What are UA fans expectations for this Tournament?

[Dback Jon]

Arizona is loaded and firing on all cylinders.

 

[ozzfloyd]

Things appear ripe for a final four run...but strange things happen in the tourney!

 

[Chaplin]

Definitely Final 4, especially in this group. My boss, who is a Washington fan, has picked UA to win the championship.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If Lauri is shooting from 3 like he did early in the season, we win it all. If he's shooting like it's February, we lose by the Elite 8 if not earlier. Trier is good enough to win us a game or two on his own but Markkanen is our zone buster and when he's shooting well, I think we're almost unstoppable.

 

[SO91]

Championship game after beating Duke in the semi.

 

[GatorAZ]

F4 or bust. This is the most favorable draw Arizona has had under Miller.

 

[TJ]

Ask me in two weeks.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Final four

 

[Cheesebeef]

Final 4. People have made a lot of excuses why Miller hasn't gotten there, losing a couple Elite 8s while favored. This bracket is a wet-dream, and they're firing on all cylinders. Anything less than a Final 4 and the bloom starts coming off the rose, no matter how good next year's incoming freshman class is (which it always is... which is why at some point, he has to stop being Steve Lavin and at least become Ben Howland).

 

[Phrazbit]

Lavin's MO was sweet 16... so, Miller does have a leg-up on him.

But I dunno if you guys are insinuating that his seat should start to get hot if they fall short, if you are, that is bonkers. They've missed a couple final fours by a hair, he is a good in game coach, he just hasn't put together the right mix of players, this is the first team that has seemed to have a real balance too it, not that Miller is innocent of the lack of balance. IMO he has needed to do a better job of mixing in recruits that will stick around with the 1 or 2 year kids.

Also, as far as expectations go, if they get through the next 2 rounds I will fully expect a win in the elite 8, regardless of who is waiting. I am most afraid of a let down game Saturday or in the sweet 16.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Lavin's MO was sweet 16... so, Miller does have a leg-up on him.

But I dunno if you guys are insinuating that his seat should start to get hot if they fall short, if you are, that is bonkers. They've missed a couple final fours by a hair, he is a good in game coach, he just hasn't put together the right mix of players, this is the first team that has seemed to have a real balance too it, not that Miller is innocent of the lack of balance. IMO he has needed to do a better job of mixing in recruits that will stick around with the 1 or 2 year kids.

Also, as far as expectations go, if they get through the next 2 rounds I will fully expect a win in the elite 8, regardless of who is waiting. I am most afraid of a let down game Saturday or in the sweet 16.

Agreed. It's not like there's some special coaching skill that can get you to Elite Eights but can't get you into the Final Four. Luck happens, good and bad. And there are good coaches that go their entire careers without making it to a Final Four. 4 Elite Eights in his last 9 or 10 seasons is quite an accomplishment and it's nothing like Lavin's claim to fame of matching Duke's coach for Sweet 16 appearances in a 5 year stretch.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Agreed. It's not like there's some special coaching skill that can get you to Elite Eights but can't get you into the Final Four. Luck happens, good and bad. And there are good coaches that go their entire careers without making it to a Final Four. 4 Elite Eights in his last 9 or 10 seasons is quite an accomplishment and it's nothing like Lavin's claim to fame of matching Duke's coach for Sweet 16 appearances in a 5 year stretch.

Dude I know you're not arguing that reaching the final four is a matter of luck. If so coach K was born with a four leaf clover lodged in his ass.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Lavin's MO was sweet 16... so, Miller does have a leg-up on him.

Ah, you're right... I thought Lavin had gotten UCLA to 2 Elite Eights and then a buttload of Sweet 16s, but it turned out to only be one.

and why is this font so damn small?!

But I dunno if you guys are insinuating that his seat should start to get hot if they fall short, if you are, that is bonkers. They've missed a couple final fours by a hair, he is a good in game coach, he just hasn't put together the right mix of players, this is the first team that has seemed to have a real balance too it, not that Miller is innocent of the lack of balance. IMO he has needed to do a better job of mixing in recruits that will stick around with the 1 or 2 year kids.

Also, as far as expectations go, if they get through the next 2 rounds I will fully expect a win in the elite 8, regardless of who is waiting. I am most afraid of a let down game Saturday or in the sweet 16.

not saying his seat should be hot, but I think he can start to be questioned if he's truly an elite coach. Heresy on this board, I know. But at some point, you've got to win one of those big ones, especially when most of them they've lost, they've been the higher seed or favored to win.

this looks like a solid W tonight after a horrific start. I really want to see them play Gonzaga in the Elite 8. That will be a hell of a match-up to determine West Coast superiority.

 

[Dback Jon]

Next up is 11 seed Xavier

 

[AZCrazy]

From what I saw today, Xavier and Gonzaga are beatable if you bring your best game. We started off today's game shooting cold, and had 12 points until late in the first half. Out in the second hitting shots in transition and hitting free throws, and ran away with it.
No mystery to it, just gotta ball right.

 

[DWKB]

Agreed. It's not like there's some special coaching skill that can get you to Elite Eights but can't get you into the Final Four. Luck happens, good and bad. And there are good coaches that go their entire careers without making it to a Final Four. 4 Elite Eights in his last 9 or 10 seasons is quite an accomplishment and it's nothing like Lavin's claim to fame of matching Duke's coach for Sweet 16 appearances in a 5 year stretch.

There is skill in that you have a week to prepare for your SS matchup and only 2 days for your EE matchup. If you're skill is scouting the opponent and having your team prepared, then you lose some of that advantage with the quick turn around for that EE game.

 

[Russ Smith]

At a certain point you just have to do it. Miller couldn't have a better situation laying out than what he has this year, easy first round game, good but not great second round opponent so they got challenged without being at a huge risk of losing. Due to upset he plays Xavier not a big Florida State team that might be a better matchup for UA's size.

After that it gets interesting, Gonzaga is both big and talented, and WVU is such an unusual style they're tough to prepare for on short notice

 

[DWKB]

At a certain point you just have to do it. Miller couldn't have a better situation laying out than what he has this year, easy first round game, good but not great second round opponent so they got challenged without being at a huge risk of losing. Due to upset he plays Xavier not a big Florida State team that might be a better matchup for UA's size.

After that it gets interesting, Gonzaga is both big and talented, and WVU is such an unusual style they're tough to prepare for on short notice

Yes, the bolded is very true.