Bear Down Wildcats

Spaceman Spiff wrote:I saw PJC over the weekend and he looked constipated.

He was really short with me. Worried.

I think we are missing the point of all this...I mean, big picture...when was the last time anyone saw this team play? March? I mean, come on now...do we even have a team anymore?

If we had a team, I would think we would see them playing. They haven't played an actual game since March...I'm worried that we don't even have a team, coach, or program anymore.

Sean Miller talks Ashley, expectations
Updated: September 24, 2014, 5:10 PM E

Arizona coach Sean Miller said the Wildcats will be cautious with Brandon Ashley and may give him an extra day off from practice in the coming months as he returns from a broken foot that sidelined him for the final 16 games of last season.

"Brandon is 100 percent cleared,'' Miller said on the ESPNU college basketball podcast Wednesday.

The Wildcats, though, wanted to wait until the seven-month threshold from the date of surgery ended to ensure no setbacks.



"If you watch him in practice he runs like nothing happened,'' Miller said of Ashley, who averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 22 games last season as a sophomore. "It's his third year for us as a starter ... He's one of our natural leaders. We're optimistic he'll have a big season for us.''

Miller is embracing the No. 1 prediction given to the Wildcats by the Sporting News preseason magazine and didn't shy away from the possibility that the team will have a chance to compete for the national title.

"It's always flattering to be called No. 1, and we have a chance to be very good,'' he said.

Miller said the experience in Ashley, junior center Kaleb Tarczewski, junior guard Gabe York and fifth-year senior point guard T.J. McConnell as well as the return of sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson gives the Wildcats the necessary experience to make a run. The infusion of heralded freshmen forward Stanley Johnson, expected to be a replacement for Aaron Gordon, and junior college transfer guard Kadeem Allen allow the Wildcats the necessary balance.

"We've added young talent, and now it's up to us and our team to come together,'' Miller said. "One of our great strengths was our team chemistry last year. We know what it looks like and we have to re-establish it again.''

Miller said the Wildcats have twice "knocked on the door" of getting to the Final Four in his five years as coach, losing to UConn in the 2011 Elite Eight and then to Wisconsin in the same round last March.

"We're hungry to break through,'' Miller said. "No one has to remind us that we want to be in the Final Four. We have a team and no question if things line up maybe we can be that team. We're a long way from there, but if we have the team chemistry, and hopefully have the health and good fortune then we'll have a very good season.''

Arizona will change itself again in the nonconference schedule by playing two true road games for the second straight season. Arizona was at Michigan and at San Diego State last season -- winning both. Michigan returns the game this season to Tucson, while the Wildcats go to UNLV and to UTEP. That's in addition to hosting likely top 15 team Gonzaga as well as playing in the Maui Invitational (with San Diego State and Pittsburgh the other potential top 25 teams in the field).

"I do believe programs that are no longer playing true road games will be severely penalized when it comes time to the NCAA tournament, whether it's the seed they get or making it or not making it,'' Miller said. "There are just way too many good teams and so much parity that you can't play games with the nonconference schedule.''

Miller said he hasn't been told directly to play two true road games but said those games prepare a team for conference play by being in hostile environments.

"It's what college basketball always has been,'' he said. "We want to be that team that is evaluated in March that is doing it the right way.''

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... roken-foot

Remembering when "true road game" wasn't a thing. Two of them? Whoa! Slow down, Cats!

Really good video on his rehab:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11815979

That underwater treadmill is cool.

Also got a cover:

Chad Ford:

Arizona is the main attraction here in Maui. There are four players on the Wildcats who are potential first-round prospects. How have they fared?

Brandon Ashley is the other Arizona player who has gotten looks as a potential first-rounder in the past. An injury wiped out those hopes last year, but Ashley is back and having a solid start to the year for Arizona. He's athletic and can stretch the floor. However he really appears to be a tweener. He has not been rebounding the ball and while he can shoot it with range, he's 0-4 from beyond the arc this year.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft201 ... tockWatch_

Please don't do that foul again. Thanks. I was thinking the Ashley-O'Brien matchup would be big. But both were pretty quiet.

Thought bash had a three in the first game or two? That foul almost cost me an iphone. He's prone to the boneheaded plays and mental lapses.

Ashley's pretty damn good though even when he's kinda silent or seems silent. Having his long arms out there for defense and rebounding makes me feel good. Always gonna chip in at least 8 points or so too.

Though offensively he was silent, Ashley did have a few good rebounds down the stretch.

gumby wrote:Please don't do that foul again. Thanks. I was thinking the Ashley-O'Brien matchup would be big. But both were pretty quiet.

I have to think that Ashley is still rounding back into game shape and that fatigue was a factor playing three games in three days.

From what i could tell played really solid D on O'Brien last night

Right now Ashley is the guy that I don't always notice when he's on the floor, buy i certainly feel something is missing when he isn't on the floor. He doesn't make many mistakes. He hits his free throws and plays good D. So he isn't really standing out positively or negatively, yet when he's out it's very noticeable.

I think he got as many assists from Gordon as from McConnell last year. So that's a big part of it. Gordon would draw the double team and kick it to Ashley for a flush.

Damn I miss Gordon. I bet Ashley does too.

Ashley on Wiltjer. Should be fun.

Brandon Ashley’s versatility once again a key factor for No. 3 Arizona

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... 3-arizona/

Just think...he's going to get even better.

The scary thing?

He still hasn’t reached the point where he was prior to suffering the injury that led to his sophomore season ending prematurely.

How is this not posted in this thread yet?


http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... =209858516

Arizona forward Brandon Ashley was one of 25 players from across the nation named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award mid-season watch list on Wednesday

I'll be glad when the game @ Cal is over......ugghhhh, the 'scene of the crime' last year. Not really all that superstitious but I can still vividly recall the injury. Let's just put this one in the bag asap and get back home.

BTFD Bash!!!

PieceOfMeat wrote:How is this not posted in this thread yet?


http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... =209858516

Arizona forward Brandon Ashley was one of 25 players from across the nation named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award mid-season watch list on Wednesday

Thanks POM....I'm embarassed to admit I didn't know about this award. I love the fact that the player must have a minimum of 2 years played though! No 'one and done's' allowed

The refs really seem to hate Brandon Ashley. He gets the most tricky tack foul calls of anyone on the team. He does complain a lot when he gets called, so maybe that's why they just keep sticking it to him.

Aside from that, does anyone else have the feeling he may not be fully over his injury? Right now I'm only seeing a Bash taking baseline jumpers. What happened to his post-up game? Before the injury he was so quick with the ball on the inside. I just don't see that as much. Hopefully they just need him more on the perimeter and he's feeling okay....but Id prefer to see him go back to the inside game more.

One of those calls was totally bull...t. It seem to take him out of his game rhythm.

billk78 wrote:The refs really seem to hate Brandon Ashley. He gets the most tricky tack foul calls of anyone on the team. He does complain a lot when he gets called, so maybe that's why they just keep sticking it to him.

Aside from that, does anyone else have the feeling he may not be fully over his injury? Right now I'm only seeing a Bash taking baseline jumpers. What happened to his post-up game? Before the injury he was so quick with the ball on the inside. I just don't see that as much. Hopefully they just need him more on the perimeter and he's feeling okay....but Id prefer to see him go back to the inside game more.

He didn't even make the top 100 list at draft express (Zeus is #91). Definitely something isn't right.

At first I thought maybe he was feeling the pressure of coming off an injury and proving to NBA scouts he could play. Seemed like maybe he was trying too hard to show off a jumpshot and got away from his true strengths. But Im wondering if there's something more to it. He has flashed some amazing plays and talent, but the consistency just isn't there. Like I said, I have to wonder if he isn't completely healed.

Fouls seemed ticky tack both games but the refs were consistently calling those fouls on everyone. Brandon and Kaleb need to adjust when that happens.

Yes, that third one on Kaleb, it was like the ref didn't want to call it. But he just kept bumping. Ease up on the hedge bumps, guys.

Hell of a game by Ashley tonight.

It seems like BAsh has been over-shadowed by almost everyone on the Cats this year. It's great to see him him getting some love!

Would have been blown out without him tonight

Thank god for Ashley

Brandon Mother Fucking Ashley!

This game reminded me of how Bash played in his last high school basketball game. Demanded the ball and when he didn't get it he exerted his will over his opponent on the block and got it anyway. Just a motherfuckin BEAST tonight.

I've said it before, but when Ashley plays like this, he's like lobster thermidor without the thermidor.

Forgot who said it, but if BAsh had Aaron Gordon't motor he would be a lottery pick.

In any event, BAsh just put himself back on the charts.

Unlike Tarczewski.

He played pretty solid defense tonight too.

saved our asses tonight. he has looked hungry as of late, pretty obvious why and what is at stake, but hey, whatever motivates him to play to his capability I am cool with.

Muehlebach was commenting tonight that Zeus is ineffective against zone defense. We pulled away with him out tonight. He should be better against either OU or 'tah.

His finest game as a Wildcat. Whew!

billk78 wrote:The refs really seem to hate Brandon Ashley. He gets the most tricky tack foul calls of anyone on the team. He does complain a lot when he gets called, so maybe that's why they just keep sticking it to him.

Aside from that, does anyone else have the feeling he may not be fully over his injury? Right now I'm only seeing a Bash taking baseline jumpers. What happened to his post-up game? Before the injury he was so quick with the ball on the inside. I just don't see that as much. Hopefully they just need him more on the perimeter and he's feeling okay....but Id prefer to see him go back to the inside game more.

Never saw this when it was posted, but I could not disagree more. I think Ashley "complains" less than any
One on the team when he is fouled. He usually laughs, shakes his head, and walks away. More like "you have got to be f***ing kidding me....".

I absolutely love that kid. Like Solomon and the Commisioner, he is exceptionally thoughtful and articulate. Those 3 will make a nice living in front of the camera when they are finished playing, should they so choose.

MVP! Think he's fully recovered.

He's just playing with so much confidence right now

Really nice to see him re=emerge. He has been a great Cat throughout at Arizona.
Super Articulate and intelligent.
Will miss him.
Rondae, Stanley, and Bash. 3 NBAer's no doubt about it.

Brandon Ashley's peaking at the right time. Smooth play, love his shot selection. His on court confidence has really improved. Must be a nightmare for other teams.

http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... 6ea01.html

Stat: .711. Ashley’s shooting percentage the last five games.

what an insane shooting percentage over a span of games.

PieceOfMeat wrote:http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... 6ea01.html

Stat: .711. Ashley’s shooting percentage the last five games.

what an insane shooting percentage over a span of games.

Wasn't it the Cal fans saying he can't shoot?

Cal fans say a lot of stupid shit for a fanbase that is supposedly so smart.