Bear Down Wildcats

prh wrote:Trusting Alford, Enfield, or Hurley is a fool's errand. No way we finish below asu.

I agree 3rd at the worst, but I'll still say the Pac12 title runs through Arizona. Medical mentions Oregon looking for a 3rd title in 4 years. We're looking for 3rd straight. Let's go

ESPN wants ASU to succeed with every ounce of its being because Hurley is at the helm and they would love nothing more than to see him encroach on Arizona's dominance, so it is not surprising to see some of their lame writers/analysts promoting the rhetoric. They will look foolish in a couple of months time.

midnightx wrote:

prh wrote:Trusting Alford, Enfield, or Hurley is a fool's errand. No way we finish below asu.

I agree 3rd at the worst, but I'll still say the Pac12 title runs through Arizona. Medical mentions Oregon looking for a 3rd title in 4 years. We're looking for 3rd straight. Let's go

ESPN wants ASU to succeed with every ounce of its being because Hurley is at the helm and they would love nothing more than to see him encroach on Arizona's dominance, so it is not surprising to see some of their lame writers/analysts promoting the rhetoric. They will look foolish in a couple of months time.

ASU couldn't even put together a winning conference record last season. They lost their top 3 perimeter players. They had a veteran team a year ago. Last year was Hurley's high water mark.

Full media day session here

zonagrad wrote:

midnightx wrote:

prh wrote:Trusting Alford, Enfield, or Hurley is a fool's errand. No way we finish below asu.

I agree 3rd at the worst, but I'll still say the Pac12 title runs through Arizona. Medical mentions Oregon looking for a 3rd title in 4 years. We're looking for 3rd straight. Let's go

ESPN wants ASU to succeed with every ounce of its being because Hurley is at the helm and they would love nothing more than to see him encroach on Arizona's dominance, so it is not surprising to see some of their lame writers/analysts promoting the rhetoric. They will look foolish in a couple of months time.

ASU couldn't even put together a winning conference record last season. They lost their top 3 perimeter players. They had a veteran team a year ago. Last year was Hurley's high water mark.

Exactly. Why these writers are backing that horse is baffling.

That’s a cool poster.

I want

CalStateTempe wrote:That’s a cool poster.

I want

Nah, its gotta be a fake. Old Main is facing the wrong way.

But i like the return of the sunset and the saguaro!

If you visit Brewd on Sabino Canyon and Snyder, they have some sweet old school basketball posters.

Nine NCAA Tournament teams from last season that won't make it back to the Big Dance in 2019
Not everyone from the biggest conferences can replicate season-long success; here's who's set to slip in 2018-19

No two NCAA Tournament fields are alike. They never have been and never will be. Each year the best bracket in the sports universe gets a makeover from the year before, which looks markedly different from the year before that one and on down the line.

I did this last preseason and wound up going 6 for 8. I'm adding a ninth this time around and am drawing from the conferences from last season that earned multiple bids: the American, the A-10, the ACC, the Big 12, the Big East, the Big Ten, the Mountain West, the Pac-12 and the SEC.

To coaches who will read this and use it as bulletin board material, you're welcome.

2018 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS WHO WON'T MAKE IT IN 2019

1 ARIZONA
Last season's seed: No. 4

Key non-conference opponents: vs. Iowa State (Maui Invitational, Nov. 19-21, with potential games vs. Gonzaga, Auburn, Duke or Xavier), at UConn (Dec. 2), at Alabama (Dec. 9)

Outlook: Arizona got uppercutted out of the 2018 tournament by No. 13 Buffalo, which delivered one of the most overwhelming, lopsided upsets by a double-digit seed in tournament history (89-68). While it's true that Sean Miler's program is setting up beautifully in the class of 2019, the roster for the upcoming season is a sharp drop-off from the talent a year ago. Gone is No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton. Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier also left college eligibility on the table to chase pro dreams. The team's two other starters from last season, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dusan Ristic, graduated. There is still some talent in Tucson, but this is asking a lot and Arizona's non-conference schedule is so challenging that it might be submerging.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... e-in-2019/

Arizona is going to be better than most people think

Akot
Randolph
Williams
Doutrive
Barcello
Jeter
Lee
Coleman
Smith

Not all of them need to have break out seasons. But someone always steps up. Lots of opportunity for a lot of talented players.

Randolph is poised to have a big season but most importantly the addition by subtraction at the point of attack on both ends is going to make a HUGE difference alone.

replacing scoring and rebounding will be a challenge but lets see how Jeter comes off that off year - sometimes a view from the bench is exactly what a talented and somewhat immature high school senior needs to maximize his full potential.

One of the big keys is Jeter staying healthy and playing 30 minutes a game.

Pac-12 basketball: Andy Katz's predictions and power rankings for the 2018-19 season

• 1. Washington
  2. UCLA
  3. Oregon
  4. USC
  5. Colorado
  6. Arizona State

7. Arizona: OK, this is where I know I differ from others. The Wildcats lost a lot. Chase Jeter is eligible and the Wildcats have a stud in Brandon Williams arriving. But let’s see how it all plays out early. This will be a young team, lacking a lot of experience. The Wildcats have the talent to be a factor in the conference but it will take time.

Postseason prediction: NCAA bubble

This team actually is pretty talented with highly ranked players, which is crazy because if any program had this talent they would be thought of more highly.

• (247s composite rankings)
  
  • Emmanuel Akot: 5★ (#24 in 2017)
  • Chase Jeter: 5★ (#15 in 2015 class)
  • Brandon Randolph: 4★ (#38 in 2017 class)
  • Alex Barcello: 4★ (#83 in 2017 class)
  • Ira Lee: 4★ (#60 in 2017 class)
  • Brandon Williams: 4★ (#34 in 2018 class)
  • Devonaire Doutrive: 4★ (#72 in 2018 class)
  • Omar Thielmans: 4★ (#120 in 2018 class)
  • Justin Coleman: 4★ (#85 in 2014 class)

But again they lost all 5 starters and the returnees didn't log many minutes last year, so it is at least understandable. Defense should be better (which compared to last year isn't saying much), shooting (I'm hoping) should be better, better PG and multiple ball handlers, no 7 footers on the floor together, faster/more athletic & versatile, are some of the things that should (on paper) be better.

Also Doutrive seems to be better than expected.

zonagrad wrote:Akot
Randolph
Williams
Doutrive
Barcello
Jeter
Lee
Coleman
Smith

Not all of them need to have break out seasons. But someone always steps up. Lots of opportunity for a lot of talented players.

Luther will play a huge part.

ChooChooCat wrote:
Luther will play a huge part.

I think the Brandons and Luther will be our top 3 scorers in some order

Nice post on our talent, NYCat.

That doesn't even take Luther into account, and he was the leading scorer/rebounder for Pitt last year. We have the raw material to be fine.

I can't believe the Red/Blue just finally sold out. I'm as excited as I've ever been to go.

SunnyAZ wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:
Luther will play a huge part.

I think the Brandons and Luther will be our top 3 scorers in some order

You should come up with a nickname for this year's squad, as a rally cry. Might I suggest, Miller and the Anonymous Five?

enfuego wrote:

SunnyAZ wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:
Luther will play a huge part.

I think the Brandons and Luther will be our top 3 scorers in some order

You should come up with a nickname for this year's squad, as a rally cry. Might I suggest, Miller and the Anonymous Five?

You posted at 7:52 am? What are you doing here?

97cats wrote:Arizona is going to be better than most people think

97, is this just gut feeling? Trust in CSM? Careful consideration of the roster? The emerging consensus is that AZ will finish middle of the Pac and miss the tournament. Why are they wrong?

Beach, gut feeling here. Going dancing.

HiCat wrote:Beach, gut feeling here. Going dancing.

Absolutely. I’ve already booked Vegas for rounds 1/2. We dancin.

Jeter owns the gold jersey right now, per Ira Lee.

YoDeFoe wrote:Jeter owns the gold jersey right now, per Ira Lee.

If he rebounds all the time like he did today, he will be really good these next two years.

Interesting that Doutrive looked the most capable of the Barcello / DD / Smith grouping that will fight for back-up guard minutes. I didn't expect anything of him this season so that's a nice surprise. Curious if it'll carry through. Not sure that his frame is there yet to handle a season of D1 basketball, could use a Randolph-like off season of weight gain.

Luther and Jeter both look confident and capable. Lee and Akot as well. With limited depth in the front court, we need all four of those guys to be productive so it's a good to see them poised early.

Brandon Williams is a high level basketball player. Somehow it's lost on me that he's a top 25 recruit. A Nick Johnson, Brandon Ashley, Rondae, Rawle level recruit. Seeing him play was a helpful reminder.

I really liked what BW brought to us on the floor. I thought Akot was really good as long as he didn't try to do things he just can't do.

Jeter was terrific on the glass but it's not like we will be a rebounding juggernaut and we often see inflated numbers in the red/blue be false leaders.

Love Luther and think he will have a great year. Coleman was OK and like Doutrive and would like to see his energy in the line up.

Smith always seems like the kind of player that is just good enough to get a top team beat. Guess we will see.
Randolph seems to be that guy who is a playground legend but doesn't know how to play team basketball. Just have never seen anything but flashes from him that makes me think he will be that guy

All in all I liked what I saw and can't wait for the season to start. Hopefully we play very well on the defensive end

Coleman
Williams
Randolph
Doutrive
Akot
Luther
Lee
Jeter

Those 8 are for sure getting minutes. Remains to be seen if Smith or Barcello can crack the rotation.

Team ball = 2018/19 Arizona Basketball

Impressed with:
Jeter: thought his offensive movement w/o the ball was really good. If the guards start finding him on the slip he will get a lot of easy buckets/fouls. Needs to spend some serious time working at his FT shooting. Love the use of the left hand (unless he is left handed). Got lost/weak effort on a couple of defensive plays.
Williams: His overall play was up and down, but the flashes were bright. I think he will be the best player on the team in a month. It may not be close.
Doutrive: more of played above expectations. if only he had another 15lbs.

Played well:
Luther: he was not spectacular but very solid. Did not know he had range out to NBA 3+.
Randolph: Really want to see more from him. Feels like he is scratching the surface.
Lee: Brought his lunch pail ... will be a great role player w/ breakout games if he keeps this mentality.
Akot: Still struggles creating his own offense... liked him in the post on a couple of plays

TBD:
Coleman: just did not get much of a feel for his game. Hit one 3 (that I recall) w/ a really nice shot arc.

They are who we thought/think they are:
Smith: had a nice drive and pass to Lee early... don't remember anything else positive.
Barcello: hardly remember anything he did. Did he take/make a 3 point shot?

Team seems like they genuinely get along and are working on the team game. In general definitely worried about rebounding. The wings are going to need to get more involved. I do remember Randolph coming back at least once and grabbing a nice defensive rebound.

Looking forward to what these guys can do together.

Just some observations from Red/Blue and will withhold any sort of judgment until the 2 exhibitions and 3 cupcake games before they head to Maui. Just have to remember Sidiki Johnson looked really impressive during red/blue.

• Coleman, disappointing. Was hoping he was a better scoring, more assertive PJC, but he was kinda invisible and disappointing, didn't see anything of note during the game. He needs to hit wide open 3s, be assertive, because otherwise he's a liability on defense like PJC was. I guess the only positive is the things other players have said about him, that he's a good leader and brings energy. Wait and see I guess.

• Williams was better at the point, he should probably be starting but that likely won't happen as the lead guard, probably starts off ball.. He's definitely a high caliber player.
• Randolph, kinda of the same as last year. You see signs of brilliance and what could be a NBA talent but never actually see it throughout a game. He's lost on one side of the ball.
• Akot, like his energy and will probably start because of his defense and versatility. Hopefully he improves offensively, hopefully he's not as erratic like last year.
• Luther, liked what I saw. Hard worker and a shorter, not as good 3pt shooter as Lauri but still the best on the team (no confidence in Barcello). I think he'll be a good distributor for a big man. Stay healthy plz.
• Jeter looks like he'll rebound and defend really well. Offensively, he'll score the easy buckets and a hook shot or two, could still probably average a double double if his teammates can find him
• like Lee's energy, he has quickness and athleticism. Dude just has to play hard and give effort consistently and he will take a big freshman to sophomore jump
• Doutrive is pretty damn good, he has a bit of Akot erratic style last year but he was really impressive. Looks like he should be above Smith, Barcello. I hope he isn't a Sidiki Johnson.
• Smith is the most infuriating player ever
• Barcello doesn't do much and is non existent in game. If he doesn't make 3s, I don't see him playing much, he's really disappointing.
• improve free throw shooting
• I think the starting five will be fine and they'll be pretty good. The bench I don't have any confidence in. I think they'll lose leads or make a deficit larger.
• I don't see one elite thing the offense does or being particularly dominant, so I think the defense will have to be pretty good.
• I like the energy and vibe of the team overall. They look like they get along and will be together and playing as a team. which is probably the most important thing.

Just want to say I woke up feeling pretty thankful that we've got Luther and Jeter. Both played like the veterans that they are, showing a high skill level and plenty of confidence. Jeter banging through the brick house that is Ira Lee, Luther knocking down that catch and shoot over the high rising Randolph.

It's funny (?) that we've got good depth at guard and that's where my concerns are right now. Coleman didn't show me enough impact, Williams is a freshman, Barcello didn't attempt one of his lauded three point shots, Smith and Randolph missed all 8 of theirs. Liking what Doutrive offers comes with a double edge - nice to have him, wish the returning players did their jobs well enough that DD couldn't outshine them.

Plenty of practice time to go. Need Coleman to be serviceable and one of AB, DD, DS to step up. That makes an 8 man rotation that I can ride with.

A couple random thoughts to add to what I posted in the other thread.

After reading the box, I might have been too hard on Luther. He had 4 boards, which is reasonably productive. At the game, I must have missed them, because some of my meh reaction was lack of rebounding for him. 4 in 20 min isn't stellar, but it's better than I thought he did.

Miller certainly seems committed to 4 out on offense. We used to pull two posts high all the time to initiate, but that was basically nonexistent. We'd keep a guy in the post, but even then, Jeter and Lee were moving a ton to get there. Luther and Akot were basically 4th wings in the new scheme.

The more I think about Coleman, the more I worry. You'd think a grad transfer would kill it in this setting and he did so little. It wasn't really bad, he just didn't produce things. He isn't a good enough defender to just exist. It was like one of PJC's dicier games all over again.

We need a wing that will make 3's. Jeter needs to hit FT's.

In my uneducated opinion, I thought Lee Luther doutrive and Williams looked good.

My takes, and a question for those who may know

Brandon Williams athleticism surprised me. Even though I knew he had it.
Chase Jeter's fight down low was impressive. His FTs need improvement. We HAVE to hit him on the slip off PNR
Ryan Luther seems to be equal to our hopes. Or capable of being so based on a scrimmage. I feel pretty OK about the 4/5
Ira Lee still needs to calm down, but he played well enough to envision him being productive. We can also go Akot at 4 and small as hell
Brandon Randolph is a physical beast, but has the highest potential to undo the "team game" concept. He needs to channel his inner Trier.
Emmanuel Akot showed improved handle and confidence, but still has a ways to go to be a shooter.
Devonaire Doutrive handled the physical part of the game better than I would have ever expected. The mental part was also a surprise. He impressed
Alex Barcello made the quick swing rather than take the shot too many times. He played better than I expected defensively, but HAS to hit Jeter on that PNR
Justin Coleman never made much of an impression on me, which was disappointing.
Dylan Smith made a couple of good passes, which surprised me since I call him the worst passer in the history of guard play. But his consistency and decisions are confounding at times.

So, to the question...in the post-game, when the players went waving to the crowd after the huddle in the center, Coleman tapped Brandon Williams on the shoulder to talk with him. What transpired was what appeared to be a relatively-heated and one sided conversation. I have heard Coleman is a no-nonsense leader type, but it seemed odd. At one point, while Williams listened with a less-than-enthused face, Ira Lee walked by, poked his head in, then made a rather animated cringe face as he walked away. A few seconds later, someone else came up to Williams and Williams just shook his head slowly, like "can you believe that shit?"

Any idea what that was about?

EVCat wrote:My takes, and a question for those who may know

Brandon Williams athleticism surprised me. Even though I knew he had it.
Chase Jeter's fight down low was impressive. His FTs need improvement. We HAVE to hit him on the slip off PNR
Ryan Luther seems to be equal to our hopes. Or capable of being so based on a scrimmage. I feel pretty OK about the 4/5
Ira Lee still needs to calm down, but he played well enough to envision him being productive. We can also go Akot at 4 and small as hell
Brandon Randolph is a physical beast, but has the highest potential to undo the "team game" concept. He needs to channel his inner Trier.
Emmanuel Akot showed improved handle and confidence, but still has a ways to go to be a shooter.
Devonaire Doutrive handled the physical part of the game better than I would have ever expected. The mental part was also a surprise. He impressed
Alex Barcello made the quick swing rather than take the shot too many times. He played better than I expected defensively, but HAS to hit Jeter on that PNR
Justin Coleman never made much of an impression on me, which was disappointing.
Dylan Smith made a couple of good passes, which surprised me since I call him the worst passer in the history of guard play. But his consistency and decisions are confounding at times.

So, to the question...in the post-game, when the players went waving to the crowd after the huddle in the center, Coleman tapped Brandon Williams on the shoulder to talk with him. What transpired was what appeared to be a relatively-heated and one sided conversation. I have heard Coleman is a no-nonsense leader type, but it seemed odd. At one point, while Williams listened with a less-than-enthused face, Ira Lee walked by, poked his head in, then made a rather animated cringe face as he walked away. A few seconds later, someone else came up to Williams and Williams just shook his head slowly, like "can you believe that shit?"

Any idea what that was about?

I'd like to hear more about this as well. It's one thing to be a leader....but you kind of have to prove yourself a little bit first too. Don't just go lecturing the star freshman PG when you just got here yourself and basically showed nothing at all in the scrimmage. I'm not saying that's what happened...but if it did it's concerning.

After watching 4 years of PJC - I've come to the conclusion that if you're an undersized point guard you NEED to be a plus defender. If Coleman can't be harassing and pressuring an opposing point guard, he's pretty useless. Bigger, stronger guards continuously imposed their will on PJC. What that does is force the other four players on the court to compensate for the defensive inadequacy. Coleman can't be that kind of player because this team doesn't have the size inside and rim protection. I was skeptical of taking a guy like Coleman from a program like Samford. If he's the best we've got, we're in trouble. And I think that translates to Dylan Smith as well.

The more Coleman and Smith struggle to get minutes, the better off we'll be. If we're relying on them to make a difference it's gonna be a touch season.

Replay is on in 15min, I'll try to catch the end and see if I can see what EV is referring to.

If anyone didn't get to see the Red-Blue game or just wants to rewatch it, I have uploaded it. PM for a link as I don't think it would be wise to post it publicly

EVCat wrote:My takes, and a question for those who may know

Brandon Williams athleticism surprised me. Even though I knew he had it.
Chase Jeter's fight down low was impressive. His FTs need improvement. We HAVE to hit him on the slip off PNR
Ryan Luther seems to be equal to our hopes. Or capable of being so based on a scrimmage. I feel pretty OK about the 4/5
Ira Lee still needs to calm down, but he played well enough to envision him being productive. We can also go Akot at 4 and small as hell
Brandon Randolph is a physical beast, but has the highest potential to undo the "team game" concept. He needs to channel his inner Trier.
Emmanuel Akot showed improved handle and confidence, but still has a ways to go to be a shooter.
Devonaire Doutrive handled the physical part of the game better than I would have ever expected. The mental part was also a surprise. He impressed
Alex Barcello made the quick swing rather than take the shot too many times. He played better than I expected defensively, but HAS to hit Jeter on that PNR
Justin Coleman never made much of an impression on me, which was disappointing.
Dylan Smith made a couple of good passes, which surprised me since I call him the worst passer in the history of guard play. But his consistency and decisions are confounding at times.

So, to the question...in the post-game, when the players went waving to the crowd after the huddle in the center, Coleman tapped Brandon Williams on the shoulder to talk with him. What transpired was what appeared to be a relatively-heated and one sided conversation. I have heard Coleman is a no-nonsense leader type, but it seemed odd. At one point, while Williams listened with a less-than-enthused face, Ira Lee walked by, poked his head in, then made a rather animated cringe face as he walked away. A few seconds later, someone else came up to Williams and Williams just shook his head slowly, like "can you believe that shit?"

Any idea what that was about?

I didn't see the Coleman/Willliams convo you mentioned, but wasn't looking. I will say, Coleman did not distinguish himself as a leader by example in the game. If that happened, it's tough to lead by words and not by example.

I saw it on TV and at the end of the game saw the Coleman/Bwill talk. It didn't show the whole thing, but Coleman went up to BWill and it looked like a teaching moment. Coleman wasn't heated, Williams was receptive, and it didnt seem odd, but like I said it cut it off so I have no idea how long it went on for and if it went off the rails or not.

I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Omar tweeted that he isn't going back home. Was a response to one of those tweets you mentioned.

SunnyAZ wrote:

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Omar tweeted that he isn't going back home. Was a response to one of those tweets you mentioned.

December transfer sounds likely. Announcement coming tomorrow I guess?

Recruiting sucks

prh wrote:

SunnyAZ wrote:

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Omar tweeted that he isn't going back home. Was a response to one of those tweets you mentioned.

December transfer sounds likely. Announcement coming tomorrow I guess?

Recruiting sucks

Maybe he transfers to a smaller program on the east coast where he can get more playing time and have a shorter plane flight home?

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Yeah it ain't homesickness, but he's already left the program.

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Yeah it ain't homesickness, but he's already left the program.

Thank you for confirming, Choo.

Did he get offered a contract?
*looks at magic 8 ball

Does Doutrive have a nickname yet? "Devo"?

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:I saw some chatter on Twitter that Omar Thielemans is likely to leave the program, possibly due to homesickness. Have no idea if it is true or not.

Yeah it ain't homesickness, but he's already left the program.

I hate these wasted scholarships in October. At least it isn't grades, but ever since Dion Broom left Lute with a class of zero in '99, I agonize over these early fall departures. Luke Recker had the same cup of coffee with us in 2000.