Arizona Basketball 2018-2019

[TJ]

Let's do this

90-60 W over HBU

 

[Lefty]

Not expecting much this year. Looking forward to seing this team jell and improve during the season. It will all lead to next year, where expectations will be a lot higher.

 

[TJ]

Get into the tournament somehow. Ceiling is the Round of 32.

 

[GatorAZ]

That game didn’t leave me with a great feeling. The transfers needs to be productive this year to have a shot at making the tourney. Miller does something every year that drives me crazy and this year looks like it will be loyalty to Dylan Smith.

 

[Russ Smith]

I sure hope the people who control the refs figure out this mandated Flagrant 1 for hook and hold fouls quickly. It destroyed the game last night UCLA and LBSU. They called I think 4 of them on LBSU and 1 on UCLA. It's the play where as the guy is getting ready to jump for a rebound the opponent hooks an arm and holds him down, call it the Draymond play if you will. I get that it's a foul and if done wrong can be dangerous but I don't see why it's a mandatory Flagrant 1. They spent so long reviewing tapes last night to make sure it destroyed the game and the announcers said it's a mandatory point of emphasis, if refs don't call it, they will not be working.

That's the move everyone did to Ayton last year to try and contain him on the glass, he would have been shooting 20FT's a game with this new emphasis on it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I sure hope the people who control the refs figure out this mandated Flagrant 1 for hook and hold fouls quickly. It destroyed the game last night UCLA and LBSU. They called I think 4 of them on LBSU and 1 on UCLA. It's the play where as the guy is getting ready to jump for a rebound the opponent hooks an arm and holds him down, call it the Draymond play if you will. I get that it's a foul and if done wrong can be dangerous but I don't see why it's a mandatory Flagrant 1. They spent so long reviewing tapes last night to make sure it destroyed the game and the announcers said it's a mandatory point of emphasis, if refs don't call it, they will not be working.

That's the move everyone did to Ayton last year to try and contain him on the glass, he would have been shooting 20FT's a game with this new emphasis on it.

I can understand what it does to the flow but I am so in love with the added attention this move will now get that I'm willing to put up with the negatives for awhile. It's so common and so often results in injury (usually minor but not always) and it's way past time to address it IMO. As far as it being flagrant, it isn't really a basketball move so it probably should be more than just a common foul

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

I do think this team has the potential to sneak into the tournament. They seem to be gelling early and playing well together. Very glad to see Trier gone. Most selfish player I have seen in a long time

 

[TJ]

https://twitter.com/jasonscheer/status/1061760308589416448?s=2

Agree

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

https://twitter.com/jasonscheer/status/1061760308589416448?s=2

Agree

Trier goes down with Marcus Williams and Chris Rodgers as the most disruptive and damaging players to morale ever to play for Arizona.

 

[TJ]

Trier goes down with Marcus Williams and Chris Rodgers as the most disruptive and damaging players to morale ever to play for Arizona.

Trier made Miller look like a bad coach. He was completely uncoachable, didn't want to learn to play defense, and always wanted the ball. "ISO ZO" stopped all ball movement.

I know people have lauded Miller for his recruiting prowess, but with him, Rawle, and Kobi, it was a band of misfit toys. Although this year’s team is less talented, it is infinitely more selfless and more coachable.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Trier made Miller look like a bad coach. He was completely uncoachable, didn't want to learn to play defense, and always wanted the ball. "ISO ZO" stopped all ball movement.

I know people have lauded Miller for his recruiting prowess, but with him, Rawle, and Kobi, it was a band of misfit toys. Although this year’s team is less talented, it is infinitely more selfless and more coachable.

Amen. Like the teams at Xavier that Miller thrived with. Unfortunately he now has ESPN focusing its entire energy on destroying him. A win in the tourney would be a huge victory

 

[overseascardfan]

That is the bad thing about OAD players. They are auditioning for the NBA and scouts understandably are evaluating players, not how well their team performs so of course these kids are trying to stand out by being the focal point of their team. Look at Wright at NOVA, has he had a one and done player in his tenure, he goes after guys that will buy into the team concept and kids he can actually coach (just thinking maybe Quinerly bolts after this season but he is not starting at this point in the season so we'll see).

 

[Russ Smith]

Trier made Miller look like a bad coach. He was completely uncoachable, didn't want to learn to play defense, and always wanted the ball. "ISO ZO" stopped all ball movement.

I know people have lauded Miller for his recruiting prowess, but with him, Rawle, and Kobi, it was a band of misfit toys. Although this year’s team is less talented, it is infinitely more selfless and more coachable.

Imagine what would have happened if Ferguson had qualified and not started looking around in case he didn't clear. He's a great athlete but you can see what little impact he's made in the NBA because he can't handle the ball, just a leaper and a catch and shoot guy, would have been a terrible fit with Alkins, Kobi and Trier even though he was good friends with the first 2 guys.

 

[Russ Smith]

That is the bad thing about OAD players. They are auditioning for the NBA and scouts understandably are evaluating players, not how well their team performs so of course these kids are trying to stand out by being the focal point of their team. Look at Wright at NOVA, has he had a one and done player in his tenure, he goes after guys that will buy into the team concept and kids he can actually coach (just thinking maybe Quinerly bolts after this season but he is not starting at this point in the season so we'll see).

That's true of OAD but Trier is one of those guys, and I will so far throw Hands and Wilkes in the same list, guys who try out for the draft, get told to go back to school, and seem to take it entirely the wrong way. All 3 kids went all in with personal trainers and personal coaches so you get Trier failing a drug test and when he came back seemingly vastly improved both athletically and skill wise but it's all INDIVIDUAL skills, he upped his assists dramatically but he was still a ball hog and wouldn't play defense. UCLA has 2 kids right now that appear going down the same route, pulled out of the draft worked out on their own, physically stronger, skill sets improved, and neither one will pass the damn ball or play any defense.

Sometimes testing the waters is great for a college team, the kid comes back a better player, fits in and it's awesome, sometimes it's the exact opposite which is what I think happened with Trier at times and I see Wilkes and Hands looking very similar right now.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Imagine what would have happened if Ferguson had qualified and not started looking around in case he didn't clear. He's a great athlete but you can see what little impact he's made in the NBA because he can't handle the ball, just a leaper and a catch and shoot guy, would have been a terrible fit with Alkins, Kobi and Trier even though he was good friends with the first 2 guys.

Or if Miller had stuck with Tyler Dorsey

 

[Russ Smith]

Or if Miller had stuck with Tyler Dorsey

That was very similar to what's going on with Cassius Stanley now though. Dorsey and his dad wanted to be a PG and told everyone, and everyone told him we're recruiting you as a PG. Arizona got him and immediately the dad posted on Twitter something about being the next great PG at PGU. then they were all in on Justin Simon and it became clear they weren't planning on playing Dorsey at PG, so he decommitted after getting cut by Miller from the national team. Note, not saying Miller did anything wrong, every team that recruited Dorsey did that, you have to in recruiting.

Stanley is doing the same thing now and probably going to commit to Oregon, who won't actually play him at PG. Will be very interesting to see if they lose Stanley the way they gained Dorsey a few years ago.

Dorsey was a very solid player but I think whoever he committed to initially was going to lose him for that very reason.

 

[TJ]

Imagine what would have happened if Ferguson had qualified and not started looking around in case he didn't clear. He's a great athlete but you can see what little impact he's made in the NBA because he can't handle the ball, just a leaper and a catch and shoot guy, would have been a terrible fit with Alkins, Kobi and Trier even though he was good friends with the first 2 guys.

Had Ferg come on board, we would’ve needed 3 basketballs on the court at all times.

To me, it seems like each of our 2019 recruits have good heads on their shoulders. Green and Mannion are former teammates, so there’s chemistry there. Armstrong and Koloko seem like humble guys.

I think Miller learned his lesson about just getting the highest rated recruits. Not only that, but recruits from far away. At least the four commits have ties to either AZ or CA.

 

[Russ Smith]

Had Ferg come on board, we would’ve needed 3 basketballs on the court at all times.

To me, it seems like each of our 2019 recruits have good heads on their shoulders. Green and Mannion are former teammates, so there’s chemistry there. Armstrong and Koloko seem like humble guys.

I think Miller learned his lesson about just getting the highest rated recruits. Not only that, but recruits from far away. At least the four commits have ties to either AZ or CA.

Yep that's why I wanted Green at UCLA so much, he's a likely 1 and done but not IMO the kind of kid who will be a disruptive 1 and done. I think mannion is a multi year guy, very good but I'm not sure he's quick enough to be a 1 and done as a PG. But both of them are the types of kids who you want. It's why I'm not all that disappoitned to hear UCLA is probably not getting Cassius Stanley, great athlete but not a team player IMO.

 

[TJ]

Not bad for someone who’s just an OK coach to some:

Jason Scheer 46540 posts

In his 10th season at the helm of the Arizona Basketball program, Miller has 250 wins at Arizona in 324 games, which ranks among the fastest in college basketball to reach 250 wins at one institution. Here is where Miller ranks among other prominent active head coaches with 250 wins at their current school.

Bill Self (Kansas) 299 games Jan. 11, 2012 at Texas Tech
John Calipari (Kentucky) 303 games 2017-18 season opener
Mark Few (Gonzaga) 314 games Jan. 15, 2009 vs. Santa Clara
Roy Williams (North Carolina) 316 games Feb. 25, 2012 at Virginia
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) 331 games Feb. 16, 1987 vs. Villanova
Dave Rose (BYU) 335 games Jan. 29, 2015 vs. San Francisco
Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) 339 games Feb. 4, 2017 vs. Illinois State
Tom Izzo (Michigan State) 352 games Feb. 4, 2006 at Northwestern
Mike Krzyewski (Duke) 355 games Feb. 7, 1991 vs. Virginia
Jay Wright (Villanova) 403 games Feb. 5, 2013 at DePaul

 

[TJ]

Good win, but this team is going to have to be more aggressive on the boards. Saw too often that Arizona players were watching balls hit the ground off missed jumpers as if they'd never seen a basketball in their lives, while ISU players were aggressively pursuing every loose ball. Miller has to be in their ear about rebounding.

 

[DWKB]

Good win, but this team is going to have to be more aggressive on the boards. Saw too often that Arizona players were watching balls hit the ground off missed jumpers as if they'd never seen a basketball in their lives, while ISU players were aggressively pursuing every loose ball. Miller has to be in their ear about rebounding.

It’s a win, and that’s always better than a loss, but any win over ISU without Wigginton playing is tainted.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

This is the type of roster that Miller thrived with at Xavier

 

[GatorAZ]

Coleman was a great pickup but we have too many negative players; Smith, Luther possibly Akot. Luther has been the biggest disappointment b/c we already knew what Smith was.

 

[TJ]

This team has good starters but no bench. It’s 2008-2009 all over again. Miller is gonna have to go 7 deep if he wants to win. Credit to Miller for leading most of the way, but as soon as Jeter went out, hope was lost

 

[Russ Smith]

This team has good starters but no bench. It’s 2008-2009 all over again. Miller is gonna have to go 7 deep if he wants to win. Credit to Miller for leading most of the way, but as soon as Jeter went out, hope was lost

By my count it was 39-19 after Jeter got the T and went out.

You'd already blown the whole lead it was a 1 point lead when he got the foul and T, but from that point on it was a 20 point rout as you just are too small without Jeter.

That game again showed the value of transfers, while it sucks for the school that loses them I'm happy to see a kid like Brandon Clarke, from Arizona BTW, move up from SJSU to Gonzaga and get seen on a bigger stage. He was a stud at SJSU but now he's got NBA teams looking at him that might not have seen him at SJSU. I'm sure Coleman feels the same way.