Bear Down Wildcats

Good story by Rivera:

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/ ... ame-112314


"Kaleb has been our best player since we've started school," Miller said. "He probably has a sense of frustration about him in the first three games of our season because he hasn't performed as well offensively - points per game and field goal attempts."
But Miller vows, "The best is yet to come for him."

Hopefully it translates soon. In a PG driven game it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, however, looking at Kenpom his contributions is very telling.

Starting to wonder if Tarc is destined to be "key contributor" rather than "the man." As long as we win, does it really matter?

Breakout games for him and SJ on the island...

Arizona, so far, has just played against zones which requires better offensive play in order to get the ball down low.

Few big men are "the man" anymore. Went back through AA teams over the past 15 years. Few true centers. The ones who could be "the man" jump to the League. Back-to-the-bucket play has diminished.

Our best in recent years blossomed late: Jordan Hill. Even then, not a true center.

Observe trends (such as, scores are down). It eases frustration.

Olsondogg wrote:Breakout games for him and SJ on the island...

really looking forward to zeus doing some work vs. chol and sdsu in lahaina. i know, i know, looking ahead...

Loved his work on the boards. Hands are always gonna be an issue but would be nice if some could give him the ball at the right spot more. I hate zones so I am sure he hates them even more

gumby wrote:Few big men are "the man" anymore. Went back through AA teams over the past 15 years. Few true centers. The ones who could be "the man" jump to the League. Back-to-the-bucket play has diminished.

Our best in recent years blossomed late: Jordan Hill. Even then, not a true center.

Observe trends (such as, scores are down). It eases frustration.

You're right, gumby. But Tarc arrived as a legit 5 star guy, a "true center," which he is. We don't need him to be "the man," and I'm not saying Tarc should be thought less of because he hasn't achieved that status at UofA. Yet, at least.

Tarc played well at times today. Just as he did throughout last season. But Ristic, as a freshman, seems to have better post instincts than Tarc has as a junior.

I'm not really frustrated with Tarc. How can I be? He's pretty solid for the most part. Good rebounder, decent (not great) defender, decent FT shooter, and a good teammate. And he's a legit 7 footer with decent athleticism. Not many teams have that. So he gives us a size advantage against most teams.

Here's hoping he hits a nice stride in the coming days and weeks, and plays a significant role in our run to the FF this season.

The story others are saying is for elite bigs to stay away from Arizona pointing to the lack of development of Kaleb.

IDK, I am starting to think that Zeus is a solid college player, and was rated so high because of his size, but he's at close to the ceiling and is having trouble finding his role on this year's team.

Laughing at your "story", as well as your post. You do realize that there is much to the game of basketball besides the one column you notice on a stat sheet right?

Bosy Billups wrote:The story others are saying is for elite bigs to stay away from Arizona pointing to the lack of development of Kaleb.

IDK, I am starting to think that Zeus is a solid college player, and was rated so high because of his size, but he's at close to the ceiling and is having trouble finding his role on this year's team.

Always with the third-person drama. Who are "others"? I know, "sources."

Beachcat97 wrote:

gumby wrote:Few big men are "the man" anymore. Went back through AA teams over the past 15 years. Few true centers. The ones who could be "the man" jump to the League. Back-to-the-bucket play has diminished.

Our best in recent years blossomed late: Jordan Hill. Even then, not a true center.

Observe trends (such as, scores are down). It eases frustration.

You're right, gumby. But Tarc arrived as a legit 5 star guy, a "true center," which he is. We don't need him to be "the man," and I'm not saying Tarc should be thought less of because he hasn't achieved that status at UofA. Yet, at least.

Tarc played well at times today. Just as he did throughout last season. But Ristic, as a freshman, seems to have better post instincts than Tarc has as a junior.

I'm not really frustrated with Tarc. How can I be? He's pretty solid for the most part. Good rebounder, decent (not great) defender, decent FT shooter, and a good teammate. And he's a legit 7 footer with decent athleticism. Not many teams have that. So he gives us a size advantage against most teams.

Here's hoping he hits a nice stride in the coming days and weeks, and plays a significant role in our run to the FF this season.

Ristic has a better post game. Nice to have him.

I would say that Tarc and SJ are the two guys searching for how they fit into the offense. With bigs, it can be hard to say who is at fault. You're at the mercy of the other guys feeding you the ball in good positions. If they don't, you can have quiet offensive games. Think it's part of the evolution of the game that teams can shut down true centers. Tarc will pick up offensively when the perimeter guys start making shots consistently. We're not going to make a living jamming it into the post.

Bill Self.


Wasn't he the one who said not to go to Arizona since Lute may die on them?

That baseline post move he had with 4:50 left in the 2H was pretty. Faked his defender out and made a 7' baby hook

Gotta stay outta foul trouble

Jefe wrote:That baseline post move he had with 4:50 left in the 2H was pretty. Faked his defender out and made a 7' baby hook

Yup. Also, I think he should keep taking that 15 foot baseline jumper if the guy doesn't cover him. He's one of our best FT shooters. No reason he can't make that shot. It will start falling, then he will be close to unstoppable.

Go Cats!!

Be interested to see what Zeus's hands measure out at. Ristic has so much better ball control.

gumby wrote:

Bosy Billups wrote:The story others are saying is for elite bigs to stay away from Arizona pointing to the lack of development of Kaleb.

IDK, I am starting to think that Zeus is a solid college player, and was rated so high because of his size, but he's at close to the ceiling and is having trouble finding his role on this year's team.

Always with the third-person drama. Who are "others"? I know, "sources."

Was going to reply to it last night but decided it wasn't worth it

gumby wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:

gumby wrote:Few big men are "the man" anymore. Went back through AA teams over the past 15 years. Few true centers. The ones who could be "the man" jump to the League. Back-to-the-bucket play has diminished.

Our best in recent years blossomed late: Jordan Hill. Even then, not a true center.

Observe trends (such as, scores are down). It eases frustration.

You're right, gumby. But Tarc arrived as a legit 5 star guy, a "true center," which he is. We don't need him to be "the man," and I'm not saying Tarc should be thought less of because he hasn't achieved that status at UofA. Yet, at least.

Tarc played well at times today. Just as he did throughout last season. But Ristic, as a freshman, seems to have better post instincts than Tarc has as a junior.

I'm not really frustrated with Tarc. How can I be? He's pretty solid for the most part. Good rebounder, decent (not great) defender, decent FT shooter, and a good teammate. And he's a legit 7 footer with decent athleticism. Not many teams have that. So he gives us a size advantage against most teams.

Here's hoping he hits a nice stride in the coming days and weeks, and plays a significant role in our run to the FF this season.

Ristic has a better post game. Nice to have him.

I would say that Tarc and SJ are the two guys searching for how they fit into the offense. With bigs, it can be hard to say who is at fault. You're at the mercy of the other guys feeding you the ball in good positions. If they don't, you can have quiet offensive games. Think it's part of the evolution of the game that teams can shut down true centers. Tarc will pick up offensively when the perimeter guys start making shots consistently. We're not going to make a living jamming it into the post.

Tarc needs to get bold and demand the ball. He looks timid out there so far. He needs that one game where he just bosses people to get his mojo back.

Bosy Billups wrote: Tarc needs to get bold and demand the ball. He looks timid out there so far. He needs that one game where he just bosses people to get his mojo back.

Even Miles was commenting on it. When Tarc got the ball down low and was single covered Simon was saying he should use strength to back the defender down then have an easy 2 point shot. I think Tarc passed the ball out.

Played like THE man tonight

Played great tonight, only concern is the 3 rebounds, but there weren't many rebounds to go around tonight

You could finally see the much talked about improvement. The first few free throws aside, he had a very solid game.

Still losing easy rebounds, but he was by far the player of the game tonight.

His offense was superb. Defense was solid too of course.

Tarc showcased some very nice moves in the paint tonight. His talent and offensive versatility was on display after he got going. There is way too much harping on what he does wrong, when he makes mistakes, or that he doesn't live up to his potential. The kid can play. Ristic clearly has talent, but Tarc is much more developed and accomplished. Ristic is still raw, but there is a lot to be excited about (he could be a significant force next year).

Just stay outta foul trouble. Plays much better when he's mad

Best game as a Cat! Well done, Zeus!

Go Cats!!

Much, much better. Has to get more than 3 rebounds though!

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?

Big man Kaleb Tarczewski has been on the radar since his freshman year. He's got NBA size and he's a surprisingly explosive athlete. He just hasn't shown the toughness, rebounding or offensive skill to get anyone to bite on him in the first round. He played one of the best games of his career Tuesday, scoring a career-high 18 points and showing a variety of impressive moves around the basket. However, he grabbed just three rebounds and his toughness in the game varied. Could he be another Miles Plumlee-type who gets better once he's in the pro game? "More like Eric Montross," one scout deadpanned. I wouldn't go that far. The talent is clearly there. If he can put together more games like he did on Tuesday, he'll have plenty of suitors in the first round.

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

midnightx wrote:Tarc showcased some very nice moves in the paint tonight. His talent and offensive versatility was on display after he got going. There is way too much harping on what he does wrong, when he makes mistakes, or that he doesn't live up to his potential. The kid can play. Ristic clearly has talent, but Tarc is much more developed and accomplished. Ristic is still raw, but there is a lot to be excited about (he could be a significant force next year).

It's the life of a 7-footer. People can't relate. Just figure they should dominate. Kinda feel sorry for them. He was nails last night.

Coop Cat wrote: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?

Big man Kaleb Tarczewski has been on the radar since his freshman year. He's got NBA size and he's a surprisingly explosive athlete. He just hasn't shown the toughness, rebounding or offensive skill to get anyone to bite on him in the first round. He played one of the best games of his career Tuesday, scoring a career-high 18 points and showing a variety of impressive moves around the basket. However, he grabbed just three rebounds and his toughness in the game varied. Could he be another Miles Plumlee-type who gets better once he's in the pro game? "More like Eric Montross," one scout deadpanned. I wouldn't go that far. The talent is clearly there. If he can put together more games like he did on Tuesday, he'll have plenty of suitors in the first round.

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

Montross' junior year: 22 and 10. I know this guy only cares about The League. But 22 and 10 would be something. Oh, and won a natty.

Fraschilla made a good point on Zeus's defense last night...trying to defend someone without the use of hands is difficult. I thought Zeus had a solid game on both ends last night. Sure, it would have been nice to get a few more boards for him personally, but what people don't realize is that teams game plan to reduce his ability to board. Why do you think that others (TJ etc.) get boards when Zeus doesn't?

I couldn't be happier with him at center. People like seeing Ristic score (as do I) but scoring is not where having a 7 footer really matters.

gumby wrote:

Coop Cat wrote: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?

Big man Kaleb Tarczewski has been on the radar since his freshman year. He's got NBA size and he's a surprisingly explosive athlete. He just hasn't shown the toughness, rebounding or offensive skill to get anyone to bite on him in the first round. He played one of the best games of his career Tuesday, scoring a career-high 18 points and showing a variety of impressive moves around the basket. However, he grabbed just three rebounds and his toughness in the game varied. Could he be another Miles Plumlee-type who gets better once he's in the pro game? "More like Eric Montross," one scout deadpanned. I wouldn't go that far. The talent is clearly there. If he can put together more games like he did on Tuesday, he'll have plenty of suitors in the first round.

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

Montross' junior year: 22 and 10. I know this guy only cares about The League. But 22 and 10 would be something. Oh, and won a natty.

All NBA scouts criticize in seven-footers is ceiling. Like Montross was supposed to have grown three more inches or gained 50 more pounds of muscle in the NBA somehow.

I like to use a hopefully more realistic metric to measure Zeus against: Precedent, aka Loren Woods. From Finley at the Star:

http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... 05a53.html

Woods averaged 14.3 points, 7 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game in two years at the UA.

Woods led the UA with 15.6 points as a junior. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 2001.

And Woods was never a focal point of the offense.

In contrast, so far Zeus' junior points and blocks numbers are down, even taking into account last night's performance, from his sophomore average.

In a tick more PT this season, he is so far averaging 8.8 ppg/6.4 rpg/0.8 bpg.

As a sophomore in 2013-14, the averages were 9.9/6.3/1.0.

I'm certainly not expecting Kaleb to equal the best shot-blocker in Wildcat history. However, it certainly isn't unreasonable to expect a Tarczewski who averages double figures in points and at least seven rebounds a game as a junior with two years as a starter, is it?

Woods could knock down the free throw line extended or baseline jumper with consistency though. Was not just a low post player.

Oops. Those were the 40 minute numbers for Montross. Make it 15 ppg and 7.6 rbs. Still ....

catgrad97 wrote:

gumby wrote:

Coop Cat wrote: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?

Big man Kaleb Tarczewski has been on the radar since his freshman year. He's got NBA size and he's a surprisingly explosive athlete. He just hasn't shown the toughness, rebounding or offensive skill to get anyone to bite on him in the first round. He played one of the best games of his career Tuesday, scoring a career-high 18 points and showing a variety of impressive moves around the basket. However, he grabbed just three rebounds and his toughness in the game varied. Could he be another Miles Plumlee-type who gets better once he's in the pro game? "More like Eric Montross," one scout deadpanned. I wouldn't go that far. The talent is clearly there. If he can put together more games like he did on Tuesday, he'll have plenty of suitors in the first round.

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

Montross' junior year: 22 and 10. I know this guy only cares about The League. But 22 and 10 would be something. Oh, and won a natty.

All NBA scouts criticize in seven-footers is ceiling. Like Montross was supposed to have grown three more inches or gained 50 more pounds of muscle in the NBA somehow.

I like to use a hopefully more realistic metric to measure Zeus against: Precedent, aka Loren Woods. From Finley at the Star:

http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... 05a53.html

Woods averaged 14.3 points, 7 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game in two years at the UA.

Woods led the UA with 15.6 points as a junior. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 2001.

And Woods was never a focal point of the offense.

In contrast, so far Zeus' junior points and blocks numbers are down, even taking into account last night's performance, from his sophomore average.

In a tick more PT this season, he is so far averaging 8.8 ppg/6.4 rpg/0.8 bpg.

As a sophomore in 2013-14, the averages were 9.9/6.3/1.0.

I'm certainly not expecting Kaleb to equal the best shot-blocker in Wildcat history. However, it certainly isn't unreasonable to expect a Tarczewski who averages double figures in points and at least seven rebounds a game as a junior with two years as a starter, is it?

I would not expect a Woods-like junior year (which was Loren's fourth in college). Loren was first-team all conference. If you projected that for Kaleb, then I understand the disappointment. I don't see him putting up those numbers on offense. If you see something in his game that leads you to believe he will, please share.

Two other strikes against him. 1.This isn't a high-scoring team. Fewer possessions. 2. If the perimeter shooting doesn't pick up, teams are going to sag.

On the other hand, Kaleb won't get pushed around like Woods did. They have different roles, and Miller seems quite pleased with how Kaleb is carrying his out.

True 'Seven Footers' at Arizona

Loren Woods college career: 11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 22.4 "Bird" value.

Ed Stokes college career: 8.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 14.5 "Bird" value.

Alex Jacobson college career: 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.1 bpg, 2.7 "Bird" value.

Kaleb Tarczewski college career (to date): 8.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 13.5 "Bird" value.

Lets not forget about Dusan.

Isn't Tarczewski in the NBA already?

refs took zeus totally out of the game tonight with probably 4 (at least 3) awful calls. that being said, he didn't do much when he was in there anyway although i don't even think he got ONE post touch tonight.

The officials took Zeus, TJ and Gabe out of the game tonight. If the officials called fouls on SDSU like they did on our guards, every single time RHJ or SJ went to the rim there was a foul. Our guards could literally not do anything on defense. Zeus either. If SDSU could make foul shots they might have actually won this game. The officials did everything in their power to give it to them.

And yet, thanks to RHJ and SJ in particular, the Cats still got the W. Stanley Johnson is a beast who can make free throws. Yes!!

Go Cats!!

SDSU ran a second defender at him all night. He had there respect

They refs didn't take boards away from him. Guy just isn't athletic.

legallykenny wrote:They refs didn't take boards away from him. Guy just isn't athletic.

T Rex hands don't help either.

They were doubling him and bash on the low block without any consequence. Ball movement needs to improve, they were recovering with ease. Foul trouble and the double teams.

Tarc 3 points. Spencer 1. We won by two. MVP! He also outrebounded Spencer, who had none.

I see that Chol had one rebound. Just an odd game for the bigs.

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.