Arizona Basketball 2019-2020

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
60,465
Reaction score
52,269
Location
SoCal
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Not blaming Nico, but this shows that even if he’s an average player offensively, he gives us a chance.
But maybe that’s the scary point? Maybe he’s not an average player offensively against superior squads. So far that’s two tests and two fails. Hope not.
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
But maybe that’s the scary point? Maybe he’s not an average player offensively against superior squads. So far that’s two tests and two fails. Hope not.

Makes me afraid in terms of what Payton Pritchard is going to do to him...
 

Broseph

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Posts
4,175
Reaction score
1,136
Location
Gilbert
This team isn’t as good as I thought they’d be, no way they make it to even the sweet 16.
 

Russ Smith

The Original Whizzinator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Posts
84,429
Reaction score
33,088
There aren’t three teams in the conference better than Arizona. Oregon, yes, but that could easily change.

We lost by four to Gonzaga with Nico playing awful. He plays average, we win. This team isn’t that far off.

Sure if he shot better you win if everything else is the same but saying you lost by 4 is sort of glossing over the last 90 seconds where Gonzaga tried to literally hand you the game. If you're a Gonzaga fan you're wondering how many more layups Petrusev is going to miss, the only one he made he got a T for doing a pullup on the rim. If you're a Gonzaga fan you're wondering how a team that experienced can go 17-30 on FT's including some front ends. You're wondering how an experienced guard decides it's a good idea to go in and shoot when you have the lead and should be playing out the clock.

Very impressed with green and Nnaji in that game they were both terrific.

Arizona is very good IMO what you lack is a consistent 5th starter. You have 3 very good freshmen and you're typically getting a decent game at least from Jeter, but Smith, Hazzard, Baker etc are all up and down.

I can see Arizona winning the conference, I can see UW winning it, I can see Oregon, (finally saw them play) I don't see anybody else being good enough. Colorado is well coached but just not talented enough. USC is talented enough but poorly coached.
 

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
24,422
Reaction score
16,684
Location
The Giant Toaster
This team isn’t as good as I thought they’d be, no way they make it to even the sweet 16.

Agree with the first part but not the the last part. It’s too early to write them off making a run in March. They could also very easily lose in the first rd though. Overall I’d still be more confident in this team than any of Miller’s teams since 2015. That includes the #2 seed team with Trier and Markkanen.
 

Timm Rosenbach

Bye Bye DJ
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Posts
6,493
Reaction score
4,349
Location
Tucson
Agree with the first part but not the the last part. It’s too early to write them off making a run in March. They could also very easily lose in the first rd though. Overall I’d still be more confident in this team than any of Miller’s teams since 2015. That includes the #2 seed team with Trier and Markkanen.

This team doesn’t have an absolute cancer of a player like Trier. Trier was one of the greatest ball hogs and most selfish players in the history of the program. On a level with Marcus Williams, Chris Rodgers, and beyond Hassan Adams in his final year. I don’t see anyone on this team shooting pull-up 20 footers when the team is about to move on to the next round with a lead.
 
OP
OP
TJ

TJ

Frank Kaminsky is my Hero.
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Posts
33,828
Reaction score
18,793
Location
South Bay
Ohio State and UNC take disastrous L’s today. This college season is weird.
 

Russ Smith

The Original Whizzinator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Posts
84,429
Reaction score
33,088
Ohio State and UNC take disastrous L’s today. This college season is weird.


Losing to Wofford is bad yes but to be fair, UNC was already down a starter and then had to play today without both starting guards, Cole Anthony(knee) and Leaky Black (ankle). I can somewhat understand losing when you're down 3 starters. But not to Wofford.
 

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
24,422
Reaction score
16,684
Location
The Giant Toaster
This team doesn’t have an absolute cancer of a player like Trier. Trier was one of the greatest ball hogs and most selfish players in the history of the program. On a level with Marcus Williams, Chris Rodgers, and beyond Hassan Adams in his final year. I don’t see anyone on this team shooting pull-up 20 footers when the team is about to move on to the next round with a lead.

Those were lean years when Lute lost his grip... He treated Mustafa Shakur like the greatest PG in program history and it messed with team chemistry.
 
OP
OP
TJ

TJ

Frank Kaminsky is my Hero.
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Posts
33,828
Reaction score
18,793
Location
South Bay
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Consistent
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
It's time to fire Sean Miller. The team is regressing horribly, and the future is looking bleak on top of it.
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
Too negative. Wait until March. But yes, I didn’t enjoy that first half

It's not just this first half. This game is just the culmination of a month's worth of steady regression, starting with the home game against South Dakota State.

If 5-star recruits are going to continue playing like walk-ons, then Sean Miller brings absolutely nothing to the table.
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
Sean Miller has taken two of the best guard prospects in the country and turned them into...Dylan Smith...
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
Ben Howland...just saying.

At this point, anyone would be an improvement. In retrospect, Sean Miller was a big mistake. A wasted decade that ended up tainting our program and pretty much erased everything positive Lute Olson did for us.
 

MaoTosiFanClub

The problem
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Posts
12,624
Reaction score
6,114
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
At this point, anyone would be an improvement. In retrospect, Sean Miller was a big mistake. A wasted decade that ended up tainting our program and pretty much erased everything positive Lute Olson did for us.
None of this is true. It's just probably run it's course. Miller has been pretty successful overall but trendline isn't great.

And I'm not suggesting hiring Ben Howland who is basically Miller but at a higher upside program with a few more breaks .
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
None of this is true. It's just probably run it's course. Miller has been pretty successful overall but trendline isn't great.

And I'm not suggesting hiring Ben Howland who is basically Miller but at a higher upside program with a few more breaks .

We did have three Elite Eights, but Miller has hired to take us to a Final Four, and that never happened, despite having Final Four level talent.

The recruiting violations and NCAA investigations left us with a tainted program.

High level recruits are increasingly regressing under Miller's watch.

We now have exactly one high school recruit lined up for the next three years combined.

Miller hasn't grown one iota as a coach in his ten years here. If anything, he has dug in his heels and proactively refused to grow or adjust.

And the man ended up being kind of a jerk.

Granted it is with the benefit of hindsight, but I wish Miller had never been hired here.
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
I think it's safe to say that Mannion and Green have zoned out Miller (no pun intended)...and given how much their games have regressed in his system it's hard to blame them. This team is a mess.
 

Dback Jon

Killer Snail
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Posts
76,473
Reaction score
33,427
Location
Scottsdale
So is Miller just not a good One and Done type coach? Does his coachOmg style/system need 3-4 year players?
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
So is Miller just not a good One and Done type coach? Does his coachOmg style/system need 3-4 year players?

The 3-4 year players aren't doing particularly well lately, either. (See, e.g., Dylan Smith, Ira Lee, Gabe York, Chase Jeter, Dusan Ristic, etc.) I think Miller, despite his relatively young age, is just a dinosaur as a coach. Refuses to make adjustments, to evolve his system with the times and to tailor his game plan to his players' strengths. (See, e.g., his refusal to play zone defense, and his reversion this season to the old, tired, slow, deliberate motion offense despite obvious success earlier in the season letting Mannion run a more wide open offense...to the point that Mannion, Baker and Green in their frustration are starting to defy Miller openly by just jacking up bad shots very early in possessions without even trying to run any offensive set.) Miller's stubbornness appears to be his undoing.
 
Last edited:
Top