Bear Down Wildcats

Just got back to Mesa from Mckale.

The biggest sustained applause was for the football team during a time out.

Great win for the Cats but we are obviously still having offensive & defensive issues. We have:

1) Two point guards who are afraid to shoot (Boswell/Bradley)

2) One guard who isn't afraid to shoot but takes a lot of bad shots (Love)

3) A stubbon head coach who was verrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow to get out of his obvious gameplan of doubling down
on Bona in the post. We shouldn't wait to get down by 19 to admit we have a defensive problem

At this point unless Boswell shakes his funk I have to presume that Oregon/Utah/Colorado/USC/UCLA are all potential road losses.
Boswell in particular needs to get his head screwed on straight and soon.

BTW, What happened to Captain Idiot??? Was he banned??

I saw a really difficult win against a mediocre team. The “second half” was only half good. They opened the second horribly. At the 10:00 minute mark, we were behind by 11 points - it was 9 points at the half.

Pelle and Lewis were the only two bright spots. Ballo came through at the line, and deserves kudos for that. Many played well down the stretch…

But player spacing, ball movement, over-dribbling and settling for perimeter threes were all way below what this team has done, and should be expected to do every game.

Considering this to be a “good win” will only feed the myth that all they have to do is “turn it on” late, and they’ll win. That attitude won’t take them deep in the tourney.

This team needs a lot of work! CTL is a good coach, and I’m hoping we see some significant adjustments, especially in personnel in coming weeks.

I thought the rebounding was awful.

Chicat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:43 pm

AzCatFan2 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:33 pm Wow! Turned the game off. Couldn't stand to watch. But McKale Magic strikes again!

Hilariously I turned the game on when we were still being shut out in the second half with 15 minutes left. Figured we could use a momentum switch.

Me too. Overslept and then tuned in just after halftime. I was discombobulated there for a while.

I'm at my parents, we were watching the game, when Boz put up that 3 to bring us within 5 I yelled we win if he hits this!
This game started out so bad I thought about putting on my lucky jammy pants and going to sleep, we haven't list a game that I've spent through yet. I was waiting to be within 10 at the under 12 and we were within 6 at the under 8 and ahead at the under 4.
For as bad a first 25 min they played, we still got the W in a big game against a team that was having a good game. Some of this was probly regression to mean on the part of UCLA, but it was good to see them press and work hard on D and for Boz to take that shot after having such a rough start and not getting going, that took guts. Ballo was great from the line, hope that stays true long term.

dmjcat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 7:50 pm Just got back to Mesa from Mckale.

The biggest sustained applause was for the football team during a time out.

Great win for the Cats but we are obviously still having offensive & defensive issues. We have:

1) Two point guards who are afraid to shoot (Boswell/Bradley)

2) One guard who isn't afraid to shoot but takes a lot of bad shots (Love)

3) A stubbon head coach who was verrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow to get out of his obvious gameplan of doubling down
on Bona in the post. We shouldn't wait to get down by 19 to admit we have a defensive problem

At this point unless Boswell shakes his funk I have to presume that Oregon/Utah/Colorado/USC/UCLA are all potential road losses.
Boswell in particular needs to get his head screwed on straight and soon.

BTW, What happened to Captain Idiot??? Was he banned??

Yeah, the coaching staff has to get our 2 point guards to push the ball and penetrate after a made basket, penetrate and shoot or push the ball and pass to an open man cutting to the basket off of a made basket. Boswell, more than Bradley, brings the ball up too slowly and stays outside of the arc consistently and defenses recognize that.

Also agree about the defense. Hands are going up AFTER our opponents have released the ball.

Well I was at the game and it was an incredible tribute to the fans staying supportive and loud when the team was struggling and then exploding when they tied it up. Kados to the crowd.

It is ironic though that the midget got a technical to tie the game up when the only reason UCLA beat ASU a few nights earlier was because of 4 technicals on ASU players. He just saw what a technical could do to a team. Thanks Mick. Oh and of coarse he blames the refs not the fact that they let Arizona shoot close to 50% in the second half and UCLA continue to jack three's knowing that they are not a good long range team.