The 2021-2022 Season Thread

[YoDeFoe]

Pelle Larsson was participating in shooting drills but not full contact drills this past weekend. His stroke is pure. Looking forward to his full return.

Think he's good enough to be a starter this season, or is 6th man probably his ceiling for now?

I thought he'd beat out Terry, but with the injury and Terry's improvements over the summer its probably Terry to start the season. That's the mechanics of it. I think Choo gave that same feedback with a higher degree of insight than I have. To answer your question though - yeah, I think he's plenty good enough to be a starter here (or anywhere else in college basketball) at the two or three. We're talking about a guy with the body of Josh Green and the stroke of Gabe York - not the athlete that Green was or the volume shooter that York was, but enough of both that I think Larsson could get his name called in the draft in 2023.

I love our wing rotation though - Terry, Benn, Pelle, Aiken, Kier, Shane - that's a lot of size, length, shooting, and passing. We'll start the season with a sixth and seventh man in Pelle and Aiken who could justify starting.

[Beachcat97]

Pelle Larsson was participating in shooting drills but not full contact drills this past weekend. His stroke is pure. Looking forward to his full return.

Think he's good enough to be a starter this season, or is 6th man probably his ceiling for now?

I thought he'd beat out Terry, but with the injury and Terry's improvements over the summer its probably Terry to start the season. That's the mechanics of it. I think Choo gave that same feedback with a higher degree of insight than I have. To answer your question though - yeah, I think he's plenty good enough to be a starter here (or anywhere else in college basketball) at the two or three. We're talking about a guy with the body of Josh Green and the stroke of Gabe York - not the athlete that Green was or the volume shooter that York was, but enough of both that I think Larsson could get his name called in the draft in 2023.

I love our wing rotation though - Terry, Benn, Pelle, Aiken, Kier, Shane - that's a lot of size, length, shooting, and passing. We'll start the season with a sixth and seventh man in Pelle and Aiken who could justify starting.

That's the wing depth analysis I'm here for! Let's go!!!

[Beachcat97]

https://athlonsports.com/college-basket ... rs-2021-22

[SCCats]

https://athlonsports.com/college-basket ... rs-2021-22

Interesting to see where Akinjo’s at.

[YoDeFoe]

https://athlonsports.com/college-basket ... rs-2021-22

Interesting to see where Akinjo’s at.

I hard disagree with that ranking. Tyger Campbell is the 35th best player in the country and Akinjo is the 93rd?

Campbell: 10pts / 5asts / 2rebs / 2 TOs on 43% / 25% / 77% shooting / 50% TS
Akinjo: 16pts / 5asts / 2rebs / 2 TOs on 38% / 36% / 82% shooting / 52% TS

[Olsondogg]

So much wrong on that list

[YoDeFoe]

UCLA: 3 players in the top 50
USC: 1 player in the top 50
Arizona St: 1 player in the top 50
Oregon: 0 players in the top 50, 2 players in the top 100
Oregon St: 0 players in the top 50, 1 player in the top 100
Washington St: 0 players in the top 50, 1 player in the top 100
Colorado: 0 players in the top 50, 1 player in the top 100

Arizona: 2 players in the top 50

Hard to look at that and put Arizona outside of the top three in the conference (unless you believe Dana Altman or Andy Enfield is just that much better of a coach than Lloyd)

[YoDeFoe]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

[Olsondogg]

It’s an opinion, and that’s fine. I think that Mathurin is set up for a very special year. I haven’t been as excited for a players second year since maybe RHJ or Nick Johnson—and I believe Benn will have one of the best soph seasons ever.

[Olsondogg]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

Juzang is for real imo

[YoDeFoe]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

Juzang is for real imo

Juzang is for real not the third best player in the country

[Beachcat97]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

Juzang is for real imo

I'm a little more bearish on that dude. He had his best stretch of the season in March, which was impressive, but prior to that, he was hot and cold all season. He also didn't impress NBA scouts this past spring. He's streaky as hell and dangerous when he's hot. I'll give him that.

I think Campbell is a much more important player for them. He's turned out to be a very good PG. He's made clutch plays for them many times.

Still, not sure I'd take either of those guys before Akinjo.

[YoDeFoe]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

Juzang is for real imo

I'm a little more bearish on that dude. He had his best stretch of the season in March, which was impressive, but prior to that, he was hot and cold all season. He also didn't impress NBA scouts this past spring. He's streaky as hell and dangerous when he's hot. I'll give him that.

I think Campbell is a much more important player for them. He's turned out to be a very good PG. He's made clutch plays for them many times.

Still, not sure I'd take either of those guys before Akinjo.

I thought this was an insightful study of Juzang's bad habits, which he was able to shake (largely) for the tournament run but reared again in his draft workouts:

https://dailybruin.com/2021/06/30/film- ... ft-combine

[U.P. Zona Fan]

Yeah, it wasn't juzang, it was Campbell and Jacquez that gave us fits in the regular season, Juzang I don't remember being that big of a threat until the tournament. Then he freaking couldn't miss.

[Beachcat97]

So much wrong on that list

I don't buy Johnny or Tyger at UCLA - they had a nice run last March but they're the same team that went 5-7 heading into the tournament, where they barely escaped three losses to advance.

Juzang is for real imo

I'm a little more bearish on that dude. He had his best stretch of the season in March, which was impressive, but prior to that, he was hot and cold all season. He also didn't impress NBA scouts this past spring. He's streaky as hell and dangerous when he's hot. I'll give him that.

I think Campbell is a much more important player for them. He's turned out to be a very good PG. He's made clutch plays for them many times.

Still, not sure I'd take either of those guys before Akinjo.

I thought this was an insightful study of Juzang's bad habits, which he was able to shake (largely) for the tournament run but reared again in his draft workouts:

https://dailybruin.com/2021/06/30/film- ... ft-combine

Wow. That’s an excellent scouting report on Juzang and really makes his deficiencies and bad habits quite clear.

Think you beat by Ucla by forcing Campbell to take more shots, keeping them off the offensive glass, limiting turnovers and making them run. This is not the fastest or most athletic team they’ve had recently.

[Olsondogg]

The media puts a ton of stock into late postseason runs in their preseason conference predictions.

[YoDeFoe]

Preseason poll and All Conf teams selected:
https://pac-12.com/article/2021/10/13/m ... ence-teams

Arizona selected fourth, get's Benn on the 1st team and Zu on the 2nd (lol)

[YoDeFoe]

Here is the preseason poll:

1. UCLA (32 first place) 404 points

2. Oregon (2) 373

3. USC 320

T4. Oregon State 245

T4. Arizona 245

6. Colorado 235

7. Arizona State 224

8. Washington State 221

9. Stanford 151

10. Utah 105

11. Washington 85

12. California 44

Here is the all-conference team:


FIRST TEAM

Warith Alatishe, F, Oregon State

Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State

Evan Battey, F, Colorado

Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA

Jaime Jaquez Jr., G, UCLA

Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA

Bennedict Mathurin, G, Arizona

Isaiah Mobley, F, USC

Will Richardson, G, Oregon

Noah Williams, G, Washington State

SECOND TEAM

Boogie Ellis, G, USC

Quincy Guerrier, F, Oregon

De’Vion Harmon, G, Oregon

Jarod Lucas, G, Oregon State

Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona

Honorable mention: Efe Abogidi, Washington State; Daejon Davis, Washington; Jaiden Delaire, Stanford; Harrison Ingram, Stanford; Jabari Walker, Colorado; Peyton Watson, UCLA.

[84Cat]

That should make for some good locker room material

[gronk4heisman]

The same Evan Battey who is 300 lbs and only averaged 5 rebounds as a Junior? The same Marcus Bagley who shot 38% from the field as a big man and has the same multitude of injuries as his big bro at "Guard U"? Neither who could guard anyone. Ok.

[Chicat]

Whenever UCLA has been predicted to finish first in the conference recently they’ve pooped all over themselves.

Here’s hoping that trend continues.

[YoDeFoe]

Love that the knocks on Arizona are like "well we don't know if Kerr Kriisa will be a GREAT point guard and if Tommy Lloyd is a GREAT coach" and then for USC it's just "none of these guys have ever passed the ball and the coach eats glue - #3 in the conference, lock."

[Beachcat97]

Whenever UCLA has been predicted to finish first in the conference recently they’ve pooped all over themselves.

Here’s hoping that trend continues.

Their roster is pretty stacked, and I think they finally have a halfway competent coach to keep things running smoothly. Cronin is obviously an improvement on Alford.

Still, this UCLA team isn't some kind of juggernaut. They narrowly avoided getting knocked out by Michigan State in the First Four last season. I'm looking at teams like Gonzaga, Kansas, Nova, maybe Texas...they're all more athletic than UCLA. Not that athleticism is the end all be all. Just pointing out that UCLA isn't going to win games just by showing up. They're beatable.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Oregon win the league.

[YoDeFoe]

Oregon is not going to win the league. They're a significantly worse team than last season. Pass it on.

Again: They lost 75% of their minutes and scoring. They lost their three best players including the Pac-12 POY / All American in Duerte, another first teamer in Omoruyi, and do-it-all man in Figueroa. I know we all get rocked to sleep by Altman constantly refreshing the roster up there and figuring it out, but nothing that Altman brought in is as good as what he lost in those three.

They return Will Richardson who is good but not great, N'Faly Dante who is a useful big, and Eric Williams who is good but not great on the wing. Nathan Bittle will get crowded out of PT in an older and stronger front court. The shooting is suspect. The guards they brought in are each 6'2" combo guards. The lost two Pac-12 first teamers and replace them with an All ACC third teamer and a Big XII honorable mention.

Someone tell me if I'm losing my mind and this is a tough roster because it looks like a downgrade to me.

[Beachcat97]

Oregon is not going to win the league. They're a significantly worse team than last season. Pass it on.

Again: They lost 75% of their minutes and scoring. They lost their three best players including the Pac-12 POY / All American in Duerte, another first teamer in Omoruyi, and do-it-all man in Figueroa. I know we all get rocked to sleep by Altman constantly refreshing the roster up there and figuring it out, but nothing that Altman brought in is as good as what he lost in those three.

They return Will Richardson who is good but not great, N'Faly Dante who is a useful big, and Eric Williams who is good but not great on the wing. Nathan Bittle will get crowded out of PT in an older and stronger front court. The shooting is suspect. The guards they brought in are each 6'2" combo guards. The lost two Pac-12 first teamers and replace them with an All ACC third teamer and a Big XII honorable mention.

Someone tell me if I'm losing my mind and this is a tough roster because it looks like a downgrade to me.

No, that's a fair assessment, YDF. Let's just say I have a lot of respect for Altman. His teams almost always improve over the course of the season, and he's outperformed his team's preseason ranking many times.

[Beachcat97]

http://usa-today-news.com/2021/10/12/en ... 22-season/

[YoDeFoe]

Oregon is not going to win the league. They're a significantly worse team than last season. Pass it on.

Again: They lost 75% of their minutes and scoring. They lost their three best players including the Pac-12 POY / All American in Duerte, another first teamer in Omoruyi, and do-it-all man in Figueroa. I know we all get rocked to sleep by Altman constantly refreshing the roster up there and figuring it out, but nothing that Altman brought in is as good as what he lost in those three.

They return Will Richardson who is good but not great, N'Faly Dante who is a useful big, and Eric Williams who is good but not great on the wing. Nathan Bittle will get crowded out of PT in an older and stronger front court. The shooting is suspect. The guards they brought in are each 6'2" combo guards. The lost two Pac-12 first teamers and replace them with an All ACC third teamer and a Big XII honorable mention.

Someone tell me if I'm losing my mind and this is a tough roster because it looks like a downgrade to me.

No, that's a fair assessment, YDF. Let's just say I have a lot of respect for Altman. His teams almost always improve over the course of the season, and he's outperformed his team's preseason ranking many times.

Miller was a wizard. Altman continues to be a wizard. I'll never count him out.

[Beachcat97]

By the way, UCLA hasn't won a Pac reg season title since 2013.

[TheCat]

Oregon is not going to win the league. They're a significantly worse team than last season. Pass it on.

Again: They lost 75% of their minutes and scoring. They lost their three best players including the Pac-12 POY / All American in Duerte, another first teamer in Omoruyi, and do-it-all man in Figueroa. I know we all get rocked to sleep by Altman constantly refreshing the roster up there and figuring it out, but nothing that Altman brought in is as good as what he lost in those three.

They return Will Richardson who is good but not great, N'Faly Dante who is a useful big, and Eric Williams who is good but not great on the wing. Nathan Bittle will get crowded out of PT in an older and stronger front court. The shooting is suspect. The guards they brought in are each 6'2" combo guards. The lost two Pac-12 first teamers and replace them with an All ACC third teamer and a Big XII honorable mention.

Someone tell me if I'm losing my mind and this is a tough roster because it looks like a downgrade to me.

N'Faly Dante is more than a useful big. My prediction if he comes all the way back from injury he will be 1st team all pac-10. Oregon will have a great front line but it is the other folks that are a question mark.
People are losing their mind over a team that came in 4th in the pac (picked higher), lost 10 games (Ariz lost 9 but we played less games), were a .500 road team in conference, lost 1st game in the pac tourney, lost 4 in a row before the tourney, and was around 70 defensively but made an impressive run in the tourney where they won twice in OT. Can't see how that is a top team favored to go to the championship game this year. I guess we will know soon as they played what I would call a Lute Olson preseason schedule. Impressive and testing schedule. The real question is who is UCLA going to be.....the tourney team that was great or a fourth place pac-12 team the couldn't win a game in the pac tourney?

[Beachcat97]

People are losing their mind over a team that came in 4th in the pac (picked higher), lost 10 games (Ariz lost 9 but we played less games), were a .500 road team in conference, lost 4 in a row before the tourney, but made an impressive run in the tourney where they won twice in OT. Can't see how that is a top team favored to go to the championship game this year. I guess we will know soon as they played what I would call a Lute Olson preseason schedule. Impressive and testing schedule.

I think a lot of it has to do with them returning every key player from a team that reached the FF. That hardly ever happens these days.

[Beachcat97]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... NewsSearch

[84Cat]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... NewsSearch

So UCLA and USC are the only teams worthy of press for the upcoming season? Got it.

[Beachcat97]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... NewsSearch

So UCLA and USC are the only teams worthy of press for the upcoming season? Got it.

Meh. That's not how I read it. Those two teams have captured national attention because of UCLA's FF run and the Mobley bros. at USC; think that's it. I like knowing what we're up against and think we can surprise some people this season, particularly if we're fully healthy.

[gronk4heisman]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... NewsSearch

So UCLA and USC are the only teams worthy of press for the upcoming season? Got it.

Well, it is an LA Times article so....

I would expect an AZ Daily Star article to speak mainly about Arizona.

[azgreg]

There is a UCLA thread available.

[Beachcat97]

There is a UCLA thread available.

So just to be clear, this thread is only meant to be used for Arizona, not teams they'll be playing during the 2021-22 season?

Feels like any opponent on this year's schedule would be fair game for this thread, but I'm happy to be corrected.

[Dave]

Here is the link for Arizona's Pac 12 media day interview.
https://youtu.be/7PgFhQVJSgw
I loved the part where Tubelis said "personally for me, I just need to dominate".

[84Cat]

Here is the link for Arizona's Pac 12 media day interview.
https://youtu.be/7PgFhQVJSgw
I loved the part where Tubelis said "personally for me, I just need to dominate".

[Beachcat97]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... 22-season/

[YoDeFoe]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... 22-season/

29. Arizona: You'll get a spectrum of feedback from around the Pac-12 on what Arizona's forecast should be in Tommy Lloyd's first season. I can promise you this won't be the 29th best team in the sport in November, December or even January. But by the first week of March? Yeah, I'll take a chance and say U of A is playing at the level of a No. 8 seed. An ambitious ranking, I admit. Lloyd is playing with house money in year one, so look for Zona to be loose and free. The most productive player Lloyd did not retain was James Akinjo, but in the end I think that will serve Arizona better. U of A has six new players in the fold, but it's three particular guys still here -- from last season's roster -- who are the most important factors in getting Arizona to the Big Dance in '22: 6-11 Azuolas Tubelis (12.2 ppg), 6-7 Benedict Mathurin (10.8 ppg) and 7-1 Christian Koloko (5.3 ppg) will be an unorthodox trio that could grow into a tricky collective mismatch for many Pac-12 teams.

I don't think this is that bold of a take - there's a ton of talent on this team and its well constructed besides the PG depth - though any team that loses its lead PG will be in trouble, and thankfully we'll have a system that spreads the playmaking responsibility and a couple of guys who have experience playing PG behind Kerr. (No new comments from me, here)

Funny to list Koloko as the third leg of the stool instead of / at the exclusion of listing Terry but that's what you get when you sort by PPG

And yeah, I would talk about wing depth and shooting as a big advantage for Arizona. But there's only so many words you can write and so deep you can go in this kind of exercise. It'd benefit from a note on transfers segueing into the above note on wing depth, playmaking and shooting since bringing in Kier and Aiken and Larsson (along with recruits Nowell and Bal) provides a ton of size and length, playmaking ability and scoring (along with defensive potential).

[Postmaster]

Ryan Hansen (announcer) was on radio today and was really excited we were picked 4th.
It depresses me that being ranked 4th is a positive.

[Beachcat97]

Ryan Hansen (announcer) was on radio today and was really excited we were picked 4th.
It depresses me that being ranked 4th is a positive.

Think of what it's like for current UofA students who've yet to experience our domination in men's hoops. 4th probably doesn't sound so terrible.

I'm fine with where we're being pegged to start the season. Will be that much sweeter when we start winning.

[TheCat]

Arizona is a complete unknown except the freshman performance of a few players. 4th may be a gift or an underestimation but no one knows.

[gronk4heisman]

Arizona is a complete unknown except the freshman performance of a few players. 4th may be a gift or an underestimation but no one knows.

Um, we return 4 starters. I would not say we are complete unknown. In fact, I cant remember the last time we returned 3 starters. Maybe '14-'15 with TJ, Kaleb and B Ash.

[Olsondogg]

Arizona is a complete unknown except the freshman performance of a few players. 4th may be a gift or an underestimation but no one knows.

Um, we return 4 starters. I would not say we are complete unknown. In fact, I cant remember the last time we returned 3 starters. Maybe '14-'15 with TJ, Kaleb and B Ash.

This.

I lol at unknown.

[Beachcat97]

Arizona is a complete unknown except the freshman performance of a few players. 4th may be a gift or an underestimation but no one knows.

This feels directed more at Lloyd than the players.

[84Cat]

We still can't hit 3's

[ChooChooCat]

Arizona is a complete unknown except the freshman performance of a few players. 4th may be a gift or an underestimation but no one knows.

This feels directed more at Lloyd than the players.

Yup. Literally every one is afraid to go out on a limb on Arizona merely because of Lloyd. No one wants to call this wrong in either direction. That's the sports media for you.

[84Cat]

[azgreg]

Top 30. I'll take it.