UA Basketball 2015-2016 Discussion Thread

Main Event · Post by **Main Event** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:24 am

Ranking the college basketball season's top 40 games

11. Arizona Wildcats at Gonzaga Bulldogs
Dec. 5, 3:15 ET, ESPN
We love this battle of West Coast powers. The Zags are loaded up front, while Sean Miller's Wildcats have a revamped team that lost four starters.

15. Arizona at Cal
Jan. 23, ESPN/ESPN2
The Wildcats have owned the Pac-12 in recent years, but Cal has a pair of potential lottery picks in freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.

33. UCLA Bruins at Arizona
Feb. 12, 9 ET, ESPN
Neither team may wind up in the top 10, but it's still UCLA-Arizona at McKale, and it's always a great game.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college ... all-season

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 10:10 am

Main Event wrote:Ranking the college basketball season's top 40 games
11. Arizona Wildcats at Gonzaga Bulldogs
Dec. 5, 3:15 ET, ESPN
We love this battle of West Coast powers. The Zags are loaded up front, while Sean Miller's Wildcats have a revamped team that lost four starters.

15. Arizona at Cal
Jan. 23, ESPN/ESPN2
The Wildcats have owned the Pac-12 in recent years, but Cal has a pair of potential lottery picks in freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.

33. UCLA Bruins at Arizona
Feb. 12, 9 ET, ESPN
Neither team may wind up in the top 10, but it's still UCLA-Arizona at McKale, and it's always a great game.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college ... all-season

Think we win the second two, not the first.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:34 am

I'm a mostly positive person, but the cynic in me will be happy with a single-digit loss at Gonzaga that early in the season

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:01 pm

rgdeuce wrote:I'm a mostly positive person, but the cynic in me will be happy with a single-digit loss at Gonzaga that early in the season

Yeah. Zaga will be tough. I think our guys will give them a battle, but sorta feel like it's Zaga's turn to get one.

But I'm not afraid of Cal or UCLA. Those are very winnable games.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:49 pm

50 days until Game 1

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:50 am

rgdeuce wrote:I'm a mostly positive person, but the cynic in me will be happy with a single-digit loss at Gonzaga that early in the season

I don't think I've ever been, or ever will be, happy with a loss. To me, get beat by 50 or 1, it's still a loss.

And there are obviously some losses I never have gotten over.

Oh, and more direct...speculating about a Gonzaga game? I'll wait to see what the teams look like on the court first.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:57 am

I agree that a loss is a loss. But come Selection Sunday, and for purposes of appearance and national perception, a 20 point loss is not even close to the same as a 1 point loss, especially on the road against a team most expect to be hovering in that top 10 range most of the year.

And no, we don't know what the teams look like on the court. But, we do now how inexperienced teams (be it incoming freshman who will play prominent roles, or a team full of guys who haven't played together and in an Arizona uniform, or both) have struggled more times than not on the road pre-January, especially against high quality opponents. It is too early to tell how Gonzaga is going to do come March, but I think we have enough answers on that team to tell they are going to be really good in December

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:55 pm

rgdeuce wrote:I agree that a loss is a loss. But come Selection Sunday, and for purposes of appearance and national perception, a 20 point loss is not even close to the same as a 1 point loss, especially on the road against a team most expect to be hovering in that top 10 range most of the year.

And no, we don't know what the teams look like on the court. But, we do now how inexperienced teams (be it incoming freshman who will play prominent roles, or a team full of guys who haven't played together and in an Arizona uniform, or both) have struggled more times than not on the road pre-January, especially against high quality opponents. It is too early to tell how Gonzaga is going to do come March, but I think we have enough answers on that team to tell they are going to be really good in December

I think they'll be good, but not as good as the team we played last year. Also, there seems to be differing opinions on how good this Arizona team is, or will be. Alot of conservative opinions say that come March, AZ will be good...but I'd probably say that I think AZ will be good right out of the gate. True, the hype is not behind Miller and Co. because of what was lost, but there are alot of experienced and seasoned basketball players on this roster, and several players that have been 2 plus years in the system.

Miller has been a pretty good road coach, and it's been several years since AZ lost big (yeah it was the Zags in 2012 I believe). I am not worried about the margins of losses/wins, nor do I really give a rats ass about seedings anymore. I mean, what did a nice seed get us the last couple of years? Wisconsin and the POY in our same bracket.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 3:13 pm

Practice starts next week! Should be more news trickling out. We could use the diversion. #footballfail

carolinacat · Post by **carolinacat** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:45 pm

Gonzaga may have a lot coming back in their backcourt...but we're experienced there as well. It's not like we're rolling out a bunch of wide eyed freshmen.

Gonzaga lost a lot in the backcourt too.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:40 pm

Andy and Tolly in this article.

http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/ ... r-2015-16/

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:55 pm

carolinacat wrote:Gonzaga may have a lot coming back in their backcourt...but we're experienced there as well. It's not like we're rolling out a bunch of wide eyed freshmen.

Gonzaga lost a lot in the backcourt too.

Frontcourt.

HiCat · Post by **HiCat** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:34 am

The chemistry is already so much further along than it was last year.

York ready to embrace new role

10 hours ago • By Bruce Pascoe

There are seven newcomers on the Arizona Wildcats’ roster this season, and Gabe York could argue that he’s an eighth.

That’s because the senior guard is expected to become a more all-around scorer than just a three-point shooter, and one of the team’s leaders.
“I think my role changes drastically for this year,” York said. “Coach (Sean Miller) is asking a lot from me being a senior and a captain.”

Miller is asking a lot. And why not? Miller says York’s experience is “understated,” and that he plans to take advantage of it.

“If you think about his career as a sophomore, how he was a real key player, and how his role increased last year, the same thing could happen this year,” Miller said. “There’s very few players on our roster that are more experienced than Gabe York, the big games that he’s played in, the practices he’s gone through … We’re counting on him and Kaleb (Tarczewski, senior center). We’re counting on him to be a leader and be a rock-solid guy every day.”

http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... 5d0b5.html

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:39 am

^ and why you won't see Trier start over York.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:44 am

Merkin wrote:^ and why you won't see Trier start over York.

Exactly.

Gabe
PJC
Smith/Tolly (not sure)
Anderson
Zeus

EOCT · Post by **EOCT** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:05 pm

Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:56 pm

EOCT wrote:Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!

Frontcourt depth is a concern. If two of our bigs get into foul trouble, Miller will have to go smaller. Probably not an issue most of the time, only vs. teams with talented frontcourt depth. Not sure how many there are in the Pac this year. Utah? Cal?

EOCT · Post by **EOCT** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:58 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:
EOCT wrote:Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!
Frontcourt depth is a concern. If two of our bigs get into foul trouble, Miller will have to go smaller. Probably not an issue most of the time, only vs. teams with talented frontcourt depth. Not sure how many there are in the Pac this year. Utah? Cal?

Beach, I don't get your concern over our frontcourt. Kaleb, Anderson and Tollefson are solid, experienced starters. Ray Smith has an all around game and is said to have a mature skillset as a Freshman; then Ristic, Comanche, and long-lost Elliott Pitts who has SF skill in my view.

Put those guys on your depth inventory and add in the time when we can deploy our gnarly "small" army against maybe 10-20% of our matchups, what's not to like?

I think we'll test my confidence in our front line against the Zags.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:00 pm

Lot of good buzz on Ray Smith.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:47 pm

EOCT wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:
EOCT wrote:Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!
Frontcourt depth is a concern. If two of our bigs get into foul trouble, Miller will have to go smaller. Probably not an issue most of the time, only vs. teams with talented frontcourt depth. Not sure how many there are in the Pac this year. Utah? Cal?
Beach, I don't get your concern over our frontcourt. Kaleb, Anderson and Tollefson are solid, experienced starters. Ray Smith has an all around game and is said to have a mature skillset as a Freshman; then Ristic, Comanche, and long-lost Elliott Pitts who has SF skill in my view.

Put those guys on your depth inventory and add in the time when we can deploy our gnarly "small" army against maybe 10-20% of our matchups, what's not to like?

I think we'll test my confidence in our front line against the Zags.

Oh, I didn't say I dislike this team. I like 'em. I'm just wondering where our vulnerability might be. Maybe the frontcourt is looking better than I realize.

Where are our weaknesses, then? Defense? Inexperience?

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:18 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:Oh, I didn't say I dislike this team. I like 'em. I'm just wondering where our vulnerability might be. Maybe the frontcourt is looking better than I realize.

Where are our weaknesses, then? Defense? Inexperience?

BC97 on a date with a supermodel:

"Hmmm... I wonder how bad her farts smell........"

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:07 pm

Chicat wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:Oh, I didn't say I dislike this team. I like 'em. I'm just wondering where our vulnerability might be. Maybe the frontcourt is looking better than I realize.

Where are our weaknesses, then? Defense? Inexperience?
BC97 on a date with a supermodel:

"Hmmm... I wonder how bad her farts smell........"

So the 2015-16 Cats are a supermodel? Wow. I'll set my expectations accordingly.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:33 am

Merkin wrote:Lot of good buzz on Ray Smith.

I hear the buzz is palpable.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:59 am

Beachcat97 wrote:
EOCT wrote:Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!
Frontcourt depth is a concern. If two of our bigs get into foul trouble, Miller will have to go smaller. Probably not an issue most of the time, only vs. teams with talented frontcourt depth. Not sure how many there are in the Pac this year. Utah? Cal?

I don't see how this can be a concern, at all, unless someone gets injured (which hurts any team practically). If almost any team has two bigs in foul trouble things are going to be difficult. Senior starter, Dusan as a backup? At the 4 Anderson and Tollefson? Ray Smith can move over to the 4 in an absolute pinch or in a smaller lineup if the game/opponent calls for it. And that is not even touching on Comanche, who I am not expecting a lot from as a freshman but I assuming he will at minimum be more than just a body out there.

This team is deep. Everywhere. Depth is probably the smallest concern of this team.

To answer your question about concerns, I hate to sound like an old man and say to wait and see them on the floor, but thats what we are going to have to do. A lot of unknowns. My biggest question is, who is going to be our bulldog this year when the game is on the line? Can York be that guy? York has flashed an all around offense game at times. We will see how Tollefson is. Trier is being hyped as a scoring machine, will that translate to the college game as a freshman come February and March? I expect Anderson to be our best player, I want to see his game.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:28 am

rgdeuce wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:
EOCT wrote:
To answer your question about concerns, I hate to sound like an old man and say to wait and see them on the floor, but thats what we are going to have to do. A lot of unknowns. My biggest question is, who is going to be our bulldog this year when the game is on the line? Can York be that guy? York has flashed an all around offense game at times. We will see how Tollefson is. Trier is being hyped as a scoring machine, will that translate to the college game as a freshman come February and March? I expect Anderson to be our best player, I want to see his game.

I think York has it in him. He was that guy in HS, and he's occasionally made big plays for us at key moments.

But yeah, we've had some great "bulldogs" in recent years. NJ, SJ, and D-Will come to mind.

These recent posts have me very excited for this year's team. When was the last time we won three straight Pac titles? I think Lute won four in a row at one point.

midnightx · Post by **midnightx** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:29 pm

rgdeuce wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:
EOCT wrote:Early season combo experiments should be incredibly fun.

Our front line should come quickly.

Back court? So much depth and so many looks. A now-experienced PJC and York feels easy. But adding Zo to the mix and a Kadeem we seem to forget, and Simon who we may see mature more quickly than we have a right to expect? Yeah.

Looking pre-game at prospective matchups will be so much bloody fun this year!
Frontcourt depth is a concern. If two of our bigs get into foul trouble, Miller will have to go smaller. Probably not an issue most of the time, only vs. teams with talented frontcourt depth. Not sure how many there are in the Pac this year. Utah? Cal?
I don't see how this can be a concern, at all, unless someone gets injured (which hurts any team practically). If almost any team has two bigs in foul trouble things are going to be difficult. Senior starter, Dusan as a backup? At the 4 Anderson and Tollefson? Ray Smith can move over to the 4 in an absolute pinch or in a smaller lineup if the game/opponent calls for it. And that is not even touching on Comanche, who I am not expecting a lot from as a freshman but I assuming he will at minimum be more than just a body out there.

This team is deep. Everywhere. Depth is probably the smallest concern of this team.

To answer your question about concerns, I hate to sound like an old man and say to wait and see them on the floor, but thats what we are going to have to do. A lot of unknowns. My biggest question is, who is going to be our bulldog this year when the game is on the line? Can York be that guy? York has flashed an all around offense game at times. We will see how Tollefson is. Trier is being hyped as a scoring machine, will that translate to the college game as a freshman come February and March? I expect Anderson to be our best player, I want to see his game.

Nicely stated. Regarding a "bulldog" when the game is on the line, there hasn't been a bona fide "bulldog" since Derrick Williams; he truly would take over games. Nick Johnson had moments, but was unreliable. Aaron Gordon showed potential to take on that role, but with his foul shooting, would never have been reliable at the end of games (although he made some big plays at the end of the Wisconsin game). York has been generally inconsistent, although his 3-point shooting has become quite reliable. Sometimes, teams don't have that "bulldog." Even if this squad doesn't, there may be enough depth and consistency to get the job done. Still, an off-the-radar contender could be Tarc; he is pretty reliable from the line and has shown some range with this jump-shot -- if he holds onto the ball and uses his size, he could be a nice option at the end of close games.

Airizona · Post by **Airizona** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:31 pm

midnight you must be forgetting about Mark Lyons...guy was as clutch as they come

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:18 pm

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:19 pm

I don't have numbers to back this up, but I thought Nick Johnson was one hell of a bulldog. There were at least 3 or 4 games he won for us in the last five minutes. There was another game where he was putrid all game, we were stagnant for an extended period, and then he completely flipped the switch in the waning minutes. Was it the Gonzaga game? Cant recall. Regardless, he mad some huge plays and had huge marbles. TJ was a bulldog last year to a slightly lesser degree, but he impacted the end of games with more than just shot making, so he's up there too. I mean, we don't need a Jordan or Paul Pierce, just someone who is going to buck up when the offense is stagnant, or make something happen in crunch time.

Main Event · Post by **Main Event** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:56 pm

OSUCat · Post by **OSUCat** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:46 pm

Can i get a quick Arizona 2015-2016 for dummies post? Something with a likely starters, and the positives and negatives of this years team. Thanks.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:41 pm

rgdeuce wrote:I don't have numbers to back this up, but I thought Nick Johnson was one hell of a bulldog. There were at least 3 or 4 games he won for us in the last five minutes. There was another game where he was putrid all game, we were stagnant for an extended period, and then he completely flipped the switch in the waning minutes. Was it the Gonzaga game? Cant recall. Regardless, he mad some huge plays and had huge marbles. TJ was a bulldog last year to a slightly lesser degree, but he impacted the end of games with more than just shot making, so he's up there too. I mean, we don't need a Jordan or Paul Pierce, just someone who is going to buck up when the offense is stagnant, or make something happen in crunch time.

SDSU in the tourney...all 15 points in last 2:45.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:43 pm

On a side note, majority of the people posting at the pay site are unbearable. Holy shit, I complain about arguments on here, but at least those that disagree with me are not complete asswipes.

For the most part.

But man, some serious groupthink going on...

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:44 pm

Merkin wrote:Lot of good buzz on Ray Smith.

Palpable, Merk. Palpable.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:02 am

Olsondogg wrote:On a side note, majority of the people posting at the pay site are unbearable. Holy shit, I complain about arguments on here, but at least those that disagree with me are not complete asswipes.

For the most part.

But man, some serious groupthink going on...

The more you pay, the more it's worth. -- Don McLean.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:34 am

OSUCat wrote:Can i get a quick Arizona 2015-2016 for dummies post? Something with a likely starters, and the positives and negatives of this years team. Thanks.

It's all a mystery at this point.

Puerco · Post by **Puerco** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:22 am

Olsondogg wrote:On a side note, majority of the people posting at the pay site are unbearable. Holy shit, I complain about arguments on here, but at least those that disagree with me are not complete asswipes.

For the most part.

But man, some serious groupthink going on...

I think you're underestimating us.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 12:40 am

Roll out the basketballs and get this season started. Need a sports pick-me-up.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:16 am

The Sheriff would be a good nickname for Ryan Anderson.

http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... =210389108" target="_blank

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:58 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWP1pFYr4Iw" target="_blank

So ready to watch these guys. Anderson and Tolly too!

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 12:50 pm

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:46 pm

Man this team is loaded. They don't have that one transcendent superstar like we've had on recent teams, but as a group, we look very, very strong. Here's hoping they look as good on the court as they do on paper.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:21 pm

Anderson 6'8" with a 6'8" wingspan
Simon 6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan
Ristic 7'0" with a 7'6" wingspan
Allen 6'3" with a 6'9" wingspan
Zeus 6'11" with a 6'11.5" wingspan
Comanche 6'10" with a 7'+ wingspan
Tollefsenn 6'9" with a 6'11" wingspan
Smith 6'8" with a 6'10" wingspan

Have we ever been this massive?

3goggles · Post by **3goggles** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:35 pm

Don't forget about PJC!!! Wait......

A1RZONA · Post by **A1RZONA** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:36 pm

Jefe wrote:Anderson 6'8" with a 6'8" wingspan
Simon 6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan
Ristic 7'0" with a 7'6" wingspan
Allen 6'3" with a 6'9" wingspan
Zeus 6'11" with a 6'11.5" wingspan
Comanche 6'10" with a 7'+ wingspan
Tollefsenn 6'9" with a 6'11" wingspan
Smith 6'8" with a 6'10" wingspan

Have we ever been this massive?

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:41 pm

I bet Tollefson will be the biggest surprise in how well he shoots it. CC will redshirt I bet and PJC will be solid from the get go

HiCat · Post by **HiCat** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:30 pm

Jefe wrote:Anderson 6'8" with a 6'8" wingspan
Simon 6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan
Ristic 7'0" with a 7'6" wingspan
Allen 6'3" with a 6'9" wingspan
Zeus 6'11" with a 6'11.5" wingspan
Comanche 6'10" with a 7'+ wingspan
Tollefsenn 6'9" with a 6'11" wingspan
Smith 6'8" with a 6'10" wingspan

Have we ever been this massive?

That 6'9" wingspan correct? Allen's defense should be something to watch. I'm guessing
KA's going to get a lot of court time.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 5:01 pm

HiCat wrote:That 6'9" wingspan correct? Allen's defense should be something to watch. I'm guessing
KA's going to get a lot of court time.

http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/ ... basketball" target="_blank

“He’s a guard who can play multiple positions,” Miller said. “He’s an excellent defender. One of the striking things about Kadeem is his length and his 6-9 wingspan.”

Frybry02 · Post by **Frybry02** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 6:35 pm

Does York average close to 14 ppg this year? I am hoping he has a special year.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:04 pm

Login • Register