The future of Uof A basketball.

[overseascardsfan]

Even though this year is not over, U of A has a bright future ahead. We lose Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire which are huge losses but look at who we get back assuming they don't come out early.

PG Mustafa Shakur, Chris Rogers
SG Hassan Adams, Jesus Verdejo, Daniel Dillon
SF Ivan Radonovic, Juwaan McClellan
PF Isiah Fox, Mohammed Tongara
C Kirk Walters

Plus three top notch recruits in Fendi Onobun of Texas, Marcus Williams of Washington, and J.P. Prince (cousin of Tayshaun Prince) from Tennessee. And with the number of top prospects from the 2006 and 2007 classes considering Arizona, we won't be rebuilding for a long time.

 

[nathan]

Even though this year is not over, U of A has a bright future ahead. We lose Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire which are huge losses but look at who we get back assuming they don't come out early.

PG Mustafa Shakur, Chris Rogers
SG Hassan Adams, Jesus Verdejo, Daniel Dillon
SF Ivan Radonovic, Juwaan McClellan
PF Isiah Fox, Mohammed Tongara
C Kirk Walters

Radenovic is going to be the PF next season even though he's soft.

Isaiah Fox sucks. Kirk Walters played well yesterday, but he still has a lot to prove. Tangara is unproven. The middle is a big question mark with Frye graduating.

 

[Lefty]

Even though this year is not over, U of A has a bright future ahead. We lose Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire which are huge losses but look at who we get back assuming they don't come out early.

PG Mustafa Shakur, Chris Rogers
SG Hassan Adams, Jesus Verdejo, Daniel Dillon
SF Ivan Radonovic, Juwaan McClellan
PF Isiah Fox, Mohammed Tongara
C Kirk Walters

Plus three top notch recruits in Fendi Onobun of Texas, Marcus Williams of Washington, and J.P. Prince (cousin of Tayshaun Prince) from Tennessee. And with the number of top prospects from the 2006 and 2007 classes considering Arizona, we won't be rebuilding for a long time.

Lute does not re-build, he re-stocks.

 

[overseascardsfan]

Radenovic is going to be the PF next season even though he's soft.

Isaiah Fox sucks. Kirk Walters played well yesterday, but he still has a lot to prove. Tangara is unproven. The middle is a big question mark with Frye graduating.

I feel that Tongara will be the starting PF next year if he is healthy. But with the exception of Frye when has Arizona not had questions about their starting center or frontcourt. It's called Point Guard University not Big Man University. They'll still make the tournament next year. I'm sorry about the "rebuilding" word buit they are still not going to go through that for a long time.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The only future I'm concerned about at the moment is who we're playing next weekend.

 

[nathan]

I feel that Tongara will be the starting PF next year if he is healthy. But with the exception of Frye when has Arizona not had questions about their starting center or frontcourt. It's called Point Guard University not Big Man University. They'll still make the tournament next year. I'm sorry about the "rebuilding" word buit they are still not going to go through that for a long time.

If Tangara is going to start, it will be because he beats out Kirk Walters at C. IMO, Jawaan McClellan has shown enough to take Salim's spot in the starting lineup. It's also possible that an incoming freshmen could impress enough to start.

PG Shakur/Prince/Dillon
SG McClellan/Rodgers/Verdejo
SF Adams/Onobun/Williams
PF Radenovic/Tangara
C Walters/Fox

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Hassan test the NBA waters this offseason. I put it at 50/50 whether the scouts love his athleticism enough to ignore his size and shooting woes and make him hire an agent. Either way, UA doesn't rebuild, they reload. At least two from Radenovic, Fox, Onobun, Walters, and Tangara will step up enough to provide an adequate frontcourt even though the team will miss Frye. McClellan won't provide the sharpshooting prowess of Salim, but he has already proven to be a pretty good outside shooter even with a flat shot that will be coached out of him over time.

 

[Lefty]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Hassan test the NBA waters this offseason. I put it at 50/50 whether the scouts love his athleticism enough to ignore his size and shooting woes and make him hire an agent. Either way, UA doesn't rebuild, they reload. At least two from Radenovic, Fox, Onobun, Walters, and Tangara will step up enough to provide an adequate frontcourt even though the team will miss Frye. McClellan won't provide the sharpshooting prowess of Salim, but he has already proven to be a pretty good outside shooter even with a flat shot that will be coached out of him over time.

Hassan has already said he is going to the Chicago camp but not sign with an agent. I think he is gone.

Starting five:
PG-Shakur
SG-Rodgers
Wing-McClellan
PF-Radenovic
C-Walters

Now let's get back to this year and worry about next year when this year is over.

 

[Russ Smith]

Hassan has already said he is going to the Chicago camp but not sign with an agent. I think he is gone.

Starting five:
PG-Shakur
SG-Rodgers
Wing-McClellan
PF-Radenovic
C-Walters

Now let's get back to this year and worry about next year when this year is over.

I'd be surprised if Adams leaves. going to the Chicago camp was the best thing possible for both Dijon Thompson and Nate Robinson, scouts told them what they needed to do, which included going back to school, and they listened and had great years. Adams is a freakish athlete, but he's not a great shooter and is in a sense a kid without an NBA position because he's not a SG yet. I'm fairly certain he's a smart enough kid he'll figure it out and go back to school.

The kid I'd be worried about is shakur, what tends to happen now is highly touted recruits who stay in school and don't play great fall each year and they get pressured by people to come out now "while your stock is still high."
it's happened before, for example Ariza last year was convinced if he played PF again at UCLA it would hurt his draft stock. Shakur obviously isn't NBA ready but if I had to pick a guy in the Pac 10 who MIGHT make a bad decision and come out it'd be him.

One of the bright spots to UCLA getting beat was the way Farmar and Afflalo got schooled, both kids were pretty unlikely to leave anyways but they're both openly talking about how much better they're going to be next year, they got the message loud and clear, stay in school, get stronger (farmar) improve your ballhandling (Afflalo) and come back better players.

 

[Lefty]

I'd be surprised if Adams leaves. going to the Chicago camp was the best thing possible for both Dijon Thompson and Nate Robinson, scouts told them what they needed to do, which included going back to school, and they listened and had great years. Adams is a freakish athlete, but he's not a great shooter and is in a sense a kid without an NBA position because he's not a SG yet. I'm fairly certain he's a smart enough kid he'll figure it out and go back to school.

The kid I'd be worried about is shakur, what tends to happen now is highly touted recruits who stay in school and don't play great fall each year and they get pressured by people to come out now "while your stock is still high."
it's happened before, for example Ariza last year was convinced if he played PF again at UCLA it would hurt his draft stock. Shakur obviously isn't NBA ready but if I had to pick a guy in the Pac 10 who MIGHT make a bad decision and come out it'd be him.

One of the bright spots to UCLA getting beat was the way Farmar and Afflalo got schooled, both kids were pretty unlikely to leave anyways but they're both openly talking about how much better they're going to be next year, they got the message loud and clear, stay in school, get stronger (farmar) improve your ballhandling (Afflalo) and come back better players.

Shakur has already said he is coming back. He said he is going to work on his shot during the summer.

 

[burndoggy]

what are you guys thinking? your team is in the middle of a title run and youre thinking about next year. maybe you should leave that for those of us whose teams season is over.

 

[Chaplin]

Hassan isn't even a first round pick this year. What makes you think he's gone? The team would be his next year.

 

[Dback Jon]

The most important question any U of A backer should wonder is: Lute is 70 - how much longer will he continue. As much as I dislike him, as long as he is at the helm, U of A will be a top twenty team, regardless of what individual players do.

 

[overseascardsfan]

The most important question any U of A backer should wonder is: Lute is 70 - how much longer will he continue. As much as I dislike him, as long as he is at the helm, U of A will be a top twenty team, regardless of what individual players do.

I heard somewhere that Kelvin Samson of Oklahoma could be the next coach of Arizona but I feel Lute will hand pick his replacement which could be Josh Pastnor, Steve Kerr, or maybe Sean Elliott.

 

[JPlay]

Have you seen Lute in interviews recently. Is it me or does he shake? I don't know how much longer he can go.

 

[Lefty]

The most important question any U of A backer should wonder is: Lute is 70 - how much longer will he continue. As much as I dislike him, as long as he is at the helm, U of A will be a top twenty team, regardless of what individual players do.

Lute signed a new 5-year contract before this season.

 

[Russ Smith]

Shakur has already said he is coming back. He said he is going to work on his shot during the summer.

Maybe i'm mistaken but doesn't UA have a PG in Prince in their recruiting class? That's another reason I said Shakur might be a guy who surprises and jumps, because they recruited Prince, but I guess it makes sense to have a young PG with Shakur going to be a junior. Prince has said he wants to play PG in college but I guess maybe that doesn't necessarily mean Shakur is gone.

UCLA has Collison coming in at PG behind Farmar but Collison is a smaller kid that people are comparing to Edney, not a guy anybody figured to challenge Farmar when they signed him a guy recruited as a backup who could grow into a starting job later.

I hope everyone keeps all their players I hate seeing so many kids jump who aren't ready to do so. But every year you see guys leaving because they think if they stick around their stock will fall, apparently Charlie Villanueva is leaving UCONN for that precise reason, he has lottery talent and undrafted FA attitude and he thinks the longer he sticks around the less likely he's a first rounder with a guaranteed contract.

 

[Lefty]

Maybe i'm mistaken but doesn't UA have a PG in Prince in their recruiting class? That's another reason I said Shakur might be a guy who surprises and jumps, because they recruited Prince, but I guess it makes sense to have a young PG with Shakur going to be a junior. Prince has said he wants to play PG in college but I guess maybe that doesn't necessarily mean Shakur is gone.

UCLA has Collison coming in at PG behind Farmar but Collison is a smaller kid that people are comparing to Edney, not a guy anybody figured to challenge Farmar when they signed him a guy recruited as a backup who could grow into a starting job later.

I hope everyone keeps all their players I hate seeing so many kids jump who aren't ready to do so. But every year you see guys leaving because they think if they stick around their stock will fall, apparently Charlie Villanueva is leaving UCONN for that precise reason, he has lottery talent and undrafted FA attitude and he thinks the longer he sticks around the less likely he's a first rounder with a guaranteed contract.

Shakur would not even get drafted if he came out early. Prince will play pg and off guard, just like Rodgers does. The UofA already has a verbal from one of the top junior point guards in the country in Nic Wise. I can see someone like Verdejo leaving. I have read that Dillon is not happy and will probably be transferring after this year. In my opinion he was a project anyway.

 

[Gee!]

The only future I'm concerned about at the moment is who we're playing next weekend.

Well its a good thing you aint the coach.

 

[Gee!]

The most important question any U of A backer should wonder is: Lute is 70 - how much longer will he continue. As much as I dislike him, as long as he is at the helm, U of A will be a top twenty team, regardless of what individual players do.

Why would you hate coach Olsen?

I mean the guy hardly even speaks to the media.

OOoooh!

Jealousy?

 

[Dback Jon]

Why would you hate coach Olsen?

I mean the guy hardly even speaks to the media.

OOoooh!

Jealousy?

I don't like the way he weasels out of road games.....

U of A used to have to come to NAU every other year - Lute whined enough until the Board of Regents ended that requirement.

Then he reneged on a return trip to St. Josephs a few years ago at the last minute, do to a non-existant snow storm.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I don't like the way he weasels out of road games.....

U of A used to have to come to NAU every other year - Lute whined enough until the Board of Regents ended that requirement.

Then he reneged on a return trip to St. Josephs a few years ago at the last minute, do to a non-existant snow storm.

Yep, Lute's scared of St. Joe's and Not A University. Considering over the past few years he has played road tilts at Texas, Kansas, UCONN, Marquette not to mention numerous neutral court games played across the country against Top 5 teams. Next year North Carolina is being added to the schedule as a four game home-and-home. He evens plays road games against mid-major teams to showcase his players to their hometowns such when he played road games at St. Louis, San Diego State, and next year against Rice.

But Lute is scared to play the Lumberjokes. Actually any smart coach would pass on that opportunity as there's no incentive to play there.

 

[Dback Jon]

Yep, Lute's scared of St. Joe's and Not A University. Considering over the past few years he has played road tilts at Texas, Kansas, UCONN, Marquette not to mention numerous neutral court games played across the country against Top 5 teams. Next year North Carolina is being added to the schedule as a four game home-and-home. He evens plays road games against mid-major teams to showcase his players to their hometowns such when he played road games at St. Louis, San Diego State, and next year against Rice.

But Lute is scared to play the Lumberjokes. Actually any smart coach would pass on that opportunity as there's no incentive to play there.

Both are historical facts - both happened because of Lute. Look it up.

 

[Mulli]

I will admit to being jealous of UofA's basketball team. I have been trying to put a curse on them for at least 20 years. So far, I have only produced a few first round losses. Someday, my curse will be more more effective instead of usually backfiring and leading to ASU's many problems. Except for the little pointshaving problems, I had little to with that although I went to school at ASU at the time and took some of the same easy classes as the rest of the team.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Both are historical facts - both happened because of Lute. Look it up.

I never denied Lute backing out on these teams, I'm actually very aware of it happening. However, if you look at the cost/benefit of playing those teams on the road in comparison with other squads, Lute's decision made perfect sense.