Observations from McKale--2017 uCla game

[Olsondogg]

First off...place was hopping prior to tip. Loud, fans engaged....totally had that feel that I remember from back in the late 90's, where the focus of everyone was in Tucson. Place was super loud in first half, and nearly everyone was on their feet for about 2/3's of that half.

I'll start with some uCla observations. I think that uCla moves the ball better than any team I can remember watching live. Lonzo is a terrific basketball player but it should be noted that everyone on the floor for uCla can score, and some from almost anywhere. I can't think of a team that has as many weapons offensively as uCla. I mean Thomas Welsh is almost automatic from the baseline at about 10 feet, and TJ Leaf is outstanding as well as Holiday---who didn't have a great game but hit a couple of daggers in the 2nd half.

I don't know what was said by the commentators during the game, but I heard that some were lauding uCla's improved defense and I don't buy that. Alford is a huge liability and Lonzo makes boneheaded fouls from time to time. I don't want to go too much into the refs, but Lonzo had his fourth early in the 2nd half that would have dramatically changed this game had it been properly called. I'd be willing to bet that uCla will go far in the tourney and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in Glendale.

As for Arizona, was a tale of 2 halves. McKale was fully engaged in the 1st half. I thought that was the best half of basketball I've seen from Trier ever. I thought PJC was outstanding as well, and that the offense felt fluid with him in there. The first half had me excited and I felt quite confident and comfortable with what I saw from Arizona on the offensive end in the 1st. The bigs were nowhere to be found on the offensive end. I don't know what Lauri/Dusan/Chance had in the first half, but it wasn't anything of note.

In the 2nd, it was easy to see how things can get out of hand. First, uCla hit some nice shots, from a few feet behind the arc. I know they hit some in the 1st but it definitely felt as if they were off in the 1st, and that changed in the first 10 minutes of the second. Couple a few of those threes with some foul trouble that Arizona was experiencing, as well as a lineup that I didn't think properly played off the momentum gained in the 1st. I think PJC should have started in the 2nd...I know it's Kadeems night and all, but we are trying to win fucking games here. I will say that Miller and his substitution/starting patterns in games confuse me. I know people love to say "zone zone zone" yada yada yada, but the problem isn't the zone, its substitution patterns and stagnant offense. I get that uCla was in a zone, but when players don't move and don't screen properly, and rely on late in possession shots after no dribble penetration or passes into the interior of the zone for kickouts, it looks bad. The zone buster every time is driving on Alford who cannot keep a player in front of him defensively to save his life. Quite frankly, Hamilton isn't much better. Trier was the only player who consistently exploited that fact. I have no idea why Miller didn't stress to Rawle or Kadeem to do the same, instead of chucking up threes or worse yet, long 2's. Ugh.

The other issue that was noted by Miller in post game was fucking rebounding. It's pretty simple to see that if Arizona's bigs were able to grab just a handful of rebounds on the defensive end this game would have been different. Every timeout Mckale posted the stats and I watched Arizona's rebounding edge shrink and then become a severe deficit.

Put it this way. uCla made 3 more shots this game yet took 14 more than Arizona. That's absurd. Arizona shot 51% Miller said. He also noted that Arizona gave up 3 offensive boards in the 1st and fucking 11 in the second. That led to 20 second chance points.

I mean come on, grab a board. I think Alford had 6 of them.

If the bigs play this way, we will struggle....obviously. I don't think zone had anything to do with the fact that every Arizona player was out rebounded by Bryce Fucking Alford.

That's pathetic. And it completely changed the environment in McKale. I don't know how it came accross on the TV, but it was a libarary until the final 1:30.

Lastly, I know the storybook ending said that Kadeem hits that shot, but the story where Arizona wins has him passing the ball to Trier.

I'll report from Mckale North next weekend. Bear down.

[CalStateTempe]

It is so amazing how you articulate how Arizona can break a zone, their failure to do so and ifs affect on the game, the crowd, and substitutions, and yet you still say Arizona doesn't have problems with some defenses?!?

Amazing.

[CalStateTempe]

Yeah it came across loud and clear how much out the game ucla took the crowd and how everyone in cats nation wanted trier with his big hand taking that shot for the tie.

[CalStateTempe]

Thanks for the recap by the way for those of us that couldn't be there. Much appreciated

[Olsondogg]

It is so amazing how you articulate how Arizona can break a zone, their failure to do so and ifs affect on the game, the crowd, and substitutions, and yet you still say Arizona doesn't have problems with some defenses?!?

Amazing.

You are not getting it. Play a zone or man and Arizona struggles offensively from time to time, it's the stagnation on offense and settling.

I have argued that the zone has not led to a loss prior to tonights game, if you think the zone was the reason, since November 25th.

Every Arizona player was outrebounded by Daddy's boy Alford which led to 14 more shots by uCla and 20 second chance points. Thats the reason Arizona lost, not the magic of a shit 3-2 zone.

[CalStateTempe]

What came first the chicken or the egg? Or the egg then the chicken?

[CalStateTempe]

Arizona was down in rebounds and in second chance points heading into the half with the lead. Arizona lost the game when their offense stagnanted against a junk zone as you put it. And yes our bigs sucking were the primary cause for the loss, but let's not discount the secondary contributors as well.

[Olsondogg]

Arizona was down in rebounds and in second chance points heading into the half with the lead. Arizona lost the game when their offense stagnanted against a junk zone as you put it. And yes our bigs sucking were the primary cause for the loss, but let's not discount the secondary contributors as well.

Arizona had 20 total rebounds at half to uCla's 15, AZ had 16 defensive, uCla had 11. Both had 4 offensive.

You are correct in asserting that they had more second chance points 5 to 2.

Arizona lost because they could not rebound in the second half. To a tune of 35 to 28...that means Arizona had 8 defensive rebounds in the 2nd to uCla's 20.

Arizona ended up with 1 offensive rebound in 2nd. uCla had 10.

I dunno what to say...that had not a whole lot to do with the zone and alot with effort. But if you want to make a secondary contributor as you put it, the zone, and make it the sky falling scenario...then so be it.

But lets get our facts straight first.

[Alieberman]

I totally agree with everything ODogg is saying here and I was at the game too. UCLA is so good offensively.. in the 2nd half the crowd would jump to their feet when UCLA missed a shot, thinking "now is the time we make our run" only to fall silent watching our bigs get out hustled for rebounds. It killed any chance of us winning and silenced the building. We didn't shoot very well from outside but it wasn't because of anything UCLA was dong. The zone argument is invalid for this game

[KingG]

Once UCLA's zone was locked in last night they had complete control of the game. Totally got us out of rhythm on both ends of the court. When you can't figure out how to score you lose confidence defensively. We lost this game because of the zone.

[HiCat]

Yeah zone in the 2nd half got Arizona out of sync. The bigger problem was rebounding and 20 second chance points. Tough lesson going forward.

[3goggles]

When they missed that free throw to give us a chance for the 3 to tie that had to have been as loud as I have heard the mckale center since that shot by salim against UCLA!

[CatFanOneMil]

I honestly don't think it is the zone that is the issue, the zone just exposes the issue...

I think the issue is one and done mentality on the court...every guy playing for himself...in a man to man we are more athletic as a general rule (USC seemed to be a little faster)...the fact that Trier got 28 points just reflects how this metric is at work.

Big stage big lights selfish play, which LOOKS like standing around waiting for your shot...in man to man there is no need to stand around, in Zone you have to consider more than one defender...but thats not how you beat a zone...it takes a team to beat zone and Az is still a bunch of individual players waiting for their big stage moment...

We have no real strong team leader enforcing Millers strategy like TJ used to do...we lack leadership so every guy just stands around waiting for his moment until the clock runs out and then you chunk up a brick..happens a LOT.

It's not a zone problem its a leadership and lack of team-manship problem...compare our assist ratio to other teams and better yet look at our assist ratio in games won vs games lost...THATS the indicator...

We've beaten the zone more than we've lost to it...what we cannot beat is our own selfishness...it will beat us every time.

Arizona has lost to Oregon once and to Arizona 3 times...thats the fact, the zone has very little to do with it.

[rgdeuce]

I'll second the McKale atmosphere. I cant remember the last game in McKale that felt like that. If I had to guess, it was a UCLA game in the 90s. The place was LOUD, there was an aura, like we were playing in a game 7. There are a couple of loud fans in my section, but that number quadrupled in this game. People were cussing, really getting on players, REALLY getting on the refs. It was like a do or die bloodbath with the world on the line, rather than just a bunch of fans enjoying a game. Even the old guy who sits two seats from me who is always quiet and pleasant, preacher like, yelled out "bullshit" at a bad call and yelled out "grab a fucking rebound" on that late trip where UCLA burned off 1:30 off the repeated offensive rebounds.

Had Kadeem hit that three, mckale would have needed a new roof

[azcat49]

Were you in section 115 B by chance?

[77HoyaCat4Ever]

The main reason we lost that game was we got killed on the boards and were beaten to almost every loose ball, at least in the second half.

[rgdeuce]

Were you in section 115 B by chance?

113. You may have heard me from 115 B on that Lonzo Ball no call though

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'll second the McKale atmosphere. I cant remember the last game in McKale that felt like that. If I had to guess, it was a UCLA game in the 90s. The place was LOUD, there was an aura, like we were playing in a game 7. There are a couple of loud fans in my section, but that number quadrupled in this game. People were cussing, really getting on players, REALLY getting on the refs. It was like a do or die bloodbath with the world on the line, rather than just a bunch of fans enjoying a game. Even the old guy who sits two seats from me who is always quiet and pleasant, preacher like, yelled out "bullshit" at a bad call and yelled out "grab a fucking rebound" on that late trip where UCLA burned off 1:30 off the repeated offensive rebounds.

Had Kadeem hit that three, mckale would have needed a new roof

Per the recruiting thread, I think the atmosphere matters much more than the result (as long as we don't get slaughtered) and the atmosphere was about as good as you could wish for. For a guy like Duval, it's more important that he sees the big time atmosphere. I'm sure he thinks that the result will be different when it's him and Ayton out there.

[Olsondogg]

I wouldn't know if that environment was better than the Florida game, but it was the best atmosphere I've seen in Mckale in a long time...at least in the first half.

[Jefe]

The whole first half was very close to Florida but the final 7 minutes or so wasn't even close. Probably because Ooh Aah Man didn't come out and strip but that's another story that I have video of.

That crowd Saturday was 99.7% UA fans and every time they broke our backs, the crowd went quiet. As soon as the blue hairs start sitting down the place dies all the way to the top which is really sad because the crowd could have been the difference. People are clearly not getting drunk enough before coming in or not visiting 7/11 for some mini bottles

I brought someone that was born and raised in Tucson and had never been to a game. We told her how big this game was and what to expect but she was blown away by the atmosphere and is now hooked on AZ BBall. She also thought there was a 3rd period yet to play so I had to break that news to her...

[rgdeuce]

The whole first half was very close to Florida but the final 7 minutes or so wasn't even close. Probably because Ooh Aah Man didn't come out and strip but that's another story that I have video of.

That crowd Saturday was 99.7% UA fans and every time they broke our backs, the crowd went quiet. As soon as the blue hairs start sitting down the place dies all the way to the top which is really sad because the crowd could have been the difference. People are clearly not getting drunk enough before coming in or not visiting 7/11 for some mini bottles

I brought someone that was born and raised in Tucson and had never been to a game. We told her how big this game was and what to expect but she was blown away by the atmosphere and is now hooked on AZ BBall. She also thought there was a 3rd period yet to play so I had to break that news to her...

Those two games played out very differently, but it makes sense. Pre-game, I don't think it was even close. That end of the first half run was as loud as what I remembered from the Florida game, which says something because dramatic endings/late runs are always going to be louder for obvious reasons. I honestly thought that the ending to that Cal game last year (Yorks miraculous threes) was louder than the Florida ending. But I was talking about the whole thing overall, chippyness of fans, fans being more vocal (rather than just cheering), excitement and buildup before the game, etc. There is a far different feeling of UCLA vs Arizona when both are ranked in the top 6, than even a UNC or anyone else coming in to our building.

[azcat49]

I was at both games and I think, as many of you have pointed out, that because the second half was so deflating that the Florida game stands a cut above,

i will also say that I was in Tucson that day and we watched the football game and got pretty revved up and lubricated which went on all the way to tip off. I think having a football pre game made a big difference to the level of sobriety that evening LOL

[UALoco]

I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended near the last row, section 3. I was intoxicated. I didn't sit down once and screamed at the top of my longs after every play. I can't talk now, lost my voice. I went with friends who got the tix (my bothers used my season tix) who aren't UA fans, hell, they are not even from America..they loved it. They thought that I offended everyone by being so loud and it blew their minds when everyone would hi-five me when UA did something good.

Anyways, I am still pissed that my friends took away the bighead that Kadeem's brother gave me after the game..I was carrying it around and they wouldn't let me carry it into ClubCongress...

Good game, don't have to analyze it too much, UCLA is a good team. We are 1 and 1 against them and I think Miller can think of a plan to beat them if we see them in Vegas..I am more scared about Oregon..I don't know what on God's earth we can do beat them.

See you effers in Vegas.

[TheGreatCatsby]

I was behind you UALoco, you were fine! Always good to see true passionate fans.

Was a great vibe and atmosphere, the ~ 5min right before tip was electric. And that minute of extra wait after the players were out on the court waiting for the tip, music was rocking, was about as good as any arena could ever be.

[UALoco]

I was behind you UALoco, you were fine! Always good to see true passionate fans.

Was a great vibe and atmosphere, the ~ 5min right before tip was electric. And that minute of extra wait after the players were out on the court waiting for the tip, music was rocking, was about as good as any arena could ever be.

Thanks Catsby...agreed, it was rocking.

[UALoco]

Rewatching the game, we played best at the end of the of the first half..with LM on the bench and Pinder rebounding...

[azcat49]

Rewatching the game, we played best at the end of the of the first half..with LM on the bench and Pinder rebounding...

That also coincided with Ball being on the bench, thus the importance of that ref having the guts to call that obvious 4th foul on Ball.

To your point, both Dusan and LM were outplayed. Defensively they are not our strongest combination down low. I do like it when we have CC in with either of them and I like what Pinder brings whenever he gets some time.

Several have voiced about LM at the 5 with four wings, I like that idea especially against an Oregon type team. Hopefully we roll that out against ASSU this week and give it some run