UA’s Sean Miller: “We didn’t share the ball very well”
by Steve Rivera on Feb. 24, 2011, under Sports
Arizona guard Kyle Fogg goes up for a tough shot against USC's Nikola Vucevic. Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE
So maybe there was too much praise. Too many pats on the back. Too many “atta boys’’ this week after Arizona beat Washington last week.
Apparently, Arizona couldn’t handle the praise. It couldn’t handle the pressure. No doubt, it couldn’t handle the road and Southern California after the Trojans won 65-57 at the Galen Center.
“Sometimes when things are going really well you forget what got you there,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said in his postgame radio show. “I didn’t think – in addition to USC’s defense – that we played very well on offense sharing the ball.”
Miller pointed to the fact that his team had just two assists in his team’s 19 made shots. Of course, he also praised USC’s defense.
“We kind of got what we deserved,’’ Miller said.
That was defeat for the first time in nine games. UA is now 23-5 overall and 12-3 in the Pac-10 Conference as it heads to UCLA on Saturday. UCLA is a game behind UA in the conference standings.
UA didn’t look like the team that has impressed all season. Star Derrick Williams was subpar, finishing with just eight points but 11 rebounds. Junior Jesse Perry led the team with 12 points.
“When you get late into the season it’s so easy to get distracted in what got you there,’’ Miller said.
“Not that we weren’t practicing hard but our team was surrounded by so much positive and so many great articles being written and we all know we are playing for a Pac-10 Championship. I watched our team – body language or how we played – we just didn’t have it. We didn’t attack the basket.’’
USC had something to do with it as it slowed UA down throughout the game. It just means those who didn’t like USC coach Kevin O’Neill before Thursday’s game – unjustly so I might add – really don’t like him now.
