2016-2017 Arizona Basketball

[ChooChooCat]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

[Longhorned]

I feel like some of you really old people compare the team to selective highlight memories of Lute-coached teams that reached the Final Four, rather than comparing this team to actual college basketball teams that are contenders right now. I can just picture you if you happened to be Kansas or Baylor fans, and how you'd talk about that team's vulnerability on a neutral court against some kind of pesky opponent having a good shooting day.

how old do you have to be before you're really old?

Like 30 or something.

[scumdevils86]

I feel like some of you really old people compare the team to selective highlight memories of Lute-coached teams that reached the Final Four, rather than comparing this team to actual college basketball teams that are contenders right now. I can just picture you if you happened to be Kansas or Baylor fans, and how you'd talk about that team's vulnerability on a neutral court against some kind of pesky opponent having a good shooting day.

how old do you have to be before you're really old?

Like 30 or something.

I was afraid of that.

[Chicat]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

We beat those teams by an average of 13 points.

[scumdevils86]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

We beat those teams by an average of 13 points.

should've been 18 dammit!!!!

[Puerco]

Reason to worry? We're 1-3 vs the top 25.

Winning six games in a row in the post season is HARD. I think those of us who are worried want a national championship, not another close Elite Eight loss. When the efficiency models like Kenpom and Sagarin have us rated in the twenties, I worry about not winning the national championship.

Don't you?

No. In fact, that sounds miserable.

Seriously? Damn, I worry about that just about every year. 97 was delicious and I want some more.

Welcome back, btw.

[ChooChooCat]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

We beat those teams by an average of 13 points.

No arguments, just saying those 4 teams do not qualify as "good teams."

[Olsondogg]

1. You feel anything that isn't praising at the temple of how great Arizona is is ridiculous. You also thought it was ridiculous when I and another poster said Arizona's defense wouldn't be a top 20 AdjD team last year and we weren't even close. You can be wrong ODogg, it's ok, it happens. We ended up 29....tha'ts not even close, even though there are 351 teams...hmmm..ok.

2. Lol, the structure of Alieberman's post was very similar to the way Trump responds to any thing he doesn't like. I think he did that on purpose and if so kudos and comedy points go to Alieberman. You may want to reference the political thread for clarification

3. As mentioned by Alieberman, I was calling this team a dumpster fire due to the situation the team was in at the time, which had everything to do with injuries and suspensions. Seriously the situation we were going through was absolutely a dumpster fire. Most teams don't see half as many injuries/suspensions as we did just at the beginning of the year. I reposted your comments, and mine. If you have a problem with or are defensive about your comments at the time, I can't help you.

4. It's not just that we don't "look" good. The metrics that matter on Kenpom suggest we are regressing. To make the FInal Four you generally need to be top 20 in AdjO and AdjD. Only a few exceptions (I'm looking at you Boeheim) make it without being top 20 in both. Arizona has fell to 24th in AdjO and 29th in AdjD and 23rd overall on Kenpom. We've also fallen in Sagarin ratings as well to 20th. Those are negative trends in worthwhile metrics worth discussing and being concerned about. This isn't some stupid eye test that you're suggesting.I mentioned the poor metrics. However, if you think that those are indications of something then you are correct...if you think that they mean something is going to/not going to happen, you are incorrect.

[Chicat]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

We beat those teams by an average of 13 points.

No arguments, just saying those 4 teams do not qualify as "good teams."

And the team treated them as such.

[Olsondogg]

Unless Arizona dominates every possession, every game...especially against inferior opponents...then things are drastically wrong.

I can only imagine what this board would be like if we were fans of other elite programs whom lose at home to unranked opponents, lose back to back games, have injury issues & off the court problems, etc....

[ChooChooCat]

3. As mentioned by Alieberman, I was calling this team a dumpster fire due to the situation the team was in at the time, which had everything to do with injuries and suspensions. Seriously the situation we were going through was absolutely a dumpster fire. Most teams don't see half as many injuries/suspensions as we did just at the beginning of the year. I reposted your comments, and mine. If you have a problem with or are defensive about your comments at the time, I can't help you.

I have a problem with you using my comments in your own context and not my context. That doesn't play, sorry. My comments had nothing to do with what you do or do not believe. The situation and not the team nor play, which is what you were insinuating I said, was a dumpster fire due to ridiculous circumstances.

[ChooChooCat]

Unless Arizona dominates every possession, every game...especially against inferior opponents...then things are drastically wrong.

I can only imagine what this board would be like if we were fans of other elite programs whom lose at home to unranked opponents, lose back to back games, have injury issues & off the court problems, etc....

We'd be all couch coaches? We obviously had plenty of the bolded already, hence 100% of your quotes earlier.

[Olsondogg]

3. As mentioned by Alieberman, I was calling this team a dumpster fire due to the situation the team was in at the time, which had everything to do with injuries and suspensions. Seriously the situation we were going through was absolutely a dumpster fire. Most teams don't see half as many injuries/suspensions as we did just at the beginning of the year. I reposted your comments, and mine. If you have a problem with or are defensive about your comments at the time, I can't help you.

I have a problem with you using my comments in your own context and not my context. That doesn't play, sorry. My comments had nothing to do with what you do or do not believe. The situation and not the team nor play, which is what you were insinuating was a dumpster fire due to ridiculous circumstances.

Ok, so you've provided context. I was merely pointing out, as I have seemingly every year, that this board is bipolar and will turn on a dime with even the slightest change.

Hate on me for being optimistic, yet again, if you want. I just don't share the concerns that others have with this team. Years past we've suffered injuries to starters, suspensions, back to back losses, infighting and arguing amongst players, and have sat in areas lower than atop the conference.

I just don't get the concerns this year...I mean, even to look at KenPom is somewhat misleading as the team is a completely different team than it was just a month ago.

Look, the brackets will come out and we will get a draw. Whatever the draw is, there will be concerns from fans. Can Miller coach against that zone....how can we contain so and so....look at how they shoot the three....why are we in the toughest region...etc.

That's when I'll worry. Not now.

[Olsondogg]

Unless Arizona dominates every possession, every game...especially against inferior opponents...then things are drastically wrong.

I can only imagine what this board would be like if we were fans of other elite programs whom lose at home to unranked opponents, lose back to back games, have injury issues & off the court problems, etc....

We'd be all couch coaches? We obviously had plenty of the bolded already, hence 100% of your quotes earlier.

Sure the injuries sucked. I wasn't about to say it was a "dumpster fire" before the first game had been played. I mean if everyone was healthy and not suspended and everything had worked out with TFerg, do you think that there wouldn't be the inevitable worry about chemistry, transfers, etc?

[PHXCATS]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

Agree. Bad games here and there happen and are no issues. But six games in a row which is a third of the conference season is troublesome.

Yes every team has issues but this Arizona team had it rolling and then it stopped. You want your team playing its best at end of Feb into March. Not Dececember and early January.

[Chicat]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

Agree. Bad games here and there happen and are no issues. But six games in a row which is a third of the conference season is troublesome.

Yes every team has issues but this Arizona team had it rolling and then it stopped. You want your team playing its best at end of Feb into March. Not Dececember and early January.

Only one of those teams we beat by less than double digits, and two of those games were 17 point blowouts.

[Olsondogg]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

Agree. Bad games here and there happen and are no issues. But six games in a row which is a third of the conference season is troublesome.

Yes every team has issues but this Arizona team had it rolling and then it stopped. You want your team playing its best at end of Feb into March. Not Dececember and early January.

This team was rolling...meaning that it was cohesive with what it had and then it added a starter and things changed. I can agree with that, but when you add a player with the talent of Trier into that equation, I don't know how that can't be a good thing long term.

[PHXCATS]

Maybe we should just reconcile ourselves to the fact that we play in a good league and face good teams and may not blow every team off the floor.

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

Agree. Bad games here and there happen and are no issues. But six games in a row which is a third of the conference season is troublesome.

Yes every team has issues but this Arizona team had it rolling and then it stopped. You want your team playing its best at end of Feb into March. Not Dececember and early January.

Only one of those teams we beat by less than double digits, and two of those games were 17 point blowouts.

We were losing three at half, two to really bad teams. And I have us beating a bad Stanford team by 7 and Cal by 5.

True maybe this team isn't as bad as I maybe saying and I am not saying they are bad, just subpar to the coaching ability of Miller and the talent that Arizona has.

[Chicat]

Since we're using the last 6 games equation I'm going to have to disagree with you.

Stanford, Oregon State, Wazzu, and UW are not good teams by any metric.

Agree. Bad games here and there happen and are no issues. But six games in a row which is a third of the conference season is troublesome.

Yes every team has issues but this Arizona team had it rolling and then it stopped. You want your team playing its best at end of Feb into March. Not Dececember and early January.

Only one of those teams we beat by less than double digits, and two of those games were 17 point blowouts.

We were losing three at half, two to really bad teams. And I have us beating a bad Stanford team by 7 and Cal by 5.

True maybe this team isn't as bad as I maybe saying and I am not saying they are bad, just subpar to the coaching ability of Miller and the talent that Arizona has.

A) Games don't end at halftime.
B) Cal wasn't mentioned, and shouldn't be mentioned in a list of PAC12 "bad" teams. They're good.
C) The coaching ability of Miller was on full display in all of those games outside of Oregon. You could argue his substitutions and defensive assignments pretty much willed us to victory in the Cal and Stanford games.
D) Talent is one thing. Execution is another. When you have so many freshmen playing so many minutes, and you mix in a really talented sophomore this late in the season, it's not really a surprise the team might look out of sorts on both ends of the floor at times.
E) We're talking about a sequence of games where we went 5-1 and have been in either sole or partial possession of first place in the conference standings the entire time. Let that sink in for a moment...

[rgdeuce]

Winning six games in a row in the post season is HARD. I think those of us who are worried want a national championship, not another close Elite Eight loss. When the efficiency models like Kenpom and Sagarin have us rated in the twenties, I worry about not winning the national championship.

Don't you?

Yep. We have been trending down in Kenpom. At one point, we were close to having top 20 adjustedO and D, now our D is 29. While wins are wins, it is not unreasonable for people to look big picture in each of those games. If a football team is having issues against the pass in games against 500 or sub 500 teams, its completely understanding to have concerns if you are in week 15 and looking at potential playoff matchups against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Reading the players themselves also provides valuable insight as to predicting postseason success. The teams that are loose, trending up and/or look like they are having a blast out there are generally the ones who bring home trophies. There are obviously exceptions, but history has given us tons of examples of what "uh oh" looks like.

[Olsondogg]

Winning six games in a row in the post season is HARD. I think those of us who are worried want a national championship, not another close Elite Eight loss. When the efficiency models like Kenpom and Sagarin have us rated in the twenties, I worry about not winning the national championship.

Don't you?

Yep. We have been trending down in Kenpom. At one point, we were close to having top 20 adjustedO and D, now our D is 29. While wins are wins, it is not unreasonable for people to look big picture in each of those games. If a football team is having issues against the pass in games against 500 or sub 500 teams, its completely understanding to have concerns if you are in week 15 and looking at potential playoff matchups against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Reading the players themselves also provides valuable insight as to predicting postseason success. The teams that are loose, trending up and/or look like they are having a blast out there are generally the ones who bring home trophies. There are obviously exceptions, but history has given us tons of examples of what "uh oh" looks like.

Let's talk about the trends argument for a quick second. It seems something about this team changed about a month ago...hmmm....

If anyone thought that adding another player to the team and then to the starting lineup would go seamlessly, then they are mistaken. 6-1 in the last 7 games since the Trier clearance...with wins over 2 teams (one on the road) within the top 50 RPI.

I'd be more concerned if a player went out, rather than in...but that's just me.

[ChooChooCat]

3. As mentioned by Alieberman, I was calling this team a dumpster fire due to the situation the team was in at the time, which had everything to do with injuries and suspensions. Seriously the situation we were going through was absolutely a dumpster fire. Most teams don't see half as many injuries/suspensions as we did just at the beginning of the year. I reposted your comments, and mine. If you have a problem with or are defensive about your comments at the time, I can't help you.

I have a problem with you using my comments in your own context and not my context. That doesn't play, sorry. My comments had nothing to do with what you do or do not believe. The situation and not the team nor play, which is what you were insinuating was a dumpster fire due to ridiculous circumstances.

Ok, so you've provided context. I was merely pointing out, as I have seemingly every year, that this board is bipolar and will turn on a dime with even the slightest change.

Hate on me for being optimistic, yet again, if you want. I just don't share the concerns that others have with this team. Years past we've suffered injuries to starters, suspensions, back to back losses, infighting and arguing amongst players, and have sat in areas lower than atop the conference.

I just don't get the concerns this year...I mean, even to look at KenPom is somewhat misleading as the team is a completely different team than it was just a month ago.

Look, the brackets will come out and we will get a draw. Whatever the draw is, there will be concerns from fans. Can Miller coach against that zone....how can we contain so and so....look at how they shoot the three....why are we in the toughest region...etc.

That's when I'll worry. Not now.

Your optimism is more than fine and I welcome it. I just don't condone chastising others for having concerns. It's good to have both sides in these debates as long as both sides have valid points and aren't rah rah for the sake of being rah rah or being pessimistic for the sake of being pessimistic. That's all I got. Back to our normally scheduled program.

[Olsondogg]

3. As mentioned by Alieberman, I was calling this team a dumpster fire due to the situation the team was in at the time, which had everything to do with injuries and suspensions. Seriously the situation we were going through was absolutely a dumpster fire. Most teams don't see half as many injuries/suspensions as we did just at the beginning of the year. I reposted your comments, and mine. If you have a problem with or are defensive about your comments at the time, I can't help you.

I have a problem with you using my comments in your own context and not my context. That doesn't play, sorry. My comments had nothing to do with what you do or do not believe. The situation and not the team nor play, which is what you were insinuating was a dumpster fire due to ridiculous circumstances.

Ok, so you've provided context. I was merely pointing out, as I have seemingly every year, that this board is bipolar and will turn on a dime with even the slightest change.

Hate on me for being optimistic, yet again, if you want. I just don't share the concerns that others have with this team. Years past we've suffered injuries to starters, suspensions, back to back losses, infighting and arguing amongst players, and have sat in areas lower than atop the conference.

I just don't get the concerns this year...I mean, even to look at KenPom is somewhat misleading as the team is a completely different team than it was just a month ago.

Look, the brackets will come out and we will get a draw. Whatever the draw is, there will be concerns from fans. Can Miller coach against that zone....how can we contain so and so....look at how they shoot the three....why are we in the toughest region...etc.

That's when I'll worry. Not now.

Your optimism is more than fine and I welcome it. I just don't condone chastising others for having concerns. It's good to have both sides in these debates as long as both sides have valid points and aren't rah rah for the sake of being rah rah or being pessimistic for the sake of being pessimistic. That's all I got. Back to our normally scheduled program.

Fine, point taken. I just don't understand the concerns. If they are strictly based on metrics, that's where I lose it because metrics are not the full picture.

I don't see how anyone can make an argument that this team is better off without Trier than with, especially going into March. Be unhappy with how it looks, that's fine...not everything is pretty. But anyone whom makes an argument that having a team gain a player of his caliber is somehow bad, will be called out by me relentlessly.

Arizona is one of a handful of teams that could be Final 4 bound. That was solidified on January 21.

Just win.

[gumby]

Unless Arizona dominates every possession, every game...especially against inferior opponents...then things are drastically wrong.

I can only imagine what this board would be like if we were fans of other elite programs whom lose at home to unranked opponents, lose back to back games, have injury issues & off the court problems, etc....

[gumby]

I feel like some of you really old people compare the team to selective highlight memories of Lute-coached teams that reached the Final Four, rather than comparing this team to actual college basketball teams that are contenders right now. I can just picture you if you happened to be Kansas or Baylor fans, and how you'd talk about that team's vulnerability on a neutral court against some kind of pesky opponent having a good shooting day.

Can't speak for anyone else, but this old guy is comparing 2016-17 Arizona to 2016-17 Arizona. I don't have any concerns that the coach hasn't voiced.

Boxing out. Defending the dribble, et al.

It's not the end of the world, but just pointing it out might be characterized as that. When we improve, I'll swing that way -- without being bipolar (though that charge will
surface).

Reasoned discussion has always been mixed with the homers and pessimists who never waver. Apparently, that's a sign of strength.

Happens every year.

P.S. We would certainly look better in the 1990 unis. Any whippersnapper saying otherwise needs to meet me outside the Fry's in Chandler!

[Chicat]

http://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball ... ington-cal" target="_blank

Miller was encouraged by the progress his team showed last week in the sweep of the Bay Area schools.

“We did a really good job of attacking Cal’s zone, we actually did a very good job of attacking Stanford’s zone and they’re two different types,” Miller said. “The thing about Stanford’s zone is that we had some unforced turnovers. But if you took our turnovers away, we executed against both of those zones and I think we’re really on the upswing to being more comfortable as a team and that’s our responsibility as a coaching staff.”

...

Arizona offense was still producing below its norm, however its performance against Cal is nothing to scoff at. The Bears are holding teams to an offensive rating of 93.3 this season, and the Wildcats scored at a much more efficient rate than that.

A sign of progress? Miller thinks so.

“You don’t want a team to be comfortable against certain defenses and not others, but we took it as step in the right direction this week and I think that will only continue as we move forward,” he said.

[Olsondogg]

"When we improve." Ha. Ok then.

[Longhorned]

We would certainly look better in the 1990 unis. Any whippersnapper saying otherwise needs to meet me outside the Fry's in Chandler!

The later V-neck was an improvement. You can have your Phoenix stand-in take it up with my Phoenix stand-in, Killervibe.

[EVCat]

Unless Arizona dominates every possession, every game...especially against inferior opponents...then things are drastically wrong.

I can only imagine what this board would be like if we were fans of other elite programs whom lose at home to unranked opponents, lose back to back games, have injury issues & off the court problems, etc....

You touch on something here that is unique to Arizona and maybe a couple of other programs.

When we flatline...we lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Most programs have a crazy 11-17 year mixed into their successes. Our consistency allows our fan base to focus on NCAA Tournament finish exclusively...because it is always there. In the "one-and-done" era, it is even more remarkable to always make the tournament. Outside of the first year for Lute and the first year for Miller, we have missed the NCAA tournament ONE TIME since 1985. And that was still very early in our development under Miller, where he had to dismiss half of his recruiting class (Sidiki, Josiah) after losing his starting PG (Momo) to fear of the guy he dismissed (Josiah)...err, family issues. And we still turned up with a 20 win season and a late lead in Staples Center relinquished against a press (we had NO point guards) from making the tournament that year.

We are always there. Programs in that mid to elite tier come and go. Missouri was hot, Iowa State was great, Texas was loaded, San Diego State was the Steve Fisher Model in action, Washington was the new UCLA, Colorado was the new UCLA, Syracuse was great a while ago, remember Georgetown???...UConn has a boatload of rings and trophies, but can't consistently make the tournament.

We are dialed in to the NCAAs. Most fan bases ride the regular season roller coaster with one goal...MAKE IT TO THE DANCE!!! We have VIP passes to the club, and if we don't get the hottest girl in the place every year, we go home upset, walking past all the guys snapping pictures to prove them made it into the first level of the club, snapping photos of us as we go by to show they got to party with us.

It's fun, I guess, to say "we are about Final Fours at Arizona...less than that is beneath us". But that is really fucking hard to do, unless you are Duke or...UConn every 3rd year they make the tournament (seriously...UConn is the huge fkn exception to the rule, like the one guy that got rich selling Amway). We were at the precipice of a long fall, and Miller saved our asses, and rewarded us with 3 Elite Eights in 5 years after being one false move from looking up to programs like SDSU for their consistency. And all we do is bitch, because the collective UA fan brain squeezed all of Lute's Final Fours together and have completely forgot about the years in between. Miller also deals with something Lute didn't have to...total roster upheaval every year. Did you see what we ran out there last year? Yeah, we had seniors...half of them were one year transfers. We lost Grant Jerrett, Aaron Gordon, and Stanley Johnson after one year...Rondae Hollis-Jefferson after two (and TJ also...his two may have been his junior and senior year, but he still only played two years). Our loyal, lifer Wildcat Nick Johnson left with a year left (as did Brandon Ashley). Then there are a list of players who may have become something here if they stuck it out that wouldn't because they fear the yearly classes...Justin Simon, Craig Victor, Momo, etc. Everyone talks about Miller's awesome recruiting classes and "why hasn't he won it all with all that talent" as if that talent always stays.

Given what we had, have acquired, and have lost early...and what the team was dealing with last year as a distraction...I think Sean Miller has performed so far above realistic expectation as to be breath-taking.

But all we talk about is one more game...

[gumby]

We would certainly look better in the 1990 unis. Any whippersnapper saying otherwise needs to meet me outside the Fry's in Chandler!

The later V-neck was an improvement. You can have your Phoenix stand-in take it up with my Phoenix stand-in, Killervibe.

Man, you're old if you got that.

[gumby]

http://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball ... ington-cal

Miller was encouraged by the progress his team showed last week in the sweep of the Bay Area schools.

“We did a really good job of attacking Cal’s zone, we actually did a very good job of attacking Stanford’s zone and they’re two different types,” Miller said. “The thing about Stanford’s zone is that we had some unforced turnovers. But if you took our turnovers away, we executed against both of those zones and I think we’re really on the upswing to being more comfortable as a team and that’s our responsibility as a coaching staff.”

...

Arizona offense was still producing below its norm, however its performance against Cal is nothing to scoff at. The Bears are holding teams to an offensive rating of 93.3 this season, and the Wildcats scored at a much more efficient rate than that.

A sign of progress? Miller thinks so.

“You don’t want a team to be comfortable against certain defenses and not others, but we took it as step in the right direction this week and I think that will only continue as we move forward,” he said.

Feel better already.

[gumby]

"When we improve." Ha. Ok then.

Psst. Pastner reference in the Sean Miller thread. Sic em!

[Olsondogg]

"When we improve." Ha. Ok then.

Psst. Pastner reference in the Sean Miller thread. Sic em!

He's got my vote for coach of the year. Really impressive and such an honor for a former wildcat, who will forever be the golden child in Tucson for all he's done.

[baconus66]

I feel like I'm part of a rare breed of fan that is actually capable or enjoying a regular season game for what it is. Seems like for so many people it must be a miserable experience, "oh god we only beat so and so by so many points, no way we're going to win a national championship".


At the end of the day we are in that 2-3 seed range that is fully capable of winning the national championship and also of losing in the first weekend.

Year after year we see that tournament success has much more to do with who gets hot and how the matchups work out. Either we get better or we don't, maybe we'll play teams that we match up against well or maybe not. I'm going to enjoy the ride and I'm certainly not going to take the final four/NC or bust approach many here do. I just hope the team is playing at the best of their abilities at the end of the season.

[NYCat]

7 ARIZONA WILDCATS
LAST WEEK: 9
RECORD: 23–3

Staying on the topic of efficiency splits, I used HoopLens.com data to look at Arizona since sophomore shooting guard Allonzo Trier’s ’16–17 debut on Jan. 21. Although the Wildcats’ offense has been better (as expected) with him on the floor, they’ve been a superior defensive team—and a superior team overall—when he’s on the bench

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... lor-oregon" target="_blank

[Spaceman Spiff]

7 ARIZONA WILDCATS
LAST WEEK: 9
RECORD: 23–3

Staying on the topic of efficiency splits, I used HoopLens.com data to look at Arizona since sophomore shooting guard Allonzo Trier’s ’16–17 debut on Jan. 21. Although the Wildcats’ offense has been better (as expected) with him on the floor, they’ve been a superior defensive team—and a superior team overall—when he’s on the bench

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... lor-oregon" target="_blank

That graphic confirms every impression I've had about Trier's return. His D is just not good.

[gumby]

Can't tell if he's laterally slow or just disinterested, but he trails a lot players headed to the hoop.

[Merkin]

I suspect it was Trier who CSM was talking about when he said some players will not get drafted due to their poor defense.

[SirClinks]

I suspect it was Trier who CSM was talking about when he said some players will not get drafted due to their poor defense.

I think so. Rawle and Kobi are much better defensively. Trier really needs to step it up.

[baconus66]

Mother fucker

Allen out with dislocated finger + 7 stitches

http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcat ... 81f33.html" target="_blank

[Bangkok Wildcat]

Mother fucker

Allen out with dislocated finger + 7 stitches

http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcat ... 81f33.html" target="_blank

Damn....7 stitches on his pinky from this? Was this a compound fracture? Sounds pretty nasty.

[baconus66]

Mother fucker

Allen out with dislocated finger + 7 stitches

http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcat ... 81f33.html" target="_blank

Damn....7 stitches on his pinky from this? Was this a compound fracture? Sounds pretty nasty.

My guess is it had to be surgically replaced, doesn't look like any bone breaks, but probably some ligament and muscle damage

[gumby]

Damn. Best defender. Don't see the reference to stitches.

[Frybry02]

I suspect it was Trier who CSM was talking about when he said some players will not get drafted due to their poor defense.

I think so. Rawle and Kobi are much better defensively. Trier really needs to step it up.

I am going to disagree. Kodi is so bad guarding dribble penetration.

ETA: then trier allows a blow by

ETA2: ok. we have one guard on this team that can limit dribble penetration.

[PieceOfMeat]

Damn. Best defender. Don't see the reference to stitches.

Guys on the radio mentioned the 7 stitches, not sure if they said it on tv too, but it appears the report of stitches is accurate.

Oh, looks like it's on twitter too from Scheer:

And there it is

[NYCat]

7 ARIZONA WILDCATS
LAST WEEK: 9
RECORD: 23–3

Staying on the topic of efficiency splits, I used HoopLens.com data to look at Arizona since sophomore shooting guard Allonzo Trier’s ’16–17 debut on Jan. 21. Although the Wildcats’ offense has been better (as expected) with him on the floor, they’ve been a superior defensive team—and a superior team overall—when he’s on the bench

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... lor-oregon" target="_blank

PPG, this also corroborates better defense, and overall team (point differential) without Trier - but also offensive PPG is also down.

All this to say that the team has taken a noticeable step back since his return. Although today so far PJC is moving the ball slightly better.

[CalStateTempe]

To follow up NYcat, like I see the potential, but man trier is really frustrating to watch right now.

He just jacks up shot after shot after shot.

[baconus66]

So here's an idea, Parker full time starter?

[NYCat]

He makes the offense flow,

[Spaceman Spiff]

So here's an idea, Parker full time starter?

He was good tonight, but we need to see it on a consistent basis.

This was a nice win. Coogs brought some fight, but we looked better than we have in a while.