"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

Gimino’s offering and other information

By Anthony Gimino

Now that I’ve had time to digest Arizona’s loss to Arizona State, catch up on my Olympic curling and have a couple of cups of coffee, here are five thoughts on UA basketball:

1. Don’t blame Sean Miller just because he sat at the table when the bill was due.

Players leaving early, lost recruiting classes, two years of interim head coaches, all kinds of off-court drama, four systems in four seasons … none of this is Miller’s fault.

Amid all the uncertainty, Arizona duct-taped together NCAA Tournament seasons in each of the past two years, thanks to NBA talents such as Jerryd Bayless, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger.

Miller has a down-the-road NBA prospect in freshman Derrick Williams, who has to play out of position right now at center.

Take a look at an 18-year span of Arizona hoops, from 1987-88 to 2004-05. Amazingly, the Wildcats were no worse than a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament in all but two of those seasons.

Could Nic Wise have started for any of those teams? No.

Kyle Fogg? Definitely not.

Kevin Parrom? He’d probably be redshirting.

Jamelle Horne? He’d be a Gumby.

Derrick Williams? Yeah, he might have started for a few of those teams, but he mostly would have had to get behind a veteran in the frontcourt rotation.

Point is, let’s not kid ourselves about the talent Miller inherited.

Please read Gimino’s four other thoughts at TucsonCitizen.com

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In case you missed it, the times have been set for Arizona’s final two home games against UCLA and USC.

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Gimino talks to former UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will only do bench presses and interviews at the NFL scouting combine this week.

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Former UA point guard Mustafa Shakur is making a chance to advance to the NBA more realistic with his selection to the D-League All-Star game (DailyThunder.com).

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For USC, the squirming begins as it awaits the NCAA’s rulings on its infractions with the football and men’s basketball programs (New York Times).

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Despite a historic winning season, Cal basketball is pleading for fans (San Jose Mercury News).

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Another take on Cal’s home attendance woes, which should be interesting to take note of when Arizona visits on Thursday (CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com)

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A look back in the past week of quotes (Oregonian).

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Former UA forward Chase Budinger — strange to see him wear ASU-type colors for Houston — wins the T-Mobile NBA player of the week award (TheDreamShake.com).

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USC’s upset win over Washington damaging to conference

By Javier Morales

The more times teams in the upper half of the Pac-10 lose games they should not, the more likely it is the conference will embarrassingly have no more than two teams in the NCAA tournament.

If Cal wins the Pac-10 tournament, it is highly likely the Pac-10 will be represented only by the Golden Bears.

Give former UA interim coach Kevin O’Neill credit for rallying USC to a road win over Washington on Thursday night. But the Trojans’ win over the Huskies, who had a respectable RPI of 53 entering the game, makes it more likely that every team but Cal must win the Pac-10 tournament to land an automatic bid.

The Golden Bears’ 80-64 loss at Oregon State tightened the regular-season race as they are 9-5 with ASU and USC only a half-game behind at 8-5. Arizona and UCLA have only one more loss at 7-6.

However, winning the regular-season title in the Pac-10 this year is like winning the Great Alaska Shootout — Not much there other than a confidence booster for what lies ahead.

On to some of noteworthy links, including some involving Jordan Hill’s trade to Houston, where he will be reunited with former UA teammate Chase Budinger.

• Anthony Gimino of TucsonCitizen.com reports that Houston’s trade could be good for first-round bust Hill
  

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  Houston GM Daryl Morey is being lauded for the Rockets’ moves before the NBA trade deadline, including the acquisition of former UA center Jordan Hill as part of a three-team trade
• Houston general manager Daryl Morey tells the Houston Chronicle that he likes Hill’s potential
  

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• The Bleacher Report recently published a blog that stated Budinger should start for the Rockets
  

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• The Bleacher Report also published a rundown of the top 10 surprises the NBA trade deadline, one of which includes praising Morey for his impeccable moves
  

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• O’Neill tells the L.A. Times after tonight’s win over Washington that nobody thought the Trojans will still be in the Pac-10 race after 13 games
  

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• Washington coach Lorenzo Romar blames impatient play and ill-advised turnovers for his team’s loss at home to USC
  

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• Cal guard Jerome Randle tells the San Jose Mercury News that he is “very upset about tonight’s game” at Corvallis
  

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• The Oregonian reports that Ducks coach Ernie Kent defends his program after losing another game, this time to Stanford at Mac Court
  

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• UCLA routs Washington State on the road despite losing senior forward James Keefe for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury

UA standouts from last season together again with Rockets

RELATED LINK: Don’t write of Jordan Hill yet (Dime magazine)

By Javier Morales

How’s this for irony?

Two of Arizona’s Three Amigos — Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill — from a year ago are reunited in Houston, hometown of the other amigo: UA senior guard Nic Wise.

Hours before the NBA trade deadline Thursday, the Knicks shipped Hill, Kevin Martin and Jared Jeffries to the Rockets in exchange for Tracy McGrady as part of a three-team trade that included Sacramento.

The Kings are sending Sergio Rodriguez to the Knicks. Meanwhile, the Rockets are shipping Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey to Sacramento, which also receives the Knicks’ Larry Hughes.

There are many cases in which former Cats have played together in the NBA, most recently last year when Channing Frye and Jerryd Bayless were together in Portland. The reunion of Budinger and Hill is one of a few of its kind involving players who also played together at Arizona.

That list includes:

• Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler with the Bulls from 1994-98.
• Brian Williams, later known as Bison Dele was a teammate of Kerr of Buechler with the Bulls in 1996-97. Williams and Buechler were teammates with the Cats in 1989-90.
• Sean Elliott and Kerr with the Spurs from 1998-2001.
• Mike Bibby and Michael Dickerson with the Vancouver Grizzlies from 1999-2001.

Hill, the No. 8 selection in last year’s draft, becomes the third ex-Wildcat to be selected among the first 10 picks of his respective class by the Knicks only to be released or dealt in three seasons or less. Larry Demic was the ninth pick overall in the 1979 draft but his injury-riddled career ended in 1982 after only 206 games with the Knicks. Frye was traded by New York to Portland two years after the Knicks picked him eighth overall in 2005.

Demic, Hill and Frye were all power forward/centers at Arizona.

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Budinger and Frye pleasant surprises, others not faring well

ALL-STAR LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Chase Budinger rates as the 15th best rookie according to David Thorpe of Scouts, Inc. Jordan Hill ranks 39th.
• Former UA recruit Brandon Jennings talks about his surprising success in his rookie season with the Bucks
• ESPN reporter writes that former UA players Richard Jefferson and Mike Bibby are two of the biggest disappointments of the NBA season
• San Francisco Chronicle: For repentant athletes, Gilbert Arenas sets fine example
• Andre Iguodala “posterizes” LeBron James? Yes, he does in this video.
  

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  Jason Terry: Jim Rome correspondent at Dallas’ All-Star festivities

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  By Javier Morales

  One of the best recruiting pitches going for new UA coach Sean Miller these days are the 10 former Wildcats in the NBA. His message to recruits of the Classes of 2010, 2011 and even 2012: You can get there from here.

  If, for example, the Sixers’ Andre Iguodala makes ESPN’s Top 10 plays of the day — which is the norm more than the exception — chances are Miller or his assistants tell a recruit, “Check out ESPN’s top 10 plays. Did you see what Iguodala did? You know he played at Arizona right?”

  Iguodala, Phoenix free-agent acquisition Channing Frye, Houston rookie forward Chase Budinger and Dallas veteran Jason Terry have played well enough at the All-Star break to be shining examples for the Arizona program. While the season has seen some extraordinary individual performances — including Terry’s 36 points against Golden State on Monday — some of the ex-Wildcats are hoping for a reversal of fortunes.

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Averaging 8.2 points per game for Rockets

MONDAY’S GAMES (Tucson times) L.A. Clippers at San Antonio (Jefferson), 6:30 p.m. Cleveland at Phoenix (Frye), 7 p.m.

TOP ‘09-’10 SCORING PERFORMANCES Arenas (Dec. 18 vs. GSW) … 45 Terry (Nov. 4 vs. NOR) … 35 Arenas (Dec. 4 vs. TOR) … 34 Arenas (Dec. 16 vs. SAC) … 33 Iguodala (Oct. 31 vs. NYK) … 32 Arenas (Nov. 4 vs. MIA) …32 Arenas (Oct. 31 vs. NJN) … 32

SUNDAY’S GAMES
Portland 102 (Bayless 6 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast), Miami 95
Dallas 102 (Terry 19 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast), Cleveland 95
New York (Hill DNP) 98, Charlotte 94

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Jason Terry finds ways to contribute (Dallas Morning News)
>>Arenas, Wizards start to get swagger back (Washington Times)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

Excerpt from Houston Chronicle article about Chase Budinger’s injury status Rockets guard Chase Budinger will be out two to three weeks with a sprained right ankle. Budinger turned the ankle on a drive in the second quarter of Saturday’s 95-90 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He underwent an MRI on Sunday. Budinger is averaging 8.2 points and three rebounds, having made 40.9 percent of his shots.

Second-round pick proving his worth

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Memphis at Atlanta (Bibby), 5 p.m.
Cleveland at Philadelphia (Iguodala), 5 p.m.
Dallas (Terry) at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m.
Houston (Budinger) at Denver, 7 p.m.
Washington (Arenas) at Sacramento, 8:30 p.m.
San Antonio (Jefferson) at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.

TUESDAY’S GAMES
Charlotte 94, New York 87 (Hill DNP)
Houston 107 (Budinger 16 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast), Detroit 96
Phoenix 116 (Frye 15 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast), San Antonio 104 (Jefferson 4 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast)
Portland 95 (Bayless 14 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast), Sacramento 88

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Iguodala may move from shooting guard to small forward (Philadelphia Inquirer)
>>Valley-bed Frye happy to be with Suns (Arizona Republic)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

Excerpt from a Houston Chronicle article about Budinger’s first career NBA start: With Trevor Ariza serving a one-game suspension, rookie Chase Budinger got the first start of his career Tuesday. “It’s pretty cool, I guess,” Budinger said. “It’s unfortunate that Trevor is not able to play. Now I can at least say I’ve started a game in the NBA.” Budinger, a 6-7 small forward averaging 8.6 points on 41.2 percent shooting, said there was an adjustment to coming off the bench as a rookie, but did not anticipate difficulties getting used to starting again. “Your whole life you’re a starter,” Budinger said. “All of us have started on our high school, club teams, college teams. It’s an adjustment coming off the bench, not the other way around.” Indeed, Budinger had little trouble. He posted a double-double with 16 points on six of 11 shooting to go with 12 rebounds in the 107-96 victory over Detroit.

After ex-UA forward struggles, he bounces back big

SATURDAY’S GAMES (Tucson times)
Indiana at Washington (Arenas), 5 p.m.
Charlotte at Dallas (Terry), 6:30 p.m.
Portland (Bayless) at Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m.
Phoenix (Frye) at Denver, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Houston 96 (Budinger 15 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast) at Philadelphia 91 (Iguodala 24 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast)
Atlanta 111 (Bibby 8 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast) at Toronto 89
Dallas 196 (Terry 16 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast) at Miam 93
Cleveland 104, Portland 99 (Bayless 2 pts, 0 reb, 2 asts)
New York 113 (Hill DNP) at New Olreans 96
San Antonio 104 (Jefferson 17 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast) 85
Phoenix 106 (Frye 5 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast), Orlando 103

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Who’s better? Jason Terry or Manu Ginobli? (Dime Magazine)
>>Channing Frye among top surprise contributors (NBA Noise)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

Excerpt from a Houston Chronicle article about Chase Budinger’s bouncing back to lead Rockets to a win over Philadelphia: Chase Budinger bounced back from Wednesday’s 0-for-5 shooting night to help key the success of the Rockets’ bench in Friday’s win over the 76ers. This should not have come as a surprise, however. He has done it repeatedly this season. In the four games that followed games in which Budinger struggled most, going a combined 2-for-27, he has hit a combined 21 of 39 shots, averaging 12 points. He made six of eight shots for 15 points Friday. “It’s a real telling sign,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “It just shows he’s going to be a solid player. He really struggled against Cleveland but he came right in tonight, and in the second quarter and in the fourth quarter he made two or three big shots when we needed baskets. He’s been a guy that responds. It’s kind of typical of our team.”