Arizona Beats Oklahoma State

[George O'Brien]

Salim Stoudamire hit a 15 foot jump shot with less than 3 seconds left to beat Oklahoma State 79-78. U of A hit an amazing 66% from the field and 50% for three, while out rebounding Oklahoma State 30-18. If Arizona had done better at the line, only 10-18 and not had 18 turnovers, they could have won easily. As it was, OSU had a chance to win but Lucas missed a contested jumper at the buzzer.

Joey Graham had his best game of the tournament by scoring 16 points including 3 of 5 for three and grabbed 8 rebounds. He kept OSU in the game, but an off night by Lucas (only 5 of 15) was a big difference as OSU shot only 43.9%.

Salim Stoudamire is probably too short to get taken in the first round, but this guy can flat out shoot. He had two tall guys defensing him and he still hit the shot. His stat line of 7-11 from the field, 3-5 for three, 7 assists, and two steals was pretty impressive considering that OSU is known for having a good defense.

Frye only scored 15 points, 7-12 shooting, but was solid in the clutch including a key bank shot in crunch time. His 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 assists were pretty impressive considering how physical OSU was. I suspect that Frye will go in the first round as a power forward since he can shoot from the outside.

It was a nice win for U of A, but they will have to play better to beat Illinois. 10 of 18 from the line would be fatal.

 

[Chaz]

Isn't there another forum for this?

 

[The Commish]

Great game! Salim really is the best shooter I have seen in a long time. If he was a few inches taller he would easily be a lottery pick. I think he would be a solid pickup for any team. Channing Frye didn't play great, but he certainly played well and he was really clutch. I was really impressed by his passing tonight.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I think the Suns could benefit greatly by drafting these two players. Then again I'm a huge UofA homer...8)

 

[carey]

Great friggin' game. Salim was absolutely clutch. I think this kid would flourish in the Suns system.

 

[Dan H]

Salim Stoudamire is probably too short to get taken in the first round,

I disagree. Teams will remember they mistake they made in passing up Gilbert Arenas.

 

[PhxGametime]

IMO Stoudamire and Frye should both be 1st Round Picks (depending on how many underclassman enter) but I'm only a Suns homer, so I will keep Stoudamire at #47 on my Mock... perhaps I should put Frye in the 2nd Round too, to keep him hungry for the Championship. Maybe I add Hassan Adams and Mustafa Shakur to enter Draft and have them both undrafted, better yet I keep Daniel Dillon on 2nd Round bubble, to keep him from Transferring?


I will say there are possibly a ton of PG's in Draft, so Stoudamire could have a hard time making 1st Round but with his shooting ability and defensive effort, it takes 1 team to fall in love. There are also a ton of 6'5-6'7 SG's now in NBA that play a Point type of role, that would make an easier transition to the 1 position for Salim.

With the lack of numbers on the other stats, I doubt I'd put Stoudamire on my current list but he can really shoot the ball. I like stat sheet stuffers, in most cases anyways...

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Think Eddie House and Loren Woods, I'll pass on both, thanks.

 

[playstation]

wait wait wait

how in the BLUE HELL do you shoot 66% from the field in a sweet 16 game against a 2 seed and somehow only win by one??? UofA only shot 4 more FT's. I saw the game-winner, it was great, but what caused the shot differential (about 20 more shots attempted by OSU)?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Think Eddie House and Loren Woods, I'll pass on both, thanks.

Salim's much better than House but I can see the Woods comparison.

 

[The Commish]

Think Eddie House and Loren Woods, I'll pass on both, thanks.

I don't remember Eddie House being called the best shooter in years, and I certainly don't remember Loren Woods performing on the consistant basis that Channing does...though I can see where you are coming from.

how in the BLUE HELL do you shoot 66% from the field in a sweet 16 game against a 2 seed and somehow only win by one??? UofA only shot 4 more FT's. I saw the game-winner, it was great, but what caused the shot differential (about 20 more shots attempted by OSU)?

Arizona missed quite a few free throws and Oklahoma State had a ridiculous number of 2nd chance points.

 

[Joe Mama]

Gilbert Arenas, Eddie House, and Loren Woods are all pretty poor comparisons to the guys playing for U of A right now. Gilbert Arenas has great size and athleticism for a point guard/combo guard. If Salim had that size he would be a top 10 draft pick. Eddie House was a very good scorer in college. He wasn't a great shooter like Stoudamire. I'm not really sure how his game would transferred into the NBA, but I do think that Salim Stoudamire is an interesting prospect.

Loren Woods has been a failure in the NBA because he is a head case. That's why no one would touch him until the middle of the second round. It's the reason the Phoenix Suns said they would not have taken him had he fallen a few more spots to them in that draft. Channing Frye may be soft at times, but he's not a nut.

Joe Mama

 

[arthurracoon]

I don't remember Eddie House being called the best shooter in years, and I certainly don't remember Loren Woods performing on the consistant basis that Channing does...though I can see where you are coming from.



Arizona missed quite a few free throws and Oklahoma State had a ridiculous number of 2nd chance points.

They also had butterfingers.

Every single loose ball bounced off their hands and out of bounds to OSU.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Salim's much better than House but I can see the Woods comparison.

I know, I just hate U of A, and like to bring up guys that were hyped in college and failed in the NBA.... Seriously though, perhaps my memory is clouded, but I always thought of House as a fantastic shooter, although Salim is pretty good. I just don't know how he will do in the NBA, players of his size and with his attitude usually have some issues. He is a deadly shooter, so perhaps a smaller 3 point specialist, who can sometimes drive, in the mold of (?)

Frye does flash some athletic skills, but Woods too looked great in college, blocking shots and dominating inside. I just don't see Frye succeeding because of his size and his aversion to physical play. Perhaps my vision is clouded though...

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Gilbert Arenas, Eddie House, and Loren Woods are all pretty poor comparisons to the guys playing for U of A right now. Gilbert Arenas has great size and athleticism for a point guard/combo guard. If Salim had that size he would be a top 10 draft pick. Eddie House was a very good scorer in college. He wasn't a great shooter like Stoudamire. I'm not really sure how his game would transferred into the NBA, but I do think that Salim Stoudamire is an interesting prospect.

Loren Woods has been a failure in the NBA because he is a head case. That's why no one would touch him until the middle of the second round. It's the reason the Phoenix Suns said they would not have taken him had he fallen a few more spots to them in that draft. Channing Frye may be soft at times, but he's not a nut.

Joe Mama

Loren Woods is a failure because he is a head case, but Salim is an interesting prospect? The same Salim that has been suspended multiple times, and has almost been kicked off the team for his attitude?

 

[Chaplin]

Number one, Salim has really turned a corner in regards to his attitude, he is far and away the leader of the team.

Secondly, this season, he has expanded his game and has become somewhat of a playmaker as well--you will frequently see Mustafa and Salim be the primary ballhandlers. Yes, Salim shoots it a lot, and he actually makes it a lot, but you can see he's trying to get experience running an offense, since that is what he will do in the NBA.

Loren was a complete enigma--he would look unstoppable one day, the next he would just get eaten alive. Then he had that nerve problem which was really debilitating, and really contributed to his being a head case. He was quite a disappointment for his entire career at Arizona. Frye, however, has none of those problems.

 

[coloradosun]

Loren Woods is a failure because he is a head case, but Salim is an interesting prospect? The same Salim that has been suspended multiple times, and has almost been kicked off the team for his attitude?

My comparison for Salim is Damon Stoudamire, who is an undersized pt. guard that can shoot. Can't wait for Salim to take his jaunja through the airport in tin foil.

 

[George O'Brien]

Loren is still a head case. He actually looked pretty good at the start of the season for the Raptors, fell apart, and is now getting minutes again. I would guess he will bounce around some more and then maybe grow up enough to be a good player. But I would not count on it happening soon.

Frye has a chance to make it as a PF, but his future will be dependent on his work in the weight room. Frye has enough offensive skills to make an impact, but will really get pushed around on the defensive end.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I know, I just hate U of A, and like to bring up guys that were hyped in college and failed in the NBA.... Seriously though, perhaps my memory is clouded, but I always thought of House as a fantastic shooter, although Salim is pretty good. I just don't know how he will do in the NBA, players of his size and with his attitude usually have some issues. He is a deadly shooter, so perhaps a smaller 3 point specialist, who can sometimes drive, in the mold of (?)

Frye does flash some athletic skills, but Woods too looked great in college, blocking shots and dominating inside. I just don't see Frye succeeding because of his size and his aversion to physical play. Perhaps my vision is clouded though...

House was a good shooter, but was way more of a chucker than Salim and not nearly as accurate. I think House even won Pac10 POY one year (that would be 2 Pac10 POYs under Evans at ASU with 1 tourney appearance if you're keeping score at home). Plus I remember House having trouble creating his own shot, he mostly came off screens like Krueger does now while Salim has been taking people off the dribble consistently this season.

I totally agree with you on Frye though although like Woods I think he'll be in the league for a long time only because he's 6'11 with range up to twenty feet.

 

[SweetD]

Sorry Guys I went to ASU this is getting moved.

 

[Lefty]

Frye is a much more poilished center than Loren. Lute was even quoted earlier saying Channing could be the best center he has had at Arizona. Frye is a solid player. He is not too flashy but is a very good all-around player.

Like many NBA general managers, including Colangelo say, they are not worried about players from UofA because they are fundamentally sound. It's amazing how many players Lute has sent to the NBA and how successful they are on and off the court.

 

[overseascardsfan]

Great game! Salim really is the best shooter I have seen in a long time. If he was a few inches taller he would easily be a lottery pick. I think he would be a solid pickup for any team. Channing Frye didn't play great, but he certainly played well and he was really clutch. I was really impressed by his passing tonight.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I think the Suns could benefit greatly by drafting these two players. Then again I'm a huge UofA homer...8)

I don't get why people are saying Frye only had 15 points or didn't play great the guy had a double double and was a monster defensively. Had he had some help in the post defensively we would have been more dominant defensively. As for the Illinois game if the get the same production out of Frye, cut down on turnovers, and shoot better from the free throw line the win easily. Channing Frye is the best center in the tournament right now, quote me on that.