The 2021-2022 Season Thread

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:56 pm

Is the 4 for being ranked #4 in the previous poll?

Jefe wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:01 pm Tutelis and Benn too busy being best buds

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 6:28 pm

Tucson’s own Will Menaul wearing white.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 6:54 pm

In that photo Zu looks every bit as tall as Ballo.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:24 pm

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:30 pm

SabinoDrifter · Post by **SabinoDrifter** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 8:01 am

Oregon State lost by 26 last night to Colorado, so no wonder this is a 5:30pm tip

RondaeShimmy · Post by **RondaeShimmy** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:41 am

RondaeShimmy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:46 pm Top 10 in both basically gives Arizona a high floor. Most commonly leading to a E8 loss

2010:
Kansas - adjo (2) adjd (8) = lose 2nd Rd to N Iowa
2011:
duke - adjo (5) adjd (9) = lose to Arizona s16
Kansas - adjo (6) adjd (6) = lose to vcu e8
2012:
Ohio st - adjo (6) adjd (4) = lose to Kansas f4
2013:
Florida: adjo (9) adjd (3) = lose to Michigan e8
2014:
Louisville - adjo (7) adjd (5) = lose to Kentucky s16
2015:
Kentucky - adjo (6) adjd (1) = lose to Wisconsin f4
Arizona - adjo (7) adjd (3) = lose to Wisconsin e8 *Wisconsin was adjo (1) and adj (35) offense>defense
2016:
Virginia - adjo (8) adjd (7) = lose to Syracuse e8
Kansas - adjo (10) adjd (3) = lose to Nova e8
2017:
None - both nova and unc had #11 and #12 in the metrics, so close but not top 10
2018:
Duke - adjo (3) adjd (9) = lose to Kansas e8
2019:
Michigan St - adjo (5) adjd (9) = lose to TTech f4
2021:
Michigan - adjo (9) adjd (4) = lose to ucla e8
Gonzaga had a adjusted defense of 11, just outside

Same thing here

https://www.barttorvik.com/profile-comp ... &year=2022

This one is a little more forgiving

https://www.barttorvik.com/resume-compa ... =1&power=1

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:20 pm

More Ballo please:

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:21 pm

Honorable Mention All Pac12 - feelin it

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:45 pm

97cats wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:21 pm Honorable Mention All Pac12 - feelin it

Am I crazy to say he looks like Shaq at times? Not as fierce or athletic as young Shaq, but he moves like him. Ballo is massive, and his confidence has skyrocketed. His touch from outside is also improving.

MountainCat · Post by **MountainCat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:53 pm

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:45 pm
97cats wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:21 pm Honorable Mention All Pac12 - feelin it
Am I crazy to say he looks like Shaq at times? Not as fierce or athletic as young Shaq, but he moves like him. Ballo is massive, and his confidence has skyrocketed. His touch from outside is also improving.

Looks maybe - Free Throw Shooting NO...

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:54 pm

Better free throw shooter than Shaq too!

Although looking it up, Shaq was 57.5% at LSU.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:06 pm

Hope Ballo doesn’t transfer somewhere he can start next year if Koloko doesn’t jump to the League.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:08 pm

i think we are good there, Chi

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:12 pm

Yeah, Ballo followed Lloyd to AZ. Wouldn't make sense for him to leave, especially when his minutes will increase next season. Speaking of which, anyone wanna take a stab at next season's starting lineup? Does this look about right?

Tubelis
Koloko
Terry
Kriisa
Larsson

If Koloko leaves, just add Ballo to that lineup.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:20 pm

97cats wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:08 pm i think we are good there, Chi

That’s very good to hear.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:37 pm

Ballo does not seem like the type of guy who would be upset about not starting.

He will get plenty of minutes next year no matter what C-Lo does... especially knowing that the 2 of them can now play together on the court... love our Twin Towers!

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:57 pm

Especially if CLo can’t stay out of early foul trouble

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 4:15 pm

Postmaster wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:57 pm Especially if CLo can’t stay out of early foul trouble

I was thinking, as I watched Ballo on that clip, wait till he trims up and becomes more mobile. Then I realized it's when bigs become mobile the refs start hammering them with fouls, a la Koloko. Ballo will be more or less out of foul trouble until we notice he has developed a waist ..... then the Pac-12 reffing culture will feast on him.

RondaeShimmy · Post by **RondaeShimmy** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 4:49 pm

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:22 pm

I haven't been this excited for the tournament than I am this year.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:07 pm

Was that Wazzu scored 5 points in the first half?

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... eQLNUB8wEY

Oregon State (3-20, 1-12) is in last place in the Pac-12, coming to Tucson on a 10-game losing streak. KenPom.com gives Arizona a 99.6 percent chance of winning, and according to DraftKings Sportsbook the Wildcats are favored by 26 points. That’s the largest spread the UA has been favored by in a Pac-12 game since being 27.5-point favorites against Washington State in 2003.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 7:55 pm

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 8:17 pm

Who's turn is it to say "That's a lot of points."

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 8:23 pm

azgreg wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 8:17 pm Who's turn is it to say "That's a lot of points."

That's a lot of points.

Sagarin says 'Cats by 23.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 8:24 pm

We'll cover that spread easily. Surprised it isn't -46.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 10:35 pm

We'll be ahead by 40 two times in the 1h and three times in the 2h and we'll win by 18.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 10:45 pm

dovecanyoncat wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 10:35 pm We'll be ahead by 40 two times in the 1h and three times in the 2h and we'll win by 18.

Terrible for gambling and for NET.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:18 am

The Athletic Power Rankings

3. Arizona (22-2)

For a power rankings that prides itself on not overreacting too dramatically to any given result, we have to admit: We overreacted to Arizona’s Jan. 25 loss at UCLA. It’s not that it made us think the Wildcats were actually bad, or something; it did, however, make us think UCLA’s defense was the real deal when it locked in, and that Arizona’s spacey high-octane offense was vulnerable to the same slow-the-game-down-and-make-them-run-hard-half-court-stuff-instead tactic that eventually put a wrench into Gonzaga’s well-oiled machine at last year’s Final Four.

Crucial point incoming: This is why the “eye test” is sometimes bad! People don’t like to admit this, especially people paid to comment on college basketball games at halftime, who like to (and sometimes kind of have to) make sweeping pronouncements about teams based on the pure strength of their ability to watch a 40-minute game of basketball. People want to believe in what they see on the floor. But it’s true. Your eyes can lie to you. Any one game can be super deceiving if you just watch it, vibe along, and fail to place it in a larger context. It happens to the best of us.

Of course, impressions can also change when the information does, and we have since collected some good information about both of the Pac-12’s ostensible top two teams. UCLA is 3-3 since that blowout win at Pauley Pavilion, including a 10-point loss to Arizona in which the Wildcats didn’t have anything close to their peak offensive performance (Kerr Kriisa went 3-of-10 from 3, and the team turned the ball over 15 times) and never looked remotely at risk of losing. UCLA followed that defeat with a three-overtime loss at Arizona State, and last Saturday fell to city rival USC. Arizona, meanwhile, is 6-0, having scored 470 points and allowed just 392 in 426 possessions. That is … really, really good, and it’s not even quite as high a standard as the one the Wildcats were setting in league play before that loss to UCLA.

Arizona has been a slightly hard team for us to wrap our mind around. Michigan ended up being average. Illinois wasn’t totally healthy or complete when the Wildcats (nonetheless impressively) won there. No one knew how good Wyoming is when Arizona throttled it in Tucson. And there are whole swaths of the Pac-12 this year that range from deeply to mediocre to just plain terrible, somewhat mitigating the “look at the per-trip numbers Arizona is putting up in a major conference!” observation we’ve made in the past.

But all along, the simplest explanation, the shortest distance to the truth, has been that Arizona is exactly as good as it keeps showing us is is. If not for one bad shooting night in Pauley Pavilion, and a four-point loss in the same building where Kentucky was derailed Tuesday night, Arizona would be unbeaten deep into February. If wouldn’t feel crazy if it were.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:38 am

"spacey high-octane offense"

That's clearly a technical term a rube like me doesn't understand. It's nice to have experts break it down.

ZagCatFan · Post by **ZagCatFan** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:53 am

People forget Ballo is only 19. He went Spokane when he was 16.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oumar_Ballo_(basketball)

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:19 am

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:53 am People forget Ballo is only 19. He went Spokane when he was 16.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oumar_Ballo_(basketball)

That's bonkers. Dude is a future pro.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:25 am

When is the last time we had a 5:30 start on a Thursday? McKale won't be full to start the game

EastCoastCat · Post by **EastCoastCat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:46 am

84Cat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:25 am When is the last time we had a 5:30 start on a Thursday? McKale won't be full to start the game

I am loving the start time back here I'd have to say.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:54 am

84Cat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:25 am When is the last time we had a 5:30 start on a Thursday? McKale won't be full to start the game

McKale wouldn’t be full anyway

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 1:02 pm

Sure beats the 9pm start on March 1.

Nice to get the early national exposure, although most of the US can't watch the game, nor would they want to see a blowout.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:52 pm

Just a reminder that the team Arizona plays tonight was picked to tie with Arizona in 4th place in the PAC.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:09 pm

Olsondogg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:52 pm Just a reminder that the team Arizona plays tonight was picked to tie with Arizona in 4th place in the PAC.

A lot of basketball yet to be played.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:16 pm

azgreg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:09 pm
Olsondogg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:52 pm Just a reminder that the team Arizona plays tonight was picked to tie with Arizona in 4th place in the PAC.
A lot of basketball yet to be played.

Good thing a lot of basketball has been played.

Tinkle is the anti-Lloyd.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:30 pm

Chicat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:16 pm
azgreg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:09 pm
Olsondogg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:52 pm Just a reminder that the team Arizona plays tonight was picked to tie with Arizona in 4th place in the PAC.
A lot of basketball yet to be played.
Good thing a lot of basketball has been played.

Tinkle is the anti-Lloyd.

There's a Dumb and Dumber joke in here somewhere.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:44 pm

Oregon St game thread is up

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 5:07 pm

Pretty amazing season this year. Saw this just now:

AZ This Year — BEST SINCE
36.9% FG ALLOWED—— 1955-56
+9.6 REBOUND MARGIN— 1976-77
+19.9 SCORING MARGIN— 1987-88
20.1 ASSISTS/GAME—— 1990-91

U.P. Zona Fan · Post by **U.P. Zona Fan** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 5:30 pm

I love the time slot too, my kids will be able to watch the first half of this crime scene with me before they go to bed.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:21 pm

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:30 pm
Chicat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:16 pm
azgreg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:09 pm
Olsondogg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:52 pm Just a reminder that the team Arizona plays tonight was picked to tie with Arizona in 4th place in the PAC.
A lot of basketball yet to be played.
Good thing a lot of basketball has been played.

Tinkle is the anti-Lloyd.
There's a Dumb and Dumber joke in here somewhere.

I was thinking more along the lines of Ace Ventura.

(Tinkle is Einhorn)

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:04 pm

Finally every shot looks contested. D leading to O.

RondaeShimmy · Post by **RondaeShimmy** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:52 pm

Arizona stays at #2 in Kenpom but with a slightly smaller lead over Kentucky.

Still #9 in offense but defense dropped from #5 to #7 in defense

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:42 pm

Oregon sucks i want a home court boat race saturday evening

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:25 pm

97cats wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:42 pm Oregon sucks i want a home court boat race saturday evening

I myself want the Ducks dragged through the stands of McKale and skullfucked by every blue hair with a push-button medic-alert badge.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:30 pm

dovecanyoncat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:25 pm I myself want the Ducks dragged through the stands of McKale and skullfucked by every blue hair with a push-button medic-alert badge.

yes!

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Fri Feb 18, 2022 7:08 am

dovecanyoncat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:25 pm
97cats wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:42 pm Oregon sucks i want a home court boat race saturday evening
I myself want the Ducks dragged through the stands of McKale and skullfucked by every blue hair with a push-button medic-alert badge.

This seems just a smidge extreme…

20 point win would do it for me

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