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AG's Wildcat Report - Dispatches on the Wildcats, from Anthony Gimino

No suspensions; Sean Miller ‘closes book’ on scuffle vs. Oregon State

by on Jan. 13, 2012, under Arizona basketball

Coach Sean Miller said his team’s skirmish against Oregon State on Thursday night is a “closed book” after the Pac-12 reviewed the incident and found no cause for further action.

That means that Arizona backup center Kyryl Natyazhko and Oregon State post Joe Burton, who were each ejected for leaving the bench, won’t be suspended for the next game. The Wildcats play host to Oregon at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS.

“We want to be a team that competes really hard in between the lines. You have to keep your cool, and in a very emotional game keep your emotions attached to what it is all about — and that’s winning.

“I don’t think the intent of our group, or any one player, was to do anything more than win the game. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, decisions were made that aren’t right.”

The play started late in overtime when Arizona’s Josiah Turner grabbed a defensive rebound and fire a quick outlet pass to Kyle Fogg. He drove for a layup, fouled by Jared Cunningham.

That gave the Cats a 79-73 lead with 1:15 to go.

As Fogg posed while celebrating, teammate Nick Johnson came up to give him a hug, perhaps carrying him toward Cunningham. Contact ensued — you be the judge of intent (the play starts at about 3:26 on the above video) — and then Natyazhko and Burton came off their respective benches.

“Today, you can’t leave the bench and you can’t throw a punch,” Miller said.

“Not that that was ever right, but in our world today, more than ever, that is not something that is going to be tolerated by anybody. It’s certainly not going to be tolerated by the University of Arizona. But nobody throw a punch.

“We’ll address it very briefly. I’m more proud of our guys’ effort in terms of playing to win than anything else based on last night.”

Miller got involved in breaking up the scuffle, and at some point wrenched off his tie, which his players took as a show of passion.

He did recover the tie, and he’ll probably be wearing it again. Not because he’s superstitious, butbecause he doesn’t have many — “a few J.C. Penney’s ties,” he said.

“I don’t have enough clothes to be superstitious. Keep it simple. I just rotate a few and always have red in my tie because that’s what someone told me to do when I first got here. That’s my staple.”

This entry was posted on Friday, January 13th, 2012 at 6:30 pm and is filed under Arizona basketball. Tags for this post: , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • macjones

    The mild skirmish in McKale was and is MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Because rUffian hardcourt matters of this sort happen. Albeit from time to time. dUh.

    That’s why I can’t for the life of Wilbur bUbba figure out why a majority, BUT NOT ALL,  of Wildcat acolytes are making this rowdy hardwood happening, such a SERIOUS matter.

    Heck, the atrocious conference officials at the game took control of everything and handed out the CORRECT fouls and or technicals. Eh.  Even the PAC-12 suits bloody well closed the book on this tit-for-tat hard court scrum.

    Now, for important Wildcat matters.

    Sin City has made Miller’s unit a – 8 1/2 home court chalk. Get outta’ here.

    Look for both Sol and Perry to bounce back from sub-par games. With one of the front court duo’s possbibly posting a DOUBLE-DIGIT game. Eh.

    Bear Down ‘ Zona

    And bloody CHILL, y’all Wilbur rUffians whom bloody well made a MOUNTAIN out of a mole hill!  Because neither squads REP will be tarnished by players MOMENTARY losing it in the heat of hardwood battle. dUh.

    By the way, get the FREAK off Kyle Fogg’s back. And y’all Wilbur fans know whom Ye be!

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