Citizen Staff Writer
NCAA EXTRA
ANTHONY GIMINO
agimino@tucsoncitizen.com
Forget, for a moment, the matchups, the history, Louisville’s full-court press, Arizona’s on-going coaching search, the possibility of the Disneyesque telling of the Wildcats’ season.
UA coaches literally want the players to stop and smell the roses (or the aroma of popcorn) when they go through Friday morning’s warm-ups at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“The air is going to smell a certain way. There is going to be a certain articulation to the entire environment,” said associate head coach Mike Dunlap.
“Basically, we’re saying, ‘Stop and have a look around.’ This is a rehearsal. That’s exactly what the military does in terms of change of environment and pressure.”
It’s all about getting comfortable.
There are plenty of adjustments to make. The shooting background is different because this is a football stadium. The court is raised above ground floor, which has a unique feel.
UA interim coach Russ Pennell was happy his team was the first to have a workout Thursday because it meant the Cats got an extra 20 minutes on the floor to stretch and soak it all in.
“It’s amazing. It’s huge,” UA freshman Kyle Fogg said of the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
“My shots were really short, but Chase (Budinger) and them kept telling me not to worry about it and that I’ll knock them down in the game.”
‘Stop and have a look around.’
MIKE DUNLAP,
associate head coach