Arizona Basketball 2020-2021

[Russ Smith]

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I like him, UCLA didn't offer it was a controversial subject on UCLA boards lots of us wanted him. He's a combo guard and a bit small for a combo but I think he can probably play mostly PG in college. he's not a great shooter but not bad, he's pretty athletic and just a smart tough kid. 4 year guy probably.

 

[GatorAZ]

I like him, UCLA didn't offer it was a controversial subject on UCLA boards lots of us wanted him. He's a combo guard and a bit small for a combo but I think he can probably play mostly PG in college. he's not a great shooter but not bad, he's pretty athletic and just a smart tough kid. 4 year guy probably.

Sounds like he plays defense which at the HS/AAU level there’s no way to know for sure. Miller’s backcourt will definitely have some scoring ability.

 

[1Sun]

Reminds me a bit of Kadeem Allen.

 

[TJ]

I like him, UCLA didn't offer it was a controversial subject on UCLA boards lots of us wanted him. He's a combo guard and a bit small for a combo but I think he can probably play mostly PG in college. he's not a great shooter but not bad, he's pretty athletic and just a smart tough kid. 4 year guy probably.

KJ wanted UCLA, too. If Cronin offers, he’d probably flip, or at least think long and hard about it

 

[TJ]

Sounds like he plays defense which at the HS/AAU level there’s no way to know for sure. Miller’s backcourt will definitely have some scoring ability.

Sounds like Miller finally realized that if he wants to be a hard ass about his system, he has to find players willing to acquiesce and be patient. Can’t do that with OADs.

 

[1Sun]

Sounds like Miller finally realized that if he wants to be a hard ass about his system, he has to find players willing to acquiesce and be patient. Can’t do that with OADs.

The problem is that Miller's system is ancient history, and Miller, despite his relatively young age, is a dinosaur. Miller's system might have worked in the 70s and 80s, but the game has evolved way past it.

 

[TJ]

The problem is that Miller's system is ancient history, and Miller, despite his relatively young age, is a dinosaur. Miller's system might have worked in the 70s and 80s, but the game has evolved way past it.

Tony Bennett won the championship with the same system and leads a perennial top-10 team, but with a complete sellout to defense. Difference is Bennett wasn’t necessarily chasing Top-10 OAD talent like Miller had been. Bennett systematically developed talent with upperclassmen leading the way.

I know Miller has been working on speeding up his pace of play and the thought was that Mannion could handle it, but he was too streaky and his defense was not impressive. Miller has a chance to regain some traction by going back to his Xavier roots of bringing in players who want to learn how to play defense.

 

[1Sun]

Tony Bennett won the championship with the same system and leads a perennial top-10 team, but with a complete sellout to defense. Difference is Bennett wasn’t necessarily chasing Top-10 OAD talent like Miller had been. Bennett systematically developed talent with upperclassmen leading the way.

I know Miller has been working on speeding up his pace of play and the thought was that Mannion could handle it, but he was too streaky and his defense was not impressive. Miller has a chance to regain some traction by going back to his Xavier roots of bringing in players who want to learn how to play defense.

Tony Bennett also coached the only 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed. The margin for error in that system is so darn small, and all the players need to buy in and execute perfectly in crunch time. Bennett is a fatherly figure and is a master communicator with his players. Miller has no patience and yells and berates. Miller's players tend to fold down the stretch of games as they tighten up due to fear of Miller's wrath. The system might work...IF everything goes right...but Miller is not a good fit for it. He is too polarizing and volatile for it.

 

[Russ Smith]

KJ wanted UCLA, too. If Cronin offers, he’d probably flip, or at least think long and hard about it

Yeah thats been the claim. Allegedly UCLA is holding that spot in the hopes Jaden Hardy picks college over G League and UCLA over UK. There's also talk Dylan Andrews might move up a class and if he does UCLA thinks they'll get him. Simpson has a lot of fans on UCLA boards.

 

[Russ Smith]

FWIW there's some innuendo on BRO that says Nathan Bittle to Oregon is no longer a sure thing and it might wind up being Arizona.

Bittle transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, their new coach is his former AAU coach, Mark Phelps. Yes that Mark Phelps. Bittle plays AAU ball with Simpson and Simpson has been actively trying to recruit him on Twitter.

It would be very ironic if it happens since UCLA went to Under Armour we've all been waiting for UCLA alum and Under Armour's West Coast elite guy Ryan Silver to start sending kids to UCLA, they keep going to Arizona(Mannion, Green and now Simpson). So if Bittle winds up there too it'll make the Under Armour and UCLA breakup even more obvious.

Apparently the thought is Bittle doesn't want to go to Oregon and doesn't want to deal with what Kevin Love dealt with when he committed to UCLA and spent his senior year being booed and taunted because he didn't pick Oregon.

 

[TJ]

Depends on how eager Phelps would be to help his former employer that fired him. I think the relationship between him and Miller is fine, but I wouldn’t get the sense that he’d push Bittle hard to go to UofA

 

[Russ Smith]

Depends on how eager Phelps would be to help his former employer that fired him. I think the relationship between him and Miller is fine, but I wouldn’t get the sense that he’d push Bittle hard to go to UofA

Not sure but he's buddies with Simpson too.

Apparently the dad said he's going to a private school strictly because of Covid they think private school will be safer. But lots of people are thinking it's because of Phelps

 

[TJ]

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It was only right that with everyone else becoming eligible that Akinjo would as well. This is a big-time boost for the team.

 

[1Sun]

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It was only right that with everyone else becoming eligible that Akinjo would as well. This is a big-time boost for the team.

Is there even going to be a season?

 

[TJ]

Is there even going to be a season?

99% certain there will be. The bubble idea is gaining traction

 

[GatorAZ]

Akinjo
T Brown
Baker
Kerr
Mathurin
Terry
Goerner
Tubelis x 2
J Brown
Koloko
Batcho
Lee

Idk how 3-4 guys won’t be completely frozen out of any minutes...

 

[1Sun]

Akinjo
T Brown
Baker
Kerr
Mathurin
Terry
Goerner
Tubelis x 2
J Brown
Koloko
Batcho
Lee

Idk how 3-4 guys won’t be completely frozen out of any minutes...

Probably the deepest team we have ever had, but no stars. Perhaps play them all less time and have them go all-out when they play?

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm still skeptical of a full season although UCLA sites are saying the same thing it looks more and more likely.

With Arizona I still think the big question is the guards, if Akinjo and Brown play much together will they actually pass the ball. The foreign kid looked really good in that video so maybe he winds up playing more. I did see one guy on a UCLA board who says he saw Brown quite a bit and thinks his rep as a chucker is unfair, he was not on a good team so they needed him to score so he shot often, won't play that way at Arizona.

And then how quickly Miller can get all the new kids to learn his defense

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'm still skeptical of a full season although UCLA sites are saying the same thing it looks more and more likely.

With Arizona I still think the big question is the guards, if Akinjo and Brown play much together will they actually pass the ball. The foreign kid looked really good in that video so maybe he winds up playing more. I did see one guy on a UCLA board who says he saw Brown quite a bit and thinks his rep as a chucker is unfair, he was not on a good team so they needed him to score so he shot often, won't play that way at Arizona.

And then how quickly Miller can get all the new kids to learn his defense

I just hope zona gets the akinjo that showed glimpses as a freshman not the awfulness that he exhibited his second year before quitting at gtown.

 

[overseascardfan]

This is a team that Miller should be able to develop. There isn't a one and done on this year's roster so you won't have kids tuning Miller out while auditioning for the NBA Draft. There is no more such thing as UA good in terms of recruiting players. Miller needs to get talented kids and develop them, something he hasn't really done as a HC at UA because he hasn't really had a chance with all the one and dones. UA has been missing continuity, not talent. If Miller can start landing 3-4 year 4 star guys and actually do his job as a HC then UA can start to regain some of its national brand I feel its lost the last few years.

 

[1Sun]

Almost lost at home today to Eastern Washington. I can't wait until Sean Miller is shown the door.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Almost lost at home today to Eastern Washington. I can't wait until Sean Miller is shown the door.

And it’s not like EWU was popping three balls. Both teams couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. And Arizona outrebounded EWU 47-27. And still only won by 3!

 

[1Sun]

And it’s not like EWU was popping three balls. Both teams couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. And Arizona outrebounded EWU 47-27. And still only won by 3!

Sean Miller might very well be the most overrated coach in college basketball history. Frankly, I would rather have his younger brother or former assistant.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

And so far looks like Arizona is getting gtown akinjo. 40% shooting and 3-to-2.5 assist-turnover ratio. At least he’s shooting the 3 at a good clip (43% on volume - 8/game).

 

[1Sun]

And so far looks like Arizona is getting gtown akinjo. 40% shooting and 3-to-2.5 assist-turnover ratio. At least he’s shooting the 3 at a good clip (43% on volume - 8/game).

And the Freshmen are all underperforming, Brown hasn't developed, Koloko has taken a step backward, and Lee never amounted to anything.

It is pretty darn clear at this point that Miller was heavily dependent on recruiting, and that he is simply outclassed as a developer of talent and in-game strategist at this level.