Bear Down Wildcats

This has been an incredibly long year starting with the terrorist attacks in Spain. Then the Book arrests followed by the ESPN issue. This team looked and played exhaused. Sean must be exhausted and depressed. On top of that Zo and Rawle have not been themselves the last 4 or 5 games.

Buffalo was the much better team tonight. Our defense which had improved lately was not good and we just did not seem confident.

I am happy we won the league and the PAC 12 tourney but this was heartbreaking for the players, coaches and fans. We will see what the future brings but I am confident in the future of the Arizona brand and in drive and determination of Sean.

Bear Down brothers.

TheCat wrote:This has been an incredibly long year starting with the terrorist attacks in Spain. Then the Book arrests followed by the ESPN issue. This team looked and played exhaused. Sean must be exhausted and depressed. On top of that Zo and Rawle have not been themselves the last 4 or 5 games.

Buffalo was the much better team tonight. Our defense which had improved lately was not good and we just did not seem confident.

I am happy we won the league and the PAC 12 tourney but this was heartbreaking for the players, coaches and fans. We will see what the future brings but I am confident in the future of the Arizona brand and in drive and determination of Sean.

Bear Down brothers.

Not to mention Zo getting screwed over...again...by the NCAA and Rawle’s foot injury....but DITTO and AMEN Brother. Good post. Peace and Bear Down TheCat!

I see last night like this:

In the Bahamas, the most disturbing thing was how we didn't respond to adversity with aggression and a competitive fight. We took a punch and laid down.

I genuinely started to believe we'd developed beyond that in Pac play. We took some L's, but had responded and played good ball in the Pac tourney and closed strong.

Last night was pretty much proof that flaw hadn't changed. Buffalo came out and took it to us and we just didn't meet their attack and aggression with our own. When I played ball, I remember coaches telling us games like last night were where you defined who you were. That moment, when an underdog comes at you hard, you show the real character of your team. We did.

Yea I knew it was over when every time we took a small lead we’d give up an easy bucket almost immediately. Did not match their aggression whatsoever. It was all on the perimeter too.

pokinmik wrote:Yea I knew it was over when every time we took a small lead we’d give up an easy bucket almost immediately. Did not match their aggression whatsoever. It was all on the perimeter too.

It was across the board, IMO. They went after us all night and we never once dug our heels in and backed them down.

Our best teams have responded to that with a "oh yeah? **** you." I don't think we had any **** you attitude last night.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

pokinmik wrote:Yea I knew it was over when every time we took a small lead we’d give up an easy bucket almost immediately. Did not match their aggression whatsoever. It was all on the perimeter too.

It was across the board, IMO. They went after us all night and we never once dug our heels in and backed them down.

Our best teams have responded to that with a "oh yeah? **** you." I don't think we had any **** you attitude last night.

Look what a slow white unathletic team like Davidson did v. UK. They never gave up, even when the game was over.

PJC and the rest of the Cats gave up at halftime.

However, there is some good news. I canceled Sling TV and will now save $25 a month until football season starts.

I'll post a story, feel free to ignore as always:

In high school, I played for a team that got hammered in a Christmas tourney by another local team in Vegas. They started raining threes and just punked us to the tune of a 30-40 point loss. It was essentially Arizona's game at Oregon last year.

In the lead up to playing them in division play, our coaching staff hit us hard on the idea that we weren't making strategjc changes. They told us this was a manhood check. They told us the other team must think they own us after last time. It was all about how this was simply a test of our internal strength.

Response to adversity is that. It's a test of the character of the team, coaches and program. Last night, we flunked that test.

To complete my story, in high school, we won the rematch by 10. I still take some pride in that.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

pokinmik wrote:Yea I knew it was over when every time we took a small lead we’d give up an easy bucket almost immediately. Did not match their aggression whatsoever. It was all on the perimeter too.

It was across the board, IMO. They went after us all night and we never once dug our heels in and backed them down.

Our best teams have responded to that with a "oh yeah? **** you." I don't think we had any **** you attitude last night.

Oh for sure. Got our ass kicked everywhere pretty much. Even Ayton and Ristic let multiple rebounds off their finger tips, leading to O reb for buff. I was surprised how well we let buffalo rebound. Probably a combination of effort and getting the bounces on their part.

The tone was set on the perimeter tho, especially buffalos D. Hard to initiate offense when PJC is playing scared. The buffalo coach, as cocky as he was, knew exactly what the fuck he was talking about.

This season was an unmitigated disaster, and the worst is yet to come.

Unmitigated disaster.....we won the conference and the tourney. You don't know what an unmitigated diaster is and you certainly don't know the future. Get some balls and buck up.

TheCat wrote:Unmitigated disaster.....we won the conference and the tourney. You don't know what an unmitigated diaster is and you certainly don't know the future. Get some balls and buck up.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

TatetheGreat wrote:

TheCat wrote:Unmitigated disaster.....we won the conference and the tourney. You don't know what an unmitigated diaster is and you certainly don't know the future. Get some balls and buck up.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Certainly don't need one for a fair weather fan either.

TheCat wrote:

TatetheGreat wrote:

TheCat wrote:Unmitigated disaster.....we won the conference and the tourney. You don't know what an unmitigated diaster is and you certainly don't know the future. Get some balls and buck up.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Certainly don't need one for a fair weather fan either.

At least we're not Virginia

I am even more upset about our loss this morning then after it happened.

The only other loss which upset me as badly was 200...................................................5.

To have a team with Deandre Ayton on it and lose in the first round to a scrub team by 20 that then goes out and loses to Kentucky by 20 is just so depressing. Really think Miller needs to step down or leave as I just have no confidence with everything going on he will ever get us to a Final Four. He needs to completely change his system which I think he is unwilling to do but even if he tries and change his system I have little confidence he will be able to recruit much talent i the coming years.

I could be totally wrong but man hope I am not the only one who is still really angry.

It was brutal from the start. The FBI Investigation cloud never cleared, and then it was topped off by the bogus ESPN story. What was looking like one of Miller's great recruiting classes evaporated into thin air. The team had some runs where it seemed like it might come together, but with no point guard and a mostly raw recruiting class, plus kids likely feeling massive pressure due to all the off-court drama, this team never had a chance. Now this great program faces a period of uncertainty until the FBI concludes its investigation, along with the fact that Miller's reputation has been soiled by ESPN. Next year is going to be another long one, but maybe not has painful due to the fact that AZ will not have NBA talent on its roster and due to the fact that a major recruiting class will not slip out of its hands.

Newportcat wrote:I am even more upset about our loss this morning then after it happened.

The only other loss which upset me as badly was 200...................................................5.

To have a team with Deandre Ayton on it and lose in the first round to a scrub team by 20 that then goes out and loses to Kentucky by 20 is just so depressing. Really think Miller needs to step down or leave as I just have no confidence with everything going on he will ever get us to a Final Four. He needs to completely change his system which I think he is unwilling to do but even if he tries and change his system I have little confidence he will be able to recruit much talent i the coming years.

I could be totally wrong but man hope I am not the only one who is still really angry.

You are not alone sir.
I am in your corner. His culture which allowed Trier to go Trier and PJC to continue as our leader and point guard, not playing the more talented freshman much. The stupid paxklune hedge, no straight up man to man, no zone to implement, shitty offensive system. Selling us how great PAC 12 titles are when who gives a shit let’s get to the Final Four, let’s win a Championship! I’ve lost faith too. I could give two shits winning the PAC. We’re being sold a bill of goods and a shitty pre conference season and I’m not buying it anymore either. Still pissed.

CBCat wrote:

Newportcat wrote:I am even more upset about our loss this morning then after it happened.

The only other loss which upset me as badly was 200...................................................5.

To have a team with Deandre Ayton on it and lose in the first round to a scrub team by 20 that then goes out and loses to Kentucky by 20 is just so depressing. Really think Miller needs to step down or leave as I just have no confidence with everything going on he will ever get us to a Final Four. He needs to completely change his system which I think he is unwilling to do but even if he tries and change his system I have little confidence he will be able to recruit much talent i the coming years.

I could be totally wrong but man hope I am not the only one who is still really angry.

You are not alone sir.
I am in your corner. His culture which allowed Trier to go Trier and PJC to continue as our leader and point guard, not playing the more talented freshman much. The stupid paxklune hedge, no straight up man to man, no zone to implement, shitty offensive system. Selling us how great PAC 12 titles are when who gives a shit let’s get to the Final Four, let’s win a Championship! I’ve lost faith too. I could give two shits winning the PAC. We’re being sold a bill of goods and a shitty pre conference season and I’m not buying it anymore either. Still pissed.

One thing is certain, you can never get excited about a Sean Miller coached team in the regular season. Same as tony Bennett or Rick Barnes. Miller is in that same category as coaches who under perform in the tourney. Sucks and I can imagine he hates it but just unfortunately the truth.

And before anyone says Lute 92 and 93 remember he had made two final fours by then and came back in 1994 and made a final four.

This team had weaknesses which we saw in the Bahamas and were clouded by a weak schedule after that so maybe we should not be that upset. Just sucks considering we had Deandre, a once in a generation player

Newportcat wrote: One thing is certain, you can never get excited about a Sean Miller coached team in the regular season. Same as tony Bennett or Rick Barnes. Miller is in that same category as coaches who under perform in the tourney. Sucks and I can imagine he hates it but just unfortunately the truth.

The 2013/2014 squad was pretty exciting to watch during the regular season. Had Ashley not gone down with a broken foot, there is a strong likelihood that the team wins the title, or at least makes the final four. Also, had the refs not taken D Williams out of the first half of the UConn elite eight game (a game AZ still almost won), Miller may have won a national title in his second year because that was a weak final four. Final fours are a tricky topic because circumstances often dictate what happens, and the fact that Miller came close three times at AZ does not change the fact that those particular seasons were well-coached with great talent regardless of what happened in the tournament. Lesser coaches and programs have made final fours with less talent, and usually it is due to circumstances, not because the coaches are better.

midnightx wrote:

Newportcat wrote: One thing is certain, you can never get excited about a Sean Miller coached team in the regular season. Same as tony Bennett or Rick Barnes. Miller is in that same category as coaches who under perform in the tourney. Sucks and I can imagine he hates it but just unfortunately the truth.

The 2013/2014 squad was pretty exciting to watch during the regular season. Had Ashley not gone down with a broken foot, there is a strong likelihood that the team wins the title, or at least makes the final four. Also, had the refs not taken D Williams out of the first half of the UConn elite eight game (a game AZ still almost won), Miller may have won a national title in his second year because that was a weak final four. Final fours are a tricky topic because circumstances often dictate what happens, and the fact that Miller came close three times at AZ does not change the fact that those particular seasons were well-coached with great talent regardless of what happened in the tournament. Lesser coaches and programs have made final fours with less talent, and usually it is due to circumstances, not because the coaches are better.

Agreed. Everyone can't perform in the tournament until they do... Mark Few and Bo Ryan were both the recent ones who "could never make a final 4" until, guess what? They did. Then you just pass the baton to the next guy and continue to line of "Well this coach under performs in the tourney." Miller is carrying the baton right now, until he doesn't.

The real way to compare the ability of a coach is the consistency in which their team performs through out a 30 game season, season after season. In that sense, Arizona has been a top 10 program since Miller was hired. There is a lot of luck involved in sports, and even more luck involved when the "success" of your team is judged by a single elimination tournament. Trust me, I want a final 4 berth as bad as anyone but the best way to get there is by having an opportunity to make a run year after year.

Well at least we aren't alone. MSU board is on complete meltdown

I would imagine the UNC boards are melting down too

Frybry02 wrote:Well at least we aren't alone. MSU board is on complete meltdown

State fans are spoiled worse than we are, then. They've been to four FFs since our last one. Four. Izzo's been to seven FFs over the last two decades. Seven! Plus a national title.

I know we all want to go further, win bigger, get back to the top. But I have no sympathy whatsoever for MSU or UNC.

Virginia. Now there's a team I have sympathy for.

Beachcat97 wrote:

Frybry02 wrote:Well at least we aren't alone. MSU board is on complete meltdown

State fans are spoiled worse than we are, then. They've been to four FFs since our last one. Four. Izzo's been to seven FFs over the last two decades. Seven! Plus a national title.

I know we all want to go further, win bigger, get back to the top. But I have no sympathy whatsoever for MSU or UNC.

Virginia. Now there's a team I have sympathy for.

It's a "What have you done for me lately" kind of world. Izzo's last 3 NCAA bounces have been in the 1st, 2nd, and 2nd rounds. My Marana buddy (MSU grad and total homer) sent me an arrogant "Miller Must Go!" email yesterday. Izzo has also been nearly equally tarred in the ESPiN cesspool, and barely outperformed us this year so I sent him this gif just to rub it in, (to Sparty fans' the Wolverines are "The Squirrels".) under which it said "Izzo Must Go".