UA/Fresno State

[Skkorpion]

Very, very impressive. Beautiful unselfishness. Looks like UA and Lute made a very astute and timely choice in hiring Kevin O'Neill.

Budinger and Jerryd Bayless and Hill were impressive, but the "team" is more impressive than the parts.

I despise UCLA and look forward to their losing the conference title each and every single year from now on.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Well said, although tha Arizona athletic department had nothing to do with hiring O'Neill. In fact, Jim Livengood was adamantly opposed to the hiring so his boy Roz could keep the job. Lute along with new UA President Shelton and Steve Kerr orchestrated the hire and kept Livengood at bay so he could not screw it up like he did the Reggie Geary fiasco a few years ago. That Livengood was so opposed to it shows how his hires of Mike Stoops and John Mackovic make much more sense.

And yes, the elephant in the room that goes unsaid among many Arizona fans is how the Cats look like they have gotten the best coaching an Arizona team has received since the early part of this decade. KO is the man, a terrific fit to handle the transition form Lute to whoever takes over the program over the long haul.

 

[Russ Smith]

Very, very impressive. Beautiful unselfishness. Looks like UA and Lute made a very astute and timely choice in hiring Kevin O'Neill.

Budinger and Jerryd Bayless and Hill were impressive, but the "team" is more impressive than the parts.

I despise UCLA and look forward to their losing the conference title each and every single year from now on.

You've probably explained it before but why the despising UCLA?

If you like unselfish basketball UCLA is clearly an example of it so I'm assuming it's something else either the rivalry with ND or secret fears of bear mascots?



UA looks better the main concern I have is their lack of depth upfront, Walters getting back should help but they still appear thin there. Same issue USC has they just lost backup F Kasey Cunningham for the year to an ACL so they really need one of their backup bigs to step forward.

The problem in the Pac 10 is being thin up front is not a good thing this year. Stanford has the Lopez twins(Brook is now eligible), Cal has good bigs and just got Boykin(transfer) back, UCLA has Love, very bad year to not have big depth to handle the fouls against those teams.


I continue to say so far Bayless is better than Mayo.

 

[Skkorpion]

Ah, Russ, sports hatreds run deep and long. Notre Dame is no longer a factor nationally in hoops, nor in football it seems, and is unlikely to ever again be relevant.

But I can say, I was in the building when Notre Dame ended UCLA's 88 game unbeaten streak. Of course, I was also in the building for two awful beat-downs administered to the Irish by UCLA, so I will always hate that school.

 

[Russ Smith]

Ah, Russ, sports hatreds run deep and long. Notre Dame is no longer a factor nationally in hoops, nor in football it seems, and is unlikely to ever again be relevant.

But I can say, I was in the building when Notre Dame ended UCLA's 88 game unbeaten streak. Of course, I was also in the building for two awful beat-downs administered to the Irish by UCLA, so I will always hate that school.

I watched game on tv, think it was 74? I grew up watching Duck Williams, Tripucka, Woolridge etc the ND/UCLA rivalry was great.

O'Neill is a good coach and UA is playing much better this year. If UCLA doesn't win the Pac 10 this year I'd expect it would be WSU or USC before UA displacing them. USC has the most talented starting 5 in the conference they just need help off their bench and they need all that volatile talent to stay on the same page. WSU is experienced and very well coached they're a very tough team to play.

UA is very talented probably a year away, put Jennings on that team and if they luck out and keep Budinger and Bayless, they're REALLY good next year.

 

[Lefty]

I watched game on tv, think it was 74? I grew up watching Duck Williams, Tripucka, Woolridge etc the ND/UCLA rivalry was great.

O'Neill is a good coach and UA is playing much better this year. If UCLA doesn't win the Pac 10 this year I'd expect it would be WSU or USC before UA displacing them. USC has the most talented starting 5 in the conference they just need help off their bench and they need all that volatile talent to stay on the same page. WSU is experienced and very well coached they're a very tough team to play.

UA is very talented probably a year away, put Jennings on that team and if they luck out and keep Budinger and Bayless, they're REALLY good next year.

No way USC. I think it's UCLA and a toss up for second. Cal was looking good until last week's upset. I don't think WSU is going to sneak up on anyone. I think they can finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th. I also think the UofA is the same way. Fendi coming back is much more important than Walters. Kirk is a waste of a scholarship in my opinion, along with Tangara.

 

[Russ Smith]

No way USC. I think it's UCLA and a toss up for second. Cal was looking good until last week's upset. I don't think WSU is going to sneak up on anyone. I think they can finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th. I also think the UofA is the same way. Fendi coming back is much more important than Walters. Kirk is a waste of a scholarship in my opinion, along with Tangara.

I think UCLA will win I was just saying if they don't, who might. USC has the most "talent" in their starting 5. Mayo is still a lottery pick, Jefferson is now being called a first rounder. Gibson was a lottery pick his ankle has been a problem if that gets healthy he might be a lotto pick again. Hackett and Lewis are good players not great.

Sheer talent their starting 5 is better than even UCLA IMHO there's not one guy on that 5 you can just not guard the way people do with Mbah-Moute.
And right now USC's defense has been even better than UCLA's, in large part because Love is still learning to play defense at the college level and UCLA was without Collison for so long.

but USC has no depth, no size, and they're kind of a selfish team which is why I think UCLA will finish ahead of them.

WSU same thing far less selfish much more of a team.

UA is close to USC in starting 5 but I don't yet think they're as good, need more consistency from Jordan Hill.

To be fair though, I'm talking about USC with the Taj Gibson from last year, it's starting to look like that Taj Gibson might not play this year either due to the ankle, or Mayo and Jefferson dominating the ball, Taj may not be as good this year as last year period, hard to say yet.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Well said, although tha Arizona athletic department had nothing to do with hiring O'Neill. In fact, Jim Livengood was adamantly opposed to the hiring so his boy Roz could keep the job. Lute along with new UA President Shelton and Steve Kerr orchestrated the hire and kept Livengood at bay so he could not screw it up like he did the Reggie Geary fiasco a few years ago. That Livengood was so opposed to it shows how his hires of Mike Stoops and John Mackovic make much more sense.

And yes, the elephant in the room that goes unsaid among many Arizona fans is how the Cats look like they have gotten the best coaching an Arizona team has received since the early part of this decade. KO is the man, a terrific fit to handle the transition form Lute to whoever takes over the program over the long haul.

Obviously I am leading the KO bandwagon as of right now for two important reasons. One the team is tangibly mentally tougher and you can see it mostly on the defensive end. And for the first time in 6-7 years players are actually getting better as time goes on. The most obvious guys are Hill, Wise, and Bayless and if Budinger ever starts to go off - then we will really get scary.

This is my one concern, and Mao either you or Russ's insight would be appreciated. My biggest concern in hiring a new coach has always been - can the guy continue to recruit on a national level? Now that it looks like KO is going to be the guy the program is transitioned too this contiunes to be my concern. I know Jennings has already said hes coming because of KO but will that continue? If UA goes through a down period like they did the last 3 years will KO still be able to recruit like Lute did? Is it all Josh and Miles anyway?

It seems to me that KO's style would start to wear on players after a while and would be a chip in negative recruiting efforts. Of course I could say the same thing about Ben Howland and obviously that has worked out okay for him - But Howland has won every where he has went. That is not the case with KO.

Tell me this concern is unheeded cause as of right now I am loving the difference in the team from the last three years.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

O'Neill closed Jennings, Gaddy, and Withey despite being on the job for only a few months. That's probably two Burger Boys and a Top 50 center sincer May. The guy can recruit and will to continue to while he is at Arizona. I don't see him staying for the long haul though, I think he'll be the transition guy. But that's not going to be for another eight years or so however so check back with me in 2015.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

O'Neill closed Jennings, Gaddy, and Withey despite being on the job for only a few months. That's probably two Burger Boys and a Top 50 center sincer May. The guy can recruit and will to continue to while he is at Arizona. I don't see him staying for the long haul though, I think he'll be the transition guy. But that's not going to be for another eight years or so however so check back with me in 2015.

I'll take that bet

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I'll take that bet

I meant KO will be at the helm for another eight years or so. Part of me thinks he'll want to get back into the NBA after his stint in Arizona, he's one of those guys that never stays at one place too long. But eight years might as well be an eternity in the sports world these days.

 

[Russ Smith]

O'Neill closed Jennings, Gaddy, and Withey despite being on the job for only a few months. That's probably two Burger Boys and a Top 50 center sincer May. The guy can recruit and will to continue to while he is at Arizona. I don't see him staying for the long haul though, I think he'll be the transition guy. But that's not going to be for another eight years or so however so check back with me in 2015.

Agreed O'Neill has been a touted coach for years, has NBA connections, I don't expect recruiting will be a huge issue.

UA has been very good for quite awhile now most of the kids they're recruiting grew up thinking of UA as a basketball power.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Agreed O'Neill has been a touted coach for years, has NBA connections, I don't expect recruiting will be a huge issue.

UA has been very good for quite awhile now most of the kids they're recruiting grew up thinking of UA as a basketball power.

I hope so. There have been many pretenders to our throne in the Pac-10 over the years (UW, Oregon, Stanford,) but obviously UCLA is not going anywhere and I have always been worried that was the one program that if they hired the right coach, could come in and put us in our place.....

Saying that this KO news (should you guys be right on the recruiting piece) could not have come at a better time. Two more years of apathetic play and we would have become irrelevant.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

KO is generally regarded as one of the best recruiters in college hoops. Remember Hoop Dreams? I'm sure you also have heard the story about the gorilla costume and sending Tony Harris 1,000 letters in one day. I'm not worried about recruiting, the guy landed top 20 classes at Tennessee when the Vols were winning five games a year and Northwestern when they had two postseason trips in the school's history.

My biggest concern is him alienating boosters and the athletic department but from KO's words/actions it seems he has mellowed out a bit and would not do anything to damage what Lute has accomplished. You can tell he has a tremendous amount of respect for Lute so hopefully that will curb KO's reputed big mouth.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Why do I always get worried about these Christmas road games that Lute always schedules? UNLV can play too.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Why do I always get worried about these Christmas road games that Lute always schedules? UNLV can play too.

I think this will be a good measuring stick of how far the team has come under KO. The last five years we have been very susceptible to playing poorly and/or losing these nonconference games that in reality we should be blowing out.

Since being at UA i have noticed a certain phenomenon with the basketball team. They let success go to their heads WAY too much. And are actually very overt about it. I remember feeling in most of my interactions with players (save Luke who was/is down to earth) that they were gracing everyone with their presence and half the time they just had to show up to win.

Sometimes it works when you have vastly superior talent (Gilbert, RJ, Woods) and sometimes it doesn't (Shakur, Adams, Chris Rodgers).

I am thinking grounding the players and getting team basketball back at the forefront of everyones mind should be KO's biggest priority.