"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

Miller responsible for Cats’ postseason aspirations

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, the Wildcats were about to embark on a run that has garnered them elite status among the top five in college basketball the last quarter-century, according to ESPN.com. The Top Five programs since 1984-85 according to the World Wide Leader in Sports: 1, Duke; 2, Kansas; 3, North Carolina; 4, Kentucky; and 5, Arizona.

By Javier Morales

The late, great Al McGuire has one of the best quotes in relation to winning:

“Winning is overrated. The only time it is really important is in surgery and war.”

For the first time in the last 25 years, Arizona and its fans can relate.

In other words, extending “The Streak” to 26 years is not as important as first-year coach Sean Miller setting the stage for success starting in 2010-11 and beyond. The Wildcats are banking on Miller to get that feeling back in which winning and making the NCAA tournament is a way of life again.

For those of you who can’t wait, and still think Arizona is destined to extend its NCAA tournament appearance streak this season, the responsibility falls on Miller’s shoulders even more.

He will be the orchestrator trying to find the sweet music by season’s end. So far, the work of Miller and his staff has mostly been beneficial to the Cats reaching their goals. Of course, some speed bumps have kept Miller from going full speed at No. 26.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

A potential NCAA tournament bid goes through senior guard

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, the Wildcats had only three previous NCAA tournament appearances: 1977, 1976 and 1951.

By Javier Morales

How unlikely is an Arizona NCAA tournament appearance this season?

About as improbable as two last-second shots by Nic Wise to win consecutive games.

UA coach Sean Miller was fortunate Wise was on the floor to create the buzz that put Arizona in a positive light nationally for once. No other player on the roster could have nailed a three-pointer without squaring up against Lipscomb, or drive three-quarters of the court for a layup past three defenders against North Carolina State.

Aside from his two buzzer beaters, Wise scored 30 points — including 16 of Arizona’s final 19 points — in an overtime thriller over Colorado in Maui. Those three games could have been — should have been? — three losses but Wise saved the day. Arizona is a handful of possessions from being 3-8 right now but Wise was the difference in a three-win swing.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

Junior forward must step forward to help UA’s hopes

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, Nebraska’s 10-2 football team was coming off a victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl. It was the Cornhuskers’ 23rd bowl appearance in school history. They had two national titles (1970 and 1971) at that time. Arizona had only four bowl games in its history before the Wildcats qualified later that year for the 1985 Sun Bowl.

By Javier Morales

Part of me wishes this countdown was over, say about 7-8 months ago when Sean Miller was hired and many people were saying: “26 reasons? Try 260.” But I don’t want the UA to stop in its quest to right its ship and sail toward No. 26, so I’m not about to stop.

When I spoke to Jamelle Horne before the season, he looked at a group of freshmen and a couple of walk-ons horsing around on the McKale Center court and said, “These guys are sooooo young.”

He talked like the elder statesmen, although, in reality, he was as green as the youngsters when it came to being a responsible member of the team. In fact, Arizona basketball is not accustomed to a junior being so inexperienced in a pivotal role.

It’s uncanny how Lute Olson developed his program so one player would not have to carry the load, which is where the Wildcats are perceived to be at today with senior Nic Wise.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

Arizona’s freshman class will grow up

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, fittingly, Phil Collins‘ hit “One More Night” was climbing the charts to a No. 1 spot two weeks later.

By Javier Morales

Too many games remain, including an entire Pac-10 season and the subsequent conference tournament, to give up hope.

The Wildcats play four of their next five games at home before traveling to L.A. to open the conference season against USC on New Year’s Eve. By then, UA coach Sean Miller will probably feel like he has coached an entire season. What’s life without challenges?

As we learned last year, the Cats can fight their way back. They went 4-6 in one stretch before putting together a seven-game winning streak. Of course, that was with Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill, who are far removed from Arizona in the NBA. Nic Wise and Jamelle Horne remain with a lot of freshmen and returning players who are still developing.

Essentially, the UA has traded the firepower and scoring of Hill and Budinger for an unpredictable group of freshmen. Being the optimist that I am, I believe by season’s end, the freshman class Miller recruited in a short period of time will make a positive impact. Players like Derrick Williams, Solomon Hill, Lamont “MoMo” Jones and Kevin Parrom come from winning backgrounds and they have too much pride to let this season slip away.

Kyryl Natyazhko worked so hard on his game in his native Ukraine that he moved to the United States to further his career.

Other than these guys being young, they have something else in common: Pride, and a lot of it.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

Track record at Xavier suggests emphasis on defense

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, UNLV won its first-round game the night before against San Diego State. UNLV’s leading scorer was Armon Gilliam with 21 points. It was the Rebels’ third straight appearance. Their streak would last only nine years overall until 1991 when UNLV lost its first game that season to Duke in the Final Four.

By Javier Morales

Even after tonight’s game against UNLV — the most anticipated so far in the young Sean Miller era — the Wildcats will still have 80 percent of their season to play.

A lot can still happen between now and March, including a very important aspect of the Wildcats that Miller wants to improve the most: Defense. The best defense gets stronger over time when the game — or in this case, season — is on the line.

The Wildcats’ 84 fouls in the Maui Invitational shows the Wildcats are reaching in with their hands more than moving their feet to gain proper position. The refs called them like they saw them.

“Our fouling was a function of our defense and it’s something that we have to address,” Miller said in a press conference this week. “Fouling negates a lot of good things. There were times on defense where we were in good position and we competed at a high level and an individual player reached, gambled or didn’t show the official his hands.

“The single biggest factor we have to get better on is guarding all five positions. When the offense has the ball, then it’s difficult for him to beat you.”

Miller’s defensive track at Xavier record provides a glimmer of hope for Arizona. The young coach had a video produced about man-to-man defense when he coached the Musketeers called, “Sean Miller: Dominating Man-to-Man Defense.”

Perhaps each of the Wildcats should watch the video as they fall asleep at night. But something tells me the continual focus on defense in practice will be strong enough to pay dividends by February.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

UA’s bench goes deeper than recent years

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team plays the Cats on Saturday, was only 33 and not yet a head coach. He was about to enter his second season as an NFL assistant coach as the defensive backs coach with Minnesota after spending one year in the same capacity with Buffalo. His first head coaching job would not come until nine years later in 1994 with the Jets.

By Javier Morales

Five games into the season and the UA is 3-2, including two losses in the Maui Invitational, so who in the heck should be thinking about the NCAA tournament?

As it is, the Wildcats will have their hands full Wednesday with UNLV, which improved to 5-0 Saturday after a 76-71 victory over Louisville at Thomas and Mack. In the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee, a win over the Rebels will certainly be in the “Quality Win” category.

While I agree that the Wildcats should not be thinking about the NCAA tournament right now, I believe they should concentrate on the ingredients necessary to be a team worthy of March Madness. This countdown takes on a new meaning with that in mind. If the Wildcats want to continue The Streak, they must follow through on the topics that we present here until we reach No. 1 on the list.

Our next topic: The Arizona bench.

Although the Wildcats are young in this area, they certainly do have promise and more minutes to provide than in recent years. The growing trend indicates UA coach Sean Miller will start Nic Wise and Brendon Lavender on the perimeter, Solomon Hill on the wing, and Derrick Williams and Jamelle Horne on the frontcourt with their athleticism making up for their lack of size.

Expect quality minutes throughout the season from reserves such as Kyle Fogg, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom.

Coaches generally want their seven-man rotation set by midway through the conference season. In Miller’s case, it will likely be a nine-player rotation with seven getting the bulk of the minutes.

How often has Arizona’s coaching staff been afforded such options?

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites

Cats can be motivated and loose at the same time

STREAK FACT: When the UA’s streak began on March 15, 1985, former heavyweight champ Larry Holmes won by TKO over David Bey. Mike Tyson, by the way, was only 18 and he fought in his first professional bout nine days before Holmes’ victory. He defeated Hector Mercedes via — you guessed it — a first-round knockout.

By Javier Morales

Fox Sports.com college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman, a UA alum who is as good as it gets, avoided being a homer by keeping Arizona out of his projected 2010 NCAA tournament field.

A blog Web site called “Bracketville” actually lists Oregon State as a participant, and not Arizona. CollegeHoopsnet.com had ASU in and Arizona out before the season began.

Joe Lunardi, of ESPN Bracketology fame, has the Sun Devils as one of the last four into March Madness and Arizona on the outside looking in.

I could go on and on, but I believe you get the point.

Because of its youth and lack of tested returners other than Nic Wise, Jamelle Horne and Kyle Fogg, Arizona is not on the nation’s mind when it comes to returning to March Madness.

To a player, the Wildcats talked about the snub before the season began, and looked at it as a motivational tool. The true test of the 2009-10 Wildcats will be if they do not allow that motivation to turn into doubt if they happen to lose a couple of games in a row.

(more…)

Bookmark this post

Hide Sites