Chase Budinger may have seen it coming before anyone else have. But he was helpless.
“I was going in for a rebound,” Budinger said. “I was out of the play. I was just hoping that Jamelle would trip and not touch the guy.”
But Horne did, getting whistled for an intentional foul against UAB’s Paul Delaney, who then sunk the first of two free throws to win Tuesday’s game.
Horne appeared to be more focused on time than score, and his clock was, well, a bit off. He said he figured Delaney could score, even though Delaney was not yet at midcourt with just one second left.
“I saw the guy with the ball going 94 feet and the last thing I wanted to do was give him an uncontested shot,” Horne said. “And I saw him in front of me so I tried to foul him and the ref called what. … I don’t know what he called it.”
Horne, who played just 397 minutes last season as a freshman under Kevin O’Neill, was the second of two younger players to make an error in the final seconds Turesday. Freshman Kyle Fogg, who made a steal and layup to tie the game, wound up fouling Aaron Johnson.
Pennell said the two mistakes were actually very different in nature.
“It’s kind of a tale of two things,” Pennell said. “Kyle we stuck in to protect Nic (Wise) — we were putting him in to foul. And then when he came up with the steal and scored, he just got excited and lost track of what was going on. He’s a young kid. He felt horrible about it.
“Jamelle’s was just the opposite, I believe. He was heading up the sideline. I don’t think he had a clock in his head. I think he thought that Delaney could get all the way to the rim. And he was caught between a rock and a hard place. And instead of just letting him go he made a poor decision and he’s broken up about it.”
Of course, the underlying problem was that UA didn’t have to be in this position. The Wildcats could have better contested many of the Blazers’ 13 three-pointers and they might have hit more than 13 of 20 free throws.
“We told (Horne) if we get two more (free throws), we win the game,” Pennell said. “We had other opportunities to make good plays.”
You want irony? Horne was the first player to talk to Fogg after his gaffe. Brutal loss, when does softball season start?
— Button Salmon 11/19/2008 03:32 AM #
The season is over before it really begins. Wildcat teams never lose to team like this early in the season. Lute gone, not help from the bench…. when oh when do they start the search for a replacement coach….
— Wildcatike 11/19/2008 05:18 AM #
The season is not over. UofA basketball fans are un-believable!!! This team is going to be fun to watch. They’re going to make mistakes, but they’re also going to grow. They have some great talent, and some really good young players. I for one, look forward to a young, over-achieving team again as opposed to the under-achieving, pro-wannabees that Lute was fielding the past 5 or 6 years.
— D. Swan 11/19/2008 07:25 AM #
Gentlemen,
I have always been the eternal pessimist in this blog. However, although last night was a debacle in the final second, I have a feeling about this team.
You have to admit the teams of the past two years would have never made that comeback…also, UAB is a very solid squad with 4 returning starters. I really think they expect to make the NCAAs as the second team from Conference USA this year.
All in all, that was pretty impressive from our inexperienced Cats. I think they may surprise most of you this year.
There you have it, a pessimist turned optimist (although, that is made far easier as being the constant underdog this year).
Onward and upward.
— Nick 11/19/2008 07:32 AM #
This team will be fine. UAB returned 4 starters and has a first round pick as one of them. UAB may even win their conference. The Cats have some youth that makes mistakes, but I think still have a great shot at the tourney. Some of the Cats just need more experience. It may be a blessing in disguise to go on the road to Davidson or St. John’s
— jim 11/19/2008 07:58 AM #
Yeah, UAB was actually a higher rated team that UA in many places. You have to give the team credit for coming back. As UA fans, we have come to expect more from the program, but it isn’t going to be like that anymore, at least this year. We have to adjust our expectations. They never should have been in that position anyway. Jordan Hill made like 1 of his FTs, and UA had a chance to win the game before Horne’s stupid play.
Its been brought up before, but when was the last time UA ran a good play with time running out? I mean, you don’t want to harp on it, but it wasn’t just last night, or just last year. Last night’s play was strange. You have to think that they can get a better shot than a contested jumper from under 6ft Nic Wise. Last year it was the UCLA game (Kirk Walters!). It stretches back to the Illinois game, when Hassan Adams took the final shot. I mean, its been 3 coaches, numerous times?! Someone has got to teach them how to get a better play off with time running out.
— Darren 11/19/2008 08:15 AM #
Fun to watch? Like last night? Team will be fine? Maybe if the definition of fine is lowered. No depth=Lots of trouble.
— vegasallen 11/19/2008 08:23 AM #
In playing time Horne is just a freshman. In the grand scheme of things this game isn’t a season breaker.
The penultimate paragraph of Bruce’s comments are more pertinent to the season. Uncontested 3 point shots are much more critical to the success or failure of this team. I didn’t see the entire game, but I did see the first half and the U-tube video of the final seconds, hence I can only go by the stats and I believe they show Hill with four fouls. To me that is as bad if not worse than Horne’s miscue. It doesn’t look like Hill has learned yet. Perhaps someone can enlighten me there.
— adman 11/19/2008 08:52 AM #
Adman, Hill picked up his last 3 fouls protecting the basket. I have no problem with that. I like the most of you was not very happy and the end of the game. I can understand that dumb move in rec league ball. But not on this stage. I stayed up till almost 1AM CST to see these guys come all the way back and commit 2 stupid fouls.Kyle i can forgive, Horne needs to run some laps. 2 things. Jordan please work on a hook shot with your left and right hand. Nic please work on a tear drop you missed about 6 shots near or at the goal. Bruce any idea were we would go for the next 2 games. I figured it will be at Davidson??????
— Trev In Kc 11/19/2008 09:11 AM #
It’s certainly frustrating to lose in that way, but I, for one, didn’t expect them to be this “good.” The big three of Wise, Bud, and Hill are damn good players and could start for most teams. With these numbers Hill could be an All-American candidate as a senior. Bundinger already is. And Wise is putting up great numbers in two categories (three if you include his lack of turnovers). As others are saying, the rest are inexperienced, and it showed last night.
We can’t hold this team to the standards of the great Lute teams. At the same time, let’s not forget about how the 1990 ‘Cats were swept by the Oregon schools to start that conference season. “Cool” Lute got so frustrated at one point that he punted the basketball into the stands. That team recovered (but was knocked out of the tourney early).
I’m excited and intrigued about this team. It will keep improving. And the young players will probably make more young mistakes. At least they’ll be hungry going back east now and will probably finish out the bracket well.
— Conspiracy Cat 11/19/2008 09:31 AM #
I was in McHale until the end. A regrettable mistake but not entirely surprising in the atmosphere of chaos that seems to exist.
I relate a story of co-incidence—I found an old Wildcats handbook written in 1996 by John Moredich. I rely on him for the accuracy of this; before Ben Lindsay was hired, AD Dave Strack approached other prospective hires among them Bobby Knight, Don Monson, Jack Hartman(who declined twice) and Lute Olson. The basic answer from all was “thanks, but no thanks”. Although the book doesn’t deal with it, somewhere before the end of the BB season under Lindsay, Cedric Dempsey was Ath. Dir. As the story goes Lute and Bobbi were on a plane to Tucson shortly after a conversation with him.
My point is will Livengood make another major hiring blunder before he is replaced?
— Larry 11/19/2008 09:38 AM #
Trev — They’re figuring this out now and we should know sometime this morning. The three top remaining seeds left to host (other than Arizona, which can’t because of a scheduling conflict) are Davidson, Georgia and St. Johns. They are supposed to seed with geography in mind but neither site gives UA much of an advantage, unless you count the nonstop flights from here to Atlanta and Charlotte.
— Bruce Pascoe 11/19/2008 09:45 AM #
Conspiracy cat reminds me- our big three will most likely leave only one here for next year( although the NBA for Jordan next year seems a stretch), and if a coach of real interest is not on board as early as possible at seasons end, next year will be bleak. As many of you have stated they will be interesting this year if not real successful and I agree, but somehow a sudden spark of top recruits entering next fall is huge.
Go CATS and better luck next week, a couple wins will go a long way toward making the hurt of last night go away.
— Larry 11/19/2008 09:57 AM #
Adman – Hill played most of the 2nd half…he picked up the 4th late in the 2nd half…he really didn’t sit at all because of fouls. All of the fouls he picked up were solid…none of that touch BS we have seen from him.
— Darren 11/19/2008 09:58 AM #
Brice – In an ESPN chat yesterday, Andy Katz mentioned that Few, Dixon and Izzo were the top targets for Livengood and crew. Any other word on this? http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=23687
— David 11/19/2008 11:27 AM #
Oops, I meant BRUCE. Looks like Horne isn’t the only one making mental mistakes.
— David 11/19/2008 11:29 AM #
David — That’s been the word, though as I mentioned in a previous thread, I have a hard time believing that Izzo would leave his fortresss there at MSU when all is said and done and he really looks at the situation here.
It’s really all going to be speculation for months because serious negotiating won’t be done until the seasons are over.
I would think Scott Drew is right there also if he wants to be but that’s just speculation.
— Bruce Pascoe 11/19/2008 11:51 AM #
At least our team played with heart last night. I love the young guys. It was hard to watch and I yelled at the TV more than once, but you have to love what Chase is doing. Wise needs to learn how to pass a little bit more, I would rather have the mistakes early in the season. We have a long way to go.
GO CATS!
— chris from the oc 11/19/2008 12:42 PM #
I’d have to agree with Nick!
Listen, I’m broken up about how Lute left this team. But I have to say, those Cats showed real heart and unity last night. I mean, they were fighting for loose balls left and right this early in the season as if they were playing March.
Let’s not forget how often several players drove to the basket fearlessly. That’s something I haven’t seen this team do over the past couple of years.
These guys believe they can play and are showing heart. It might be a tough season, but they’re out there trying their hardest. That’s all I’ve wanted from our team. Its nice to see that again.
UAalumni ’01
— UAalumni '01 11/19/2008 12:43 PM #
This is not the tough season. Next season is going to be much more challenging. The pac-10 is supposed to be having a “down year” this year, so we should be able to have a respectable conference record.
Next season, without Chase and Jordan, will be a real challenge.
Let’s not act like the sky is falling quite yet. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. As fans, we need to have patience with this years team, and confidence that AD Livengood will bring in an incredible coach. Let’s also hope some of the ’09 recruits who are waiting for the late signing period will consider AZ!
— Ben 11/19/2008 01:28 PM #
Where in the world has Marco gone? It seems he has vanished ever since Lute suddenly retired. I guess he was more a Lute fan than a UA fan.
— John 11/19/2008 02:06 PM #
This could turn out to be an educational loss and build character. Then again, maybe the freshmen ( and freshmen plus like Horne) won’t develop much this year or one of the big 3 gets injured. Bruce is right, there is NO margin for error. Realistically right now I see a .500 season and no NCAA’s. We won’t really know this team until midseason. And Darren, the last time a time running out play worked was Stoudamire against ASU in what, 2005? And that wasn’t really a play- he just dribbled out the clock and launched a 35 footer. No one, including Lute has been able to design anything that has come close to working since. Illinois knew that which is why they smothered Salim and Adams had to shoot. Actually given their performance in the waning seconds the last three years it’s surprising Wise even got off a shot.
— Ron W 11/19/2008 02:07 PM #
Guys…AZ did what every major college team does when needing one shot to win the game. They put the ball in the hands of a playmaker and step back…it really isn’t complicated. NBA teams, for that matter, do the exact same thing. Some may involve a pick/roll but mostly they rely on one of their best players driving/dishing or taking the jumper.
— Phil 11/19/2008 02:38 PM #
Ron 22 – You are correct…I had forgotten about Salim that year…it was against UCLA, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qinFXnDsoAY
This is from another angle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xuUVcyHoM0&feature=related
Watch at 10 seconds where Salim clears everyone out…he knew exactly what he was going to do…man he was good.
Was that the last time UA beat UCLA??…god.
He did it twice that year I guess, because the Sweet 16 game before the Illinois against Ok. St. went down to the wire as I remember. Anyone know where we could watch that clip? Good memories…
— Darren 11/19/2008 02:56 PM #
My statement above about clearing out at 10 seconds was for the first clip.
I found the Ok. St clip here, starting at about 4:27:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFqD4P93C_Y
The quality is a little off, but its youtube. Either way, its great.
Oh yeah, Ron, the play you are referring to against ASU is at about 3:21. Thats another great one from Salim. He was one of my favorite Cats.
— Darren 11/19/2008 03:02 PM #
Arizona vs. Mississippi Valley State
Monday, Athens, Ga.
3:45 p.m. (Tucson time)….Bruce what are the odds that this will be on tv?????? There is nothing on ESPN’s TV schedule…
— Trev In Kc 11/19/2008 03:39 PM #
Bruce,
Why wouldn’t IZZO consider the job? He lives in Lansing, Michigan (or close enought to it) for crying out loud!!!! Hmmmm, let me see, what does the State of Michigan have going for it: (1) it’s cold; and (2) it’s part of the decaying Industrial Midwest stuck in loserville while the rest of the world is moving forward. Bottom line, throw enough money at him and he is gone.
— Robert 11/19/2008 04:13 PM #
Look at these numbers: Shooting percentage – .429 3pt percentage – .250 Free throw percentage – .650 A horrible offensive night and yet they almost pulled it out.
I am not sure why everyone is so upset. Perhaps they should not have lost but is anyone really surprised? Most fans realized this team was going to be a bit of a mystery and there would be bumps along the way. Remember adolesence? GROWING PAINS!
Like Nick above, I am going to be an optimist about this team. It is clear they have not given up on each other despite all that has happened to them. They have played hard, I haven’t seen anything that looks like selfishness, and most of their problems seem fixable (Free throws, defense, etc.).
Look at the positives: Arizona lost to a good team, likely a NCAA tournament team in March. This will not look bad on the resume. Chase is looking good. Aggressive, tougher, looking for his shot, and his defense has improved so far over last year. Wise has 18 assists and just 3 turnovers so far. Hill is still hurting with his back and yet has 2 double-doubles pulling down 22 rebounds last night. Horne, despite his mental lapse, is quickly becoming the 4th scorer Arizona will need scoring in double figures both games. Judkins and Fogg have a lot of potential, will likely improve, and have a positive impact on the team this year.
Arizona needs to look at these next two games as great opportunities. There should be time to rest our big three more than usual while giving Fogg, Judkins, Lavender, Johnson, and Jacobson some valuable playing time and experience. With the proper focus and effort, Arizona should be 5-1 heading into the Texas A&M game with a more experienced bench that will help down the road. Come on fans, don’t give up! Give this team a chance!
— SCDave 11/19/2008 05:14 PM #
Darren,
Good times. Salim had one sweet shot.
Remember people there are 30 more games, good or bad. It’s still early.
I don’t know why Izzo would leave MSU. Other than the weather guys, what does he have to gain? Because I can argue that the weather is a trade off. Its all a measure of preference: 4 months in an oven, or 4 months in a deep freeze. Having lived in both, I’d rather have the heat, but not everyone agrees. Does anyone know if Izzo has been considered for any other coaching vacancies?
— Chi_cat 11/19/2008 06:19 PM #
I am slightly upset by the loss because its games like the UAB one that could determine their fate in March. Every win will count for this year’s team. They aren’t going to get any breaks from the committee like they did last year.
— Darren 11/19/2008 06:40 PM #
I’ll sign up with the optimists; i.e., expecting steady improvement and decent overall results. That second half against UAB (coming on the heels of the much more chaotic first half) will provide a lot of opportunities to learn and an example of hanging in and giving the comeback a chance. We should probably expect a bunch of close finishes this year, so learning how to compete all the way to the end will be crucial.
I like Pennell’s reaction to Fogg and to Horne. He showed he won’t throw the players under the bus by words or dramatic gestures. (Well, OK, maybe he was a little dramatic…but followed up by a sincere looking hug.) They should keep working for a guy like that. It seems that the veterans spoke up in defense of the mistakes in a useful way too.
Izzo’s motivation? I don’t know the guy, but some coaches can be seduced by a mid-life change, by the appeal of a fresh challenge. PAC-10 road trips (LA, Bay area, Seattle, Phoenix) probably look good compared to Big 10. Recruiting SoCal instead of Chicago and Detroit — maybe that’s a plus. I don’t think Izzo’s got any Larry Brown genes, but maybe he’s got one big move left in him? I hope they’ll give him a real shot.
— Portland Catfan 11/19/2008 06:59 PM #
I’m with the optimists on this one. I don’t expect this team to compete for the pac 10 title, but there were too many plusses last night that are keeping me cynic free.
— confused, maybe not 11/19/2008 09:16 PM #
Going to be a loooonnnnggg season. Its going to be hard to sit through this.
Say it aint so Horne. Say it aint so…
— russ 11/19/2008 09:43 PM #
Just found out that Moser signed with UCLA this evening. It’s already being posted on Scout.com
— adman 11/19/2008 09:52 PM #
Sign me up for the optimists too. I’ve seen too many freshmen mistakes early in the year from the likes of Bibby, Gardner, Arenas, Stodamire, etc, to get too upset about this crew.
Kudo’s by the bunch to Fogg, Judkins, and Lavender… they did some nice things to help put us in a position to win this game. Some very effective defense in the final few minutes.
A special kudo for Horne, whose short jumpers around the basket kept us from getting too far behind. He has really improved since last year.
I think this crew of freshmen will learn quickly and not repeat mistakes. Playing time now will pay dividends later. This is a good crew of freshmen. Playing strong in the Pac10 goes a great deal farther than preseason games when it comes to tournement time.
— Rightbase 11/19/2008 10:03 PM #
Chi Cat,
Why would Izzo move? He lives near Detroit. Nuff said.
— Robert 11/19/2008 11:08 PM #
Trev — Doesn’t look like it will be on TV but we don’t know for sure yet.
Robert — Izzo is from the “U.P.” of Michigan, so Lansing’s actually marginally better weather-wise. But most coaches don’t care much about weather (though Lute Olson did leave Iowa in part for that reason), and I suspect when he looks at how much more challenging the recruiting turf here is compared to Michigan, he might think twice.
Though I suppose with good compensation, you’re right, maybe it is a move he can be talked into if indeed he is finally getting antsy there.
— Bruce Pascoe 11/19/2008 11:40 PM #
Bruce:
Do you have any idea how Hill’s 22 rebounds stack up against other single game UofA performances? I don’t remember anyone in the Olson era — not Ben Davis, Pete Williams, or any other rebounding machine — pull down more than, say, 17. But maybe someone like Al Fleming or the other Elliott (Bob) did in the 70’s.
As for the current team, I hope fans will be true, faithful fans. The Lute era is over, but we can remember how well he did with “little” back in 84-86, before his system kicked in. The Pac-10 wasn’t as good then, either. I’ve barely watched this team, but I already like its chemistry, and and that includes the coach. He’s intense AND supports the kids, a great combination. UAB had everything we don’t: experienced senior starters, seasoned shooters, a coach with more than a month’s experience, and though we spotted them 13 points, we almost won. In the UTube world, everyone bashes a kid for making an emotional mistake. The important thing is that Horne gets past it and isn’t shamed for the rest of the year. It’s all over the internet, something no player would have had to cope with ten years ago.
— Conspiracy Cat 11/20/2008 01:05 AM #
I agree with the Conspiracy Cat, but also feel strongly still about Livengood and a new coach. BTW, Bill Reeves in ’56 and Joe Skaisgir in ’62 each had 26 rebounds in a single game. Since ’96 I cant think of anyone higher.
— Larry 11/20/2008 10:40 AM #
Thanks for the rebounding stats, Larry. Maybe we can say that Hill has the single game record in the “modern” era.
SCDave: Thanks for the UofA shootings %s. Maybe statistics lie. Or maybe all those second chances off offensive rebounds kept us in the game. I was surprised that Florida Atlantic beat Santa Clara, who has a huge center (Bryant) who can play. But I think Hill can beat him up & down the court.
— Conspiracy Cat 11/21/2008 08:02 AM #