Arizona Basketball 2019-2020

[1Sun]

Mannion and Green were much better this game.

And Nnaji is starting to evoke memories of Jared Jeffries from his sophomore year at Indiana.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Mannion and Green were much better this game.

And Nnaji is starting to evoke memories of Jared Jeffries from his sophomore year at Indiana.

You should never, as in NEVER, question Nico as a shooter! He’s a tremendous shooter. Downright deadly!

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Nice game!

 

[GatorAZ]

I know Green is gone but give us one more year of the other freshman.

 

[TJ]

I know Green is gone but give us one more year of the other freshman.

Plan on mass exodus after the season:

Jeter
Gettings
Hazzard
Smith (finally)
Nico
Green
Nnaji

that’s a lot of scholarships to fill with only one 2020 verbal in place

 

[Lefty]

It's the beginning of the season, let's not worry about next year. This team is so much fun to watch. It's kind of reminding me of Lute's teams. The Cats bench probably would beat half of the Pac-12 teams.

 

[TJ]

I just finished watching the game (I was on a plane for that and the Suns game, naturally). Nico Mannion is the truth. That was the best PG play I’ve seen since Lute’s guys (no disrespect to McConnell, but he doesn’t have Nico’s floater).

This team is loaded and can go toe-to-toe with anyone in college

 

[82CardsGrad]

I just finished watching the game (I was on a plane for that and the Suns game, naturally). Nico Mannion is the truth. That was the best PG play I’ve seen since Lute’s guys (no disrespect to McConnell, but he doesn’t have Nico’s floater).

This team is loaded and can go toe-to-toe with anyone in college

Yes sir! And he still has massive upside. The kid is a gym-rat and is always eager to learn & improve. Physically, he's only going to get stronger. Both his mom and dad are gym-rats as well and remain in incredible shape. If he can avoid any serious injuries, he will lead UArizona to ridiculous levels of success! Bank on it!

 

[Dback Jon]

I went to the game last night down in Tucson.

Several comments:

Nico Mannion is the best frosh guard I have seen in decades. His court vision, ball awareness, anticipation remind me of Larry Bird.

Great shooter, moves well without the ball, passing is outstanding.

Downsides: Defense is ok, and he has to learn not to throw his body everywhere diving for balls - his 18-year old knees won't stay 18 for long.

Arizona was a completely different team when he is not on the floor.


As a whole, Arizona was good. Moved the ball around, good shooters.




Was really disappointed in the level of officiating, but for Pac 12 nothing new. Game was close until the 12 minute mark in the second, when Miller's check must've cleared - string of bad calls on Illinois, and no-calls on Arizona completely changed the game. Only after UA had a double digit lead did they start calling fouls on UA again.

Arizona is very physical on D - they won't get the home cooking everywhere.

 

[GatorAZ]

Plan on mass exodus after the season:

Jeter
Gettings
Hazzard
Smith (finally)
Nico
Green
Nnaji

that’s a lot of scholarships to fill with only one 2020 verbal in place

Worse case for sure although I’m not sold on the others going pro as I am Josh Green.

Doutrive if he gets it together is on the wing with Baker and Terry. Jordan Brown will be eligible in the front court with Lee and Koloko.

PG is rough without Nico. They’re still in on Adam Miller who choosing between AZ/Illinois. Maybe smoking them last night helped.

Idk who else they’re on right now...

 

[Russ Smith]

Worse case for sure although I’m not sold on the others going pro as I am Josh Green.

Doutrive if he gets it together is on the wing with Baker and Terry. Jordan Brown will be eligible in the front court with Lee and Koloko.

PG is rough without Nico. They’re still in on Adam Miller who choosing between AZ/Illinois. Maybe smoking them last night helped.

Idk who else they’re on right now...

I still don't think Nico is a one and done, not that he's not good he clearly is I just think he'll play 2 years. 1 and done PG is really tough I think Cole Anthony is a lock but not sure on the rest of them.

Nico has a little Nick Johnson to him I pointed it out when Nick was a freshman, right now if he goes left he almost always pulls up and shoots the jumper(or a floater) and if he goes right he tries to go all the way to the rim. It was something as Nick's freshman season went on it became really obvious that teams had a book on him and played him that way. I think Nico is a much better shooter than Nick and will be a much better player but teams are going to get scouting reports quickly. One thing as TJ said, Nico has a floater, O'Connell and Nick Johnson really didn't.

Now if you tell me the NCAA is putting UA on probation next year,then yeah Nico's a one and done.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

I still don't think Nico is a one and done, not that he's not good he clearly is I just think he'll play 2 years. 1 and done PG is really tough I think Cole Anthony is a lock but not sure on the rest of them.

Nico has a little Nick Johnson to him I pointed it out when Nick was a freshman, right now if he goes left he almost always pulls up and shoots the jumper(or a floater) and if he goes right he tries to go all the way to the rim. It was something as Nick's freshman season went on it became really obvious that teams had a book on him and played him that way. I think Nico is a much better shooter than Nick and will be a much better player but teams are going to get scouting reports quickly. One thing as TJ said, Nico has a floater, O'Connell and Nick Johnson really didn't.

Now if you tell me the NCAA is putting UA on probation next year,then yeah Nico's a one and done.

Going to be hard to see Nico Mannion passing up the draft if he keeps up this pace

 

[GatorAZ]

I still don't think Nico is a one and done, not that he's not good he clearly is I just think he'll play 2 years. 1 and done PG is really tough I think Cole Anthony is a lock but not sure on the rest of them.

Nico has a little Nick Johnson to him I pointed it out when Nick was a freshman, right now if he goes left he almost always pulls up and shoots the jumper(or a floater) and if he goes right he tries to go all the way to the rim. It was something as Nick's freshman season went on it became really obvious that teams had a book on him and played him that way. I think Nico is a much better shooter than Nick and will be a much better player but teams are going to get scouting reports quickly. One thing as TJ said, Nico has a floater, O'Connell and Nick Johnson really didn't.

Now if you tell me the NCAA is putting UA on probation next year,then yeah Nico's a one and done.

He’d get eaten alive early on in the league. I can’t really picture him in the NBA looking like a scrawney skateboarder out there.

Two years would be perfect for him and Arizona... 20 years ago he’d probably stay for 3 and be a legendary college player but those days are over.

 

[Russ Smith]

Going to be hard to see Nico Mannion passing up the draft if he keeps up this pace

Sure but he doesn't need the money and unless he thinks he'll go close to the same this year as next year you can argue 2nd year go much higher be more ready right away. I love the kid, wanted him at UCLA, said the same thing all along I don't think he'll be a one and done.

now if he thinks year 2 is probation yeah he'll go, why stay if you can't make the postseason, but that's the only reason I can see him leaving.

As for pace, he played great against Illinois and meh against NAU, 2 games 1 good one is too early to say IMO.

Going to be a great college player, will play in the NBA for years.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Going to be a great college player, will play in the NBA for years.

Amen

 

[GatorAZ]

Sure but he doesn't need the money and unless he thinks he'll go close to the same this year as next year you can argue 2nd year go much higher be more ready right away. I love the kid, wanted him at UCLA, said the same thing all along I don't think he'll be a one and done.

now if he thinks year 2 is probation yeah he'll go, why stay if you can't make the postseason, but that's the only reason I can see him leaving.

As for pace, he played great against Illinois and meh against NAU, 2 games 1 good one is too early to say IMO.

Going to be a great college player, will play in the NBA for years.

Every recruit knew sanctions were inevitable. If their lifeblood was to play in the tourney they wouldn’t have come to Arizona, USC or Louisville. I think college basketball has lost it’s luster and a lot these kids just want to play with friends before jumping to the league. There’s other factors as well possibly payments or family ties/AAU stuff. I really don’t think #1 picks Fultz and Simmons cared too much about missing the tourney. As fans it’s pretty much everything though.

 

[TJ]

Doutrive is back

 

[Lefty]

Cats beat San Jose State by 48. So nice to see the team playing defense. Zeke is 26 for 32 in his first three games.

 

[TJ]

The team literally took a nine-minute nap and still won by 48.

 

[TJ]

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Nnaji is pretty good

 

[GatorAZ]

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Nnaji is pretty good

Too good.

 

[1Sun]

20 rebounds, but yeah, Nnaji is good...really good.

So is the team's depth, especially if Doutrive stays out of trouble.

The rest of the starting line-up outside of Nnaji took the night off, and it didn't matter.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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Nnaji is pretty good

Definitely better than I expected. More fluid than I thought he’d be.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Zeke May be the best player in the country

 

[Lefty]

This team is special. I love how Miller is letting them play an uptempo game. Their defense is night and day from last year.

Because they are young, they will only get better. This is definitely Miller's best team. This is also his deepest team. Hopefully no one gets injured.