Bear Down Wildcats

Sorta feel like he's gonna pick Shaka.

Beachcat97 wrote:Sorta feel like he's gonna pick Shaka.

Beachcat97 wrote:Sorta feel like he's gonna pick Shaka.

I feel for you
I think I love you
I feel for you
I think I love you

Shaka Smart,
Let me rock you
Let me rock you
Shaka Smart
Let me rock you
That's all I wanna do
Shaka Smart, let me rock you
Let me rock you, Shaka Smart
Let me rock you
'Cause I feel for you
Feel for you

More worried about Baylor than Shaka honestly. Pitino worries me more as well.

That shoe deal has been a disaster for our recruiting.

Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star

Texas guard De'Aaron Fox schedules a UA visit.

http://tucson.com/sports/college/wildcats/

HiCat wrote:Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star

Texas guard De'Aaron Fox schedules a UA visit.

http://tucson.com/sports/college/wildcats/

Any chance, 97?

August 14th

De'Aaron Fox Cypress Lakes
De'Aaron Fox Where will De'Aaron Fox commit to?

Kentucky 33%
Kansas 6%

All Crystal Ball Predictions

http://www.aseaofblue.com/2015/8/14/915 ... dcats-list

HiCat wrote:August 14th

De'Aaron Fox Cypress Lakes
De'Aaron Fox Where will De'Aaron Fox commit to?

Kentucky 33%
Kansas 6%

All Crystal Ball Predictions

http://www.aseaofblue.com/2015/8/14/915 ... dcats-list

Figured. If 97 hasn't even mentioned his name, it's not really worth following.

Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

That's a failure of a class. Jackson or bust.

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

That's a failure of a class. Jackson or bust.

I don't think it's Jackson or bust, but it would be a tough time to have a bad recruiting year with other programs doing very well with their '16 classes.

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

That's a failure of a class. Jackson or bust.

Yes, when the success of your whole recruiting year hinges on one player's decision, it is a failure. The following three factors have put us into this situation:

1. The collapse of the California talent pipeline due to a combination of the rift with the Compton Magic, the influence of Adidas, and Alford's and Martin's recruiting

2. The coaching turnover that started with the surprising departure of Damon and the head-scratching, underwhelming decision to replace him with an obscurity from the Midwest

3. The lack of any benefit from Miller coaching the U-19 and the possibility it may have even alienated the previously committed Leaf (of course, if Jackson does sign here, the U-19 will have resulted in something positive)

Can you call it a collapse when it's only been a couple months...

Who poisoned the well with the Compton Magic? York?

Beachcat97 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

That's a failure of a class. Jackson or bust.

I don't think it's Jackson or bust, but it would be a tough time to have a bad recruiting year with other programs doing very well with their '16 classes.

When you've been leading for an elite player from the get go and do not land him, yes it's an absolute failure.

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:

az91 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Josh Jackson and Lauri Markkanen or bust.

Well really just Josh Jackson or bust, but Lauri would be some fantastic icing.

At this point in what has been a very disheartening (bungled?) recruiting year, we should be very happy to at least get Lauri and Lightfoot.

That's a failure of a class. Jackson or bust.

Yes, when the success of your whole recruiting year hinges on one player's decision, it is a failure. The following three factors have put us into this situation:

1. The collapse of the California talent pipeline due to a combination of the rift with the Compton Magic, the influence of Adidas, and Alford's and Martin's recruiting

2. The coaching turnover that started with the surprising departure of Damon and the head-scratching, underwhelming decision to replace him with an obscurity from the Midwest

3. The lack of any benefit from Miller coaching the U-19 and the possibility it may have even alienated the previously committed Leaf (of course, if Jackson does sign here, the U-19 will have resulted in something positive)

Man so many dead on points here. You nailed it all.

1. Agreed here, but Alford's recruiting and the issues with the Compton Magic are one in the same. I don't give credit to Alford in landing the Ball brothers. Those kids were never leaving LA and it's not like USC was a real choice for them.

2. The coaching turnover started and ended with Damon, but yes taking on a guy with no recruiting ties whatsoever on the west coast to replace your primary west coast recruiter was as stupid as you can get. I actually really like Phelps, but he's a Pasternack i.e. Associate head man replacement, not a Damon i.e. lead west coast recruiter replacement. What this program needs desperately is an african american west coast recruiting assistant like Tony Bland, Justin Hutson, Stevie Thompson, or even Stan Johnson. Also I think Book has outlived his usefulness at Arizona. He's a hell of a recruiter, a great guy, and he was instrumental in helping Miller turn around Arizona by bringing in some east coast guys to start mixing in with the west coast guys we were finally able to land, but it's hard to bring kids from out of the region out here unless the relationship with Book towers above all else and as of late that hasn't been the case with any of the out of region guys. Maybe a guy with TX connections would be a better move for this staff or at least another guy with west coast connections.

3. Coaching the U19 team didn't help Donovan much and it really hasn't appeared to help Miller much outside of Jackson, but he was doing well with Jackson prior to even taking up the mantle as head man for the team. Also the Compton Magic alienated Leaf and nobody else.

Just wanted to add Joe Blair getting fired without explanation to the list of head scratchers. Not a recruiter since he was only a grad assistant, but the players liked him.

Merkin wrote:Just wanted to add Joe Blair getting fired without explanation to the list of head scratchers. Not a recruiter since he was only a grad assistant, but the players liked him.

He wasn't fired, he just finished grad school, so he could no longer be a grad assistant. The players did like him, but it's not really a head scratcher to me. I don't think the guy ever had aspirations of becoming a coach or anything and from what I understand a grad assistant's role is very limited.

ChooChooCat wrote:

Merkin wrote:Just wanted to add Joe Blair getting fired without explanation to the list of head scratchers. Not a recruiter since he was only a grad assistant, but the players liked him.

He wasn't fired, he just finished grad school, so he could no longer be a grad assistant. The players did like him, but it's not really a head scratcher to me. I don't think the guy ever had aspirations of becoming a coach or anything and from what I understand a grad assistant's role is very limited.

I agree that coaching really isn't in his future, his charity is and he doesn't have enough time for both, but just recall this quote:


Blair said via email today that he was not offered a position with the Wildcats for next season.

"I would love to continue coaching but until that situation presents itself, I will be advocating for the community as I always have," wrote Blair, who is vacationing out of the country.

Merkin wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:

Merkin wrote:Just wanted to add Joe Blair getting fired without explanation to the list of head scratchers. Not a recruiter since he was only a grad assistant, but the players liked him.

He wasn't fired, he just finished grad school, so he could no longer be a grad assistant. The players did like him, but it's not really a head scratcher to me. I don't think the guy ever had aspirations of becoming a coach or anything and from what I understand a grad assistant's role is very limited.

I agree that coaching really isn't in his future, his charity is and he doesn't have enough time for both, but just recall this quote:


Blair said via email today that he was not offered a position with the Wildcats for next season.

"I would love to continue coaching but until that situation presents itself, I will be advocating for the community as I always have," wrote Blair, who is vacationing out of the country.

He ran out of eligibility to remain a grad assistant and Miller had no reason to let go of anybody else on his staff. Really much to do about nothing here.

CalStateTempe wrote:Who poisoned the well with the Compton Magic? York?

I'm not sure, but York has been mentioned. It is puzzling though, since it is not like York has been stuck on the bench his entire time here and he will be a big factor next year.

az91 wrote:

CalStateTempe wrote:Who poisoned the well with the Compton Magic? York?

I'm not sure, but York has been mentioned. It is puzzling though, since it is not like York has been stuck on the bench his entire time here and he will be a big factor next year.

Love Gabe. He's going to be huge for us this year.

It's not Gabe. It's a shoe company that funnels a lot of money to that AAU program and wants to see a return on investment in the form of those players they are outfitting continueing to wear those shoes and that apparel at a college program that is also affiliated with them.

I think people put way too much stock in the whole shoe company theories. Everyone was convinced Stephen Zimmerman was headed to an adidas team if I recall, only to end up committing to UNLV (Nike). The shoe thing is an influence but not a determining factor, and I think it is even less so for the really good players.

Remember, Lebron James won 2 NBA titles wearing...an adidas logo on his jersey.

And Lionel Messi, the face of adidas, their #1 sponsored athlete, runs out onto the field with a swoosh on his chest every saturday.

Zimmerman played for a Nike team his last year of AAU. Not saying Nike made him choose UNLV, but yeah he was obviously not overly loyal to any shoe company. In regards to shoe companies and UCLA, they have every thing to do with their recent resurgence. When your next two recruiting classes come almost solely from one AAU program that's affiliated with the same shoe company that's simply not a coincidence.

UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

Puerco wrote:UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

When it comes to recruiting? This year.

Chicat wrote:

Puerco wrote:UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

When it comes to recruiting? This year.

Has their recruiting ever really fallen off, though? Lots of 4 and 5 star guys on that roster every year.

Their problem is that the UCLA hoops program is really just another program these days. Very little to distinguish UCLA from about 15 to 20 other schools. And the fact that they couldn't lure a better coach is evidence of this.

MJ Cage to Oregon.

Beachcat97 wrote:
Has their recruiting ever really fallen off, though?

On the west coast, yes, it fell off for a good period there.

ChooChooCat wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:
Has their recruiting ever really fallen off, though?

On the west coast, yes, it fell off for a good period there.

Norman Powell, Zach Lavine, Aaron Holiday, Welsh, Hamilton, the Wears...I'm probably forgetting a few. Not really seeing that drop off on the west coast.

Beachcat97 wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:
Has their recruiting ever really fallen off, though?

On the west coast, yes, it fell off for a good period there.

Norman Powell, Zach Lavine, Aaron Holiday, Welsh, Hamilton, the Wears...I'm probably forgetting a few. Not really seeing that drop off on the west coast.

Go ahead and point out the 5 star talents in that group that Arizona also recruited. Also the Wears were in high school so long ago that Lute Olson was still our coach their season year, so that was a major stretch on your part. Look at Arizona's west coast recruiting the past few years and UCLA's. They're now landing all the west coast guys we want, so yes they fell off for a bit by their standards just like we are by our standards now.

Had an Arizona offer.

Meh...whatever. '16 is more and more turning into the JJ sweepstakes.

So far it looks like 31 offers; 15 commits to other schools; 15 officially uncommitted; and, 1 take your scholarship and shove it.

honestly, i am less concerned about next year then most. considering we dont have a clear one and done in this years class, we should be fine next year at almost every position. Only concerns i do have are at the center position. add in lauri (PF/C) and we could be fine. obviously want josh as much as the next guy but all hope is not lost if we dont get him.

A1RZONA wrote:honestly, i am less concerned about next year then most. considering we dont have a clear one and done in this years class, we should be fine next year at almost every position. Only concerns i do have are at the center position. add in lauri (PF/C) and we could be fine. obviously want josh as much as the next guy but all hope is not lost if we dont get him.

What PF will we have on the roster next season? I count zero.

Our desperate needs for next season extend beyond JJ; in addition to a wing, we need a PF, probably 2. A CG would be nice, but is a luxury we would be fine without.

JJ, an impact 4, and Lightfoot would not match recent classes on paper - but it would address team needs and position us well for next season.

Harvey Specter wrote:

A1RZONA wrote:honestly, i am less concerned about next year then most. considering we dont have a clear one and done in this years class, we should be fine next year at almost every position. Only concerns i do have are at the center position. add in lauri (PF/C) and we could be fine. obviously want josh as much as the next guy but all hope is not lost if we dont get him.

What PF will we have on the roster next season? I count zero.

Our desperate needs for next season extend beyond JJ; in addition to a wing, we need a PF, probably 2. A CG would be nice, but is a luxury we would be fine without.

JJ, an impact 4, and Lightfoot would not match recent classes on paper - but it would address team needs and position us well for next season.

Lauri definitely the top option at the 4, but if we land Jackson then we'd have both Smith and him to back up the position.

This 2016 Class is stressing me out! I have faith in CSM but watching Cal, UCLA, UW and ASSU gaining traction in recruiting is making me a bit nervous.

We really need to get over that Elite 8 hurdle soon too! BTFD.

Chicat wrote:

Puerco wrote:UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

When it comes to recruiting? This year.

They hang banners for that, right?

Puerco wrote:

Chicat wrote:

Puerco wrote:UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

When it comes to recruiting? This year.

They hang banners for that, right?

I've never known a team with shitty third tier players to hang a banner earned on the court.

four days 'til practice begins!

talking about practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

Merkin wrote:

Here's hoping the remaining 32 all commit to AZ.

Chicat wrote:

Puerco wrote:

Chicat wrote:

Puerco wrote:UCLA has resurged? When did that happen?

When it comes to recruiting? This year.

They hang banners for that, right?

I've never known a team with shitty third tier players to hang a banner earned on the court.

Shh... The OKG guys might hear you and get a little upset.