Why we will make the Final Four

[luteformayor2]

You just witnessed the last loss of the season.

Do you think TJ and CSM are going to take this lightly? Are they going to tell Ashley and Zeus that everything is ok?...Hell no.

When you have a floor leader like TJ, a defender like RHJ, and a scorer like Stanley - you have 3 pieces that no other team in college basketball has right now. Even Kentucky.

Our inconsistent interior play aside, our 1-3 players are hands down the best combination of guard talent in college basketball. TJ has reached a point finally where he will carry the team on his shoulders. Rondae will draw fouls on all the other teams interior players while locking down whoever he is assigned to guard. And Stanley will score and out muscle any player who tries to guard him. Between RHJ and Stanley, they will lock up your best scorer and score on your best defender.

These 3 guys will lead us from here on out and whether Zeus and Ashley join in will be on them. I'm sure CSM is going to make post play a priority from here on out, and if Zeus isn't going to get his shit together, we will be having a lot more Ristic in the fold.

We are still #3 overall in Kenpom. We are still a top5 team. We have the talent to win it all, we just need to harness it.

[Longhorned]

You just witnessed the last loss of the season.

Do you think TJ and CSM are going to take this lightly? Are they going to tell Ashley and Zeus that everything is ok?...Hell no.

When you have a floor leader like TJ, a defender like RHJ, and a scorer like Stanley - you have 3 pieces that no other team in college basketball has right now. Even Kentucky.

Our inconsistent interior play aside, our 1-3 players are hands down the best combination of guard talent in college basketball. TJ has reached a point finally where he will carry the team on his shoulders. Rondae will draw fouls on all the other teams interior players while locking down whoever he is assigned to guard. And Stanley will score and out muscle any player who tries to guard him. Between RHJ and Stanley, they will lock up your best scorer and score on your best defender.

These 3 guys will lead us from here on out and whether Zeus and Ashley join in will be on them. I'm sure CSM is going to make post play a priority from here on out, and if Zeus isn't going to get his shit together, we will be having a lot more Ristic in the fold.

We are still #3 overall in Kenpom. We are still a top5 team. We have the talent to win it all, we just need to harness it.

Ashley's and Tarc's problems aren't fixable. They can do better, but not by much. Stanley didn't show up last night. York came out on fire and then stopped playing defense.

We dropped four spots on AdjD on last night's game alone. That tells us a lot about yesterday's effort differential. There isn't a team in all of Division 1 basketball that can beat a top-50 team on their home court with a sub-par effort on defense when the home team comes out 110% with their hair on fire and ready to make you pay for every single breakdown and defensive flaw. ASU would have beat Kentucky last night if Kentucky came out with Arizona's spectator-level effort on defense last night.

Arizona is a potential Final Four team because it's the same team that started the season as a top-four AP selection. For reasons that Ken Pomeroy has elaborated on, that's a very meaningful ranking, just as it was for Kentucky last year. The best four teams in college basketball need to learn to play to their potential in March, and responding to bumps in the road in early (and even late) February has always been a part of that. Arizona can do it with RHJ guarding 4's that Ashley can't, PItts and York stepping up in defending the wing, and Ashley taking backup minutes at the 5 where appropriate.

As UACat23 remarked, yesterday's loss was a bad loss because we hate ASU, and because Arizona enabled ASU. It wasn't a bad loss because of the quality of the opponent (#43 Pyth), their effort level, and quality of execution.

[CBCat]

Great posts^^

I'm agreeing in sentiment. The time for nice nice is over. and I think it's time for TJ to get in Stanleys face, and I mean in a pissed off way...and keep it that way. It's TJ's 5th yr in college ball and his ceiling is oh, just $lightly diff than $tanman$. Time to man up Stanley and TJ and Rondae for that matter.and Zeus jesus H christ find your inner anger may man. just embarrassing.

[Merkin]

PJC will be back. That was the difference in the game.

York is streaky, RHJ plays out of control, BAsh is the worst defender on the floor, and Tarc's stone hands are now legendary. Those are not going to change.

[Mr.Zebra]

You just witnessed the last loss of the season.

I'd put down money against that statement if there were anyone stupid enough to actually pay out on it.

[NETSFAN4HASSAN]

PJC will be back. That was the difference in the game.

York is streaky, RHJ plays out of control, BAsh is the worst defender on the floor, and Tarc's stone hands are now legendary. Those are not going to change.

I agree with this, Merk.

[Beachcat97]

PJC will be back. That was the difference in the game.

York is streaky, RHJ plays out of control, BAsh is the worst defender on the floor, and Tarc's stone hands are now legendary. Those are not going to change.

And yet, RHJ and BAsh are somehow NBA-bound after this year? So irritating. At least Aaron Gordon made it obvious that he could play in the NBA. These other guys are seemingly on cruise-control.

[Longhorned]

PJC will be back. That was the difference in the game.

York is streaky, RHJ plays out of control, BAsh is the worst defender on the floor, and Tarc's stone hands are now legendary. Those are not going to change.

And yet, RHJ and BAsh are somehow NBA-bound after this year? So irritating. At least Aaron Gordon made it obvious that he could play in the NBA. These other guys are seemingly on cruise-control.

What's your issue with RHJ? And his play yesterday? He and TJ were the only ones busting their asses. He's going to be in the NBA because he's such an elite defender that he's ready to be a lock-down defender on the wing right now. The only things he needs to improve are the most fixable of skills: outside shooting and handles.

[UofACat23]

If every team always played their very best, Arizona would be one of the top 4 teams in the country.

Obviously Arizona doesn't always play their very best (no team does), but Arizona's "average" game is still a top 15 team. When Arizona plays poorly, they're not very good (shocker I know) and "bad" teams can beat them.

Fortunately, I've never seen a Miller coached Arizona team not maximize their potential in the tournament, and that's why they have a very real shot at a final four.*

* Assuming we don't end up in the same bracket as Kentucky.

[Beachcat97]

If every team always played their very best, Arizona would be one of the top 4 teams in the country.

Obviously Arizona doesn't always play their very best (no team does), but Arizona's "average" game is still a top 15 team. When Arizona plays poorly, they're not very good (shocker I know) and "bad" teams can beat them.

Fortunately, I've never seen a Miller coached Arizona team not maximize their potential in the tournament, and that's why they have a very real shot at a final four.*

* Assuming we don't end up in the same bracket as Kentucky.

I actually think we match up better with UK than with Duke or Wisconsin.

[rgdeuce]

Id take Duke personally.

We just want a gift-wrapped, sure thing final four team to make us feel better and that is not a reality. Last year pre bash injury, yeah, we had it. But its the NCAA tournament, how many surefire final four teams have we seen get bounced early over the years (not talking purely Arizona teams, though we have had a few).

Bottom line, we have the talent and pieces to get there. Whatever deficiencies we dwell on, everyone else has too. When we play like crap and still win, we are talking about how much grit and resolve we have, and how this team is so good we can overcome off nights. When we lose playing the same, the sky is falling.

All we can do is take care of our games early in the tournament and put ourselves in a position to get to the final four. We put ourselves in that position last year when everyone freaked put after Bash went down. We put ourselves in that position when we lost to Uconn. We had chances to win both and were one stop or bucket in each from a final four. still plenty of ball to play this year. TJ is a completely different player and has been playing like an all anerican lately. Stanley will only get better and is already one of the best players in the country. RHJ is still an elite defender and finisher..We still havengt gotten tlast years tournament RHJ and i think he will come at the right time. Tarc cant get any worse and Bash still has time to get over whatever is holding him back. There are only a few teams in the country who dont envy what we have right now

[Beachcat97]

Good post, rgdeuce.

You're right: even with all our "issues," we are definitely among the 10 or so teams that can reach the FF this year, and that doesn't include Cinderellas. Anyone paying attention to Butler this year?

But...if we piss away a higher seed by dropping games we should be winning, we're begging the committee to give us a 3 or 4. A 4 seed is appreciably worse than a 3 because then we're looking at playing a #1 seed in the Sweet Sixteen. As long as we can stay on the 2 or 3 line, we'll be in a better position.

The truth is that you just don't know how we'll do in the tourney. We could be one and done or we could win it all. Strange things happen in the tourney: guys play better than they have all year, guys play worse than they have all year. It's weird. Some things we have going for us: we've got a 5th year senior PG who will be playing to extend his college career in each tourney game this year; we've got tourney experience; we've got better depth than last year (this assumes PJC is healthy); and we're a good defensive team.

Let's finish the reg season strong, keep our home court winning streak going, and finally win a Pac tourney.

[az91]

PJC will be back. That was the difference in the game.

York is streaky, RHJ plays out of control, BAsh is the worst defender on the floor, and Tarc's stone hands are now legendary. Those are not going to change.

And yet, RHJ and BAsh are somehow NBA-bound after this year? So irritating. At least Aaron Gordon made it obvious that he could play in the NBA. These other guys are seemingly on cruise-control.

RHJ is our best defender and looks like he has the making of at least a good NBA player.

I think BAsh will have to make his money overseas. His family situation may dictate that he leaves after this year, but he would probably be well-served to comeback for one more season to see if he can get back in the discussion of being drafted.

[HiCat]

If Arizona gets hot during March, this is a FF team. Kentucky aside, Az's chances are as good as any team.

http://www.betvega.com/odds-to-win-the-final-four/

[Bear Down Vegas]

You just witnessed the last loss of the season.

I'd put down money against that statement if there were anyone stupid enough to actually pay out on it.

What odds are you willing to lay? I don't think Arizona is going to win out but with the right price, I'm your stupid enough huckleberry.

[azcat34]

If Arizona gets hot during March, this is a FF team. Kentucky aside, Az's chances are as good as any team.

http://www.betvega.com/odds-to-win-the-final-four/

Arizona is actually up to 14/1 on Bovada, from 8/1 just 9 days ago.

[Mr.Zebra]

You just witnessed the last loss of the season.

I'd put down money against that statement if there were anyone stupid enough to actually pay out on it.

What odds are you willing to lay? I don't think Arizona is going to win out but with the right price, I'm your stupid enough huckleberry.

I wouldn't be laying odds. I was talking just a straight up bet against anyone foolish enough to put down real money and pay out on the statement that the OP made. Love the Cats, but we're losing at least once more this season.

[Spaceman Spiff]

If Arizona gets hot during March, this is a FF team. Kentucky aside, Az's chances are as good as any team.

http://www.betvega.com/odds-to-win-the-final-four/

This year's betting should be Kentucky vs the field. I would take the field if I got 5 to 1 or better.