Bear Down Wildcats

Ferguson was a gamble. We lost. The rest of our class is remarkable. CSM is the Pac's best recruiter and has held that distinction for a while.

There's a reason that guy's bio doesn't list writing for a real newspaper as part of his 'journalistic' accomplishments.

U-Dub lost Chriss and Murray.
Cal lost Brown and Matthews.
We lost someone who never played and got Trier back.
The writer lost a career he never had.

Puerco wrote:There's a reason that guy's bio doesn't list writing for a real newspaper as part of his 'journalistic' accomplishments.

Lamestream! Nobody reads that anymore.

gumby wrote:U-Dub lost Chriss and Murray.
Cal lost Brown and Matthews.
We lost someone who never played and got Trier back.
The writer lost a career he never had.

Bravo, Gumby! You have this ability to be so objective, darn it!

KS/PJC/KA
AT/RA/KA
RS/RA/LM
CC/LM
DR/CC

CSM has our roster pretty stacked. Anyone want to bet this team doesn't finish 2nd or better? OR is clearly the preseason favorite, but I think we're next.

Puerco wrote:There's a reason that guy's bio doesn't list writing for a real newspaper as part of his 'journalistic' accomplishments.

Pulitzer definitely out. Could be in the running for a Lucy tho.

A1RZONA wrote:

Would love to have that starting 5 plus 1

Same problem as the team this year ..... PG is biggest question lol.

PennZona20 wrote:Same problem as the team this year ..... PG is biggest question lol.

Yep, ironic for 'Point Guard U' .....I still miss TJ!

Merkin wrote:CSM on the hot seat!

Arizona had Pac-12’s worst offseason

http://www.todaysu.com/pac-12/arizona-w ... offseason/" target="_blank

What a terrible article. All we did was land another top ten recruiting class without Ferguson and have Trier return. Instead, we could have had articles like this about our program...

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/20 ... ent-report" target="_blank

Hot seat? Give me a ****ing break.

PennZona20 wrote:Same problem as the team this year ..... PG is biggest question lol.

Well, we're bringing in a 5-star PG and return two other guys (PJC and KA) who give us depth at this position. We'll be fine.

Frybry02 wrote:

A1RZONA wrote:

Would love to have that starting 5 plus 1

Is Jersey Mike the sponsor because they're all subs? i don't like this messaging.

A1RZONA wrote:

Stanimal makes $2.8M this year, so looks like CSM is still the highest paid in the bunch.

Summer League players don't get paid, just $100 per day per diem.

Merkin wrote:

A1RZONA wrote:

Stanimal makes $2.8M this year, so looks like CSM is still the highest paid in the bunch.

Summer League players don't get paid, just $100 per day per diem.

Great photo. Nice to see the connections continue even after Arizona

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

Merkin wrote:CSM on the hot seat!

Arizona had Pac-12’s worst offseason

http://www.todaysu.com/pac-12/arizona-w ... offseason/" target="_blank

What a terrible article. All we did was land another top ten recruiting class without Ferguson and have Trier return. Instead, we could have had articles like this about our program...

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/20 ... ent-report" target="_blank

Hot seat? Give me a ****ing break.

I forgot about the Cal coach's sexual harassment issues and Cuonzo's flirtation with other schools! Tack on losing Brown and Matthews, and yet we somehow still managed to have the worst offseason, even though we added a top-10 recruiting class, get Trier back AND get a healthy Ray Smith?! Who wouldn't kill for an offseason like that?

The "author" is an Oregon guy and "covers" Oregon for the most part, so it's no surprise to see how he views the pecking order. I'm sure when he was in 2nd grade, he wrote a similar story during recess about how Luke Jackson, Luke Ridnour and Fred Jones signaled a changing of the guard for Oregon dominance of the Pac-10 for generations to come.

OR is the favorite next year, and Altman has done a pretty damn good job there, in spite of the scandals. Everyone is chasing OR right now. It is what it is.

We aren't chasing Oregon.

rgdeuce wrote: We aren't chasing Oregon.

We finished 3rd, they finished 1st. They're the favorite in 2016-17. So yeah, man, we're chasing them.

Beachcat97 wrote:

rgdeuce wrote: We aren't chasing Oregon.

We finished 3rd, they finished 1st. They're the favorite in 2016-17. So yeah, man, we're chasing them.

There's more than one year of Pac 12 basketball. Teams finish ahead of you sometimes.

I'm in Oregon right now, and I can tell you firsthand all Oregonians are scared of Arizona.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
I'm in Oregon right now, and I can tell you firsthand all Oregonians are scared of Arizona.

I didn't mean to imply that we're "scared" of Oregon, only that they're where we want to be, hence the "chasing" comment.

Nobody is chasing anybody. It's July.

Beachcat97 wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
I'm in Oregon right now, and I can tell you firsthand all Oregonians are scared of Arizona.

I didn't mean to imply that we're "scared" of Oregon, only that they're where we want to be, hence the "chasing" comment.

It's like 65-70 degrees up here. I'd want to be in Oregon in July instead of Tucson as well, which is why I am.

If you are in the PAC 12, you are always concerned about AZ and aspire to be us (excepting UCLA).

All others are year to year or decade to decade

Exactly. I mentioned in one of the NCAA Tournament threads about the father and sons Oregon fans I met the day after Selection Sunday. For how good and hot that Oregon team was, I was the one convincing them that I didn't expect Arizona to get out of the first week and they were very strong contenders to reach the final four. Conference wise, we are almost like the New York Yankees. All these other teams expect us to always be there and never rule us out until it is finally official. I have no problem with someone saying that Oregon are the favorites this coming year, but chasing isn't appropriate for a season that hasn't even started and really should only be used in points during the season if we are down a few games in the loss column and are "chasing ____ for first place."

It has been like this for somewhere around 25 years, absent the mess in Lute's final seasons and the transition to Miller. And there have been some really great, high-ranking Pac 10 teams in those years and it did not matter. And I wouldn't even say Oregon is where we want to be. They have the more proven team, but even with losing Ferguson, we still have the most talented team. The season will tell us how things play out.

Yeah, I don't get all the fear for Oregon. For all the Ducks' athleticism last year, the most court-rooted, slow Arizona team since Miller's first year--and before that, probably 1985--was two Mark Tollefsen free throws away from knocking them out of the 1 seed and probably winning the Pac-12 tournament.

If this new Arizona team is coachable and responds to Miller like their talent would indicate, the Cats are conference favorites until Oregon can knock them off.

Oregon is a good team. I just don't understand how you can talk about this team having Final Four level talent and get freaked out by another good team. I think we have FF talent, and I don't lose sleep over Oregon.

It isn't a bad thing to have multiple good teams in the Pac. We are still a solid team.

Why are we talking Oregon in a miller thread again?

I am really surprised UCLA isn't being mentioned as a conference contender. I guess it is justified after last years Implosion. It has been a long time since we have seen a point guard like Lonzo Ball come into our league. He is going to make everyone around him look better, including his coach.

CalStateTempe wrote:Why are we talking Oregon in a miller thread again?

Because they've allegedly left us chasing them.

Dave wrote:I am really surprised UCLA isn't being mentioned as a conference contender. I guess it is justified after last years Implosion. It has been a long time since we have seen a point guard like Lonzo Ball come into our league. He is going to make everyone around him look better, including his coach.

This should go in the UCLA thread, but you're right: they haven't had an influx of talent like this for a few years, and a lot of talent coming back. It's the same team minus Tony Parker (and probably Bolden, who's rumored to be academically ineligible). When you have that much talent, they can overcome their coach's shortcomings, as they did in Alford's first year when they had Adams and Anderson.

It would be surprising if they didn't finish in the top 4.

Miller thrilled with how Trier, Ristic are progressing

By Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star Updated 5 hrs ago

When he decided not to jump into the NBA Draft last April, Arizona Wildcats guard Allonzo Trier said he was “excited about the quest to become a more complete player.”

Apparently, that was an understatement.

UA coach Sean Miller said last week that Trier and center Dusan Ristic were not only the team’s hardest workers over the summer, but some of the hardest workers he’s ever seen.

And, well, actually …

“Allonzo Trier is the hardest worker I’ve ever had,” Miller said. “I have never seen a player work like he has worked in the summer.

Allonzo has been in the gym more this summer than some guys who would have considered themselves hard workers would have done over two summers.

He invested from the second he said he was coming back to Arizona in all the things you’d want him to invest in.

“His waist, his body fat, he looks like a different person, and that’s through hard work. He’s shot more this summer. I think Kyle Fogg shot 10,000 shots (in the summer of 2011). He’s done that and more. It is an obsession for him to become a great player and it’s so fun to be around him because he is maturing. … We need Allonzo to go from a good freshman to be one of the best players in the Pac-12 and I believe in him. I believe he can do it.”

During a recent interview at McKale Center, Miller also raved about Ristic’s work ethic while touching on several other developments over the summer.

Among them:

In 13 years as a head coach, Miller said he’s never seen a big man work harder than Ristic did this summer:

“I’ve never seen somebody every single day wake up and do so much to improve as a basketball player. He’s done fitness boxing, he’s lifted weights, he’s lost body fat, he’s run in the sand for two summers now. He just has a way about him every day.

“The thing about big guys is some of them play because they’re big. And once in a while you run into that big guy who — if he wasn’t big — would be playing. Dusan loves basketball, and he has a burning desire to become the best he can be. … Defense and rebounding are his two biggest challenges. But just watching him go about things this summer, I know he’s already helped the cause.”

As has freshman forward Lauri Markkanen, who played in Europe this summer, leading the U20 European Championships in scoring. He will return to Tu
cson for classes this week instead of being tempted to go pro somewhere.
With families (of players), it’s no different than in the United States. They’re in high school and a product of their environment. In Lauri’s case, his father is familiar with the United States, played at Kansas and understands the game and how hard it is to be a professional. A big reason Lauri is coming here is to get experience and an education and hopefully if it works out, he will become an NBA player.”


http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcat ... 12f67.html" target="_blank

Have we ever had a player with Lauri's size and skill set?

Beachcat97 wrote:Have we ever had a player with Lauri's size and skill set?

Grant Jerrett was a 5 star, Mickey Ds and Parade All American before his pit stop at Arizona.

Merkin wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:Have we ever had a player with Lauri's size and skill set?

Grant Jerrett was a 5 star, Mickey Ds and Parade All American before his pit stop at Arizona.

I think Lauri has a couple inches on GJ, though. And I love that Lauri has all this international competition experience. I'm sure it's added to and diversified his game.

Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

PennZona20 wrote:Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

I'll happily take him for one year. That's the culture of the college game. One year guys can be absolute game-changers (Okafor, Wall, Rose, A. Davis, Melo, etc.).

Whatever LM has on Grant Jerrett in terms of height can be attributed to GJ having no neck.

Glad to see Trier and Rustic have been working so hard. I expected Trier to be a CPOY contender (though that usually goes to the guy with obscene scoring numbers on a weak/mediocre team....), but Dusan's work is more important. Hopefully the mental game is getting some hard work too. D and staying out of foul trouble.

PennZona20 wrote:Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

Grant was a poor man's Lauri. They're comparable as faceup shooters, although I give Lauri the edge. Lauri is far better facing and going to the hole. Lauri has a postup game, which Grant didn't at Arizona. Lauri's D is a higher level.

They were both skilled, but Lauri does everything I can see at a higher level.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

PennZona20 wrote:Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

Grant was a poor man's Lauri. They're comparable as faceup shooters, although I give Lauri the edge. Lauri is far better facing and going to the hole. Lauri has a postup game, which Grant didn't at Arizona. Lauri's D is a higher level.

They were both skilled, but Lauri does everything I can see at a higher level.

GJ is soft. At least, that's how he looked in one season at AZ. A guy that big needs to have a presence in the paint, as a rebounder, shot blocker, and hopefully scorer. GJ was very perimeter oriented. It could've been that that's how Sean wanted to use him, but it looked to me at times like he didn't want to battle other big men.

In the footage I've seen him, LM seems to have a much better inside/outside game.

great to hear about 'zo and dusan's hard work in the offseason. it's too bad it didn't include PJC. yeah, short player, blah blah, but we never really saw a big FR --> SO skills bump, possibly because he took the starting spot for granted after TJ left, and i don't think he's hit his ceiling yet. was hoping last season's performance would have lit a huge fire under his ass.

Miller getting deserved props: http://www.todaysu.com/recruiting/cbb-r ... ecruiters/" target="_blank

The big praise comes with the humorous tagline:

"Good luck, Pac-12. You’re going to need it, and you’re going to need it year … after year … after year."

Beachcat97 wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

PennZona20 wrote:Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

Grant was a poor man's Lauri. They're comparable as faceup shooters, although I give Lauri the edge. Lauri is far better facing and going to the hole. Lauri has a postup game, which Grant didn't at Arizona. Lauri's D is a higher level.

They were both skilled, but Lauri does everything I can see at a higher level.

GJ is soft. At least, that's how he looked in one season at AZ. A guy that big needs to have a presence in the paint, as a rebounder, shot blocker, and hopefully scorer. GJ was very perimeter oriented. It could've been that that's how Sean wanted to use him, but it looked to me at times like he didn't want to battle other big men.

In the footage I've seen him, LM seems to have a much better inside/outside game.

Speaking of LM's inside game, his ability to drive and take contact and finish looked phenomenal. Was this just because that was the Euro League? Because his full skill set is unlike any player I can recall coming into the UA!!!

Lute4God wrote:

Beachcat97 wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

PennZona20 wrote:Lauri is also a much better athlete than Grant. Grant did have a very versatile skill set tho.

I think Lauris is much better and his desire to be great is light years better.

We have a special one. It might only be for one year tho.

Grant was a poor man's Lauri. They're comparable as faceup shooters, although I give Lauri the edge. Lauri is far better facing and going to the hole. Lauri has a postup game, which Grant didn't at Arizona. Lauri's D is a higher level.

They were both skilled, but Lauri does everything I can see at a higher level.

GJ is soft. At least, that's how he looked in one season at AZ. A guy that big needs to have a presence in the paint, as a rebounder, shot blocker, and hopefully scorer. GJ was very perimeter oriented. It could've been that that's how Sean wanted to use him, but it looked to me at times like he didn't want to battle other big men.

In the footage I've seen him, LM seems to have a much better inside/outside game.

Speaking of LM's inside game, his ability to drive and take contact and finish looked phenomenal. Was this just because that was the Euro League? Because his full skill set is unlike any player I can recall coming into the UA!!!

LM has a really good skill set. I've only seen highlights, but for a wiry guy, he does appear to finish pretty strong.

Main Event wrote:

Thanks for the heads up. Always great to hear Miller's thoughts.

Every time I hear CSM speak I'm reminded of how damned fortunate we are to have him!