The 2021-2022 Season Thread

[Chicat]

That’s a lot. I wouldn’t touch that line.

Obviously I’m an idiot.

You've got company.

But not good company.


Wow is this team good.

[Chicat]

That’s a lot. I wouldn’t touch that line.

Obviously I’m not very smart.

You weren't feeling that way the first 5 mins.

Admittedly, no. But when they cut it to 5, my sphincter relaxed. Then I took a shower and we were up 7 and never looked back.

All respect to Tommy Boy Lloyd. He’s got these guys BELIEVING.

[dovecanyoncat]

That’s a lot. I wouldn’t touch that line.

Obviously I’m not very smart.

You weren't feeling that way the first 5 mins.

Admittedly, no. But when they cut it to 5, my sphincter relaxed. Then I took a shower and we were up 7 and never looked back.

All respect to Tommy Boy Lloyd. He’s got these guys BELIEVING.

Sphincter>Shower>Ivory Soap>Road Win.

Any questions?

[U.P. Zona Fan]

If we finish the Pac season tied with ucla, what's the tie-breaker? Unlikely but just curious.

I think the second tie breaker is win % against the top team in the conf. So if we are tied with ucla and USC is third, say we sweep usc and ucla splits with them, we win the tie breaker. That's my understanding of the second tie breaker, according to Sean farnham (I think) on pac 12 radio.

[Beachcat97]

If we finish the Pac season tied with ucla, what's the tie-breaker? Unlikely but just curious.

I think the second tie breaker is win % against the top team in the conf. So if we are tied with ucla and USC is third, say we sweep usc and ucla splits with them, we win the tie breaker. That's my understanding of the second tie breaker, according to Sean farnham (I think) on pac 12 radio.

Pac race is just about over. Just need to win our remaining home games, get no worse than a split on the mountain road trip, and we can even lose @USC. The way we’re playing, kinda think we’re gonna run the table with our remaining reg season games. Pac tourney should be great this year.

[97cats]

it obviously fluctuates daily but AZ is once again top 10 in kenpom's adjO (9) & adD (5)

second time this season AZ has flirted with those top 10 metrics - Gonzaga currently the only other team in this category

[Chicat]

That was a tidy little 81-43 run we went on there yesterday.

[97cats]

ya man its crazy ...34-11 run to end the first half and shot 69% from the floor in the second half

lol

[Chicat]

Reading the Washington papers’ recaps of the game is pretty funny. They all pretty much go…

“The first ten minutes were magical! Miraculous! Impossible!!!”

“The next thirty minutes the Huskies got their doors blown off and no one has recovered from their shell shock at getting curb-stomped like a pedophile in a prison yard. We all now have PTSD.”

[Olsondogg]

Reading the Washington papers’ recaps of the game is pretty funny. They all pretty much go…

“The first ten minutes were magical! Miraculous! Impossible!!!”

“The next thirty minutes the Huskies got their doors blown off and no one has recovered from their shell shock at getting curb-stomped like a pedophile in a prison yard. We all now have PTSD.”

These are my favorite articles.

That and when Tadley Boyle comments about winning the second half of games.

[Olsondogg]

People really think Kerr isn’t a PG? Smh

A point guard guards the point, and continues his defensive assignment throughout the possession, including on switches. In running an offense, it's a strength when the primary ball handler can penetrate into the paint.

Anybody can "be" a point guard. The question is whether the player can effectively guard the point and effectively run the offense. In the case of Kriisa, yes, but it depends. In certain contexts, I've seen stretches where that doesn't appear to be the case for Kriisa. Do you disagree?

Arizona has only two losses. The conversation about Llyod's substitutions refers to potential opportunity cost in the one-and-out scenario where only five players take the floor. We've seen even Mathurin on the bench during critical stretches.

Not sure I follow. Who you guard on defense does not define what position you play on offense.

I regards to Kerr specifically, he runs the point. He now has exactly 1 season of playing college basketball and has a long way to go in regards to growing his game. I think he’s been a godsend for this team and runs it well. He could make better decisions and be more aggressive to the rim, but then again that could be said for a lot of PGs.

I for one am not concerned about his play going forward. I think he’s done as well as anyone could have expected in the role he’s in. Arizona is lucky to have him.

[azgreg]

[Beachcat97]

When was the last time we were ranked #2 in the country?

[Chicat]

When was the last time we were ranked #2 in the country?

2017

[Longhorned]

When was the last time we were ranked #2 in the country?

2017

Before playing a single game, right?

[Chicat]

When was the last time we were ranked #2 in the country?

2017

Before playing a single game, right?

We played some cupcakes, rose to #2, then lost three in a row in the Bahamas (I think). We stayed in the top 25 all season but didn’t recover enough to crack the top 10.

[Beachcat97]

When was the last time we were ranked #2 in the country?

2017

Before playing a single game, right?

We played some cupcakes, rose to #2, then lost three in a row in the Bahamas (I think). We stayed in the top 25 all season but didn’t recover enough to crack the top 10.

Yep, lost three in the Bahamas. That was the Ayton team.

[RondaeShimmy]

2017-2018 - week 3 (11/20)

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... edule.html

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/arizona/

[Longhorned]

I wonder what the current Ayton would like on that team with PJC replaced by CP3.

[RondaeShimmy]

I wonder what the current Ayton would like on that team with PJC replaced by CP3.

Still scoring 16-20?

[Chicat]

We had a bad three-headed monster in 17/18. No one complemented anyone else.

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

[Olsondogg]

Me:
Let's think about this for a sec, guys, why do they put out an AP ranking?

You: (shrugs)

Me: Here's how I see it. A guy puts out a ranking 'cause he wants you to fell all warm and toasty inside.

You:
Yeah, makes a man feel good.

Me:
'Course it does. Ya think if you leave that ranking under your pillow at night, the Ranking Fairy might come by and leave a quarter.

You: 
What's your point?

Me: 
The point is, how do you know the Ranking Fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy, but we're not buying it. Next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up, I seen it a hundred times.

You:
But why do they put out a ranking at all?

Me:
Because they know all they solda ya was a guaranteed piece of shit. That's all it is. Hey, if you want me to take a dump on the internet and label it a ranking, I will. I got spare time. But for right now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about watching a god damn game.

[Merkin]

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

But Miller did an exceptional job of taking the best big man in the country, and have him give screens at the 3 point line 20 feet from the basket.

[RondaeShimmy]

https://evanmiya.com/



Terry is our best overall all around player. Tubelis and Mathurin have been splitting conference players of the week for for the whole year, they might split the player of the year and let someone else get it

[Chicat]

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

But Miller did an exceptional job of taking the best big man in the country, and have him give screens at the 3 point line 20 feet from the basket.

Think of Ayton in Tommy Lloyd’s offense…

*drool*

Yes I love CSM, but if Tommy Boy had been on his staff instead of Few’s, we’d have had multiple national championships during his tenure.

[TheCat]

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

But Miller did an exceptional job of taking the best big man in the country, and have him give screens at the 3 point line 20 feet from the basket.

Strange I see Koloko out there often and he has been talked about as a 1st round choice and he is getting 6-8 points per game lately. I guess they are just paying more attention to him than Ayton.

[RawleArenas]

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

But Miller did an exceptional job of taking the best big man in the country, and have him give screens at the 3 point line 20 feet from the basket.

Think of Ayton in Tommy Lloyd’s offense…

*drool*

Yes I love CSM, but if Tommy Boy had been on his staff instead of Few’s, we’d have had multiple national championships during his tenure.

Doubtful, after we won our first Tommy Boy would have been snatched up by another program in a New York minute.

[RondaeShimmy]

[prh]

Auburn with lucky win after lucky win and finally paying for it and still at 3.

Can anybody genuinely make a case Gonzaga's resume is better than ours? They are #1 in all metrics every season because most over-weight margin of victory

[Beachcat97]

Seth Davis wouldn't put us in the top 3 if we won the national title.

Also, USC just beat UCLA (and Mobley didn't even play), but UCLA is better? This guy.

[azcat49]

Well I think Auburn beat Kentucky yet he has Kentucky above Auburn so things are not right from the start.

He has Illinois 6 which would mean we have to be pretty good to beat them on the road
He also moved Wyoming in to his 25 giving us 4 wins against his top 25.

Not sure it matters though as long as we are top4 and a 1 seed at tourney time

[Beachcat97]

If we win it all, I’m hoping that we can make Seth
Davis’ “next four out.”

[Spaceman Spiff]

We had a bad three-headed monster in 17/18. No one complemented anyone else.

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

I disagree in part. Ayton got 13 shots per game, and the big thing was defense, not offense. Our offense was regularly around the top ten in efficiency, which is NC level. Our D was regularly down towards #100, which is NIT level.

Agree 100% on personnel not fitting. The D...well, I've tried to think of a scheme that would have addressed the issues many times with fit and can't. Of course it's also a fair statement the scheme Miller used didn't work.

[ChooChooCat]

We had a bad three-headed monster in 17/18. No one complemented anyone else.

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

I disagree in part. Ayton got 13 shots per game, and the big thing was defense, not offense. Our offense was regularly around the top ten in efficiency, which is NC level. Our D was regularly down towards #100, which is NIT level.

Agree 100% on personnel not fitting. The D...well, I've tried to think of a scheme that would have addressed the issues many times with fit and can't. Of course it's also a fair statement the scheme Miller used didn't work.

Pack line was definitely a round peg square hole defense for that group.

[UAEebs86]

Also, for his size, Ayton was not a great shot blocker. He has gotten better in the NBA, but he wasn't that rim protector for when guys got blown by at the college level.

[EastCoastCat]

I have never seen such a combination of ball pressure and rim protection from an Arizona team...maybe ever?

Yes, you have to have the players to do it but I just can't recall a team I loved watching play D more. I mean the Nick Johnson-RHJ-TJ '13-'14 team was very good on D but they couldn't protect the rim like this one.

[RondaeShimmy]

Pack line was definitely a round peg square hole defense for that group.

I mean wasn't that true of every team after the Solo/Parom teams when Arizona didn't have the clear better athletes or talent. That system was designed for less talented teams.

The better talented and athletic teams afterwards made it work, because... well they're more talented and athletic.

The benefit for athletic teams was stopping the dribble drive but the game of basketball was changing to jacking up 3s and hedging our bigs out to the 3pt line which resulted in layup lines when the game changed.

[RondaeShimmy]

Also, for his size, Ayton was not a great shot blocker. He has gotten better in the NBA, but he wasn't that rim protector for when guys got blown by at the college level.

All his nba scouting said he couldn't defend, leading to this Embiid tweet

Considering he's kinda plateaued offensively and has gotten dramatically better defensively is amazing to see honestly.

[RondaeShimmy]

I have never seen such a combination of ball pressure and rim protection from an Arizona team...maybe ever?

Yes, you have to have the players to do it but I just can't recall a team I loved watching play D more. I mean the Nick Johnson-RHJ-TJ '13-'14 team was very good on D but they couldn't protect the rim like this one.

Because the pack line had them "sitting" in their "zone" and not jumping lanes, go for blocks etc

It was discipline to sit and make the opposite team work the clock. Which is why Arizona, UVA etc had/s slower tempo's.

When you have better athletes, size and talent, not using that to your advantage doesn't make sense

[Spaceman Spiff]

We had a bad three-headed monster in 17/18. No one complemented anyone else.

The worst coaching job of Sean Miller’s career was not figuring out how to get Deandre Ayton 15 shots a game.

I disagree in part. Ayton got 13 shots per game, and the big thing was defense, not offense. Our offense was regularly around the top ten in efficiency, which is NC level. Our D was regularly down towards #100, which is NIT level.

Agree 100% on personnel not fitting. The D...well, I've tried to think of a scheme that would have addressed the issues many times with fit and can't. Of course it's also a fair statement the scheme Miller used didn't work.

Pack line was definitely a round peg square hole defense for that group.

I mean, ok, but what was the round hole for that group?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Also, for his size, Ayton was not a great shot blocker. He has gotten better in the NBA, but he wasn't that rim protector for when guys got blown by at the college level.

That was a major personnel issue. Ayton and Ristic were big and not great on the perimeter, but simultaneously, not good rim protectors.

Then, the pg was small and incapable of generating good ball pressure. You had two ok wings, but not guys who could rescue the D...as above, I just struggle as to what you could do to sceme around all of that.

[ChooChooCat]

Pack line was definitely a round peg square hole defense for that group.

I mean wasn't that true of every team after the Solo/Parom teams when Arizona didn't have the clear better athletes or talent. That system was designed for less talented teams.

The better talented and athletic teams afterwards made it work, because... well they're more talented and athletic.

The benefit for athletic teams was stopping the dribble drive but the game of basketball was changing to jacking up 3s and hedging our bigs out to the 3pt line which resulted in layup lines when the game changed.

No arguments here. You can win big with that defense as Wisconsin and Virginia showed us, but packline wasn't really beneficial to Arizona under Sean Miller outside of maybe the first few seasons. I will say that Zeus was an absolute god at hedging, so hey we had that going for us.

[RondaeShimmy]

Seeing a ton of writers rank Arizona 3rd or 4th when they post them on Twitter

[Alieberman]

I saw 1 writer mentioned AZ has won several in a row after a mid-season conference slump.

When was this slump? I guess when AZ loses 1 game in the Pac-12 it is considered a slump?

[Beachcat97]

I saw 1 writer mentioned AZ has won several in a row after a mid-season conference slump.

When was this slump? I guess when AZ loses 1 game in the Pac-12 it is considered a slump?

Also, 1 game to a top 10 team on their floor and then beats the same team comfortably at McKale the following week.

smh

[EastCoastCat]

#3 in the AP poll behind Zags and Auburn.

[Beachcat97]

#3 in the AP poll.

That tracks. When an SEC, Big 12, or Big 10 team loses, they drop 1 or 2 spots. When a Pac team loses, 5 to 10 spots.

[RondaeShimmy]

#12 Illinois
#13 UCLA
#16 Tennessee
#17 USC
#22 Wyoming

[Spaceman Spiff]

I saw 1 writer mentioned AZ has won several in a row after a mid-season conference slump.

When was this slump? I guess when AZ loses 1 game in the Pac-12 it is considered a slump?

Slump's a little strong, but the road UCLA game and home ASU game were pretty uninspiring. That said, they were just two games and beating UCLA at home followed them up.

[EastCoastCat]

#12 Illinois
#13 UCLA
#16 Tennessee
#17 USC
#22 Wyoming

Going 4-2 against these ranked teams, with the 2 losses being on the road, bodes well for us.