attempted and fewer zones but why is the league a more “open court”

I might misunderstand this myself, but the NBA has always had - and continues to have - a three-second violation on defense, which prevents defenders from hammering a nail in the middle that prevents penetration. If you combine that potential for movement with the fact of full-time, highly skilled professionals able to execute sophisticated offensive sets and keep defenders honest at all positions far from the basket, the players stretch across the open divides.

As a fan watching this at a table in a bar, the effect of an open court prevents compression in the spectator's soul, which relaxes the breath and spreads out one's body in a loose way. When you pan from the table of rubbery fans watching the Lakers v. Heat to that other table where they're watching Seaton Hall v. Providence, you'll note a more upright position, with knees pressed together, and jaws clenched. That's the embodiment of watching a game that's all clogged up in the half court.

In addition to this, the width of the key in the NBA is 4 inches wider than in college. Add the fact of the increased 3PT line distance, better shooters from longer ranges, more advanced creators and distributors (attacking and distributing from every area of the floor) leading to wider spacing and players with more linear and vertical gravity/spacing, and the NBA floor is expanded for a multitude of reasons, even beyond the basic constructs of the floor.

[TheCat]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

I’m frustrated that we didn’t get to finish the season, in some ways it’s sort of Miller getting let off the hook. Very frustrating regular season for sure though. Willing to stay hopeful next year but definitely need this offseason to go well to have a chance next season.

It was frustrating, but most objective Arizona fans saw where it was going, likely a first round exit in the NCAA tournament. Next season's team on paper could be competitive, but likely undermanned and mediocre.

Perfect synopsis of this boards attitude. We would have lost and gone nowhere. Did anyone catch the simulation of conference champions and who they said would have won the PAC? Of course they were wrong...but if they showed us losing in the round of 64 they were right.

I do agree with one thing that has been said that Sean looks tired and beaten up. His name as been dragged threw the mud and it has been tough on him and I'm sure his family. He is a proud guy. When faced with this same problem he brought in what looks like is 3 OAD's and a guy that shows some future promise at center.

I admire his work ethic. Agree with his philosophy of tough defense and what he is facing now Lute face when he lost many games in the first round. Here is a coach that other coaches and press said was one of the 3 guys that should go to the final four along with Few and Bennett. We haven't been there and it is unlikely we will next year or the next year as it will take time after the NCAA circus is over

I never gave up on Lute and I think Sean is the right guy too.

[midnightx]

Interesting. Kinda like the 2019-20 team. Maybe better, actually.

my expectations were better than the results this season

I’m frustrated that we didn’t get to finish the season, in some ways it’s sort of Miller getting let off the hook. Very frustrating regular season for sure though. Willing to stay hopeful next year but definitely need this offseason to go well to have a chance next season.

It was frustrating, but most objective Arizona fans saw where it was going, likely a first round exit in the NCAA tournament. Next season's team on paper could be competitive, but likely undermanned and mediocre.

Perfect synopsis of this boards attitude. We would have lost and gone nowhere. Did anyone catch the simulation of conference champions and who they said would have won the PAC? Of course they were wrong...but if they showed us losing in the round of 64 they were right.

I do agree with one thing that has been said that Sean looks tired and beaten up. His name as been dragged threw the mud and it has been tough on him and I'm sure his family. He is a proud guy. When faced with this same problem he brought in what looks like is 3 OAD's and a guy that shows some future promise at center.

I admire his work ethic. Agree with his philosophy of tough defense and what he is facing now Lute face when he lost many games in the first round. Here is a coach that other coaches and press said was one of the 3 guys that should go to the final four along with Few and Bennett. We haven't been there and it is unlikely we will next year or the next year as it will take time after the NCAA circus is over

I never gave up on Lute and I think Sean is the right guy too.

The difference is that Lute continued to put together deep rosters of talent. Miller's roster continues to get depleted and only partially restocked with a few band-aides of grad-transfers to fill some gaps. It will be more challenging for Miller to get out of the first round under the present circumstances.

[Beachcat97]

The difference is that Lute continued to put together deep rosters of talent. Miller's roster continues to get depleted and only partially restocked with a few band-aides of grad-transfers to fill some gaps. It will be more challenging for Miller to get out of the first round under the present circumstances.

But this isn't the 90s. Or the 80s for that matter. The culture of hoops recruiting and roster management is entirely different now from how it was under Lute. Lute didn't have to assimilate to OAD culture because it didn't exist yet, not the way it does now. UK, Duke, Kansas, UCLA...how many OADs did these programs have in the 90s? Hardly any. Same as AZ. If guys had to spend a year in college in the 90s, we'd have seen Garnett, Kobe, McGrady, Harrington, Lewis, Jermaine O'Neal in college. That's not a long list. Even if we look at the early 00s: Darius Miles, Kwame Brown, LeBron, Dwight, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, A. Stoudemire, Livingston, Bynum...it's a longer list but still nothing like where we are presently. Compare all of this to the Miller era. The list of OADs is too long to put here.

It's also true that OADs alone haven't been the reason for our poor roster continuity. Transfers, injuries, guys leaving as sophomore and juniors...these are all just as hard to overcome. But try to imagine a second year of Gordon. Of Ayton. Of Markkanen. Even of less impactful but talented players like Grant Jerrett and Kobi Simmons and Nico Mannion. Getting *any* of these guys for a second year could've meant MUCH better results during their sophomore seasons.

So is this Miller's fault? Yes and no. It *is* his fault because no one is holding a gun to his head forcing him to keep pace with Duke and UK and the OAD circus. He can choose to be Jay Wright or Mark Few or John Beilein...all of these coaches have had a minimal number of OADs, focusing instead on less heralded but solid players as the foundation of their rosters from year to year. It *isn't* his fault because there is tremendous pressure on the AZ coach to keep pace with Kansas and Duke. If Miller were to suddenly go two straight years without landing a single McDsAA or top player in the West, people would freak out.

Are AZ's influential boosters and frustrated fanbase willing to stand by and watch Miller change his recruiting strategy, looking for more Kadeem Allens and fewer Deandre Aytons?

[SCCats]

Not fewer Antons.

Fewer Kobi Simmons.

[EVCat]

Kobi is the clear bad one. But we haven't had many one and dones until this year.

Lute had a lot of players come into their own during their junior and senior years in an environment where there was no one and done. Even Bibby stayed that 2nd year after winning a title as a freshman. Elliot played 4 years. Chris Mills played to his senior year. Walton, Damon, etc. Khalid Reeves was the leading scorer on the 1994 FF team, and was generally considered to be a bust relative to his rankings until that senior year.

Our 2018 team was rather "old", with 2 seniors and a junior in the starting lineup. There were no clear leaders, which is a fair point Choo keeps bringing up. Something Miles Simon said in a review of the 1997 team made sense...the players on that team were all winners in high school, some in big time programs. Lute favored recruits who won in high school. Now, high school hardly weighs in, and "leadership" qualities become harder to pin down. Nick Johnson and TJ were the last clear leaders we had. We clearly need that type of personality. I feel like BWill is that kind of kid, but can he get on the court?

[Postmaster]

AAU seems to have taken over the High School in what matters.

[azgreg]

I think next years team, if there is a next years team will prove to be not as talented but more coachable then this years team.

[NickyBCats]

Choo. Juzang listed us in his top 6. Any feeling on this one?

[ChooChooCat]

Choo. Juzang listed us in his top 6. Any feeling on this one?

Think it's AZ or UCLA in this one. We've put the most effort into him that any other transfer.

[Beachcat97]

Choo. Juzang listed us in his top 6. Any feeling on this one?

Think it's AZ or UCLA in this one. We've put the most effort into him that any other transfer.

Where would he have a better chance to get minutes sooner than later? I'm guessing AZ, but maybe not?

[97cats]

try and land Trey Murphy and go from there - Arizona is familiar with Juzang from the past, good athlete needs a bounce back season.

[ChooChooCat]

Choo. Juzang listed us in his top 6. Any feeling on this one?

Think it's AZ or UCLA in this one. We've put the most effort into him that any other transfer.

Where would he have a better chance to get minutes sooner than later? I'm guessing AZ, but maybe not?

Depends who else Arizona lands honestly.

[midnightx]

The difference is that Lute continued to put together deep rosters of talent. Miller's roster continues to get depleted and only partially restocked with a few band-aides of grad-transfers to fill some gaps. It will be more challenging for Miller to get out of the first round under the present circumstances.

But this isn't the 90s. Or the 80s for that matter. The culture of hoops recruiting and roster management is entirely different now from how it was under Lute. Lute didn't have to assimilate to OAD culture because it didn't exist yet, not the way it does now. UK, Duke, Kansas, UCLA...how many OADs did these programs have in the 90s? Hardly any. Same as AZ. If guys had to spend a year in college in the 90s, we'd have seen Garnett, Kobe, McGrady, Harrington, Lewis, Jermaine O'Neal in college. That's not a long list. Even if we look at the early 00s: Darius Miles, Kwame Brown, LeBron, Dwight, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, A. Stoudemire, Livingston, Bynum...it's a longer list but still nothing like where we are presently. Compare all of this to the Miller era. The list of OADs is too long to put here.

It's also true that OADs alone haven't been the reason for our poor roster continuity. Transfers, injuries, guys leaving as sophomore and juniors...these are all just as hard to overcome. But try to imagine a second year of Gordon. Of Ayton. Of Markkanen. Even of less impactful but talented players like Grant Jerrett and Kobi Simmons and Nico Mannion. Getting *any* of these guys for a second year could've meant MUCH better results during their sophomore seasons.

So is this Miller's fault? Yes and no. It *is* his fault because no one is holding a gun to his head forcing him to keep pace with Duke and UK and the OAD circus. He can choose to be Jay Wright or Mark Few or John Beilein...all of these coaches have had a minimal number of OADs, focusing instead on less heralded but solid players as the foundation of their rosters from year to year. It *isn't* his fault because there is tremendous pressure on the AZ coach to keep pace with Kansas and Duke. If Miller were to suddenly go two straight years without landing a single McDsAA or top player in the West, people would freak out.

Are AZ's influential boosters and frustrated fanbase willing to stand by and watch Miller change his recruiting strategy, looking for more Kadeem Allens and fewer Deandre Aytons?

I completely understand the reasons Miller doesn't have the same kind of deep rosters of talent Lute did in the 1990's. My point is, fans cannot assume Miller is going to come out of this first-round quagmire the way Lute did because he doesn't have the depth from year to year. Other than changing some of his recruiting focus to athletic guards, Lute continued to have depth and experience with his rosters from year to year, that Miller does not (and to a degree cannot) have. As such, I suspect a number of fans do not have the same level of confidence that Miller is going to start to redeliver in the tournament.

[baycat93]

try and land Trey Murphy and go from there - Arizona is familiar with Juzang from the past, good athlete needs a bounce back season.

I like kids that sprout in college. Murphy went from a 6'4"g to a 6'8" wing/forward.

isn't he really '21/'22 though? traditional transfer?