Bear Down Wildcats

I was really disappointed in Tarc's rebounding and inability to catch and hold balls tonight. Always seemed to mistime his jumps.

RockyRaccoon wrote:Tarc wont make it in the NBA, NBADL, Europe, or Asia.

You actually have to know how to play basketball in order to get paid for it.

Why you so grouchy?

Daryl Zero wrote:I was really disappointed in Tarc's rebounding and inability to catch and hold balls tonight. Always seemed to mistime his jumps.

I'm more disappointed in his perpetual inability to avoid bringing the ball down low and not simply go straight up to the basket with it. He makes himself far too easy to defend.

RockyRaccoon wrote:Tarc wont make it in the NBA, NBADL, Europe, or Asia.

You actually have to know how to play basketball in order to get paid for it.

Thank you Rocky, as always, for your unbiased perspective.

I can't wait for the future, "where has this been from Zeus" or the "Zues is the man" etc. threads.

Lots of maxi-pads will be changed from now till then.

RockyRaccoon wrote:Tarc wont make it in the NBA, NBADL, Europe, or Asia.

You actually have to know how to play basketball in order to get paid for it.

Back from your Club Med vacay with enfuego?

Posted this in the in game thread. Pretty sure it was a jab at Zeus. Ristic had awful hands yesterday too. Not a banner day from our centers.

Merkin wrote:

Seriously has Rocky ever been this crotchy about UofA in the past? Or is he just "keeping it real"?

Merkin wrote:Posted this in the in game thread. Pretty sure it was a jab at Zeus. Ristic had awful hands yesterday too. Not a banner day from our centers.

Merkin wrote:

I think of this every time I see Zeus attempt to catch a pass or rebound.

He has the worst hands I have seen in 25-30 years. That's no joke. Wookie had some horrific hands but got better. We used to wish Santa would bring Sean Rooks some new hands. Ed Stokes had skillet hands too.

But Zeus is taking this to an entirely new level of awful. Can you imagine what TJ's assist numbers would be if Tarc could just catch the damn ball, go up strong and finish?

He loses a shitload of rebounds just fumbling them out of bounds or to another teammate. I'm beginning to wonder if there really isn't something wrong with his reflexes/vision. Or something physical. See above.

YOU GUYS! OMG! You are finally starting to catch up! I'm so darn proud of you fellas!

I mean, it only took you nearly three seasons but you guys are finally starting to see what I saw the minute Zeus stepped onto campus.

That he is in no way a natural athlete that can do things like catch, time his jumping, be fluid in his movements, see the court, etc.

That he is in fact just a large human being that just happened to find his way onto a basketball court.

SO PROUD GUYS!!! Keep up the good work!

This team would be far worse without tarc

He does win every opening tip off doesn't he?

Although the Cats tend to have an immediate turnover.

Kirk Walters had about the stoniest hands ever, Ricky Anderson the weakest.

RockyRaccoon wrote:YOU GUYS! OMG!

OMG YOU GUYS!!!!



RockyRaccoon just can't even...

RockyRaccoon wrote:Tarc wont make it in the NBA, NBADL, Europe, or Asia.

You actually have to know how to play basketball in order to get paid for it.

You sound a lot like El Chupacabra.

i'm convinced kaleb is his own worst enemy and that his "skills" issues are 80%+ in his head.

going back to his hs days we've all seen how he frustrated, almost tantrum-like at times, he becomes when things don't go his way. his rebounding, mitts, and hookshot are supposedly fine in practice where it's a controlled environment; and we've seen him hold his own in aau ballgames, given their loosey-goosiness and pace. it just seems like he gets way down on himself and loses all confidence when things get tough down in the paint.

i kind of wish bill walton would take zeus out to the middle of the desert to clear his head and teach him to chill (or "chill" with the quote-unquotes) just a little bit

I haven't seen anyone mention it here but Miller went absolutely berserk during the OSU game, in one instance, after Tarc turned the ball over. The Refs called a media time out and Miller charged out on the court towards Tarc, literally screaming at him. Had Miller had a baseball bat I'm convinced that he would have gone "Capone" on him and bashed his skull in. I have never seen Miller so P'Od in my life.
Tarc was immediately yanked for Ristic. I'm wondering if, at some point, Miller is considering going with a smaller lineup without Tarc or just giving Ristic more time.

I think Miller was trying to light a fire under Zeus, which sitting him certainly would not do.

dmjcat wrote:I haven't seen anyone mention it here but Miller went absolutely berserk during the OSU game, in one instance, after Tarc turned the ball over. The Refs called a media time out and Miller charged out on the court towards Tarc, literally screaming at him. Had Miller had a baseball bat I'm convinced that he would have gone "Capone" on him and bashed his skull in. I have never seen Miller so P'Od in my life.
Tarc was immediately yanked for Ristic. I'm wondering if, at some point, Miller is considering going with a smaller lineup without Tarc or just giving Ristic more time.

Saw that. Was the first time I can recall miller laying into Zeus. It was after Zeus caught the ball on The block and for like the third time in a row brought the ball down instead of going straight up with it. The ironic thing is that Zeus did this later in the game and got an and one after pump faking the OSU defender into the air. The hesitation move cuts both ways.

Zeus is now getting the treatment Lute gave Shakur. Make a bonehead play and get yanked. Mustafa would get this scared puppy dog look whenever he screwed up.

What could have been. What could have been.

What would befall one. What would befall one. (???)

he should wear a red nose

the question is, how does CSM channel and sustain the raw passion & intensity zeus showed around 15 mins into the second half (clog the paint - rebound - block - rebound - rebound on consecutive possessions), and exorcise the kaleb who laughs after bumbling a pass inside from TJ and turning the ball over?

We are at the point where Ristic needs to see more minutes. Plain and simple. Even if you have to go to Korchek at times I don't care. I get that zeus provides us with a 7 foot wall in front of the basket. But that's all he is right now is a physical presence. No hands, no ball control, seems out of it. I thought Kaleb would be our best player this year and would take huge steps forward (along with BASH). Boy have I been wrong.

We need to give the other big men minutes. Let's see what Ristic can do and start to develop him more. We need scoring helps and he's better offensively than Kaleb. Perhaps taking a seat will wake Zeus up, I don't know.

Zeus laughing after missing the catch on the beautiful TJ tip pass was the end of the line.

Start Ristic and start working a guard oriented line up with Ashley running the post. Zeus is pathetic and it is 100% because his mentality is not conducive to playing basketball. He doesn't seem to care.

luteformayor2 wrote:Zeus laughing after missing the catch on the beautiful TJ tip pass was the end of the line.

Start Ristic and start working a guard oriented line up with Ashley running the post. Zeus is pathetic and it is 100% because his mentality is not conducive to playing basketball. He doesn't seem to care.

Is Ashley much better? All he seems to be doing is showing off a three point shot for scouts. (Problem is he can't make threes.)

luteformayor2 wrote:Zeus laughing after missing the catch on the beautiful TJ tip pass was the end of the line.

yes.

Miller is in a tight spot with Tarcs play at this point in the season. I'm not convinced that Ristic is the answer (he's certainly better on the offensive end) as he appears to be a defensive liability at times.

Miller could move Ashley to center and go with a smaller lineup featuring York as a starter (maybe that would stop Bash from jacking up 3's ) but I think that Bash might be a bit of a defensive liability at that position also. Bash is also not cut out physically to deal with big centers once the NCAA tournament rolls around.

And please don't tell me that Miller hasn't developed Tarc. How does Miller, or any coach for that matter, coach Tarc on how to catch, and actually hang onto, the ball???

I really can't see him leaving early for the draft. He needs another year in college.

No team in their right mind would waste the ink to write Kaleb on their draft card. He may not even get drafted after next year. A fucking joke.

Irish27 wrote:I really can't see him leaving early for the draft. He needs another year in college.

That could make him a liability to this team in more ways than one, if you want Rabb here.

catgrad97 wrote:

Irish27 wrote:I really can't see him leaving early for the draft. He needs another year in college.

That could make him a liability to this team in more ways than one, if you want Rabb here.

I don't think Tarc would be a liability.......unless there is a numbers problem with the scholies. Miller could just play the best players, and if Rabb is >>> Tarc he starts.

Ristic isnt the answer. He is a liability on defense. Zeus doesnt seem like a dude who is going to respond positively or negatively to having a fire lit under his ass, so i dont think that is an argument anyway.

The problem is two-headed. Its both Bash and Zeus. If one of these dudes stepped up and played like they should, it wouldn't be that big of an issues. Move bash to the five we are still not going to be getting the rebounding from a 4 and 5 like we should. And bash will keep getting eaten alive on defense, which negates the one huge positive Zeus gives us despite his poor play everywhere else. Bash plays like a 2 or 3 at the 4, he is gonna be worse at the 5

There are no answers other than both of these dudes need to step up.

can he play with WR football gloves on?

luteformayor2 wrote:Zeus laughing after missing the catch on the beautiful TJ tip pass was the end of the line.

Yes it was, and TJ's slow burn caught on TV after the play made it no secret how he felt toward Zeus either-- especially after he couldn't grab the subsequent loose ball.

Disappointment is the kindest word I can use, although Elliott saying Tarc is "still developing an offensive game" is a little too day-late, dollar-short to settle with me.

Bottom line is that, regardless of his physique, Kaleb loses every battle at the rim he has because he does not possess basketball hands. His lack of post game development will be the chief reason Arizona does not make a Final Four this season.

rgdeuce wrote:Ristic isnt the answer. He is a liability on defense. Zeus doesnt seem like a dude who is going to respond positively or negatively to having a fire lit under his ass, so i dont think that is an argument anyway.

The problem is two-headed. Its both Bash and Zeus. If one of these dudes stepped up and played like they should, it wouldn't be that big of an issues. Move bash to the five we are still not going to be getting the rebounding from a 4 and 5 like we should. And bash will keep getting eaten alive on defense, which negates the one huge positive Zeus gives us despite his poor play everywhere else. Bash plays like a 2 or 3 at the 4, he is gonna be worse at the 5

There are no answers other than both of these dudes need to step up.

Ashley can't maneuver in the post because Tarczewski has zero offense and can't play from the high post. No one would guard him. Tarczewski on the floor neutralizes your front court, because he is ineffective and makes Ashley less effective.

enfuego wrote:
Ashley can't maneuver in the post because Tarczewski has zero offense and can't play from the high post. No one would guard him. Tarczewski on the floor neutralizes your front court, because he is ineffective and makes Ashley less effective.

That has nothing to do with it. Bash doesn't succeed in the post because he does not want to. He has plenty of opportunities when Zeus is on the bench, on the weak side of the floor, or setting a high ball screen. He doesnt need to be a banger, just be a presence there and when he is actually want the ball and use his dynamic offensive skills set to put the ball in the bucket. Ive said it over and over, he has the skill set to be our leading scorer but he limits himself playing like a Grant Jerrett when he could be a college Kevin Garnett who can sink a three. On days when the long range shot isnt falling he should still be getting his within 8 feet

Plus, as Miller alluded to, Ashley did not protect the rim today and let all sorts of blow-bys and back cuts through, especially early.

Zeus is most of the problem, but Ashley's defense is also about 20-25 percent of it.

The game being too fast for the refs, who didn't have a clue about what a travel is today, was the other 5 or so percent of this loss.

I think ASU got whistled for three or four travels, a lot for a game, but they were traveling every three or four possessions at least. It was like watching a high school game. There was one time their dude switched his pivot foot twice before putting the ball on the floor and even my wife called it

Tarc didn't put in any kind of below-par performance today. He played his usual game. He was as physically limited by his spoon hands as he always is. York and Ashley don't get a pass today. That's the third loss when those two don't come to play.

At least one ESPN writer would beg to differ J:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketba ... r-asu-loss

Arizona should also be better on the offensive glass (108th in offensive rebounding rate per Ken Pomeroy). And that leads us to the next question: Where’s Tarczewski? He has two double-doubles this season. Two. That’s too few for a 7-footer who has been an NBA prospect throughout his career. He finished 1-for-6 in Saturday’s loss to Arizona State. The bottom line is that Miller needs more from Tarczewski. He hasn’t been a monster on the glass or a consistent factor in his team’s offensive production. Here’s a stat for you: Arizona is 18-2 when Tarczewski collects at least 10 points and seven rebounds. He has to make his mark in the final weeks of the 2014-15 season.

catgrad97 wrote:At least one ESPN writer would beg to differ J:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketba ... r-asu-loss

Arizona should also be better on the offensive glass (108th in offensive rebounding rate per Ken Pomeroy). And that leads us to the next question: Where’s Tarczewski? He has two double-doubles this season. Two. That’s too few for a 7-footer who has been an NBA prospect throughout his career. He finished 1-for-6 in Saturday’s loss to Arizona State. The bottom line is that Miller needs more from Tarczewski. He hasn’t been a monster on the glass or a consistent factor in his team’s offensive production. Here’s a stat for you: Arizona is 18-2 when Tarczewski collects at least 10 points and seven rebounds. He has to make his mark in the final weeks of the 2014-15 season.

That doesn't differ at all. Tarc doesn't do double-doubles. The Tarc who we way got today is the Tarc who we know. It's others who didn't play up to par.

What I wonder is if Ashley is a 5/4 instead of a 4/5. Position depends on who you can defend. In three losses, Ashley is getting burned. If you're not quick enough to defend a 4, then what does that make you? Ristic isn't ready to back up the 5 in big games. The tourney starts in a few weeks. Depending on match-up, why doesn't Ashley get more burn backing up the 5 while RHJ defends the 4? Pitts can defend the wing, or York if he's defending that game (comes and goes).

Interestingly enough, one of Zeus' two double-double performances last year was the OT loss at ASU. And he was one rebound away from double-doubles in four other games. Nothing close to those kinds of near-misses this season. But anyway...

I think if Zeus is to play to his full potential, foul trouble be damned, Arizona at this point might have to go small as its second option with Ashley at the 5 and Rondae working the low blocks, even if he is defending a guard the other way.

York and Pitts picked us up this time last year, and it looks like they'll have to do it again. A healthy PJC back on the Washington trip would be a help.

One more note, as loomer alluded to in the "Sean Miller ceiling" thread:

In virtually every positive statistical category except steals (his FG percentage is up 4/100 of a percent from last season and he has one-tenth of a turnover per-game less than last season), Kaleb Tarczewski's per-game average has declined by at least one-third from last season.

His FT percentage is seven percent poorer, he averages nearly half a block less a game as well as a rebound-and-a-half and nearly a point-and-a-half less per game--all in just under two MPG less PT than he saw last season. At the same time, he is averaging three fouls a game, the most of any year in his career.

Kaleb Tarczewski may be who he is now, but he wasn't always that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOfOrXapaNs

Feel free to pm me for any other player evaluations.

Pretty easy to see that Rocky is El Chupacabra from TOS.

WildcatStunner wrote:Pretty easy to see that Rocky is El Chupacabra from TOS.

I honestly don't have any idea what you're talking about.

I was RockyRaccoon at the other site.

Nothing like a loss to bring out the douchebags

I agree with Bill Walton. TJ should fire some hard passes right at Zeus's head. And for that matter fire one or two at Bash's face too. I'd be so pissed right now if I was on this team.

Ristic played 3 minutes. 3. Since I did not get to see the game (thankfully!!), I am assuming he got hurt. If not, and knowing there is no one on ASU that would have a chance to stop him in the low post, I am simply speechless. Pitts got 11 minutes. Wow. Just, wow.

Go Cats!!