Bear Down Wildcats

When I think of Zeus I kind of think of a taller better tyler hansbrough

He was the 13th pick in the 2009 draft

Alieberman wrote:When I think of Zeus I kind of think of a taller better tyler hansbrough

He was the 13th pick in the 2009 draft

Nah dude Hansbrough had incredible hands. If he was the same player but Zeus's height he would have been the #1 overall pick and dominant in the NBA (as long as he didn't have tiny Trex arms like Zeus haha)

Alieberman wrote:When I think of Zeus I kind of think of a taller better tyler hansbrough

He was the 13th pick in the 2009 draft

that's an interesting comparison and one I've heard before from a TV guy that I can't remember -- my position on the NBA and Tarc is that there aren't many true seven footers who can run, defend, and make a 14 ft jump shot.

history shows if you have those three traits (and sometimes don't even need all three) that said player will have a long career in the NBA whether it be in a starting or reserve role.

His major flaw for his current draft projection is that he doesn't play in the ACC

dcZONAfan wrote:

Alieberman wrote:When I think of Zeus I kind of think of a taller better tyler hansbrough

He was the 13th pick in the 2009 draft

Nah dude Hansbrough had incredible hands. If he was the same player but Zeus's height he would have been the #1 overall pick and dominant in the NBA (as long as he didn't have tiny Trex arms like Zeus haha)

Hansbrough was a much better scorer. Of course, he could only score in ways that worked against college players, and can't do much against pros.

My favorite comparison is Steven Adams. Be tall, physical, hit the boards, do dirty work, finish open looks and be content with being a 5th option on offense and you can start every game for OKC. Zeus is the same sort of guy, who if he can show the fire and rebounding he has lately, will be an Adams type NBA player.

In a way, it's easier for Zeus that he wasn't a Hansbrough type who had to adjust from a primary scorer in college to an NBA afterthought. His meal ticket is being a big body who controls the lane, is an enforcer and cleans the glass. This year is showing he can hit that mark.

I've heard the Hansbrough comparison from both Dan Dakich last night and Steve Lavin last week.

He will never have the hands Tyler did in college, but I've honestly thought that Zeus could otherwise develop into such a player, and from Day One. I also believed, when Miller landed him, that if he could be as good as a senior Hansbrough was, Miller would win the national title with him somewhere along the line.

It probably won't turn out that way now, but Kaleb's development has been a milestone in program history for others to come. It's just too bad Pac-12 officials, by and large, still don't respect his game and continue to call him for fouls just if other guys throw themselves into him.

Where is Enfuego with his "Miller can't develop bigs" comments now?

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
Hansbrough was a much better scorer. Of course, he could only score in ways that worked against college players, and can't do much against pros.

My favorite comparison is Steven Adams. Be tall, physical, hit the boards, do dirty work, finish open looks and be content with being a 5th option on offense and you can start every game for OKC. Zeus is the same sort of guy, who if he can show the fire and rebounding he has lately, will be an Adams type NBA player.

In a way, it's easier for Zeus that he wasn't a Hansbrough type who had to adjust from a primary scorer in college to an NBA afterthought. His meal ticket is being a big body who controls the lane, is an enforcer and cleans the glass. This year is showing he can hit that mark.

Wow, that Adams comp is great. Totally agree. And I don't get the Hansbrough comp at all. He was such a more dynamic and polished offensive player and rebounder. Zeus obviously has the better body that will translate at the next level. Zeus is a better defender too, at the college level and will be in the NBA.

Merkin wrote:Where is Enfuego with his "Miller can't develop bigs" comments now?

Shh... Kansas is winning and enfuego's stayed away. That's rare, and I'm enjoying it.

I feel like u guys showed Zeus my posts about his hands ..... The two games since he's been an animal, and dare I say, not too bad w catches and post touches. His hands have certainly been strong when grabbing all those rebounds , some of which were absolute beastly man boards. He's soooo strong too.

I LOVE the Steven Adams comparison accept Adams is actually a bigger human being , which seems impossible but ive seen him up close, it's crazy. Adams has soft hands and they are huge too, and a larger wingspan w decently long arms for a 7"2 frame.

Zeus has a better jumper which will show more w spacing in the league. And better touch. The way they run the floor is almost identical though. They are both so much larger and athletic than someone is supposed to be. That combo is so rare.

I really think Zeus is working his way into mid-2nd round territory and w a huge March, maybe a look at back end of first. I mean Golden State could use a backup big who runs floor aka Ezeli to replace Bogut as his skills are clearly declining. You can't convince me that an obvious mainstay for 10 years in the league at minimum as a backup center isn't at least worth a glance from picks 25-30. That's his basement at the NBA level. Safe pick no doubt.

You can't teach tall and strong...

PennZona20 wrote:I feel like u guys showed Zeus my posts about his hands ..... The two games since he's been an animal, and dare I say, not too bad w catches and post touches. His hands have certainly been strong when grabbing all those rebounds , some of which were absolute beastly man boards. He's soooo strong too.

I LOVE the Steven Adams comparison accept Adams is actually a bigger human being , which seems impossible but ive seen him up close, it's crazy. Adams has soft hands and they are huge too, and a larger wingspan w decently long arms for a 7"2 frame.

Zeus has a better jumper which will show more w spacing in the league. And better touch. The way they run the floor is almost identical though. They are both so much larger and athletic than someone is supposed to be. That combo is so rare.

I really think Zeus is working his way into mid-2nd round territory and w a huge March, maybe a look at back end of first. I mean Golden State could use a backup big who runs floor aka Ezeli to replace Bogut as his skills are clearly declining. You can't convince me that an obvious mainstay for 10 years in the league at minimum as a backup center isn't at least worth a glance from picks 25-30. That's his basement at the NBA level. Safe pick no doubt.

Never been next to Adams, but I have stood around or next to plenty of NBA bigs. Have you been on the floor near Kaleb? He certainly fits the mold with just about anyone ive been around except Shaq, who no one compares to physically.

With Tarc is all about his hands.

If he could catch with ease, he'd be a late 1st.

If Thibs is coaching somewhere, maybe Tarc is drafted.

But modern NBA is as much about offense as it has ever been. Tarc offers no defensive versatility, little in the way of catching off the bounce, almost zero passing skills, and while a good post defender, this only matters vs like 5/6 teams.

He has a good jumper, but I don't see the NBA.

JMarkJohns wrote:With Tarc is all about his hands.

If he could catch with ease, he'd be a late 1st.

If Thibs is coaching somewhere, maybe Tarc is drafted.

But modern NBA is as much about offense as it has ever been. Tarc offers no defensive versatility, little in the way of catching off the bounce, almost zero passing skills, and while a good post defender, this only matters vs like 5/6 teams.

He has a good jumper, but I don't see the NBA.

See, I disagree on this. I raise Adams bc when you watch OKC games, they run zero plays for him. Zeus is made for a similar situation, where anything he adds is a bonus.

Better NBA teams recognize you need role players, brick and mortar guys and that you can succeed by creating the cohesive whole. I watched Cole Aldrich get minutes for the Clips last night, and you cannot convince me that Aldrich is any more of an offensive option than Zeus would be.

Zeus may not be a starter, but big, strong 7 footer who cleans the glass, runs hard and uses all 6 fouls is a defined role that NBA teams need.

There was a mainstream sports media article about this that I read within the last four or five months, will have to see if I can find it later. Basically echoes pieces of what both JMarkJohns and Spliff are saying. The league is changing and the prototypical big is fading for the guy who is maybe an inch or two smaller and offers less in terms of defense and force down low, but are more athletic and can knock down the outside shot. The author also said, however, that although the number of roster spots in the league for the prototypical big may be shrinking, there will continue to be a demand for that type of player for many teams, and someday, things may swing back in the other direction with a few rule changes. The most notable change being the NBA looking at expanding the width of the court and lengthening the 3 point line to cut down on the 3 point happy way the league has gotten and to help with spacing. Doing away with the hack-a-Shaq (or Howard or Drummond) is another thing (albeit smaller) that is also a pro-big man rule change. More time out on the floor, especially late, for players like that to me means 1) you need more guys like Zeus to defend big, dominating guys like that, and 2) you need more bodies to butcher those guys down low to make sure they aren't getting their in close shots off. While there may not be many of those types of players in the league right now, things like that would eventually trickle down to the college and high school levels and big guys will be more focused on playing as traditional bigs, rather than shooting 100s of 15-20 footers a day.

Yea, rg, sums up my thoughts pretty well. I wrote a bit about that a couple of months ago here.

That being said, I think Zeus has made massive, massive strides in the past 6 weeks. He's a completely different player to me, or at least he is playing like it. It starts with his aggressiveness and that transcends his interior defense (both strong and weak side), ability to finish at the rim, and rebounding in traffic. He's showcasing NBA-level skills at the moment. If he continues at this trajectory, he might sneak his way into the late first round for a team that needs a big body that can be effective in a reserve role immediately (contender).

There were people saying he couldn't improve his stock by staying another year at the end of last season. I think he has pretty clearly proved them wrong. I'm sure there are many NBA teams looking at him right now.

There were also people saying that Duse would start over him this season. LOL

He will be missed next year. He is a key cog in the defense. Probably the best guy we have who can hedge ball handlers and recover quickly. Not to mention the great job he does clogging the paint.

Would be nice if Ristic could get down to 5% body fat, but it's not going to happen. Same with Comanche putting on 20 pounds of pure muscle.

He will be missed quite a bit.

I think the best comps are Miles Plumlee and Steven Adams, but I don't think Tarc is as explosive as Plumlee (who has good vert), or agility, and definitely not the hands. However, he's a quick straight line big, with solid tenacity, good defensive identity, and is probably smarter than both Plumlee and Adams combined. Better jumper too.

So in many ways I see why many think he could sneak into late 1st or go 2nd in this iffy draft.

I just don't see the physical upside of those two because of lack of hands or explosive leap.

Honestly, so much is actual scheme and usage. I've seen scrubs turned into average NBA starters thanks to system and fit. And I've seen talents struggle to even find a niche.

If that "Calm down" was the fluke it seems, my guess is he's given the chance to prove me wrong. Hopefully his smarts and aggression win out. Because his hands are a huge red flag. Not just for offense, but for rebounding.

Someone earlier mentioned noticing Zeus seems to be catching boards at higher elevation this year. I agree. He seems
to be starting his leaps earlier and extending his arms much straighter, thereby getting to the ball earlier at better elevation. Good stuff!

Not to diminish the Big Guy's growth and effort as an individual player, but I'm sure no one here underestimates the value of the rest of our front line to his performance. What a gift to share the front court responsibilities with Ryan and Duce, especially; Tolly on help, and Comanche.

Gnarly front court, healthy backcourt----it feels good to be taking aim at a few challenging final Season games, the Pac Tourney and ahhh.......

JMarkJohns wrote:I think the best comps are Miles Plumlee and Steven Adams, but I don't think Tarc is as explosive as Plumlee (who has good vert), or agility, and definitely not the hands. However, he's a quick straight line big, with solid tenacity, good defensive identity, and is probably smarter than both Plumlee and Adams combined. Better jumper too.

So in many ways I see why many think he could sneak into late 1st or go 2nd in this iffy draft.

I just don't see the physical upside of those two because of lack of hands or explosive leap.

Honestly, so much is actual scheme and usage. I've seen scrubs turned into average NBA starters thanks to system and fit. And I've seen talents struggle to even find a niche.

If that "Calm down" was the fluke it seems, my guess is he's given the chance to prove me wrong. Hopefully his smarts and aggression win out. Because his hands are a huge red flag. Not just for offense, but for rebounding.

I agree on the leaping ability. Plumlee is a very good leaper. Zeus can jump, but is not quick off the floor.

Frankly, I'm more optimistic about him seeing NBA time than I am about his draft stock. NBA teams tend to avoid drafting building block players with limited upside, but those players can stick as 10-12th men.

In the first 13 games of the season, Zeus had 11 blocks. In the 6 games since the "incident" against Oregon, he's had 9 blocks.

He had 105 boards in those 13, good for around 8 per game. In the 6 since, he's had 66 boards...about 11 per game.

Olsondogg wrote:In the first 13 games of the season, Zeus had 11 blocks. In the 6 games since the "incident" against Oregon, he's had 9 blocks.

He had 105 boards in those 13, good for around 8 per game. In the 6 since, he's had 66 boards...about 11 per game.

He's in beast-mode. Bodes well for March.

5 blocks tonight

Was hilarious, his phantom calls. That was the difference in the game despite our crap play. Im too mad so im not gonna check the box score, but Scott committed far more fouls than Zeus did tonight. How many did he end up with? 1, 2?

That call against Zeus right before Miller got the tech was ridiculous.

Zeus never has gotten the respect most four-year starters get on calls.

It's the main reason why more legit centers don't play in this conference. They can't develop. Gets too frustrating.

That was an awesome 2nd half today against Utah

(Just thought these boards needed a little positivity)

Yep. Great second half. Loved his staredown of Poeltl.

Just needed that one big board from him or Anderson at the end. Think it was him that Poeltl kept it alive on, and moments later, Taylors dagger three. Those are the breaks. Poeltl is a DAMN good player and Zeus (again put in early foul trouble thanks to a phantom call), won that second round when we all thought the team was left for dead. For as much as we are bringing in next year, we are going to truly see how important Zeus was/is for these Arizona teams

His backing down of Poetl for the easy bucket was NBA good.

I feel bad that Zeus hasn't been able to play his senior year with the same kind of outstanding guards he had his first three seasons. He's definitely helping his draft stock this year, especially when he has such a nice game against Poeltl, but I'm sure Zeus envisioned a more memorable end to his college career. Season isn't over yet, and real heroes are made in March. But I'm sure Zeus is missing TJ and NJ.

I think its good though. He has always played the background to the other top level teammates during his time here. While he isnt the headlining player on this team either, he is a more important and appreciated piece on both ends of the floor. U wish the best for the kid and hopefully this is the season we break down that wall. We dont make enough of an effort to get the the damn ball though. That specific play Merkin cited above is proof. Poeltl is an excellent defender with size and Zeus made it look easy. Gotta draw those double teams more too

i love Tarc

97cats wrote:i love Tarc

Me too...the drop off in talent at the Center position next year will be severe.......we were fortunate to have such a physical beast for 4 years. Hope we can make a deep run for him in the tourneys.

13, 9 and a little blood in his McKale farewell. Classic Zeus.

We're going to miss him more than we expect next year.

Yep. What happened to his hand? My heart sank when he left the game and went into the tunnel.

Hit his hand on the rim, back on defense.

Is he ok now?

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:Is he ok now?

I think we should be more concerned with the rim

He has played angry and confident for most of this season - and it has picked up as the season went on. It has been a joy to watch.

He has developed into an excellent player... and I will be surprised if he does not have a nice career in the NBA.

Zeus may not be a stretch four but I like him to further develop the range on his jumpshot. He's not Channing Frye but in 3-4 years I can see him capable of moving to the corners and the top of the 3pt line. He also has enough mobility to get by 7-footers if his shot draws enough respect.

His hands have never worried me as much as others. They aren't great but I also think a lot of the entry problems have been on the players getting him the ball and defenses packing it in against offenses that have had serious problems spreading a defense out. Opponents basically recognized during his junior and sophomore seasons that they didn't need to seriously guard anyone but York, Johnson, and Ashley from distance, which didn't do Zeus any favors.

One more time, we are going to really, really miss him next year. Sure hope Dusan gets his groove back and Chance does the famous Lute Olson huge improvement from Frosh to Soph!

Surprised to still find them in Tucson at 3pm yesterday. Zeus with the gold jersey.

It's only an hour to Vegas. Leave at 5, dinner in Vegas and early bed.

Gotta leave time for the buffets...

Jefe wrote:Gotta leave time for the buffets...

I assume when Josh Smith was at UCLA, they needed to budget 3-4 hours or so for that.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

Jefe wrote:Gotta leave time for the buffets...

I assume when Josh Smith was at UCLA, they needed to budget 3-4 hours or so for that.

what's up, mr. winningest wildcat ever?

dirtbags wrote:what's up, mr. winningest wildcat ever?

No kidding....Congrats to the God of Thunder!!!! Gonna miss Zeus next year so let's go deep in the tourneys you stud