Arizona's Finest
Your My Favorite Mistake
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Bayless has right to be steamed
Anthony Gimino
Tucson Citizen
Feb. 10, 2008 07:08 PM
The Arizona basketball players proudly have talked about how they are completely unlike last season's team. It's prove-it time.
Through this season's almost unbelievable ebb and flow, the Wildcats have crashed on the rocks, suffering the indignity of a sweep at the hands of Arizona State.
Sunday's game almost turned into a performance of Jerryd Bayless and the Miracles . . . except there weren't any miracles. Bayless' teammates shot 3 of 23 from the field. Arizona lost 59-54, despite a UA freshman record 39 points from Bayless.
Bayless, rarely effusive after any game, was steamed in the locker room, delivering shorter, curter answers than usual.
"Yeah, I'm pissed right now," he said. "We lost to ASU two times in a row this year."
Bayless didn't play in the first game, a 64-59 overtime loss in Tempe.
Point guard Nic Wise didn't play in the rematch, certainly a factor, but his absence doesn't excuse the shoddy effort and execution from seven other Wildcats not named Bayless.
"We just gave in," said interim coach Kevin O'Neill. "It was a one-point game at halftime and they came out and set the tempo in the second half and got us on our heels."
That's exactly what would have happened to last season's team. It gave in.
It bickered. It didn't play hard.
Winning, as UA has mostly done while coach Lute Olson is on a season-long leave of absence, masks many problems. Losing exposes them.
Arizona has taken a 1-2 punch - the 82-60 wipeout at UCLA last week and Sunday's squandering of a 16-point first-half lead -- and you wonder if the big, happy family will continue to be a big, happy family.
"We have to get on the same page right now, because we're definitely not," Bayless said.
Asked about it further, he answered:
"I think some people have some more things that are more important right about now than basketball. I don't know if it's on the court or off the court, but there's something we're not on the same page with.
"We'll address it next time in practice. We haven't addressed anything yet."
Yeah, the Wildcats are shorthanded. Who knows what, if anything, they will get the rest of the way from two of their top six players - forward Bret Brielmaier (shoulder) and Wise (knee).
Arizona has no margin of error, and when Chase Budinger can't buy a basket and shoots 1 of 12 from the field, that's a heck of a lot of error.
Jordan Hill, where are you?
UA's big man hasn't cracked double-digit points in five of the past six games.
Against ASU, he picked up two fouls in the first 5 minutes, 17 seconds - the second one was a bad call - and that allowed ASU big man Jeff Pendergraph to take over.
When Hill came back in the second half, Pendergraph still dominated, with so many dunks he should take home a rim as a souvenir for his career-high 29 points.
"We're not playing any defense whatsoever," Bayless said, also chiding himself for not getting some stops. "We're giving up easy buckets after easy buckets."
If there was one thing O'Neill could have done differently, it would be to bring back Hill in the first half with two fouls. O'Neill has been consistent with not doing that, but the results indicate a change might be needed.
"It's on us," said senior guard Jawann McClellan. "It all what we did. We didn't go out there and perform."
This is the part where it might be reassuring to say it was a fluke, that ASU got lucky, twice playing the Wildcats when they were missing a key player.
It might also be comforting to hear "Wait till next year!"
But this season has brought so many surprises, you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, let alone next season. Lute or no Lute?
Bayless or no Bayless? Budinger or no Budinger?
After the teams had left the court Sunday, a fan from the student section yelled out, "We're still better."
No, UA is not and it's not productive to think that that way.
It's become something of a joke in these parts how the Phoenix media, over the past 20 years, has written "the gap is closing" so many times that they're now like that broken clock that is right twice a day. They're finally right.
"ASU, the school and the program, they're starting to come together," Bayless said.
As for the Wildcats, are they starting to come apart?
Damn this kid is all heart. I'm guessing he is rethinking his choice to not become the next Kevin Durant (teamed up with DJ) for Mack Brown.
Anthony Gimino
Tucson Citizen
Feb. 10, 2008 07:08 PM
The Arizona basketball players proudly have talked about how they are completely unlike last season's team. It's prove-it time.
Through this season's almost unbelievable ebb and flow, the Wildcats have crashed on the rocks, suffering the indignity of a sweep at the hands of Arizona State.
Sunday's game almost turned into a performance of Jerryd Bayless and the Miracles . . . except there weren't any miracles. Bayless' teammates shot 3 of 23 from the field. Arizona lost 59-54, despite a UA freshman record 39 points from Bayless.
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Bayless, rarely effusive after any game, was steamed in the locker room, delivering shorter, curter answers than usual.
"Yeah, I'm pissed right now," he said. "We lost to ASU two times in a row this year."
Bayless didn't play in the first game, a 64-59 overtime loss in Tempe.
Point guard Nic Wise didn't play in the rematch, certainly a factor, but his absence doesn't excuse the shoddy effort and execution from seven other Wildcats not named Bayless.
"We just gave in," said interim coach Kevin O'Neill. "It was a one-point game at halftime and they came out and set the tempo in the second half and got us on our heels."
That's exactly what would have happened to last season's team. It gave in.
It bickered. It didn't play hard.
Winning, as UA has mostly done while coach Lute Olson is on a season-long leave of absence, masks many problems. Losing exposes them.
Arizona has taken a 1-2 punch - the 82-60 wipeout at UCLA last week and Sunday's squandering of a 16-point first-half lead -- and you wonder if the big, happy family will continue to be a big, happy family.
"We have to get on the same page right now, because we're definitely not," Bayless said.
Asked about it further, he answered:
"I think some people have some more things that are more important right about now than basketball. I don't know if it's on the court or off the court, but there's something we're not on the same page with.
"We'll address it next time in practice. We haven't addressed anything yet."
Yeah, the Wildcats are shorthanded. Who knows what, if anything, they will get the rest of the way from two of their top six players - forward Bret Brielmaier (shoulder) and Wise (knee).
Arizona has no margin of error, and when Chase Budinger can't buy a basket and shoots 1 of 12 from the field, that's a heck of a lot of error.
Jordan Hill, where are you?
UA's big man hasn't cracked double-digit points in five of the past six games.
Against ASU, he picked up two fouls in the first 5 minutes, 17 seconds - the second one was a bad call - and that allowed ASU big man Jeff Pendergraph to take over.
When Hill came back in the second half, Pendergraph still dominated, with so many dunks he should take home a rim as a souvenir for his career-high 29 points.
"We're not playing any defense whatsoever," Bayless said, also chiding himself for not getting some stops. "We're giving up easy buckets after easy buckets."
If there was one thing O'Neill could have done differently, it would be to bring back Hill in the first half with two fouls. O'Neill has been consistent with not doing that, but the results indicate a change might be needed.
"It's on us," said senior guard Jawann McClellan. "It all what we did. We didn't go out there and perform."
This is the part where it might be reassuring to say it was a fluke, that ASU got lucky, twice playing the Wildcats when they were missing a key player.
It might also be comforting to hear "Wait till next year!"
But this season has brought so many surprises, you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, let alone next season. Lute or no Lute?
Bayless or no Bayless? Budinger or no Budinger?
After the teams had left the court Sunday, a fan from the student section yelled out, "We're still better."
No, UA is not and it's not productive to think that that way.
It's become something of a joke in these parts how the Phoenix media, over the past 20 years, has written "the gap is closing" so many times that they're now like that broken clock that is right twice a day. They're finally right.
"ASU, the school and the program, they're starting to come together," Bayless said.
As for the Wildcats, are they starting to come apart?
Damn this kid is all heart. I'm guessing he is rethinking his choice to not become the next Kevin Durant (teamed up with DJ) for Mack Brown.
