Comments on: Arizona Wildcats have no answer for UCLA’s attacking style inside

By: GDBruin

GDBruin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:53:26 +0000

To offer something from the other side, ‘zona just ran into a UCLA team that has been on the rise for two months, the talent is finally meshing, guys know their roles and have bought in to playing solid defense wire to wire, the stupid mistakes I saw in November and December are disappearing, and they’re playing good team ball on both ends of the court. This was probably UCLA’s best collective game of the year. Miller had to know going in this was going to be a very tough game to win.

I didn’t catch any of the “rubbing it in” Nelson was doing, other than him gesturing to the crowd to get on their feet and cheer. You have to do that every few minutes in LA, we’re the most casual fans in the country.

Maybe there was a carry-over benefit from Oneill’s comments, but I didn’t see the officiating as being one-sided. If Williams didn’t get every call, that’s ok, Smith never gets a fair shake because of his ridiculous size. There were plenty of fouls against him in that game that went uncalled.

Bottom line is the refs let ‘em play and UCLA was just bigger and stronger inside. And next year the Wear twins will be playing, get used to UCLA being a legit contender again…

By: Final Lap: Arizona Wildcats still in the Pac-10 driver’s seat…if they can grab the wheel - UAsports.net

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:16:23 +0000

[...] Arizona basketball team had no answer. They were humbled. Their losses to USC and UCLA were brutal and [...]

By: STR

STR — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:38:41 +0000

Wow, that sums it up pretty darn well. Nice post. I guess I was too chicken to put it that bluntly.

By: macjoneszona

macjoneszona — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:48:33 +0000

What should concern Zona fandom is how U.C.L.A. took away Miller’s squad’s bloody MANHOOD, metaphorically speaking. And the Wildcat’s didn’t respond.
Baby, when Reeves is gloating and rubbing it in Arizona’s face, like he did yesterday. That should be the wake up call, and more than enough to fuel the Wildcat’s competitive edge. But sadly they never responded. Accept for about a eight minute stretch in the second-half.
Yeah, yeah it’s alright for any major college hoop’s player to bring that court enthusiasm and what not. But Reeves was ” rubbing it in ” Arizona’s face and the Cats let it happen.
Another athletic tangible which should concern Wildcat fandom is this, TEAM LEADERSHIP. Because when Arizona was facing dire straits in the first-half, the squad leaders need to get in their teammates faces and bloody say MAN-THE-FREAK-UP!
Yeah, yeah Arizona is a relatively young team, but when the going gets tough a leader rallies the fella’s. And from my telly vantage point, I just didn’t see any Wildcat getting the team focused and settled down again.
Miller and his staff can only do so much to motivate and fire-up the player’s. Then, it’s up to a team leader(s) to get everybody on the same page. Especially when everything is going down hill on the hardwood.
Bottom is this, Arizona was MOLESTED and BYTCH-SLAPPED yesterday. And that is never absolutely acceptable for a program which has high standards and elite-status tradition on the hardwood.
So, it’s up to the Wildcat player’s to look in the mirror and decide how they want the rest of the season to play out. On a positive ascending not. Or a tumbling free fall.
Because I bloody guarantee you-all Zona fandom this absolute. There are plenty of major college hoop’s squads that are ” twice as nasty ” than Howling Howland’s team and Arizona doesn’t wanna’ face these teams in the N.C.A.A. tournament. Especially if they are going to play like a 16-15 team.

By: STR

STR — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 05:28:51 +0000

Well I hate to say it but DWill is a terrible defender and it appears opposing teams have figured this out now. Starting with the Washington game, teams have consistently gone inside and attacked him in the post. I thought he was strong and athletic but he gets pushed around and nearly always lets the opposing player establish position. The worst is that the beating he takes on the defensive side also effects his offensive game.
That being said, I do hope KO gets fined for what he said last week. Yes, DWill gets calls but that is because he takes it to the basket very well. Today he got zero calls. Reeves Nelson is a complete hacker on defense and yet Derrick hardly went to the line.
Overall the players need to realize that they won’t get many calls going forward. They had some things go their way and they need to stand tough when things don’t go their way. Today they folded and it took a long time before they put up a teeny bit of a fight.
Kyryl played well today. Maybe he just needs more minutes to get comfortable. For some guys it might be hard to get their head properly into the game if they only play 4 minutes. So next time we face a team with a decent big, sit Hill and start Kyryl. Hill actually made some decent drives today (one negated by a BS charge call once again) but overall his offense is lacking to such an extent that we won’t miss too much replacing him with Kyryl.