LAHAINA, Hawaii — The Maui Invitational record book will suggest Arizona had its worst effort in 2009.
1. Comment by Stephanie K. (skidder)— November 26,2009 @ 10:49PM
Ratings:-4+36
So impressed with these young Cats! Every time they step on the floor they improve. They work hard, take direction well, play as a team, at seem to like eachother! They make stupid mistakes but those types of things can be corrected with practice and game experience. That is much easier to fix than a lack of heart or effort; which these Cats DO NOT display! Based on what I've seen so far, it they continue to improve at this rate, #26 is a strong possibility! GO CATS! Keep up the good work!
2. Comment by Keeth L. (CactusCeeth)— November 26,2009 @ 11:39PM
Ratings:-4+24
I like Miller's intense focused energy that is reflected in this "come out team" we see. People with good energy find each other. That's what we have here.
Being Wildcat fans watching this team develop is fascinating!
4. Comment by Pete A. (pa)— November 27,2009 @ 2:05AM
Ratings:-4+20
I liked the exposure our team got in Maui. I don't mind loosing a few this time of year as long as we grow from it and I know we did. Sean will continue to work on his approach to the game,tuning up the inside defense & offense and keeping the fouls down. UNLV will be a tough team to beat and either way it goes we'll learn. I don't EVER like loosing on our Home Court, so we got to get a few fast breaks going on this one. I just watched Portland hand UCLA their hat as they pushed them out the door! Grandpa Ben in trouble this year. Can't wait to see the Bruins this year!
We've got the talent, size speed stength & staff to put together a classic PAC-10 winning team! Let's just do it! ~Cactus Pete
5. Comment by Scott P. (CatScratched)— November 27,2009 @ 2:43AM
Ratings:-2+19
Free throws boys free throws! other than that and the fouls looking good.I think we have a solid team this year looking forward to the pac ten schedule.
6. Comment by Bibby S. (Bibby10)— November 27,2009 @ 4:01AM
Ratings:-3+18
Solomon Hill was difficult to defend 1:1.
By the time he's done at the UA he'll be the best small forward penetrator/passer that we've had since Sean Elliott.
8. Comment by paul c. (paulrocco)— November 27,2009 @ 5:06AM
Ratings:-5+14
Some great posts by #1 and #4...thanks Stephanie and Cactus Pete. Well stated.
As they get the playing time experience, they will learn to close out games.
Home is always best for young teams, but they were scrappy playing Maui. They have't dealt with hostile away crowds yet, but they will continue to improve. I'm excited about Sean and the team.
9. Comment by TERRENCE L. (STAR LIGHT)— November 27,2009 @ 6:26AM
Ratings:-2+9
I'm with you Paul, but I like the ENERGY angle that Cactus Ceeth brought to the table also .This is an excellent beginning , and pretty much like coach Miller was expecting it to be. Go young Cats, get smarter.
10. Comment by russell s. (ncalrusty)— November 27,2009 @ 6:47AM
Ratings:-72+3
im sorry i lived in tucson for 28 yrs and never got swept up in the wildcat craze i always thought lute was over rated i was wrong seeing the new coach arizona made a mistake not going after a big name coach if was gonna go with a regular joe why not give the job to josh pastner.i never like lute after his soap opera life after his wonderful wife passed but people handle grief . i truly hope the cats get on track but i cannot see it under miller.
11. Comment by Steve O. (2186)— November 27,2009 @ 7:11AM
Ratings:-2+15
Even though the team defense needs to improve; the individual defensice skill level of each player indicates a lot of good coaching has occured during WIldcat practices. I like the onball pressure applied by Wildcat defenders. This forces turnovers and leads to fast breaks.As the team learns the intricacies of team defense, they will become an awesome team!
12. Comment by Tony Y. (moosety)— November 27,2009 @ 7:45AM
Ratings:-4+26
Russel s, what are you talking about? Lute was over rated? Really? And Sean Miller is a regular Joe? Nobody said he's a mike k, Roy Williams, or Tom izzo. But he does have a wonderful opportunity to be his own legend, Sean miller!
Pastner is good no doubt, bit Arizona was looking for a coach who could make an immediate impact based on their demonstrated coaching success. Josh has all the fundementals of being a great coach! However to get to Arizona, he needed body of work. Memphis is not the same program as Arizona! They had recent success with calipari there, they also play in a traditionally weak conference. So while josh has proven he can recruit, he needs a few seasons under his belt to establish himself.
Coach miller has already demonstrated he can be A very successful coach in college basketball.
I beleve this team, if they can learn and apply what coach miller teaches, will do some magical things this season!!
13. Comment by jan c. (azcat)— November 27,2009 @ 7:48AM
Ratings:-2+7
I'm not saying Arizona should give up man-to-man to play the Zone defense, but they might check out the incredible defense that Syracuse plays. Their defense is winning games, and with the youth on this team, picking up defense could help them out a lot.
15. Comment by Bree H. (Bree H)— November 27,2009 @ 8:14AM
Ratings:-2+14
I think the article nails the main issue for the Cats. They're small in an increasingly big world. Not just height but mass.
That said, the team is fun to watch, and I too am impressed that so many new guys could be working this well together this early. They'll be in the top tier of the PAC10 at the end of the year, would be my prediction.
like others, I think russell s. is way off the mark.
UA won a victory by NOT hiring a Floyd or a Calipari, or a Pitino or any of the other sketchy coaches out there. Even if Miller didn't have their potential for success, which I believe he does, I would prefer him because he's not sketchy.
As to Pastner, I am thrilled to see him get his shot. I was rooting hard for Memphis to beat Kansas -- soooo close! But Miller was arguably a surer bet and I am thrilled that he's here.
16. Comment by keith p. (ckp)— November 27,2009 @ 8:24AM
Ratings:-2+4
#10 russell have you been out much and watched much college hoop or do you think they put coaches in the hall of fame for soap operas and stuff and are you impatient a bit after writing off a very young team for now and forever after just a few games some of them being their first road trip I don't know.
19. Comment by joseph g. (jody85259)— November 27,2009 @ 8:34AM
Ratings:-5+4
Thank you CHAR H.! You said what I was going to type. Always a naysayer about successful people or gloom and doomies spouting their gibberish. Can't seem to shake 'em here on our BASKETCAT venue. Oh well, blame it on too much turkey or gravy or cranberry sauce.
Maui WAS and IS a valuable learning experience for our team. MILLER TIME was just as vulnerable as his "charges" when that "blankety blank" ref called a T on him. I'm taking that episode as a microcosm of our team in general at this present moment! AMAZING POTENTIAL, newbie "yips" as I read a couple of days ago.(Never heard that word used as "stage fright" before), being sponges to soak up the goods and be aware of the bads in strange playing venues! Home is where the heart is but if you can overcome the "away" fears and strange feelings, you'll do just fine in any sport!
I do believe that the "foul fest" called the Maui Invitational brought forth our strengths and apparant weaknesses! Strong play in the "PAINT" is the most glaring weakness. Aside from DWill's coming out party, the "bigs" had no real effect on any of our games and their combined fouls and errors made it easy for the slashing to the basket. No placing bodies for "box outs" at all. This is a learning process. They know it's not high school anymore, "TOTO", so I expect practices being led by MILLER TIME will be tough, hardnosed and TO THE POINT! We say "TOUGH LOVE" meaning strong words to strong "kids" to learn "strong" methods.
Those naysayers who gripe about this and that that have no bearing on each game should just watch the evolution of our whole team and especially the "bigs"! MILLER TIME HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT FOR HIM BUT THAT'S WHAT HE'S ALL ABOUT! THE WHOLE TEAM HAS THEIR COLLECTIVE WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ALL ABOUT.
If someone wants to see a "MIRACLE" then look at the BASKETCATS OF '09//10! Some seem to gripe about everything as I said before, but just think of the "TEAM" we had last March after the "DANCE" and come to think about it, no COACH, either! Compare it to what we have today. If that's not self-explanatory, I don't know what is?
GO CATS! BEAR DOWN AND BEAT UNLV! FOOTBALLCATS...IT'S BEATDOWN TIME AT SCUMDRIVEL STADIUM TOMORROW! BEAT SPARKY 'TIL THE FAKE LAKE DRIES UP!
27. Comment by Michael Z. (Rhezekim)— November 27,2009 @ 9:14AM
Ratings:-1+2
I hope and pray that non of our freshman are going to be one and done like Bayless, does anyone know? If this young group can stick together for a couple years I think it would make for a great team for the next 3 to 4 years and I see our tournament streak continuing. GO CATS!!!
28. Comment by Chip C. (ChipC)— November 27,2009 @ 9:21AM
Ratings:-2+3
#13 is right. They need to learn some zone defense especially when in foul trouble and when the opponent has a big presence inside. Kyryl and Jacobson having trouble playing man-to-man especially on the high pick and roll. Jacobson in his limited minutes,appeared ok in clogging the middle.
30. Comment by Gardner C. (gard)— November 27,2009 @ 9:32AM
Ratings:-2+6
When you respond to a post like #10 you are doing exactly what he wants you to do. The best way to get rid of him is to ignore him - no thumbs up - no thumbs down - no response.
31. Comment by Alabama S. (Down South)— November 27,2009 @ 9:39AM
Ratings:-3+2
Like I said before, UA is thin under the basket and there is no help coming in next year's recruiting class. It's going to become a bigge issue. Miller has a problem. My bet is he goes the JC route.
33. Comment by Tony Y. (moosety)— November 27,2009 @ 10:14AM
Ratings:-3+7
I believe once Kevin Parrom comes back, you'll see a whole new Arizona team. Kevin is a slasher and a solid defender.
That being said, I believe the key to Arizona's success will be K-real. He plays hard, so that's one good thing he has going for him. However, on defense there were a few times I saw him play his player in the wrong position. He played Top side defense and allowed his man to spin baseline or turn to his weak side and score.
Playing Top side D is effective only if you are fast enough to recover and cut off the base-line spin. These are little things that K-real will learn after watching a lot of film. On offense he needs to be more aggressive to the ball and attacking the basket.
34. Comment by Adam P. (Just a Fan)— November 27,2009 @ 11:10AM
Ratings:-1+5
Tony Y. You hit on the head arizona is missing its arguably 3rd best scorer in Kevin Parrom. I like the team still. Sure we have some things to work on but all in all i can't complain. Plus Miller warned us about the beginning of the season in how it wont be pretty.
Spreaking of NOT PRETTY! Did any of you see the UCLA game? I hate UCLA with a passion but couldn't figure out what was more funny: UCLA losing by like 30 or hearing Steve Lavin say "portland was a well oiled machine!" I thought UCLA was just aweful! This pac-10 is so wide open how anyone can make predictions is beyond me...
35. Comment by joseph g. (jody85259)— November 27,2009 @ 11:10AM
Ratings:-1+3
Marco and Bill J., thanks for the a.m. humor! Great to have it here to start the day out with a big grin!
The comment by Tony above is excellent! Big men have to learn their own positives and negatives and tailor their play to accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives. Kryl will be learning and with his strength, size and inate abilities, he'll do just fine! Alex showed some spunk while in for only a seeming fraction of a second. A basket and a swat, I think, if I remember correctly! Because Alex was used so infrequently while being able to fill in last year, it becomes a real "newbie" type situation for him. New coach, system, effort required and all that goes into the practices, etc. that it'll take time but he's sure to improve as is Kryl!
I love the hustle and eagerness of this team. Nothing but constant motion and constant defense. Mistakes are common, as we've said to the point of boring repetition. They'll subside as experience and MILLER TIME'S SYSTEM IS LEARNED.
I think we'll have big men coming out from the woodwork as the year progresses and we're seen on t.v.! They'll see that they can play on a team that they can help! That they know is a shoe-in for greater success as the time goes by. Those in this venue who say the learning process should be completed in a flash are just kidding themselves. It takes a seeming "FOREVER" but once the system is implemented and learned, WATCH OUT WORLD, THE BASKETCATS ARE GOING TO BE HOWLING! BEAT UNLV NEXT WEEK AT HOME! GO CATS!
36. Comment by Roy M. (2188)— November 27,2009 @ 11:50AM
Ratings:-1+6
#27 -- There's very little chance any of these freshmen leave after their first year. None of these guys is anywhere near ready. You can see the potential, but they need time in the weight room, in practice and on the floor in games.
Could see Williams or Hill leaving, potentially, after 2 -- but only if they hit the weights hard. As always, it depends on how fast they develop.
Even though we lost two of three, the potential of this team is obvious. It's still a question of whether they develop that potential fast enough to make #26. We'll see. Lute rarely played freshmen unless they had gargantuan talent, like Bibby; these guys have so much to learn. But they will be good. The biggest improvement usually comes going into the sophomore season.
My biggest concern about this team is the inconsistent play of Nic Wise. I'm guessing it's hard, even for the upper classmen, to learn a new system. But if Wise isn't steady, and if he forgets to distribute the ball, we're in for a long year.
37. Comment by Reggie N. (Reg)— November 27,2009 @ 12:17PM
Ratings:-1+4
For a 1 win/2 loss tournament, was really happy with the way the Cats played in Maui. It's very obvious that Williams, Hill, Jones and Kyryl have tremendous talent, and all 4 played hard. There were some lapses, but for having played 3-5 college games, that's what you get with freshman.
It's a concern that Nic and Jamelle were up and down too, you'd like to see rock-steady consistency out of your vets. They've been consistent and productive enough that hopefully that is around the corner.
Bottom line: down 13-0 vs. Wisconsin, the young guys could have quit. They didn't, they fought back and could have won the game. There are going to be rocky moments with as much youth is there, but the Cats look like they'll fight through it. And if the kids keep developing, there's a ton of talent there.
In a weak Pac, this team can/will contend when they start coming together and maturing. By the end of the year, there's no reason we can't be there with Cal and Washington to win the Pac.
38. Comment by Gerald G. (ttime03)— November 27,2009 @ 12:19PM
Ratings:-3+3
Inconsistancy, streaky, flashy play can provide points, but will only lead to a dismal season. Only a tough core team (defence/set play offense)will help establish stability in our Wildcat's program. The talents to score are there, the coaching is there, the dose of reality just occured (Maui Tourny), when is the coaching staff going to select the core team that is needed for stability in winning games throught tough paly? The sooner, the better.
39. Comment by Jim P. (hoopsfan)— November 27,2009 @ 3:09PM
Ratings:-1+9
Jeff Withey - The guy who was "Too Good" to weather the UA coaching changes and bolted to Kansas. Anyone notice he has yet to touch the court for Kansas? The guy screwed the cats big man recruiting and is now just watching KU basketball from one of the better seats in the house.
40. Comment by Bill S. (Wildcat Claudio)— November 27,2009 @ 3:26PM
Ratings:-2+3
Bruce,...
Additional OBSERVATION..
1.0 Is HORNE becoming SELF AWARE?
Horne's defense is his best assest. His effort on the defenseive side FUELs the offensive productivity.
2.0 On several occassions, I have noticed that S.Hill seemed LOST-confused, LACK concentration, was not attentive...
3.0 MoMo biggest maturity will be WHEN he realizes that slowing things down will make him better.
With more games played, he will be much better running the team-PG.
Like his toughness and aggressiveness.
MoMo should be in GOOD shape for the PAC10.
If I was UNLV, I would NOT want to be that team -visiting SOLD OUT McKale.
41. Comment by joseph g. (jody85259)— November 27,2009 @ 3:33PM
Ratings:-1+2
Gerald, the type play you see and wrote about is inherent in kids coming in to a new "everything!! MILLER TIME WILL CONTROL THE PACE of each game and discipline the flashy or unnecessary antics of the "perps"! I would have liked to be a fly on the wall in La Haina when the "yips" happened and the lapses and the "out of control" play went down. "TOUGH LOVE!"
Jim P., thanks for the update on that Withey character. Maybe his mom is getting prime time play! LOL!!
42. Comment by Nancy J. (nejensen)— November 28,2009 @ 1:10AM
Ratings:-0+1
I'm in Maui & saw all 3 games up close & personal. All the other teams were much bigger than the 'Cats. But I think of '97 when speed triumphed over size. The feeling after each of the Maui games was that the 'Cats never gave up, & always played hard. One day we saw several of the players heading to the beach & having a good time, so the trip should be a valuable bonding experience. Once they get the fouls under control, who knows what could happen.
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Miller: Cats learned from Maui tourney
LAHAINA, Hawaii — The Maui Invitational record book will suggest Arizona had its worst effort in 2009.So impressed with these young Cats! Every time they step on the floor they improve. They work hard, take direction well, play as a team, at seem to like eachother! They make stupid mistakes but those types of things can be corrected with practice and game experience. That is much easier to fix than a lack of heart or effort; which these Cats DO NOT display! Based on what I've seen so far, it they continue to improve at this rate, #26 is a strong possibility! GO CATS! Keep up the good work!
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I like Miller's intense focused energy that is reflected in this "come out team" we see. People with good energy find each other. That's what we have here.
Being Wildcat fans watching this team develop is fascinating!
IT's Pure Energy!
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really impressed with Miller's coaching and attitude during the games and after..looking forward to many good years ahead.
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I liked the exposure our team got in Maui. I don't mind loosing a few this time of year as long as we grow from it and I know we did. Sean will continue to work on his approach to the game,tuning up the inside defense & offense and keeping the fouls down. UNLV will be a tough team to beat and either way it goes we'll learn. I don't EVER like loosing on our Home Court, so we got to get a few fast breaks going on this one. I just watched Portland hand UCLA their hat as they pushed them out the door! Grandpa Ben in trouble this year. Can't wait to see the Bruins this year!
We've got the talent, size speed stength & staff to put together a classic PAC-10 winning team! Let's just do it! ~Cactus Pete
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Free throws boys free throws! other than that and the fouls looking good.I think we have a solid team this year looking forward to the pac ten schedule.
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Solomon Hill was difficult to defend 1:1.
By the time he's done at the UA he'll be the best small forward penetrator/passer that we've had since Sean Elliott.
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Nice to see Miller as a first year program have the right 'tude.
Intense but not a blowhard like Stoops.
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Some great posts by #1 and #4...thanks Stephanie and Cactus Pete. Well stated.
As they get the playing time experience, they will learn to close out games.
Home is always best for young teams, but they were scrappy playing Maui. They have't dealt with hostile away crowds yet, but they will continue to improve. I'm excited about Sean and the team.
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I'm with you Paul, but I like the ENERGY angle that Cactus Ceeth brought to the table also .This is an excellent beginning , and pretty much like coach Miller was expecting it to be. Go young Cats, get smarter.
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im sorry i lived in tucson for 28 yrs and never got swept up in the wildcat craze i always thought lute was over rated i was wrong seeing the new coach arizona made a mistake not going after a big name coach if was gonna go with a regular joe why not give the job to josh pastner.i never like lute after his soap opera life after his wonderful wife passed but people handle grief . i truly hope the cats get on track but i cannot see it under miller.
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Even though the team defense needs to improve; the individual defensice skill level of each player indicates a lot of good coaching has occured during WIldcat practices. I like the onball pressure applied by Wildcat defenders. This forces turnovers and leads to fast breaks.As the team learns the intricacies of team defense, they will become an awesome team!
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Russel s, what are you talking about? Lute was over rated? Really? And Sean Miller is a regular Joe? Nobody said he's a mike k, Roy Williams, or Tom izzo. But he does have a wonderful opportunity to be his own legend, Sean miller!
Pastner is good no doubt, bit Arizona was looking for a coach who could make an immediate impact based on their demonstrated coaching success. Josh has all the fundementals of being a great coach! However to get to Arizona, he needed body of work. Memphis is not the same program as Arizona! They had recent success with calipari there, they also play in a traditionally weak conference. So while josh has proven he can recruit, he needs a few seasons under his belt to establish himself.
Coach miller has already demonstrated he can be A very successful coach in college basketball.
I beleve this team, if they can learn and apply what coach miller teaches, will do some magical things this season!!
Bear Down!
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I'm not saying Arizona should give up man-to-man to play the Zone defense, but they might check out the incredible defense that Syracuse plays. Their defense is winning games, and with the youth on this team, picking up defense could help them out a lot.
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Leave it to people like Russell who can never find a positive thing to say. Maybe Russell would be better off watching ASU.
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I think the article nails the main issue for the Cats. They're small in an increasingly big world. Not just height but mass.
That said, the team is fun to watch, and I too am impressed that so many new guys could be working this well together this early. They'll be in the top tier of the PAC10 at the end of the year, would be my prediction.
like others, I think russell s. is way off the mark.
UA won a victory by NOT hiring a Floyd or a Calipari, or a Pitino or any of the other sketchy coaches out there. Even if Miller didn't have their potential for success, which I believe he does, I would prefer him because he's not sketchy.
As to Pastner, I am thrilled to see him get his shot. I was rooting hard for Memphis to beat Kansas -- soooo close! But Miller was arguably a surer bet and I am thrilled that he's here.
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#10 russell have you been out much and watched much college hoop or do you think they put coaches in the hall of fame for soap operas and stuff and are you impatient a bit after writing off a very young team for now and forever after just a few games some of them being their first road trip I don't know.
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Wow all it takes is one OT win against the worst team in the Big 12 to get the UA basketball fanbase excited. Easy to please.
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i agree the mildcats look good losing on the other hand top teams look good winning. keep looking good losing.
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Thank you CHAR H.! You said what I was going to type. Always a naysayer about successful people or gloom and doomies spouting their gibberish. Can't seem to shake 'em here on our BASKETCAT venue. Oh well, blame it on too much turkey or gravy or cranberry sauce.
Maui WAS and IS a valuable learning experience for our team. MILLER TIME was just as vulnerable as his "charges" when that "blankety blank" ref called a T on him. I'm taking that episode as a microcosm of our team in general at this present moment! AMAZING POTENTIAL, newbie "yips" as I read a couple of days ago.(Never heard that word used as "stage fright" before), being sponges to soak up the goods and be aware of the bads in strange playing venues! Home is where the heart is but if you can overcome the "away" fears and strange feelings, you'll do just fine in any sport!
I do believe that the "foul fest" called the Maui Invitational brought forth our strengths and apparant weaknesses! Strong play in the "PAINT" is the most glaring weakness. Aside from DWill's coming out party, the "bigs" had no real effect on any of our games and their combined fouls and errors made it easy for the slashing to the basket. No placing bodies for "box outs" at all. This is a learning process. They know it's not high school anymore, "TOTO", so I expect practices being led by MILLER TIME will be tough, hardnosed and TO THE POINT! We say "TOUGH LOVE" meaning strong words to strong "kids" to learn "strong" methods.
Those naysayers who gripe about this and that that have no bearing on each game should just watch the evolution of our whole team and especially the "bigs"!
MILLER TIME HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT FOR HIM BUT THAT'S WHAT HE'S ALL ABOUT! THE WHOLE TEAM HAS THEIR COLLECTIVE WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ALL ABOUT.
If someone wants to see a "MIRACLE" then look at the BASKETCATS OF '09//10! Some seem to gripe about everything as I said before, but just think of the "TEAM" we had last March after the "DANCE" and come to think about it, no COACH, either! Compare it to what we have today. If that's not self-explanatory, I don't know what is?
GO CATS! BEAR DOWN AND BEAT UNLV!
FOOTBALLCATS...IT'S BEATDOWN TIME AT SCUMDRIVEL STADIUM TOMORROW! BEAT SPARKY 'TIL THE FAKE LAKE DRIES UP!
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#18 windle s.....not sure if you got the memo, but expectations for this year's team are....low. Lower yours and you'll feel better.
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Anyone think that Derrick Williams looks like Sean Elliott? (not in play style but his face) ...
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have yet to seen anyone make a 3.
thought we'd be in trouble until
ucla lost 74-47 to some team from
portland, oregon.
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#10 Crusty: what you try say not make sense go away.
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lol #23 ... YOU don't make sense!
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Marco! You got it!
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But I agree ... #10 Crusty does not make any sense and we do need for him to go away
GO CATS!!
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I hope and pray that non of our freshman are going to be one and done like Bayless, does anyone know? If this young group can stick together for a couple years I think it would make for a great team for the next 3 to 4 years and I see our tournament streak continuing. GO CATS!!!
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#13 is right. They need to learn some zone defense especially when in foul trouble and when the opponent has a big presence inside. Kyryl and Jacobson having trouble playing man-to-man especially on the high pick and roll. Jacobson in his limited minutes,appeared ok in clogging the middle.
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I watched part of that UCLA game last night and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Cats should take UCLA twice this year.
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When you respond to a post like #10 you are doing exactly what he wants you to do. The best way to get rid of him is to ignore him - no thumbs up - no thumbs down - no response.
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Like I said before, UA is thin under the basket and there is no help coming in next year's recruiting class. It's going to become a bigge issue. Miller has a problem. My bet is he goes the JC route.
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#30: I'm gonna ignore that remark.
:)
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I believe once Kevin Parrom comes back, you'll see a whole new Arizona team. Kevin is a slasher and a solid defender.
That being said, I believe the key to Arizona's success will be K-real. He plays hard, so that's one good thing he has going for him. However, on defense there were a few times I saw him play his player in the wrong position. He played Top side defense and allowed his man to spin baseline or turn to his weak side and score.
Playing Top side D is effective only if you are fast enough to recover and cut off the base-line spin. These are little things that K-real will learn after watching a lot of film. On offense he needs to be more aggressive to the ball and attacking the basket.
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Tony Y. You hit on the head arizona is missing its arguably 3rd best scorer in Kevin Parrom. I like the team still. Sure we have some things to work on but all in all i can't complain. Plus Miller warned us about the beginning of the season in how it wont be pretty.
Spreaking of NOT PRETTY! Did any of you see the UCLA game? I hate UCLA with a passion but couldn't figure out what was more funny: UCLA losing by like 30 or hearing Steve Lavin say "portland was a well oiled machine!" I thought UCLA was just aweful! This pac-10 is so wide open how anyone can make predictions is beyond me...
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Marco and Bill J., thanks for the a.m. humor! Great to have it here to start the day out with a big grin!
The comment by Tony above is excellent! Big men have to learn their own positives and negatives and tailor their play to accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives. Kryl will be learning and with his strength, size and inate abilities, he'll do just fine! Alex showed some spunk while in for only a seeming fraction of a second. A basket and a swat, I think, if I remember correctly! Because Alex was used so infrequently while being able to fill in last year, it becomes a real "newbie" type situation for him. New coach, system, effort required and all that goes into the practices, etc. that it'll take time but he's sure to improve as is Kryl!
I love the hustle and eagerness of this team. Nothing but constant motion and constant defense. Mistakes are common, as we've said to the point of boring repetition. They'll subside as experience and MILLER TIME'S SYSTEM IS LEARNED.
I think we'll have big men coming out from the woodwork as the year progresses and we're seen on t.v.! They'll see that they can play on a team that they can help! That they know is a shoe-in for greater success as the time goes by. Those in this venue who say the learning process should be completed in a flash are just kidding themselves. It takes a seeming "FOREVER" but once the system is implemented and learned, WATCH OUT WORLD, THE BASKETCATS ARE GOING TO BE HOWLING! BEAT UNLV NEXT WEEK AT HOME! GO CATS!
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#27 -- There's very little chance any of these freshmen leave after their first year. None of these guys is anywhere near ready. You can see the potential, but they need time in the weight room, in practice and on the floor in games.
Could see Williams or Hill leaving, potentially, after 2 -- but only if they hit the weights hard. As always, it depends on how fast they develop.
Even though we lost two of three, the potential of this team is obvious. It's still a question of whether they develop that potential fast enough to make #26. We'll see. Lute rarely played freshmen unless they had gargantuan talent, like Bibby; these guys have so much to learn. But they will be good. The biggest improvement usually comes going into the sophomore season.
My biggest concern about this team is the inconsistent play of Nic Wise. I'm guessing it's hard, even for the upper classmen, to learn a new system. But if Wise isn't steady, and if he forgets to distribute the ball, we're in for a long year.
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For a 1 win/2 loss tournament, was really happy with the way the Cats played in Maui. It's very obvious that Williams, Hill, Jones and Kyryl have tremendous talent, and all 4 played hard. There were some lapses, but for having played 3-5 college games, that's what you get with freshman.
It's a concern that Nic and Jamelle were up and down too, you'd like to see rock-steady consistency out of your vets. They've been consistent and productive enough that hopefully that is around the corner.
Bottom line: down 13-0 vs. Wisconsin, the young guys could have quit. They didn't, they fought back and could have won the game. There are going to be rocky moments with as much youth is there, but the Cats look like they'll fight through it. And if the kids keep developing, there's a ton of talent there.
In a weak Pac, this team can/will contend when they start coming together and maturing. By the end of the year, there's no reason we can't be there with Cal and Washington to win the Pac.
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Inconsistancy, streaky, flashy play can provide points, but will only lead to a dismal season. Only a tough core team (defence/set play offense)will help establish stability in our Wildcat's program. The talents to score are there, the coaching is there, the dose of reality just occured (Maui Tourny), when is the coaching staff going to select the core team that is needed for stability in winning games throught tough paly? The sooner, the better.
"Bear Down"!
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Jeff Withey - The guy who was "Too Good" to weather the UA coaching changes and bolted to Kansas. Anyone notice he has yet to touch the court for Kansas? The guy screwed the cats big man recruiting and is now just watching KU basketball from one of the better seats in the house.
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Bruce,...
Additional OBSERVATION..
1.0 Is HORNE becoming SELF AWARE?
Horne's defense is his best assest. His effort on the defenseive side FUELs the offensive productivity.
2.0 On several occassions, I have noticed that S.Hill seemed LOST-confused, LACK concentration, was not attentive...
3.0 MoMo biggest maturity will be WHEN he realizes that slowing things down will make him better.
With more games played, he will be much better running the team-PG.
Like his toughness and aggressiveness.
MoMo should be in GOOD shape for the PAC10.
If I was UNLV, I would NOT want to be that team -visiting SOLD OUT McKale.
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Gerald, the type play you see and wrote about is inherent in kids coming in to a new "everything!! MILLER TIME WILL CONTROL THE PACE of each game and discipline the flashy or unnecessary antics of the "perps"! I would have liked to be a fly on the wall in La Haina when the "yips" happened and the lapses and the "out of control" play went down. "TOUGH LOVE!"
Jim P., thanks for the update on that Withey character. Maybe his mom is getting prime time play! LOL!!
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I'm in Maui & saw all 3 games up close & personal. All the other teams were much bigger than the 'Cats. But I think of '97 when speed triumphed over size. The feeling after each of the Maui games was that the 'Cats never gave up, & always played hard. One day we saw several of the players heading to the beach & having a good time, so the trip should be a valuable bonding experience. Once they get the fouls under control, who knows what could happen.
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Jim P. (hoopsfan) Withey has to sit til January, trust me he'll be there. Bill Self is loving his progress.
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