Bear Down Wildcats

Olsondogg wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:02 am

Merkin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 8:59 am

Olsondogg wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 8:48 am Just fun to watch

It really is. Like someone posted above, this is the most fun watching the Cats than I have had in a long time.

Just can't figure out why Lloyd can't pull in any recruits while winning, yet Fisch excels at recruiting while losing.

I honestly wouldn’t worry about Lloyd on the recruiting trail, and enjoy the product now. Recruits are pieces of a puzzle, not the solution.

Even the most ardent Miller fans love what they are seeing. It’s fun.

WildcatStunner wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:07 am I have to remember that when Miller first arrived he re-recruited Solomon hill and pulled DWill and a few others. He had some misses early on with Josh Shelby and Doron Lamb. But he did recruit some high level guys that didn’t happen to pan out (Josiah and Sidiki come to mind).

Long story short, let’s see what he pulls fo 2023.

Olsondogg wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:07 am Also wanna mention how great the bench has been this year. Fun to hear them go crazy during the games.

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am In regards to recruiting, I've gone on the record saying that Lloyd has been extremely disappointing. Bruce Pascoe said that Lloyd is waiting till after the season to push the gas pedal, after he determines which players are staying. I have not heard anything from Lloyd on this, but I'm almost certain that he understands how serious the stakes are, so we'll see.

To be fair, one thing people miss out on this team is not that they're just talented, but they are the sum of Miller's maturity as a coach. Everything that Miller learned about program building, roster management, and juggling egos was put into last years team. I mean if we had both Brown's and Batcho frorm last year, even without Akinjo, this team would have been downright menacing. I've made this point in previous posts, but Miller got to the point that he was able to put together championship rosters in one year, a skill 99 percent of coaches don't have. That being said, I am excited to see that Lloyd was able to take Miller's value meal of international players and supersize it. It's been a joy to watch. It feels bad to say this, but it almost makes you think that if Miller was Lloyd's recruiting coordinator, UofA would be unstoppable for years to come. Lloyd's systems and Miller's scouting/recruiting go together like peanut butter and jelly.

This team reminds me of the 2001 squad. I remember in the Final Four against Michigan where Jim Nantz said that you could almost make the case that every player in the starting five could earn player of the game honors. Billy Packer followed by stating that's the reason why they were going to play in the national championship. You get the feeling from watching them play that this team has a similar ceiling. Every player in the rotation has the ability to be a gamechanger. If we play the way we're capable of we have a strong chance to be the #1 overall seed. Even Zag fans are worried about the possibility.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:22 pm

84Cat wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:58 pm

I'm still not convinced this was more than just a fever dream.

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

prh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 am On another note, overshadowed by Ballo is Pelle having a tremendous game, and he has been steadily improving lately. If he continues, that's going to be absolutely huge for us. 13 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and ZERO turnovers.

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:44 pm

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

Welcome, ZagCat!

If Gonzaga plays AZ in the national title game, both coaches are gonna need a stiff drink before tip. And at halftime!

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:50 pm

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:44 pm

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

Welcome, ZagCat!

If Gonzaga plays AZ in the national title game, both coaches are gonna need a stiff drink before tip. And at halftime!

Hey, it's his first post, no Mark Few DUI jokes yet. Let him settle in.

Longhorned wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:48 pm

prh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 am On another note, overshadowed by Ballo is Pelle having a tremendous game, and he has been steadily improving lately. If he continues, that's going to be absolutely huge for us. 13 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and ZERO turnovers.

I admit it's been hard to watch Pelle while my expectations for this team have grown. He's been cringeworthy, but less and less so. And last night, he registered zero on my cringe-o-meter. He showed mastery of his place on both ends. And he played like a tough son of a bitch.

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am In regards to recruiting, I've gone on the record saying that Lloyd has been extremely disappointing. Bruce Pascoe said that Lloyd is waiting till after the season to push the gas pedal, after he determines which players are staying. I have not heard anything from Lloyd on this, but I'm almost certain that he understands how serious the stakes are, so we'll see.

To be fair, one thing people miss out on this team is not that they're just talented, but they are the sum of Miller's maturity as a coach. Everything that Miller learned about program building, roster management, and juggling egos was put into last years team. I mean if we had both Brown's and Batcho frorm last year, even without Akinjo, this team would have been downright menacing. I've made this point in previous posts, but Miller got to the point that he was able to put together championship rosters in one year, a skill 99 percent of coaches don't have. That being said, I am excited to see that Lloyd was able to take Miller's value meal of international players and supersize it. It's been a joy to watch. It feels bad to say this, but it almost makes you think that if Miller was Lloyd's recruiting coordinator, UofA would be unstoppable for years to come. Lloyd's systems and Miller's scouting/recruiting go together like peanut butter and jelly.

This team reminds me of the 2001 squad. I remember in the Final Four against Michigan where Jim Nantz said that you could almost make the case that every player in the starting five could earn player of the game honors. Billy Packer followed by stating that's the reason why they were going to play in the national championship. You get the feeling from watching them play that this team has a similar ceiling. Every player in the rotation has the ability to be a gamechanger. If we play the way we're capable of we have a strong chance to be the #1 overall seed. Even Zag fans are worried about the possibility.

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

prh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 am I suspect that we are going to need to recalibrate our perception of recruiting. We saw Sean shifting towards lower rated guys who would stick around and build a steady program. Yes, he was somewhat forced to do it, but I think we're going to see a lot of that and it's not going to be as useful to judge incoming classes before they've gotten here.

On another note, overshadowed by Ballo is Pelle having a tremendous game, and he has been steadily improving lately. If he continues, that's going to be absolutely huge for us. 13 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and ZERO turnovers.

Merkin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:04 pm

Longhorned wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:48 pm

prh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 am On another note, overshadowed by Ballo is Pelle having a tremendous game, and he has been steadily improving lately. If he continues, that's going to be absolutely huge for us. 13 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and ZERO turnovers.

I admit it's been hard to watch Pelle while my expectations for this team have grown. He's been cringeworthy, but less and less so. And last night, he registered zero on my cringe-o-meter. He showed mastery of his place on both ends. And he played like a tough son of a bitch.

Same. Seems his foot injury took longer to heal than they let on. He actually looked quick the 2 drives to the basket for easy layups.

He was the one I worried about the most getting reinjured.

Longhorned wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:48 pm

prh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 am On another note, overshadowed by Ballo is Pelle having a tremendous game, and he has been steadily improving lately. If he continues, that's going to be absolutely huge for us. 13 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and ZERO turnovers.

I admit it's been hard to watch Pelle while my expectations for this team have grown. He's been cringeworthy, but less and less so. And last night, he registered zero on my cringe-o-meter. He showed mastery of his place on both ends. And he played like a tough son of a bitch.

PennZona20 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:13 pm

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am In regards to recruiting, I've gone on the record saying that Lloyd has been extremely disappointing. Bruce Pascoe said that Lloyd is waiting till after the season to push the gas pedal, after he determines which players are staying. I have not heard anything from Lloyd on this, but I'm almost certain that he understands how serious the stakes are, so we'll see.

To be fair, one thing people miss out on this team is not that they're just talented, but they are the sum of Miller's maturity as a coach. Everything that Miller learned about program building, roster management, and juggling egos was put into last years team. I mean if we had both Brown's and Batcho frorm last year, even without Akinjo, this team would have been downright menacing. I've made this point in previous posts, but Miller got to the point that he was able to put together championship rosters in one year, a skill 99 percent of coaches don't have. That being said, I am excited to see that Lloyd was able to take Miller's value meal of international players and supersize it. It's been a joy to watch. It feels bad to say this, but it almost makes you think that if Miller was Lloyd's recruiting coordinator, UofA would be unstoppable for years to come. Lloyd's systems and Miller's scouting/recruiting go together like peanut butter and jelly.

This team reminds me of the 2001 squad. I remember in the Final Four against Michigan where Jim Nantz said that you could almost make the case that every player in the starting five could earn player of the game honors. Billy Packer followed by stating that's the reason why they were going to play in the national championship. You get the feeling from watching them play that this team has a similar ceiling. Every player in the rotation has the ability to be a gamechanger. If we play the way we're capable of we have a strong chance to be the #1 overall seed. Even Zag fans are worried about the possibility.

Comparing this team to 01 and it’s almost a wash.

Gardner v Kerr - gotta give advantage Gardner dude was such a good defender for his size and NEVER got tired.

Benn v Gil - i would say Benn (we are only talking AT UA for the one year. Benn is legit a NPOY candidate and I’m not sure Gil was even the best player on the team (Gil could have nights though where the ceiling was just as high)

RJ v Terry - i love Terry but RJ is the answer here all day. They are close in D but RJ was a much more potent scorer even if Terry does a little bit more of everything than RJ did.

Wright v Tubelis - this one is tough. In todays game I’d rather have Tubelis as we don’t need a high/low post game w two guys in the paint always like we had w Woods and Wright but Wright was our most consistent threat in 01. He’s the guy we went to w two Collins twins draped all over him in the final moments. For each team , I’d call this a push, maybe slightest of edges to Tubelis.

Woods v C-Lo - another tough one. I’d prob lean slightly to Woods as he really did take over the title game and keep us in it and he had a few double digit block games, which C-Lo can’t quite say he has. This one is very close as well.

Bench - maybe this is recency bias after last night but i think this bench mob is better than 01 by a decent margin. I loved Walton but Anderson RS that year and Edgerson was a banger but basically he, wessel, Frazier and Hanour were just bodies to steal a few minutes for the starters to rest. Our bench this year legit has 3 guys who can give u double digit points on any given night. And Kier is a well rounded bucket getter.

So you add it up and I’d give PG and C slightly to 01, SF decently to 01; but PF and SG slightly to 21, and bench decently to 21. Pretty equal teams in terms of talent imo.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:38 pm

PennZona20 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:13 pm

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am In regards to recruiting, I've gone on the record saying that Lloyd has been extremely disappointing. Bruce Pascoe said that Lloyd is waiting till after the season to push the gas pedal, after he determines which players are staying. I have not heard anything from Lloyd on this, but I'm almost certain that he understands how serious the stakes are, so we'll see.

To be fair, one thing people miss out on this team is not that they're just talented, but they are the sum of Miller's maturity as a coach. Everything that Miller learned about program building, roster management, and juggling egos was put into last years team. I mean if we had both Brown's and Batcho frorm last year, even without Akinjo, this team would have been downright menacing. I've made this point in previous posts, but Miller got to the point that he was able to put together championship rosters in one year, a skill 99 percent of coaches don't have. That being said, I am excited to see that Lloyd was able to take Miller's value meal of international players and supersize it. It's been a joy to watch. It feels bad to say this, but it almost makes you think that if Miller was Lloyd's recruiting coordinator, UofA would be unstoppable for years to come. Lloyd's systems and Miller's scouting/recruiting go together like peanut butter and jelly.

This team reminds me of the 2001 squad. I remember in the Final Four against Michigan where Jim Nantz said that you could almost make the case that every player in the starting five could earn player of the game honors. Billy Packer followed by stating that's the reason why they were going to play in the national championship. You get the feeling from watching them play that this team has a similar ceiling. Every player in the rotation has the ability to be a gamechanger. If we play the way we're capable of we have a strong chance to be the #1 overall seed. Even Zag fans are worried about the possibility.

Comparing this team to 01 and it’s almost a wash.

Gardner v Kerr - gotta give advantage Gardner dude was such a good defender for his size and NEVER got tired.

Benn v Gil - i would say Benn (we are only talking AT UA for the one year. Benn is legit a NPOY candidate and I’m not sure Gil was even the best player on the team (Gil could have nights though where the ceiling was just as high)

RJ v Terry - i love Terry but RJ is the answer here all day. They are close in D but RJ was a much more potent scorer even if Terry does a little bit more of everything than RJ did.

Wright v Tubelis - this one is tough. In todays game I’d rather have Tubelis as we don’t need a high/low post game w two guys in the paint always like we had w Woods and Wright but Wright was our most consistent threat in 01. He’s the guy we went to w two Collins twins draped all over him in the final moments. For each team , I’d call this a push, maybe slightest of edges to Tubelis.

Woods v C-Lo - another tough one. I’d prob lean slightly to Woods as he really did take over the title game and keep us in it and he had a few double digit block games, which C-Lo can’t quite say he has. This one is very close as well.

Bench - maybe this is recency bias after last night but i think this bench mob is better than 01 by a decent margin. I loved Walton but Anderson RS that year and Edgerson was a banger but basically he, wessel, Frazier and Hanour were just bodies to steal a few minutes for the starters to rest. Our bench this year legit has 3 guys who can give u double digit points on any given night. And Kier is a well rounded bucket getter.

So you add it up and I’d give PG and C slightly to 01, SF decently to 01; but PF and SG slightly to 21, and bench decently to 21. Pretty equal teams in terms of talent imo.

I thought it was a rule we could only compare teams to 1997?

I'd go 2001 by double digits in a game. I think Woods is comparable to Koloko, with Koloko slightly better as a rim protector but Woods being more of a post threat.

Wright was a rock on D and the glass in a way Tubelis isn't. Tubelis is more explosive on O, but I'd take Wright.

RJ > Terry, that's an easy call.

Gil over Benn. Benn is really good, but Gil had the type of offensive game to be a 30 ppg guy in the NBA and was a high level defender. I'm just not rating any 2 guard in Arizona history over Gil.

Gardner over Kerr. Kerr is good, but Gardner is just a more mature, solid version. Gardner in 2001 is who Kerr might be as a junior or senior.

Bench, Walton just outdoes current. Frankly, Walton is a better type of Dalen Terry. Our current bench has decent players, but Edgerson, Wessel and Frazier are sort of the caliber of player I'd class Ballo, Kier and Larsson as. That's not an insult, as I'm saying they're rotation guys on a potential national runner up who could have easily won it all.

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:35 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:38 pm

PennZona20 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:13 pm

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am In regards to recruiting, I've gone on the record saying that Lloyd has been extremely disappointing. Bruce Pascoe said that Lloyd is waiting till after the season to push the gas pedal, after he determines which players are staying. I have not heard anything from Lloyd on this, but I'm almost certain that he understands how serious the stakes are, so we'll see.

To be fair, one thing people miss out on this team is not that they're just talented, but they are the sum of Miller's maturity as a coach. Everything that Miller learned about program building, roster management, and juggling egos was put into last years team. I mean if we had both Brown's and Batcho frorm last year, even without Akinjo, this team would have been downright menacing. I've made this point in previous posts, but Miller got to the point that he was able to put together championship rosters in one year, a skill 99 percent of coaches don't have. That being said, I am excited to see that Lloyd was able to take Miller's value meal of international players and supersize it. It's been a joy to watch. It feels bad to say this, but it almost makes you think that if Miller was Lloyd's recruiting coordinator, UofA would be unstoppable for years to come. Lloyd's systems and Miller's scouting/recruiting go together like peanut butter and jelly.

This team reminds me of the 2001 squad. I remember in the Final Four against Michigan where Jim Nantz said that you could almost make the case that every player in the starting five could earn player of the game honors. Billy Packer followed by stating that's the reason why they were going to play in the national championship. You get the feeling from watching them play that this team has a similar ceiling. Every player in the rotation has the ability to be a gamechanger. If we play the way we're capable of we have a strong chance to be the #1 overall seed. Even Zag fans are worried about the possibility.

Comparing this team to 01 and it’s almost a wash.

Gardner v Kerr - gotta give advantage Gardner dude was such a good defender for his size and NEVER got tired.

Benn v Gil - i would say Benn (we are only talking AT UA for the one year. Benn is legit a NPOY candidate and I’m not sure Gil was even the best player on the team (Gil could have nights though where the ceiling was just as high)

RJ v Terry - i love Terry but RJ is the answer here all day. They are close in D but RJ was a much more potent scorer even if Terry does a little bit more of everything than RJ did.

Wright v Tubelis - this one is tough. In todays game I’d rather have Tubelis as we don’t need a high/low post game w two guys in the paint always like we had w Woods and Wright but Wright was our most consistent threat in 01. He’s the guy we went to w two Collins twins draped all over him in the final moments. For each team , I’d call this a push, maybe slightest of edges to Tubelis.

Woods v C-Lo - another tough one. I’d prob lean slightly to Woods as he really did take over the title game and keep us in it and he had a few double digit block games, which C-Lo can’t quite say he has. This one is very close as well.

Bench - maybe this is recency bias after last night but i think this bench mob is better than 01 by a decent margin. I loved Walton but Anderson RS that year and Edgerson was a banger but basically he, wessel, Frazier and Hanour were just bodies to steal a few minutes for the starters to rest. Our bench this year legit has 3 guys who can give u double digit points on any given night. And Kier is a well rounded bucket getter.

So you add it up and I’d give PG and C slightly to 01, SF decently to 01; but PF and SG slightly to 21, and bench decently to 21. Pretty equal teams in terms of talent imo.

I thought it was a rule we could only compare teams to 1997?

I'd go 2001 by double digits in a game. I think Woods is comparable to Koloko, with Koloko slightly better as a rim protector but Woods being more of a post threat.

Wright was a rock on D and the glass in a way Tubelis isn't. Tubelis is more explosive on O, but I'd take Wright.

RJ > Terry, that's an easy call.

Gil over Benn. Benn is really good, but Gil had the type of offensive game to be a 30 ppg guy in the NBA and was a high level defender. I'm just not rating any 2 guard in Arizona history over Gil.

Gardner over Kerr. Kerr is good, but Gardner is just a more mature, solid version. Gardner in 2001 is who Kerr might be as a junior or senior.

Bench, Walton just outdoes current. Frankly, Walton is a better type of Dalen Terry. Our current bench has decent players, but Edgerson, Wessel and Frazier are sort of the caliber of player I'd class Ballo, Kier and Larsson as. That's not an insult, as I'm saying they're rotation guys on a potential national runner up who could have easily won it all.

I was using the '01 team as a comparison in terms of impact personnel, I wasn't saying they were equivalent or better. But to Postmaster's point , if this team existed in the late 90's era, we'd still have Josh Green, Zeke Nnaji and Nico to complement our starting five. If that were the case, you could absolutely make comparisons to the 2001 team.

Gil was a supernova type player. You could make an argument that he was the most developed player ever to come out of the program, even with DWill and Benn in the discussion. The larger point I was making was that this team will be hard to beat in the tournament if they tighten it up and get focused. We can play a lot of different ways and when we're playing great defense and limit turnovers, we can run over quality, ranked teams.

WildcatStunner wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:07 am I have to remember that when Miller first arrived he re-recruited Solomon hill and pulled DWill and a few others. He had some misses early on with Josh Shelby and Doron Lamb. But he did recruit some high level guys that didn’t happen to pan out (Josiah and Sidiki come to mind).

Long story short, let’s see what he pulls fo 2023.

TheCat wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:39 pm So UCLA is playing on Saturday and we play on Sunday. Why are we not playing on Saturday giving us two days to prepare instead of one? We could clearly play on Saturday. Seems the PAC would want to schedule it so both had the same rest and practice time.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:50 pm

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:44 pm

ZagCatFan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:53 am Similar discussion about recruiting going on on Gonzaga board…..where are the recruits?

Interesting article in The Athletic today about transfer portal…coaches seem to be willing to hold positions open for transfers instead of rushing out to grab freshmen. Could be the new normal.

Happy to see CTL feeling the love from Cat fans. He was important block in GU foundation.

Dream final Gonzaga vs Arizona

Welcome, ZagCat!

If Gonzaga plays AZ in the national title game, both coaches are gonna need a stiff drink before tip. And at halftime!

Hey, it's his first post, no Mark Few DUI jokes yet. Let him settle in.

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 2:49 pm Tubelis injury described as day-to-day

This is good news

azgreg wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:25 pm I still can't get my head around the idea of giving up 21 offensive rebounds a turning the ball over 14 times and winning by 27

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:26 pm I actually wouldn't even mind resting him on Tuesday. Why risk further injury? It's a big game, but we do get them at our place too and are already a game up on them in the loss column. Matters much more to have him 100% for March.

TheCatInTheHat wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:04 am

Beachcat97 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:26 pm I actually wouldn't even mind resting him on Tuesday. Why risk further injury? It's a big game, but we do get them at our place too and are already a game up on them in the loss column. Matters much more to have him 100% for March.

Ankle sprains in basketball are no joke. At my high school, we had that rubberized Tartan crap that they used to just roll out and glue onto concrete. No give whatsoever, so you could get shin splints from it, and new shoes would sometimes stick to it. And no ankle taping, of course. In practice, I came down on somebody's foot and severely rolled my right ankle. Next to no treatment. I was on crutches for about a week, but couldn't play for maybe three. Then, I tried to come back too soon, favored the right...and promptly sprained the left one with the shoe sticking to the Tartan thing. Season over for me. Obviously, Arizona's got the best diagnosis and treatment available, but at some point, it's up to the athlete to judge their own body. And those damned nagging things can crop up over and over again. I got to re-live the experience of seeing stars with a swelling ankle playing intramural ball at Bear Down Gym years after that, and again on a concrete court many years later.
(Insert comment about weak ankles here.) My read on Azoulas is that he's a little reckless, which I love, but I hope he's a little cautious this time and keeps in mind the overall war versus just the next battle.