Bear Down Wildcats

97cats wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:14 pm 33mins - 19pts - 7-13fg - 3-6(3pt) - 2-2ft - 5rb - 6a - 3st - 0blk 1to

over his last six games Mathurin has twenty-one assists versus three turnovers while averaging nineteen points per game while shooting 48.8% from the floor - quite remarkable making his teammates better (something he wasnt supposed to be able to do) while staying efficient and productive himself not missing a beat scoring the basketball.

the improvement on the handle has lifted his game to another level - and everyone else too.

with the inspired play hes all but a shoe-in for Pac12 POY and garnering serious 1st Team All American consideration.

he wont win it, but hes been NPOY good

He needs to keep attacking the basket. He's a very good finisher but also draws defenders and can make great passes.

the pick-n-roll install at a slower rate for Mathurin is a stroke of genius by Lloyd.

tend to forget the kid is only 19 but Lloyd has handled him brilliantly bringing him along slow allowing him to develop keeping things simple. Mathurin was a straight line player on offense for the most part in the first half of the season. Lloyd didnt incorporate him much in the screen away action, often in the corner in half court sets. as the season progressed into late January until now he has downloaded more back screen baseline action and the newest wrinkle (which could get AZ its first national title since you know when) the pick-n-roll.

late in game (if Mathurin can continue to develop his comfort in this area) Arizona's ceiling rises dramatically.

when he started incorporating this into the offense about 8-10 games ago it was rough and the timing was off, but ever the genius Lloyd didnt stray, he stuck with it and Mathurin.

at times i would watch and think, i like this but its just not quite there yet - or that Mathurin was sloppy in it and just wasnt what it was supposed to be, inconsistent results is what i would say......but slowly over the last four to five games it has taken off and transitioned from something that was positive but uneven to a deadly weapon as evidenced by the increase in assists and the plummeting of the turnovers in the last six games while scoring has remained efficient and productive.

if iso screen and roll with Mathurin can continue to work at a high level Arizona becomes extremally difficult to handle, late in shot clocks and at the end of tight games it will be a factor, especially in the round of 16 and beyond if AZ can advance

His footwork on that last second shot attempt at the end of the 1H was very impressive. He effortlessly created a ton of space with some head fakes and a step back. I wouldn't mind seeing more iso plays prior to the tourneys

Benn being able to channel his inner Trier every once in a while is a game changer.

And how he and CTL have seamlessly incorporated these wrinkles within the flow of the offense is a gamechanger.

I used to think that slow us down to a half court game could be problematic against decent teams. I now love our half court move/pass/probe approach with so many variations.

Commentator on Houston game (name?) just compared Benn to “Jordan in college”, said he would be drafted at 8-9, and that in ten years everyone will wonder how he was allowed to go so low!!! He then said - save this tape and play it in ten years!!!

I think Benn may have a future in this basketball thing

34mins - 24pts - 8-14fg - 1-4(3pt) - 7-9ft - 5rb - 4a - 1st - 0blk - 2to

two mins left up 11 and Lloyd spreads the floor and goes iso screen and roll with Mathurin and Koloko taking the shot clock all the way down - Mathurin hits a runner off the window with the shot clock almost expired.

Lloyd called it again next possession (1:16 mark) and the execution was poor (Mathurin came too late in the shot clock) and was baited into a cheesy offensive foul for one of his two turnovers, the other being when Tubelis let him down playing soft on the duck in the entry pass.

live ball end of game situations and execution is priceless on the rep side. i promise this will become more prominent at the end of halves and games the rest of the season.

Listening to Tommy in his post game presser--- Not happy at all with Benn's defensive effort tonight.

Alieberman wrote: Thu Mar 03, 2022 9:43 pm Listening to Tommy in his post game presser--- Not happy at all with Benn's defensive effort tonight.

i did not listen but he floated tonight on defense and did not give consistent effort (very up and down high highs and low lows) and once again let the refs get in his head and lost focus a few times no question.

not surprised Lloyd was unhappy

CSM took him out of the starting line up against CU on the road last year because he didn’t like his effort and body language.

Not sure he he is distracted or bored but he does seem to drift at times

pc in NM wrote: Thu Mar 03, 2022 6:55 pm Commentator on Houston game (name?) just compared Benn to “Jordan in college”, said he would be drafted at 8-9, and that in ten years everyone will wonder how he was allowed to go so low!!! He then said - save this tape and play it in ten years!!!

His body moves on the court like a young Jordan.

Olsondogg wrote: Fri Mar 04, 2022 9:08 am

pc in NM wrote: Thu Mar 03, 2022 6:55 pm Commentator on Houston game (name?) just compared Benn to “Jordan in college”, said he would be drafted at 8-9, and that in ten years everyone will wonder how he was allowed to go so low!!! He then said - save this tape and play it in ten years!!!

His body moves on the court like a young Jordan.

Smooth but powerful.

Finalist for Wooden Award

Not a shock.

deserving for sure

The complete Wooden list:

Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)

azgreg wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 11:43 am The complete Wooden list:

Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)

Some of the names on this list have no business being on it.

Don't these lists usually break down to the best player on the best teams?

azgreg wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 12:20 pm Don't these lists usually break down to the best player on the best teams?

Yes, but only if that's not us.

dovecanyoncat wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 12:21 pm

azgreg wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 12:20 pm Don't these lists usually break down to the best player on the best teams?

Yes, but only if that's not us.

right

three All-Conf players and would never dream of two reps - take what your given and go sit down now.

Benn isn't going to win the Wooden Award. It'll either be Timme or Smith or Ivey.

But AZ has a better shot at winning it all than those other players' teams.

27mins - 13pts - 3-9fg - 2-5(3pt) - 5-9ft - 6rb - 2a - 0st - 0blk - 3to

about what i expected today - others got the run and thats a very good thing. some uneven play in the middle of a healthy stretch can be terrific medicine, little to no impact overall as the team won by twenty-eight points. first time in eight games more turnovers than assists. kind of the perfect outcome as strange as that might seem, imo.

my guess is second team All-American - season totals:

overall: 31.9mpg - 17.4ppg - 47.1%fg - 37.9%3pt - 76.6%ft - 5.7rpg - 2.5apg - 0.3bpg - 1.1spg - 1.6tpg

home: 18g - 31.4mpg - 46.8%fg - 30.5%3pt - 75.7%ft - 5.6rpg - 2.1apg - 0.3bpg - 0.9spg - 1.5tpg
away: 12g - 32.5mpg - 47.6%fg - 47.3%3pt - 77.6%ft - 5.8rpg - 3.1apg - 0.3bpg - 1.3spg - 1.8tpg

Best scorers in program in recent history (non Lute coached teams). Bayless, Budinger, DWill, Trier, Mathurin.

We're going to miss that go to scorer. How many timely 3s did he consistently hit?

RondaeShimmy wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:45 am Best scorers in program in recent history (non Lute coached teams). Bayless, Budinger, DWill, Trier, Mathurin.

We're going to miss that go to scorer. How many timely 3s did he consistently hit?

my biggest takeaway from Mathurin this year is his unselfish nature while being such a gifted and smooth scorer. the game looks very easy for him, at 19 years of age the sky is the limit.

if AZ has a spectacular run and he plays great and they make it to the Final Four - Mathurin will ascend into Gilbert Arenas territory for all time Arizona shooting guards - rarified air indeed.

Miller said during his podcast he expects big things from Mathurin during the Tourney. Considering how he plays when the lights are shining the brightest I tend to agree.

The thought of it makes me giddy.

97cats wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:13 am

RondaeShimmy wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:45 am Best scorers in program in recent history (non Lute coached teams). Bayless, Budinger, DWill, Trier, Mathurin.

We're going to miss that go to scorer. How many timely 3s did he consistently hit?

my biggest takeaway from Mathurin this year is his unselfish nature while being such a gifted and smooth scorer. the game looks very easy for him, at 19 years of age the sky is the limit.

if AZ has a spectacular run and he plays great and they make it to the Final Four - Mathurin will ascend into Gilbert Arenas territory for all time Arizona shooting guards - rarified air indeed.

Gil's love of guns puts him in his own special category of shooting guards.

bada-bing!

EastCoastCat wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:21 am Miller said during his podcast he expects big things from Mathurin during the Tourney. Considering how he plays when the lights are shining the brightest I tend to agree.

The thought of it makes me giddy.

especially on a neutral floor away from home against unfamiliar opponents

It’s time we see full alpha mode

My guess is Oscar Tshiebwe will win the Wooden award.

Time to put him in the Ring of Honor.

Chicat wrote: Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:22 am Time to put him in the Ring of Honor.

9 more games...

(deserves to be posted in his own thread)

I'm assuming that doesn't go back to PAC-8 days. UCLA probably has more than 9.

UAEebs86 wrote: Tue Mar 08, 2022 3:50 pm I'm assuming that doesn't go back to PAC-8 days. UCLA probably has more than 9.

Looking it up, wasn't honored until the 75-6 season so only a couple of seasons as the PAC-8.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-12_Co ... f_the_Year

Alcindor and Walton would have won 6 probably.

He was going to be sitting for the final 3-4 mins again because of his bad defense.

If Kerr is injured again, I'm not sure Tommy has that luxury.

RondaeShimmy wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 5:35 pm He was going to be sitting for the final 3-4 mins again because of his bad defense.

If Kerr is injured again, I'm not sure Tommy has that luxury.

Tommy said he liked the defensive set he had out there because he felt he needed stops (but still put him in on offense).

It's a Team game he said. I tend to agree with him.

34mins - 20pts - 7-17fg - 4-9(3pt) - 2-3ft - 7rb - 0a - 0blk - 0st - 1to

Goodness he puts up 20 without it being noticable!

34mins - 10pts - 3-11fg - 2-8(3pt) - 2-2ft - 4rb - 3a - 1blk - 0st - 3to

*of note: after a stretch of seven consecutive games with only five turnovers and twenty-five assists, over his last three games Mathurin has seven turnovers to just five assists.

That was an NBA game by Ben. If he can get to the line like that at the next level he's going to be an absolute superstar.

6 more games as a Wildcats for Benn

He took over like a player of the year should do.