"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

Look Ahead and Back: Cats vs. Cardinal

Compiled by Javier Morales

Arizona 2009-10 schedule
(Full schedule and statistics available at ArizonaWildcats.com)

Sean Elliott led the top-ranked Cats with 22 points in their upset loss at Stanford in 1988, the UA’s lone defeat in the Pac-10 that season

Feb. 3, 1979: Arizona 63, Stanford 62 – Arizona guard Russell Brown hit a 10-foot jumper as time expired to give the Cats the win in the first Pac-10 meeting of the teams at Palo Alto. The Wildcats also won for the first time in Maples Pavilion after four losses dating back to 1954. Brown scored Arizona’s last five points in the last 59 seconds and sparked the Wildcats’ comeback from an 11-point deficit earlier in the second half. Brown and Joe Nehls led Arizona with 15 points. Kimberly Belton led the Cardinal with 25.

Feb. 4, 1988: Stanford 82, Arizona 74 – Todd Lichti scored 23 points and Howard Wright 22 as Stanford scored the final 10 points of the game to upset No. 1-ranked Arizona, ending the Wildcats’ eight-game winning streak. Stanford, which trailed by 9 points in the first half, took control of the backboards in the final five minutes to shut out Arizona. Sean Elliott led the Wildcats with 22 points, but could not score after making a short jumper that put Arizona ahead for the last time at 74-72. Lichti then hit a 15-foot bank shot to start Stanford’s 10-0 streak, and ended it with two free throws. Arizona lost at Stanford five consecutive times including this game: 58-55 in 1985, 62-56 in 1986 and 75-73 in 1987 and 83-78 in 1989. It was Arizona’s only defeat in the Pac-10. The next time the Wildcats lost was two months later in their first Final Four appearance against Oklahoma.

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47.4 percent scoring contribution tops major-college programs

By Anthony Gimino and Javier Morales

On second thought, maybe we should not be all that surprised about the UA freshmen accounting for 94 percent (32 of 34 points) of the Wildcats’ scoring in the second half against Oregon on Thursday. The heavy contribution of newcomers follows suit from two previous major coaching changes within the program. When Fred Snowden was hired from Michigan in 1972, he brought along with him the Kiddie Korps duo of freshmen Eric Money and Coniel Norman from Detroit. Money and Norman scored a majority of the Cats’ points as freshmen, including Money’s 37 points in his first collegiate game. In Lute Olson’s case, the newcomers in his first season of 1983-84 who contributed the most were junior college transfers (Pete Williams and Eddie Smith), although freshmen guards Michael Tait and Steve Kerr were often key contributors.

With Sean Miller, the bulk contributions of the newcomers goes beyond two individuals. Miller can rely on Pac-10 Freshman of the Year candidate Derrick Williams along with a committee of versatile forward Solomon Hill and New York City products Lamont “MoMo” Jones and Kevin Parrom. Ukrainian big man Kyryl Natyazhko has not been as advanced as his freshmen counterparts — although he was one of the higher rated prospects coming in — but he had his best game against the Ducks with four points and five rebounds in 11 minutes. … According to StatSheet.com, only two other major-conference Division I schools have at least five freshmen and no more than two upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) like Arizona. They are Iowa (which like the Cats has five freshmen, one junior and one senior) and Washington State (which has eight freshmen, no juniors and one senior). The Wildcats depend on their freshmen far more than the Hawkeyes and Cougars — or any other major-college program for that matter. The UA frosh account for 47.4 percent of the team’s scoring (34.2 points per game out of 72.1 overall). Iowa’s percentage is 34.2 (24.3 points per game out of 70.9) while Wazzu’s mark is 33.2 (25 points per game out of 75.2). With such an influx of talent, and a brand new coaching staff, Arizona realistically should not be in line for postseason play. But with six games remaining, the Cats still have a chance. …

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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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Injured forward fills L.A.’s 12-man roster but won’t play

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:
>>Walton forced to be activated (L.A. Times)
>>Jefferson striving to fit in (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
>>Alamo Woes: These new-look Spurs lost in transition (New York Daily News)
>>Jefferson: We’re not as tenacious as we need to be (Hoops Hype)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

Excerpt of a Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise note about Luke Walton’s comeback from a back injury: Luke Walton’s injured back has responded well enough to shooting and rebounding drills the past few weeks that he’s hopeful he can return to practice this week and play again soon afterward. The reserve forward has missed all but nine games this season as a result of a pinched nerve in his lower back. “It’s frustrating,” Walton said. “You’ll walk around the house and feel good, but you’ve got to feel a lot better than good to play in this league. To be honest, I could probably go out and play right now, but we’re trying to get it where everything is strong and working together so that once I start playing, I don’t have to deal with any issues.”

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Injured forward fills broadcasting vacancy for team

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Houston (Budinger) at Philadelphia (Iguodala), 5 p.m.
Atlanta (Bibby) at Toronto, 5 p.m.
Dallas (Terry) at Miami, 5:30 p.m.
Portland (Bayless) at Cleveland, 6 p.m.
New York (Hill) at New Olreans, 6 p.m.
Charlotte at San Antonio (Jefferson), 6:30 p.m.
Orlando at Phoenix (Frye), 8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAME
Boston 104, Washington 102 (Arenas 25 pts, 3 reb, 8 ast)

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Post reporter answers questions about the Wizards, including Arenas (Washington Post)
>>Andre Iguodala featured in the Web site: YouGotDunkedOn.com
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

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Former UA guard scores season-high 34 points

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Philadelphia (Iguodala) at Charlotte, 5 p.m.
Denver at San Antonio (Jefferson), 6:30 p.m.
Atlanta (Bibby) at Dallas (Terry), 7 p.m.
Sacramento at Phoenix (Frye), 7 p.m.
Houston (Budinger) at Portland (Bayless), 8 p.m.

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Toronto 109, Washington 107 (Arenas 34 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), OT
New York 114 (Hill DNP) at Atlanta 107 (Bibby 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast)
Memphis 98, Dallas 82 (Terry 18 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast)

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Luke Walton injury update (InsideSoCal.com)
>>A look at Andre Iguodala’s latest Nike shoe (Dime Magazine)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

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His nine assists shows his team-player ability

TUESDAY’S GAMES
Washington 106 (Arenas 22 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast), Toronto 102
New York 126 (Hill 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast), Phoenix 99 (Frye 5 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast)
Miami 107, Portland 100 (Bayless 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast)

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (Tucson times)
Toronto at Atlanta (Bibby), 5 p.m.
Phoenix (Frye) at Cleveland, 5 p.m.
New York (Hill) at Orlando, 5 p.m.
Milwaukee at Washington (Arenas), 5 p.m.
Dallas (Terry) at New Jersey, 5:30 p.m.
Philadelphia (Iguodala) at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m.
Houston (Budinger) at L.A. Clippers, 8:30 p.m.

FEATURED EX-CAT LINKS:

>>Gilbertology: The study of Gilbert Arenas
>>Luke Walton interviewed about his injury (MyLakers.com Blog)
>>NBA & ABA players who attended the University of Arizona (Basketball-Reference.com)

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