Zona Basketball '06

[Russ Smith]

Next year the UofA should be fighting it out with UCLA for the top spot in the Pac-10.

Don't forget UW, and possibly Oregon and Cal if Powe comes back. It's too early to tell if Oregon's pac 10 tournament saved Kent's job, if it did, write Oregon off, if they fire him and use Nike's money to draw in a big name coach, look out. They are as talented as anybody, Bryce Taylor, Malik Hairston, Oguchi, Aaron "suckerpunch" Brooks, Ivan Johnson. They simply need a better coach that can get them to play together and play defense.

UW loses a ton of talent in Roy, Williams and Jones but they have probably the best incoming recruit in the conference in 6'11" Hawes who everyone in the Pac 10 wanted. Hawes would be a lottery pick this year if he were allowed to come out.

So far UCLA seems ok, Afflalo and Farmar both said they're coming back although it's early. I expect Ryan Wright to transfer he's clearly 3rd behind Luc and Aboya and with Mata coming back and Keefe and Spica coming in he probably won't want to stick around. hope he does he's talented, but he declined to redshirt this year because he wanted to play and is now barely playing, my guess is he'll transfer. UCLA loses Hollins and Bozeman both of whom have really contributed down the stretch, but they also get Shipp back from injury and Keefe and Spica should replace Hollins. They'll be small, Spica at 6'9" will be the tallest Bruin, but they're going to be good.

 

[boondockdrunk]

Any news about Lance Thomas? I think we could use a low-post player like him. Last I heard he was deciding between Arizona, Duke, Florida, and Wake Forest.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If UCLA gets to the Final Four, I don't see both Afflalo and Farmar staying. I know both have said they wanted to put UCLA back on the map before they went NBA, but it's failry obvious UCLA will again be a national power if Howland and those guys get to Indy this year. All coming back talk is moot until they hear their name being mentioned with first round candidates. Arenas and RJ said they were coming back before and after the '01 Championship Game, but a week later they had dropped their classes and left Tucson to train for the Draft.

 

[Russ Smith]

If UCLA gets to the Final Four, I don't see both Afflalo and Farmar staying. I know both have said they wanted to put UCLA back on the map before they went NBA, but it's failry obvious UCLA will again be a national power if Howland and those guys get to Indy this year. All coming back talk is moot until they hear their name being mentioned with first round candidates. Arenas and RJ said they were coming back before and after the '01 Championship Game, but a week later they had dropped their classes and left Tucson to train for the Draft.

Yeah I don't believe anything a kid says now. that said, I don't think UCLA has a surefire 1st round pick on the roster, recently some NBA scout was quoted as say Luc Mbah A Moute is the best NBA prospect UCLA has. he said Farmar is too frail, too turnover prone and too inconsistent with his jumpshot, and Afflalo is not athletic enough. Thinks both will play in the NBA but not be first round picks.

But I agree if they make the final 4 it's unrealistic to expect they'll all come back. Collison can replace Farmar to an extent, and Shipp or Roll would play SG for Afflalo but both would be big dropoffs. UCLA has Russell Westbrook apparently waiting on either someone bolting, or transferring out. They have the scholarship but they're holding 2 for Kevin Love and Kyle Singler in the junior class. That's another reason I expect Ryan Wright to transfer, I think he's the guy Westbrook is waiting on, he's a combo guard and part of why they want him is to cover them if Farmar or Afflalo leave early.

 

[Lefty]

Nice write-up about next year's team:

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/sports/college/032106c1_ua_hoops/0

 

[Arizona's Finest]

If we can go three years in a row with adding Williams, Budinger, and Bayless all meeting expectations (and sticking around) we will be formidable in the years to come. And i dont care who UCLA or UW has....

 

[Russ Smith]

One interesting question, anybody else think the reason Radenovic was less of a factor late was that UA was running more? And it seems to me UA HAS to run to be a better team but in doing so they may take Ivan out of his comfort zone?