Bear Down Wildcats

Rawle has had a few big games since he came back, but I agree that he has been rusty/not hit his stride, whatever you want to call it. He's got to find his rhythm from outside to better open the rest of his diverse offensive game. He really took it to another level in the second half of last season once his outside shooting got better/more consistent.

Any news?

Cleared for full practice Mon/Tues. Decision was probably made last night or right now. I'd almost rather rest him and get Smith/Randolph more time but I bet he plays

2 days ago

Rawle Alkins on track to return Wednesday at Washington State

The sophomore was cleared to practice Monday, as the soreness in his right foot has subsided

RKelapire Jan 29, 2018, 1:23pm PST

It appears Rawle Alkins is on track to return to the Arizona Wildcats’ lineup this week in the Pacific Northwest.

Alkins did not experience any soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot after a Saturday workout, and has been cleared to practice Monday, head coach Sean Miller said.

And Alkins will likely play Wednesday at Washington State if he can get through Monday and Tuesday’s practice unscathed.

“But we’ll know more after practice,” Miller affirmed.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... basketball" target="_blank

Jefe wrote:Cleared for full practice Mon/Tues. Decision was probably made last night or right now. I'd almost rather rest him and get Smith/Randolph more time but I bet he plays

Me too. Next week is a big home stand.

HiCat wrote:2 days ago

Rawle Alkins on track to return Wednesday at Washington State

The sophomore was cleared to practice Monday, as the soreness in his right foot has subsided

RKelapire Jan 29, 2018, 1:23pm PST

It appears Rawle Alkins is on track to return to the Arizona Wildcats’ lineup this week in the Pacific Northwest.

Alkins did not experience any soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot after a Saturday workout, and has been cleared to practice Monday, head coach Sean Miller said.

And Alkins will likely play Wednesday at Washington State if he can get through Monday and Tuesday’s practice unscathed.

“But we’ll know more after practice,” Miller affirmed.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... basketball" target="_blank

TY

IMHO...I think he needs to play if he's healthy. Shake off as much rust he can before UCLA/USC home stand.

Any ideas if he leaves after this season or will he stick around for one more year since this year he was hampered by the foot? I think he needs to prove to the scouts that his foot can withstand a full season of pounding.

UALoco wrote: Any ideas if he leaves after this season or will he stick around for one more year since this year he was hampered by the foot? I think he needs to prove to the scouts that his foot can withstand a full season of pounding.

Really? Is that a thing? It's determined not by physical examinations by doctors, but by proving to scouts that a past injury can really take a pounding?

Play him 20 minutes. We need him to stay in shape and be comfortable playing with the team

84Cat wrote:Play him 20 minutes. We need him to stay in shape and be comfortable playing with the team

This, plus if there's no structural issues, I worry about him mentally if you start limiting him arbitrarily. A player's mindset is a huge issue, and you don't want him messing with his own head.

The only message I'd be sending him is that we should be careful with when he's ready, but if he's ready, he should be full out.

I say 21 minutes.

Split the difference.

Looks like he is a go.

Anyone else feel RA and PJC are the keys today? They both have to be aggressive attacking gaps and hit their open 3s.

Frybry02 wrote:Anyone else feel RA and PJC are the keys today? They both have to be aggressive attacking gaps and hit their open 3s.

That would be nice, but we have a Bahamian zone buster under the basket if we can get him the ball. Watch my lips:
"Get him the ball"

Turnovers and boards...will be watching those stats.

Yes, Ayton grabbing offensive rebounds against the Washington zone positioning is quite the factor.
M

If Ayton is Ayton, we stay under 10 turnovers, and take care of the boards, we win. Close game for sure, though. That’s been the trend this season, save for WSU.

Alkins may need the start, but it leaves me wondering if our bench can pick up the slack.

We're going to need Randolph hitting his Js against the 2-3 today, at least.

I expect both Randolph and Smith to get a chance fairly early to show which one can hit a 3 against this zone. But I never can read Miller's mind. I blame it on not attending practices as I did when living in Tucson. I'm still waiting for one of you to try my trick on Miller, that I used when Lute coached. I was a track official and wore my uniform to practices with the cover of going to see Dave the track coach whose office was in McKale. I was never stopped, but did not try going to a practice that was labeled as Closed.

They usually have curtains up between halls and the arena and people keeping an eye out for people loitering

Postmaster wrote:They usually have curtains up between halls and the arena and people keeping an eye out for people loitering

Sounds like something new. I don't remember curtains in the 1990s when I used to go see Dave Murray. I wouldn't quite loiter.

Make Rawle the 6th man. Start Smith. Both seem to do better in the scenario.

Rawle can still be the one to finish the game.

Damn. I opened this thread thinking Rawle was announced as PAC-12 Player of the Week.

PieceOfMeat wrote:Make Rawle the 6th man. Start Smith. Both seem to do better in the scenario.

Rawle can still be the one to finish the game.

Was thinking the exact same thing POM! Seriously, remember JT, Rondae (both studs) coming off the bench? We need a stud to come in as a dangerous 6th man and Rawle would be a great choice for this IMO.

If Rawle wants to start, Rawle gets to start ... and I’m willing to bet Rawle would rather start than come off the bench.

Can people stop saying he's a good defender, he's not. Even if he's not injured. Gets lost on switches/rotations so easily.

NYCat wrote:Can people stop saying he's a good defender, he's not. Even if he's not injured. Gets lost on switches/rotations so easily.

Never been. Doesnt have the lateral quickness, doesnt have the recognition off the ball, gets caught watching too much, loses his man off the ball. Its so frustrating. Not saying many of the others are much better, but I just wish he had it defensively, because it would absolutely help his outlook at the next level.

He had a wide open look in the corner last night that had sideways rotation. Nothing in his game right now says NBA prospect.

I don't see any good defenders among the starters, except maybe Ayton. PJC, Rawle, and Trier all get beat off the dribble consistently and Ristic is too slow-footed. So when one of our top scorers can't score, we are in big trouble. And that player was Alkins in the last two games.

the whole team defensively is a mess. That was the poorest effort O have ever seen from a Miller team. Almost like they didn't care or were just lost or frozen with fear

BBQ wildcat wrote:I don't see any good defenders among the starters, except maybe Ayton. PJC, Rawle, and Trier all get beat off the dribble consistently and Ristic is too slow-footed. So when one of our top scorers can't score, we are in big trouble. And that player was Alkins in the last two games.

Yeah that's what I was saying in another thread... we need all three of these guys clicking in order for our offense to outscore the other team (bc our defense isn't going to save the day).

Rawle has been a mess of inconsistency the past six games.

I'm still hopeful that he turns it around and the team turns around with him. But its no fun to see a guy who should be knocking down shots barely catch iron.

Rawle in these two losses:

59min of play... 9 pts... 8 rbs... 4 asts... 5 TOs... 1 blk... 1 stl

Shooting 3/12 (25%) from two and 1/8 (12%) from three. One free throw attempt, that he missed.

Averaging 4.5pts 4rbs 2asts 2.5 TOs in starter's minutes putting up a 57 ORtg.

Rawle, I love you man, but you're playing like a fucking bum.

Our defense has sucked in these two games, but goddamn you have to imagine seeing Rawle take 20 shots and make just 4 sucks some of the momentum out of this team.

YoDeFoe wrote:Rawle in these two losses:

59min of play... 9 pts... 8 rbs... 4 asts... 5 TOs... 1 blk... 1 stl

Shooting 3/12 (25%) from two and 1/8 (12%) from three. One free throw attempt, that he missed.

Averaging 4.5pts 4rbs 2asts 2.5 TOs in starter's minutes putting up a 57 ORtg.

Rawle, I love you man, but you're playing like a fucking bum.

Our defense has sucked in these two games, but goddamn you have to imagine seeing Rawle take 20 shots and make just 4 sucks some of the momentum out of this team.

Is he truly healthy now?

PHXCATS wrote:

YoDeFoe wrote:Rawle in these two losses:

59min of play... 9 pts... 8 rbs... 4 asts... 5 TOs... 1 blk... 1 stl

Shooting 3/12 (25%) from two and 1/8 (12%) from three. One free throw attempt, that he missed.

Averaging 4.5pts 4rbs 2asts 2.5 TOs in starter's minutes putting up a 57 ORtg.

Rawle, I love you man, but you're playing like a fucking bum.

Our defense has sucked in these two games, but goddamn you have to imagine seeing Rawle take 20 shots and make just 4 sucks some of the momentum out of this team.

Is he truly healthy now?

He's certainly getting healthy dude minutes. So I assume he's healthy but just not in rhythm having gone in and out so many times.

NYCat wrote:Can people stop saying he's a good defender, he's not. Even if he's not injured. Gets lost on switches/rotations so easily.

Is there a way to copy this into every player thread other than PJC and Dusan?

In the PJC and Dusan threads, it can be about how they know concepts but lack the physical ability.

No one really says that others guys are good defenders though.

YoDeFoe wrote:

PHXCATS wrote:

YoDeFoe wrote:Rawle in these two losses:

59min of play... 9 pts... 8 rbs... 4 asts... 5 TOs... 1 blk... 1 stl

Shooting 3/12 (25%) from two and 1/8 (12%) from three. One free throw attempt, that he missed.

Averaging 4.5pts 4rbs 2asts 2.5 TOs in starter's minutes putting up a 57 ORtg.

Rawle, I love you man, but you're playing like a fucking bum.

Our defense has sucked in these two games, but goddamn you have to imagine seeing Rawle take 20 shots and make just 4 sucks some of the momentum out of this team.

Is he truly healthy now?

He's certainly getting healthy dude minutes. So I assume he's healthy but just not in rhythm having gone in and out so many times.

Let's hope so and he just has to knock the rust off or it is just a two game bad stretch

PHXCATS wrote:
Let's hope so and he just has to knock the rust off or it is just a two game bad stretch

Here's my hope: Rawle knocks the dust off and gets back into an offensive rhythm, which makes playing with him on the court both productive and FUN again, because instead of shots going up and not dropping and then the opponent running out on our transition defense... the ball drops in the bucket and we're able to clap it up and get back before they inbound.

I honestly believe that Rawle getting his offense back going will cure a lot of what ails this team right now. He's supposed to be our third punch and he's out there blowing kisses.

But also I'm an eternal optimist about this team who doesn't internalize the reality of our faults until the season is over and I'm nursing a "what happened" hangover.

Nice win. I don't think Alkins knows how to pass the ball.

Unless Rawle does a 180 in the next few games I think its in his best interest to return for his Junior year.

One thing he really needs to do badly is lose about 5-7 lbs and develop more lean muscle. His quickness needs to improve if he wants to play at the next level. Hell, K Justice was dribbling around him tonight.

On the other hand if he likes long bus rides to places in North Dakota I guess the D-League is there.

He was mostly pretty bad tonight. Piss poor defender, can't pass, couldn't hit any wide open 3s. Did just enough in the second half to help a bit.

I couldn’t believe how easily Justice got around Rawle. Wtf. One guy has a possible future in the NBA, the other has a future as a dominant YMCA player in Scottsdale.

Maybe he’s not 100% healthy? Or yeah, maybe he needs to get leaner.

I’d be shocked if he played another season at AZ, but man would that be a nice turn of events for the program. I think Rawle’s had a positive impact on this team and could be our star next season.

I really appreciated his energy and hustle out there - he does bring toughness and leadership that we need and that Akot, his replacement, lacks today.

But yeah - another game of Rawle shooting poorly, throwing the ball away, and getting blown by on D. Thankfully this one didn't end in another L.

If this was any other player on this team we'd be calling for them to get benched. We've got a week of practice and rest between now and our next game. Hopefully Rawle uses it to get back to his old self.

Just need Rawle to work through this. He has a month until we really need him. There is no reason to believe he won't have it figured out by then.

In Rawle I trust.

Alieberman wrote:Just need Rawle to work through this. He has a month until we really need him. There is no reason to believe he won't have it figured out by then.

In Rawle I trust.

Savage life!

He doesn't look ready for starters minutes right now. It's fine if he rests until the tourney.

Not a great game but tied it and then huge in OT. GR8!

TatetheGreat wrote:He doesn't look ready for starters minutes right now. It's fine if he rests until the tourney.

He needs to play as much as he can handle to get into sync and get his confidence back. He's not driving the ball well. Very tentative.