The 2021-2022 Season Thread

[Chicat]

A failure to match the energy and intensity of an opponent isn't something where you need tourney experience.

I 100% disagree.

The energy and intensity needed to beat 6 great teams in a row who are full of stone cold ballers who are dead set on not allowing their season to end is exactly what being in the tournament teaches you.

Teams with players with tournament experience have a distinct advantage in my mind as far as knowing the type of energy and intensity it takes to win it because they’ve been there before.

We do disagree. When I was 11, I was on a junior high allstar team. My coach told me he'd forgive mental mistakes but never being outworked.

Anyone who's been an athlete from a young age knows what it's like to have to respond to energy and aggression. When I moved to HS varsity, my first week of practice, a senior took it on himself to hit me in the face every time down court. I got in a fistfight every day that first week.

How to execute, making shots, handling rotations, dealing with pressure...that's more experience based. More importantly, our effort metrics struggled pre-tournament too. The end of the regular season on, defense fell off and you saw open threes, offensive rebounds, etc. that you didn't see OOC.

So the energy and intensity of the NCAA tourney is the same as your high school basketball practices?

I think you’re trying to say that the team didn’t put in the required “effort”. I’m saying knowing the level of intensity and energy that is required at the highest levels comes with experience.

It’s fine we disagree, but your theory that they suddenly stopped caring because you were a high school athlete and know exactly what it takes to win a college national championship doesn’t hold water for me. I also don’t think being an NCAA champ means you automatically know what it takes to win an NBA title. But maybe I’m wrong. I didn’t get hit in the face by some sadistic high school senior daily so what do I know?

[Spaceman Spiff]

A failure to match the energy and intensity of an opponent isn't something where you need tourney experience.

I 100% disagree.

The energy and intensity needed to beat 6 great teams in a row who are full of stone cold ballers who are dead set on not allowing their season to end is exactly what being in the tournament teaches you.

Teams with players with tournament experience have a distinct advantage in my mind as far as knowing the type of energy and intensity it takes to win it because they’ve been there before.

We do disagree. When I was 11, I was on a junior high allstar team. My coach told me he'd forgive mental mistakes but never being outworked.

Anyone who's been an athlete from a young age knows what it's like to have to respond to energy and aggression. When I moved to HS varsity, my first week of practice, a senior took it on himself to hit me in the face every time down court. I got in a fistfight every day that first week.

How to execute, making shots, handling rotations, dealing with pressure...that's more experience based. More importantly, our effort metrics struggled pre-tournament too. The end of the regular season on, defense fell off and you saw open threes, offensive rebounds, etc. that you didn't see OOC.

So the energy and intensity of the NCAA tourney is the same as your high school basketball practices?

I think you’re trying to say that the team didn’t put in the required “effort”. I’m saying knowing the level of intensity and energy that is required at the highest levels comes with experience.

It’s fine we disagree, but your theory that they suddenly stopped caring because you were a high school athlete and know exactly what it takes to win a college national championship doesn’t hold water for me. I also don’t think being an NCAA champ means you automatically know what it takes to win an NBA title. But maybe I’m wrong. I didn’t get hit in the face by some sadistic high school senior daily so what do I know?

Look, I don't claim I was great. I was a D2 talent at best, but I did play as a scout team walk on for a program that made a Sweet 16 while I was there.

You're also overlooking the more basic point I'm making, which is that maximizing intensity, effort and aggression isn't a concept that get dropped on athletes in college. A college player may well learn drop p&r coverage in college. Basic competition exists from a much younger age.

From a young age, most people go through practices where things are explicitly designed to test your toughness, competitiveness and get you to push and respond. I don't know your athletic background, but it is common for the people I know. Loser runs. Run suicides until you make X free throws.

As far as what I'm saying about the team, I'll leave it here. From your posts, you seem to agree TCU and Houston played with greater energy and aggression than we did. To me, that's the bottom line.

I am no insider and don't know why it was like that. I do think when you watched our tournament games, we fell short of every opponent in the realm of energy and aggression, even if the 1-16 game, which was close for too long.

At the end of it, that's just fact. And I stick by the idea it's harder to learn systems and execution and easiest to learn how to play with energy and aggression.

[CopaCat]

That loss didn't really hurt me much last night. Had it been a tight hard fought game my feelings would be different. Houston dominated that game though. No reason to be overly sullen about a loss like that.

Gotta get a few transfers and try again next year.

[Spaceman Spiff]

A failure to match the energy and intensity of an opponent isn't something where you need tourney experience.

I 100% disagree.

The energy and intensity needed to beat 6 great teams in a row who are full of stone cold ballers who are dead set on not allowing their season to end is exactly what being in the tournament teaches you.

Teams with players with tournament experience have a distinct advantage in my mind as far as knowing the type of energy and intensity it takes to win it because they’ve been there before.

We do disagree. When I was 11, I was on a junior high allstar team. My coach told me he'd forgive mental mistakes but never being outworked.

Anyone who's been an athlete from a young age knows what it's like to have to respond to energy and aggression. When I moved to HS varsity, my first week of practice, a senior took it on himself to hit me in the face every time down court. I got in a fistfight every day that first week.

How to execute, making shots, handling rotations, dealing with pressure...that's more experience based. More importantly, our effort metrics struggled pre-tournament too. The end of the regular season on, defense fell off and you saw open threes, offensive rebounds, etc. that you didn't see OOC.

1. IMNSHO, your varsity coach was an asshole.

2. We were one of the youngest teams in the tournament with almost zero tournament experience. That showed. But it had nothing whatsoever to do with lack of effort or attitude. All the players who return, even playing the same schemes and style, will be better prepared and more effective - but particular match-ups in a one-and-done tournament will still be magnified.

3. And, we'll likely again be under-prepared for games like the last two after a full season on a league with marginally competent refs...

I agree I don't think Pac reffing helps us one bit.

I just do think one bottom line is we got outcompeted in the tourney. Winning 50/50 balls is just a competition thing. Both TCU and Houston clearly got us in that area. We were the tallest team in the tourney and they both outrebounded us.

Look, it's not like I think that's a mortal sin and it makes someone a POS human. This is a pretty likeable team, and we had a fantastic regular season. I just think when the coaches and team go watch tape, it will be hard to avoid seeing Houston and TCU playing with more energy and aggression than we had.

[RawleArenas]

I like what CTL did with the program this season. It reinvigorated the fanbase. For a big chunk of it, we were the dominant team in the country. But we're just fooling ourselves if we are going to pretend that the perception of us and other west coast teams is that we're too soft.

That has nothing to do with the age of the players. Because as it is right now (and I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way), I don't want to be soft like the Zags and get great players who don't know how to fight and rise to the occasion. The Zags will always be good but no serious basketball fan will take them seriously because they get pushed around. And let's not forget we've had freshmen and sophmores in the past who have risen like Bibby and Terry and Gil and Gardner. And of course DWill.

What CTL said about Houston, is what they could have said about Baylor last year (about needing to play them more than once to get used to that level of defense). If we don't have players who like to fight and get dirty, we can only hope for the luck of good draws in the tourney, which hasn't happened as of late. And if CTL is the coach that we all think that he is, then he has to take it upon himself to make some tweaks.

[Chicat]

So Spaceman, you’re saying that no one on your team learned anything about the energy and intensity needed to win in the tournament during your Sweet Sixteen run? That it was developed from their days in youth & high school sports and the tourney was no different? That’s quite different from what I’ve heard from a lot of people, both personally and through the media, so I’m sorry to say I remain unconvinced, but of course I can’t match your experience so it is what it is I guess.

[UAEebs86]

[Spaceman Spiff]

So Spaceman, you’re saying that no one on your team learned anything about the energy and intensity needed to win in the tournament during your Sweet Sixteen run? That it was developed from their days in youth & high school sports and the tourney was no different? That’s quite different from what I’ve heard from a lot of people, both personally and through the media, so I’m sorry to say I remain unconvinced, but of course I can’t match your experience so it is what it is I guess.

I'll put it like this:

Competing and putting in 100% effort is something preached by every coach I've ever seen from childhood on.

The biggest competition jump for players is level to level. HS to College. College to pros.

No coach I've met would ever accept that the energy and aggression goes up in postseason. That's saying you're not maxing energy and aggression in the regular season, and I've literally never seen a coach that didn't center things on the idea that maximum intensity and focus needed to be an every day cultural baseline.

What goes up in the postseason is the importance attached to each possession. I would wager that's the larger adjustment, how to handle the reality that the pressure is there every time up and down the floor.

Then there's a final element Sean Miller always raised that I think is true and something we saw in TCU and Houston. Not letting a rough shooting night affect your energy in other areas. We shot poorly vs both TCU and Houston, and there's a skill in both regular and postseason in not letting that frustration bleed into other areas.

[SabinoDrifter]

Yeah, it's not like they've flamed out in the round of 32 each year.

That USA Today article is 100% spot on about the premiere event of college basketball is won by teams that play at a deliberate pace, the games are officiated inconsistently and you have to win with defense. I fucking love college basketball and there is no better sporting event than the NCAA tournament, but the product is light years behind the NBA in how the game is played at the professional level.

For reference, here are the adjusted KenPom adjusted tempo rates for the last five national champions and the current betting favorite (Houston).

2016: Villanova - 274
2017: North Carolina - 40
2018: Villanova - 150
2019: Virginia - 353
2021: Baylor - 213
2022: Houston - 338

[ZagCatFan]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/c ... 164377001/

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yeah, it's not like they've flamed out in the round of 32 each year.

That USA Today article is 100% spot on about the premiere event of college basketball is won by teams that play at a deliberate pace, the games are officiated inconsistently and you have to win with defense. I fucking love college basketball and there is no better sporting event than the NCAA tournament, but the product is light years behind the NBA in how the game is played at the professional level.

For reference, here are the adjusted KenPom adjusted tempo rates for the last five national champions and the current betting favorite (Houston).

2016: Villanova - 274
2017: North Carolina - 40
2018: Villanova - 150
2019: Virginia - 353
2021: Baylor - 213
2022: Houston - 338

That's the same basic argument I always used to bust out when people criticized Miller's offense, especially as slow.

There's a high correlation between offensive efficiency and winning a natty. There's basically zero correlation between pace and winning a natty.

Pace might be more fun for fans to watch, but at best it does nothing for your chances of winning a title and there's a legitimate argument to be made it hurts your chances of winning a title.

[Chicat]

Then I guess we hired the wrong guy.

[Beachcat97]

Then I guess we hired the wrong guy.

Howland’s looking for work again.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Then I guess we hired the wrong guy.

I wouldn't go that far. UNC showed a few times it's certainly not impossible to play fast and win a natty.

It just isn't an advantage. I'm not inclined to say it's necessarily a disadvantage, but I go back and forth on whether it could be. UNC was probably the most consistent fast national contender under Roy. They won some, but there were some years where they had a riduculous amount of talent and didn't win a natty too.

I settle ultimately that pace is irrelevant, efficiency controls.

[azcat49]

I get what you are Spiff about the tourney toughness and playing at the level consistently for the whole year but then I look at UCLA and scratch my head a bit.

We played them that first game and got worked. To Chi’s point(and Lloyds) we played them a week later and had much greater toughness and resolve and then matched that once again the the conference tournament.

TCU outworked us and we should have been ready for the battle last night but we just looked out of sorts. I can’t put my finger on On why. Maybe they are simply better I don’t know.

We really regressed defensively late in the year. Even Furd shot lights out against us. That collapse on defense is what perplexes me because when you have an off night shooting we need that defense

[Longhorned]

What went wrong last night was that Houston was able to defend in transition while still killing us with their offensive rebounds. By my count, we scored only 2 points the whole game in transition after defensive rebounds. And Houston outscored us by something like 20 second-chance points. Without getting comfortable in the open court, and without being able to open the paint by hitting 3's, we had almost no good looks all night. In short, Houston was that much better than us. I chalk a lot of that up to experience.

[Longhorned]

Wasn't it 2001-2002 we lost to Sampson's Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 in much the same way? And then the following year we were the consensus pre-season #1? Or do I have that wrong?

[Postmaster]

I think we were tired, among other issues.
They mentioned how Houston was running wind sprints during practice this week.
So many shots were short or the bunnies were clanking. We seemed late on a lot of switching and closeouts. I saw a lot of standing and waiting for rebounds.
I thought CTL should have really expanded the bench for the last few weeks but instead he shortened it.
A lot goes into it. It’s not just cardio. It’s getting used to the physical play of opponents.. That takes a toll when you aren’t used to it.

[ZagCatFan]

Then I guess we hired the wrong guy.

I wouldn't go that far. UNC showed a few times it's certainly not impossible to play fast and win a natty.

True….but if you remember that Final Four game in Phoenix UNC against Zags in 2017. Bully ball

Zach Collins our freshmen stud fouled out as he was dominating UNC. Seems history repeats this year with Chet.

It was one of the ugliest finals IMO. I hate mucky games.

[SabinoDrifter]

I would say if freedom of movement emphasis isn't consistently applied three weeks in March, then pace is completely irrelevant. Houston arguably lost their two best players and are 40 minutes away from going back to the Final Four because their style works well in March.

If the Suns lost Booker and Ayton for the rest of the season tomorrow, they might not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. There is enough data out there that a smart guy like Tommy Lloyd will realize is relevant in how they want to play going forward. And for the love of fucking god, can we get one year with some chaos in our bracket?

[RondaeShimmy]

Here's a bunch of Sampson quotes on Arizona

https://247sports.com/college/arizona/A ... 185141871/

“I watched Arizona play,” Sampson said. “I watched them play UCLA. I watched them play Colorado. I watched the way those teams guarded them, and I knew we weren't going to guard them like those teams did. Those teams just switched them. They let them be comfortable. I knew we were going to make them uncomfortable. That's what we do".

“I knew their size would be a factor, but I didn't think their size was -- if we did what our game plan called for, I didn't think the size was going to make us lose. Our team, we're a tough bunch. We've gotten a lot better as the season goes on."

“Well, we play -- the key to beating Arizona is controlling the pace,” he said. “We felt like, if we could hold them in the 50s and we don't turn the ball over at the end, we probably do hold them in the 50s. But 60, we're going to win a game in the 60s, but we're not going to win the game in the 80s. If the game's in the 80s, then they're doing what they practice. If the game's in the 50s and 60s, that means our defense is really good."

“We led our league in scoring. We're number ten offensive team in the country. It's not like we don't have a good offense. It's that when you play a team like Illinois who likes to run or Arizona who likes to run, Memphis likes to run, those are three really good teams. But in order for us to beat them, we have to figure out how we're going to win the game.

“So we're physical. The start of the first half, the start of the second half, you can tell the adjustment that Tommy made with those slip screens and the quick rolls and they were getting them, and we just turned around and said, okay, if you're going to do that, then we're going to do this. Instead of chasing them over the screen, we went under the screen, and that completely took the roller away.

“What Arizona is good at is the roll, and then Tubelis is such a good passer. But by going under the screen, we took his passing away, and we forced him to be a scorer. So part of our game plan is we wanted Tubelis to have to score the ball and not pass it. We kept him in check the first half. Second half they started, instead of setting the screen -- we call them ghost or burn screens. They ghost, and they were hitting the pocket pass, and they were hitting us -- they got us a couple times."

“Then we came back and said, okay, here's how we're going to guard that. Once our kids started going under those screens, now we kept the ball in front of us. So our pick-and-roll coverage was good. On the sides, Mathurin hit some tough shots, but those were tough shots."

“And as good an offensive rebounding team as we are, and we're really good, I thought Arizona was better. I thought Arizona was a better offensive rebounding team than us tonight. I thought that was their best offense, their offensive rebounding. They're good at that.”

I think what Sampson says here basically answers our questions about this.

We can't run our same freedom of movement sets the same as in the tournament because they allow more contact and physicality. They can disrupt the screens, switches etc with their bodies and that takes us out of our game. And if we get to the rim they can body check us and we aren't used to it. Pace is irrelevant.

During conference play with less physical teams and touch fouls of this horrible conference, this runs exceptional because we can go through our sets without them being disturbed. It's also why having big size in the post has been irrelevant every tournament.

[Spaceman Spiff]

What went wrong last night was that Houston was able to defend in transition while still killing us with their offensive rebounds. By my count, we scored only 2 points the whole game in transition after defensive rebounds. And Houston outscored us by something like 20 second-chance points. Without getting comfortable in the open court, and without being able to open the paint by hitting 3's, we had almost no good looks all night. In short, Houston was that much better than us. I chalk a lot of that up to experience.

I thought we had some of the problems that have recurred lately on defense. We let them get 25 freethrows and shoot 45% from 3.

One striking facet of our recent D was we allowed an opponent to shoot over 40% from 3 only 6 times in our first 29 games. We allowed more than 40% in 4 of the last 8 games. It correlates to a lot of the falloff we saw lately.

We were very closely matched to Houston in opponent EFG. They were 3rd nationally and we were 8th. They significantly overpeformed what we usually allow on offense and we underperformed what they usually allow when we had the ball.

We usually give up 44.4% EFG and they put up 55.0% EFG. To me, that's the toughest pill to swallow, because they weren't white hot or hitting crazy stuff. Our offense was significantly off, but it was close enough we could have given ourselves a chance if we'd done on D and on the glass what we were doing earlier in the year.

Offense is variable, but you always hope defense is less so and that is how you grind a tourney win when shooting isn't there.

[Spaceman Spiff]

“So we're physical. The start of the first half, the start of the second half, you can tell the adjustment that Tommy made with those slip screens and the quick rolls and they were getting them, and we just turned around and said, okay, if you're going to do that, then we're going to do this. Instead of chasing them over the screen, we went under the screen, and that completely took the roller away.

“What Arizona is good at is the roll, and then Tubelis is such a good passer. But by going under the screen, we took his passing away, and we forced him to be a scorer. So part of our game plan is we wanted Tubelis to have to score the ball and not pass it. We kept him in check the first half. Second half they started, instead of setting the screen -- we call them ghost or burn screens. They ghost, and they were hitting the pocket pass, and they were hitting us -- they got us a couple times."

That part is fascinating to me because I feel like I can see the play Sampson is talking about.

Out of the half we ran a high p&r with Kerr and Tubelis. Tubelis slipped and got the pocket pass from Kerr. Houston rotated from the baseline and Tubelis lobbed to Koloko for a dunk.

It's the first second half highlight in this package, around 1:10:

https://youtu.be/N1c7rx9Xkfc

You can literally see the ghost/burn Sampson is talking about, the pocket pass and the defender stepping up to shut down Tubelis giving up a lob.

I think I said it before Houston, but I think Sampson evaluated Tubelis correctly. Lately, he does not use those midrange catches to aggressively score. By laying back, they put the onus on him to get outside that.

Edit: FWIW, I knew exactly where that play would be in the highlights because my first reaction was being impressed with Lloyd for the halftime adjustment and call. It was a good adjustment, but Sampson adjusted back and we got stymied.

[Jefe]

The shock isn't going to wear off for a long time and its hard to put into words how much fun this season was. That late run really got me going and I thought we might actually pull off another miracle win.

Truly amazing what these guys did and they should hold their heads high. I hope there was a crowd at the airport welcoming them home!

[YoDeFoe]

I had a blast this season. This team was an absolute joy to watch and if I have one overriding emotion its that I'm mourning that I won't get to see them play together again. They were such a delightful surprise and gave us a beautiful brand of basketball while bringing winning and pride back to Tucson.

Of course last night nags at me: what went wrong, what could have been. A lost opportunity to return to the promised land and shake off every one of the well-overgrown cobwebs.

What shines beyond that feeling of loss is that the sun will rise again next season and we'll still have Tommy Lloyd and his style of play and his guys in this program. This young coach and this young team will, largely, return better for that experience. There is so much to be thankful for and feel positive about - Arizona basketball is back.

[TheCat]

Agree that is was as good a tournament as I expected in the beginning of the year (Sweet 16) and a much better regular season a PAC 12 tourney then I expected. This team won the PAC by 3 games. In my wildest dreams I didn't think that was possible.

[UAEebs86]

They are making next season special?

[SabinoDrifter]

Another thing to add to the fire with more time to reflect...this might have been one of the toughest years to have a really young team given the extra COVID year for a lot of these programs. Remy Martin has played 144 career games and Kerr and DT have played a combined 104. The lack of tournament experience sucks this year, but could be a big factor next season if we get a portal guy or two.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Another thing to add to the fire with more time to reflect...this might have been one of the toughest years to have a really young team given the extra COVID year for a lot of these programs. Remy Martin has played 144 career games and Kerr and DT have played a combined 104. The lack of tournament experience sucks this year, but could be a big factor next season if we get a portal guy or two.

Yeah, but a lot of those were at ASU so they don't count as actual basketball.

[RondaeShimmy]

My lasting nagging thought as I reflect on this season is that we really overrated the size, athleticism, and talent of this team overall. The tournament really shows you the reality of your team and that is what it showed us

I actually think Lloyd overachieved with this team in the regular season. The postseason results were about the about right for the level of talent we had imo.

I put the talent level of this team somewhere between the 2011 and 2013 teams. Certainly could've gone further if we had a DWill level performance from Benn (had one and tried for another).

[RawleArenas]

It's part of the reason why I was making a clarion call for roster upgrades. We need athleticism, toughness and maturity. There's no way we should get run off the court by a bunch of nasty grad students. It starts at the point and ends at the frontcourt.

Watching the second half was like watching Scream 2, just a plain massacre. Ok, a little hyperbole, but we shouldn't be hoping that all of the physical teams have COVID in order to make a run in the tourney.

[Spaceman Spiff]

My lasting nagging thought as I reflect on this season is that we really overrated the size, athleticism, and talent of this team overall. The tournament really shows you the reality of your team and that is what it showed us

I actually think Lloyd overachieved with this team in the regular season. The postseason results were about the about right for the level of talent we had imo.

I put the talent level of this team somewhere between the 2011 and 2013 teams. Certainly could've gone further if we had a DWill level performance from Benn (had one and tried for another).

I'm not sure on that. At the end of the day, the 13-14 team had future pros in AG, TJ, RHJ and briefly NJ. Plus solid college players in Ashley, Zeus and York. 14-15, sub Stanley for AG and no more NJ.

I think Benn is as talented as the top line guys like AG and Stanley. Koloko is a future pro. Terry could be a third pro. It's not incredible to think Larsson, Tubelis or Ballo could get an NBA look and at minimum, are solid college players. I have trouble seeing Kerr as an NBA player, but he's a very solid college player.

2-3 pros at minimum would be above 2011, where you had DWill, Solo (and Solo wasn't his best version yet) and then just solid college guys.

It's not super far from 2014, 15, 17 and 18, Miller's most talented teams, and the results matched those talent levels. The players this year fit together very well, and not many teams have size like we did while still having a lot of athleticism and mobility.

[Merkin]

I have trouble seeing Kerr as an NBA player, but he's a very solid college player.

I said the same thing about TJ McConnell. The Cats were 4 future NBA players and TJ. Just took him 5 years in college to prove he belonged there.

I imagine Kriisa will take all his years too.

[pokinmik]

We definitely need to be tougher in the tournament and need much better guard play as well. Our wings and big men are usually solid but it’s the guards that make or break in March for the most part.

I know it’s loser talk but could some of the losses just be bad luck in the opponent draws?? Playing Houston (a top5 kenpom team and probably the least suitable type of team for us to face)
in Texas when we’re the 1 yet they get the location preference basically? That’s a lot to overcome in retrospect. Seems like the committee always puts the hardest tests imaginable in front of our teams. Sometimes we deserved it for sure but other times always just seems like bad luck.

[RaisingArizona]

It's part of the reason why I was making a clarion call for roster upgrades. We need athleticism, toughness and maturity. There's no way we should get run off the court by a bunch of nasty grad students.

1:) we went 33-4. If you are right that our roster wasn't good enough (I don't happen to agree) then that is incredibly positive in the sense that we have John Wooden part II as our head coach.

2:) there were reasons that we weren't able to play up to our potential. That's part of sports but we needed to make a big adjustment at a late stage in the year. JIm Jackson pointed that out about Houston. They had time to recalibrate after their injuries.

3:) the tournament is fluky as hell. Our only national champion isn't even be a top ten Arizona team in the modern era if you exclude that championship.

4:) matchups matter. That style is tricky on high octane offenses. We need to figure out our approach in those sorts of games.

[Chicat]

It's part of the reason why I was making a clarion call for roster upgrades. We need athleticism, toughness and maturity. There's no way we should get run off the court by a bunch of nasty grad students. It starts at the point and ends at the frontcourt.

Watching the second half was like watching Scream 2, just a plain massacre. Ok, a little hyperbole, but we shouldn't be hoping that all of the physical teams have COVID in order to make a run in the tourney.

Your takes have been so incredibly special.

And yes, by “special” I’m talking about intellectually disabled.

[RawleArenas]

My posts can be a little silly at times, a little dramatic. But it's always to make a point. Saying that we need to upgrade the point guard and frontcourt positions is not ground breaking, and we certainly need more toughness. We had plenty of tests leading up to the Houston game that should have prevented us from losing the way that we did. Tons of Cat fans feel the same way.

I have noticed a little 'extra' on some your posts and I just wanna say that I no beef with you. Enjoyed your takes, and enjoy hearing everyone's perspective on the season. A lot of us are still in mourning and reeling from the loss.

Wish you nothing but the best man. RA

[Lando05]

Gonzaga has made two finals playing uptempo recently. St. Peter's just beat Purdue, in a 1 game elimination tournament anything can happen. Only 4 teams make a final 4. In Lloyd's first year he won the Pac and made the sweet 16. We lost to a really good Houston team that made the final 4 last year. Tip our cap to them. The positive momentum the program has is exciting.

We have improvements to make especially needing a couple guards and a wing that can brake a defense down of the dribble to create. We were close, lets not forget Kerr is not 100 percent healthy, so let's be fair here. The future is bright. Beardown!

[prh]

Here's what I think is critical about tourney experience, and goes unmentioned a lot. These 3 games are the only games our guys have had that if they lose, they're done. Every other game these guys have ever played, had zero impact on whether there would another game.

We'll get there. This is year 1. At least we're not Purdue I guess?

[azgreg]

Gonzaga has made two finals playing uptempo recently. St. Peter's just beat Purdue, in a 1 game elimination tournament anything can happen. Only 4 teams make a final 4. In Lloyd's first year he won the Pac and made the sweet 16. We lost to a really good Houston team that made the final 4 last year. Tip our cap to them. The positive momentum the program has is exciting.

We have improvements to make especially needing a couple guards and a wing that can brake a defense down of the dribble to create. We were close, lets not forget Kerr is not 100 percent healthy, so let's be fair here. The future is bright. Beardown!

[U.P. Zona Fan]

Wow, what a season, new coach, half our scoring from last year leaves, we bring in a bunch of guys that we could see upside of but we didn't replace what we lost, at least we didn't think so at the time.

Got off to a great start, my family and I got to go to Vegas and see them play and celebrate the end of cancer treatment, won the Pac by 3 games, won the Tourney, got the second 1 seed, made the sweet 16, not gonna say it wouldn't have been nice to get to the 3rd weekend but, think we already got more than we were expecting. And of the teams that played in the sweet 16, 1 or 2 other teams had a chance to beat us, just drew a really good Houston team that would have beaten anyone in the field that night.

Love this team!!!! Really looking forward to this next phase of Arizona basketball.

Thanks you guys for being here.

And thanks to the team for being so much fun to follow and being so good at winning games. 33 is a lot. Breaks my heart that this group is done but wish all that are leaving the best in their endeavors.

This is my New favorite post Lute team. Hope we get CLo back. I wasn't sure there would ever be a team that I would love more than the Gordon year.

Looking forward to more favorites.

[UAEebs86]

[Beachcat97]

Oh no. I want to laugh, but it's too painful!

[Spaceman Spiff]

It's very true.

Just in the last decade or so, we've seen Kerr's ankle, Xavier rising from the grave, Wisconsin's offensive explosion, our offensive nonexplosion vs Wisconsin and a bad block/charge call and Horne's 3 rimming out.

Those aren't even the games we just sort of lost, like Buffalo, Wichita and Ohio State. It's been a depressing run.

[Jefe]

Where's the highlight reel from the season?

[UAEebs86]

Who in the Old Pueblo is down?

We need a BDW starting five.

[Jefe]

[Postmaster]

Was Rogers there?

[GlobalCat]

Batcho entered the portal, no major surprise here as this was expected even had we retained Miller.

What was the backstory on Batcho leaving? Playing time? He is having a strong season at TTU (minus todays injury).