Zona Basketball '06

[boondockdrunk]

Waiting around until the Mustafa Shakur Era to end at Arizona. Who thought they'd ever see the day when Lute Olson has a worse starting point guard than ASU?

Are we going to make the NCAA tournament?

 

[Russ Smith]

Waiting around until the Mustafa Shakur Era to end at Arizona. Who thought they'd ever see the day when Lute Olson has a worse starting point guard than ASU?

The kid just can't shoot, Cal was daring him to shoot last night and when he did, he almost always missed, 2-8 while being left open. He constantly over penetrates because he knows he can't knock down the jumper. What's with Dillon too, I thought he was supposed to be a good shooter, seems very cautious, passed up several open 3's last night. I was hoping UA would knock Cal out of a tie with UCLA.

I will say, I thought they could have easily called a charge on Midgely instead of a block on Rodgers when they had him doubled in the corner, it was a 6 point game then, if they get the call UA has a chance. Thought Rodgers played pretty well but he got a bit too carried away on defense, he was trying so hard to force turnovers that he got blown by a few times.

Powe is just incredible, he's so much more athletic than he was as a freshman playing on one leg.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Russ, if it was only shooting that was Shakur's problem we'd have lost about four or five fewer games. Jason Gardner was never a spectacular shooter or playmaker, but he always had a lot of confidence and knew what to do as a point guard. For all his flaws, Gardner always put the players around him in a better position to score, never made too many crucial mistakes, and seemed to always know what was going on around him.

Shakur is freaking clueless on the floor, can't keep even mediocre point guards like Richard Midgley in front of him, completely falls apart in nearly every clutch possession and does not put better players like Marcus Williams and Hassan Adams in good positions to put points on the board. He's easily the worst PG Lute has had at Arizona and probably the worst PG in the Pac-10. How he was more highly regarded than NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Paul coming out of high school is mindboggling.

 

[Russ Smith]

Russ, if it was only shooting that was Shakur's problem we'd have lost about four or five fewer games. Jason Gardner was never a spectacular shooter or playmaker, but he always had a lot of confidence and knew what to do as a point guard. For all his flaws, Gardner always put the players around him in a better position to score, never made too many crucial mistakes, and seemed to always know what was going on around him.

Shakur is freaking clueless on the floor, can't keep even mediocre point guards like Richard Midgley in front of him, completely falls apart in nearly every clutch possession and does not put better players like Marcus Williams and Hassan Adams in good positions to put points on the board. He's easily the worst PG Lute has had at Arizona and probably the worst PG in the Pac-10. How he was more highly regarded than NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Paul coming out of high school is mindboggling.

he's a great athlete and I assume that's why he was so highly regarded. It seems to me that he constantly takes it one dribble too far and winds up in trouble.

Boy is Marcus Williams a player though, that kid is going to be special. Walters seems to be rapidly improving too. the problem last night is Cal took away Adams and Williams was the only guy scoring.

Cal is a very good team, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they wind up winning the conference ahead of UCLA, their inside game is difficult to match and Ubaka has to be the most improved player in the Pac 10.

 

[boondockdrunk]

This game against Stanford is a must win.

 

[Renz]

Huge win at Stanford today! If the Cats win at least two of three at home against UW, WSU and ASU then they are in the tourney.

 

[Mrh182]

Hooray for a sweep of Stanford as well

 

[Russ Smith]

Huge win at Stanford today! If the Cats win at least two of three at home against UW, WSU and ASU then they are in the tourney.

What a crazy weekend, Cal loses to ASU, Stanford to UA, and then UCLA blows it and loses to USC and we're right back where we started (with UW a game closer to all 3).

 

[Renz]

As of today, UA has a RPI of 25, ahead of such teams as Florida, Bucknell, Geo. Washington, Georgetown, West Virginia, Boston College and Washington.

FWIW, Joe Lunardi from ESPN has the Cats as an 11 seed in the tournament.

 

[Dback Jon]

As of today, UA has a RPI of 25, ahead of such teams as Florida, Bucknell, Geo. Washington, Georgetown, West Virginia, Boston College and Washington.

FWIW, Joe Lunardi from ESPN has the Cats as an 11 seed in the tournament.

No doubt U of A, barring a total meltdown, will get into the tournament.

What has Lute's previous low seed been while at UofA?

 

[Dback Jon]

Oh, and as much as I dislike Lute, it would be a total travesty for a weak scheduling team like Syracuse to be seeded ahead of U of A.

 

[green machine]

I'm a Cats fan, but I always laugh when people bring up the RPI for them...I mean, it's not like they've been beating these really good teams

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I'm a Cats fan, but I always laugh when people bring up the RPI for them...I mean, it's not like they've been beating these really good teams

You might have a point if RPI wasn't a factor for the Tournament Selection committee. Remember the infamous 16-14 Georgia team that made the Tournament?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I'm a Cats fan, but I always laugh when people bring up the RPI for them...I mean, it's not like they've been beating these really good teams

I dont think we are a very good team....(WTF happened to the defense? Last in the Pac-10...what a joke....with as bad as the league is this year there is no excuse for this crap) and i hate the current constitution of our team, but beating Kansas and playing UCONN pretty damn tough...(and you had to have watched the game) and then beating UW and Stanford away from home our all quality wins....more than most can say in fact.

I think the RPI is highly indicitve of how good a team is....Honestly our team sucks but there are only like 6-7 teams with better players than us so talent wise im still diluted enough to think that we can beat all but three or four teams on a given night when things ares going right...

Shakur is mentally weak, and im praying Nic Wise or JP Prince just so thourghly out play him next year that Lute is forced to sit him. Adams has been a disapointment and is likely wishing he left last year. Williams and Walters have played well and i expect big things next year from both of them. Radenovic continues to be steady and should have a Rick Anderson type role next year......But our schedule next year is ridiculous....and i mean one of the toughest i have ever seen. But this year is not over....something needs to happen and a winning streak could be all the difference in confidence between a first round exit and a elite 8 run....

Looks like Lute came across the year where UA needs the Pac-10 tourney...

 

[DWKB]

and i hate the current constitution of our team, but beating Kansas and playing UCONN pretty damn tough...(and you had to have watched the game) and then beating UW and Stanford away from home our all quality wins....more than most can say in fact.

I think the RPI is highly indicitve of how good a team is....Honestly our team sucks but there are only like 6-7 teams with better players than us so talent wise im still diluted enough to think that we can beat all but three or four teams on a given night when things ares going right...
...

I don't think the Kansas team that Arizona beat is even close to the Kansas team that is currently playing basketball. It's funny how that now becomes a quality win only in hindsight.

Kansas doesn't get credit for a quality win over Kentucky, even though Kentucky was ranked at the time.

As far as RPI is concerned on the happenstance that KU did beat Arizona, we'd have lost to Mich St. and Uconn as well. Granted we did lose to Arkansas, but it seems odd that we came out with an RPI of almost 100 and you came out with one under 20 and the biggest difference is you beat us.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Its been a horrible season so far but this article made me feel better....

Opinion by Greg Hansen : UA vs. ASU — no contest

Grand Canyon-sized difference separates two programs
Opinion by Greg Hansen

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.25.2006

http://azstarnet.com/sn/wildcats/117405

 

[AZBALLER]

Of the 22 UA-ASU games played at McKale, the Sun Devils' lone victory came in double-overtime, 1995, when UA starters Damon Stoudamire, Ben Davis and Joseph Blair did not play.


Is ua proud of the fact that their best players were ineligible for the game? They weren't hurt! They were ineligible...Not to throw stones, but the brilliant stoudamire once thought he could get through a metal detector with weed wrapped in foil...

 

[Lefty]

Sure glad Rob Evans and company think they can beat the UofA if they stop Adams. Halftime score, AZ 38-ASU13.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Is ua proud of the fact that their best players were ineligible for the game? They weren't hurt! They were ineligible...Not to throw stones, but the brilliant stoudamire once thought he could get through a metal detector with weed wrapped in foil...

Are you proud of the fact that some of the Devils who were on the court that day became most known for being 1st round busts and point shavers?

 

[Lefty]

Cats cruise past ASU and beat them by 21. In the last 23 meetings, the UofA is 22-1 against ASU and Rob Evans is 1-16 against Lute. Too bad Evans won't be the coach of the Devils after this year.

 

[Mulli]

I hereby request that ASU just give up on having a men's basketball team.

 

[Mulli]

Are you proud of the fact that some of the Devils who were on the court that day became most known for being 1st round busts and point shavers?

Ooch ouch ooch. Good one Mao.

 

[Renz]

That game was the proverbial ass-whippin'!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

That game was the proverbial ass-whippin'!

Should we be suprised? It was also a real Kerr-like performance by Kevin Kruger today.

 

[Mulli]

That game was the proverbial ass-whippin'!

Actually, all things considered (ASU's handicap), it was a close game.