Amusing Wildcats

by Nestor on Jan 5, 2007 6:30 AM PST in Basketball Comment 37 comments

So, the Arizona Wildcats won a big a basketball game last night beating the talented Washington Huskies in Seattle. The media is raving about crazy Lute's basketball team. And it looks like some of Lute's thugs are buying into the hype. From the AP wire which, of course, is all over the internets (emphasis mine)

Sure, UCLA is undefeated and No. 1 in nation.

But while the rest of the Pac-10 and country is trying to measure up to the Bruins, surging Arizona is beginning to think it is the standard against which UCLA should be comparing itself. [...]

"We're the standard. I don't think they are the standard," Williams said of the Bruins.

These little kitties are so damn amusing. Sounds like they are having a ball playing Lute's glorified version of jungle ball. Good for them.

I am sure our Ben Ball warriors are not going to get too worked up over a team (led by a has-been head coach), they handled decisively not once, but three times last season. Like I said amusing.

Back to thinking about the Ducks.

GO BRUINS.

0 recs | Comment 37 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

i don't want to overlook

oregon, suc, and asu. I'm sure this team won't be doing so either. Arizona is really talented but the only players that scare me a little are Marcus Williams, Budinger, and McClellan.

I have zero respect for Mustafa Shakur's game. The reason we beat up on Washington was their inferior back court. DC will destroy Shakur (like Farmar and him did last year). Radenovic has a nice game and is less weak than is years past, but can't do anything against UCLAs athletic frontline (he had 8 points and 6 TOs last night).

Budinger and Williams are good players. We had no answer for Williams last year, but we beat Zona three times. McClellan is a streak shooter who was hitting deep threes last night. We match up Shipp, Afflalo, and the Prince against those three.

BH will keep the games in more control than Romar did last night. UCLA plays more organized and much better defense. Plus are bench is a lot better. Once Dragovic gets it going we'll be 11 deep. I see teams keeping up with us in the first half, but BH is confident and rotates his stars out enough so that they're more fresh while the other teams get worn out in the second half.

Arizona could beat us, but to say they're the class of the Pac 10 beating washington by 10, the game after we beat them by over 20..

by stephons on Jan 5, 2007 7:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I don't want to flame...

Stanford fan here, but the kid has a point.

I think Marcus Williams is spot on here...

It's not disrespect, it's the truth.

Like it or not, Arizona's program is the standard for excellence in the Pac-10 since Lute got there.
There have been other teams that have put together nice 3-5 year runs (Stanford, Oregon, UW), and UCLA has been up and down, but Arizona is the standard, and will be until Lute leaves.

1 year doesn't make your program the standard.

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 8:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not to point out the obvious that you're a moron

But since when did Lute showing up in the Pac-10 become the measuring time frame? Or where in the article did it indicate that Williams was talking about that exact time frame? If you read (if they still require that skill at Stanford), the article refers to Arizona thinking that they're the best team in the nation RIGHT NOW.

BTW, don't you have your own blog to go play in? Oh yeah, that's right, Stanford sucks now so there's nothing to talk about there. Actually, it's ALWAYS sucked, because all you get to see hanging in Maples is your 1942 chamionship banner and your 98 Final Four banner. That's nice.

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 8:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Stanford lost to Lavin at home

more than once.

yeah their fans are trying to spout off about Standards.

This guy sounds like a bigger tool than Floyd. And didn't know if that was possible.

by bluestreet on Jan 5, 2007 9:06 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

A Stanford fan trying to make a point on hoops.

by bluestreet on Jan 5, 2007 9:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess at FURD they define things a little

differently. I suppose being "the standard" to you guys means "annual flameouts in the tournament to lesser teams", something you guys sure know a lot about. I can see why you'd admire someone like Olson considering he's made a career of pissing away great talent with mediocre tournament results, because in that regard, Furd is "the standard", like it or not.

Just because our program was Lavinized doesn't mean that we haven't been paying attention to Furd's tournament ineptitude, considering how you've embarassed the conference time and time again at the Big Dance. So if I were you, I'd put a hold on the opinions, because while you and Big Mouth Marcus may believe that the mildcats are "the standard", there are 72 sportswriters and 31 coaches that believe otherwise. That just about makes your opinion irrelevant, kind of like Furd hoops.

by Tydides on Jan 5, 2007 9:17 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Why are my posts deleted?

Just because I went to Stanford?

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 9:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Your posts

You start your first comment with BN this on the number 1 ranked team in the nation, which by every knowledgable hoops observer in the country has proclaimed as firmly back as one of the elites in college hoops:

1 year doesn't make your program the standard.

And then when you get beat up over that asinine assertion, in a subsequent (deleted) post (retort as you call it) you categorized Bruin fans as "classless."

Now little buddy if you whine one more time, you will be gone. Period. Take your whining somewhere else.

by Nestor on Jan 5, 2007 9:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't say all Bruin fans as

"classless," just the one that called me a moron.

We could have a little friendly banter here, it would probably bring up your 'hit' total.

The Bruins have a great team, great tradition, and a great future, I didn't mean any disrespect...but on the other hand, in my opinion, Arizona still has your number in the Pac 10. They have had one down year (last year) out of the past 20 years, yet they still won 20 games and went to the tourney.

I am looking forward to some great match ups watching your programs fight it out this year. Hopefully next year, we will be fighting it out with you guys also...

Peace.

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 9:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hit total

we don't really care much about the hit total on BN. There are plenty of message boards for banters with other teams where you can exchange one liners which sooner or later devolves into flame threads.

This is a place dedicated for discussion among UCLA alums, students, and fans. Everyone else if you want to stay here then you probably don't want to start off your first post which clearly came across slighting a UCLA basketball program, which by all accounts has once again become the premiere program in the West Coast.

by Nestor on Jan 5, 2007 9:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Exhibit A of why your opinion

should not, and does not, matter.

Keep ignoring the fact that Big Mouth Marcus, as a sophomore, has only known 3 beatdowns at the hands of UCLA on his watch. Yup, there's a guy that's qualified to mouth off. It only makes you look more foolish to stick up for this dumbass.

by Tydides on Jan 5, 2007 9:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess we will see on Jan 20th...

The Arizona team is night and day from last year. They key is Shakur. The dude looks like a completely different player this year; but he does seem like a mental midget and maybe Darren Collison will rattle him...

The additions of Budinger and McClennan doesn't hurt either.

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 9:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I kindly ask that you grow a pair

Marcus williams may be a loudmouth ass, but you're probably worse, because at least he came out and said what his piece and is now receiving the proper grilling over his stupid remarks. You, however, hide behind the "no offense, I'm just a Furd fan, BUT" smokescreen. Not only has your jocking of zona's program been disproved, but now that you've been left high and dry, you're trying to take on ownership of that program like it was your own. Grow a pair and back your own team.

by Tydides on Jan 5, 2007 11:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Classless?

At least I called you out directly, instead of hiding under a "I don't want to flame" message heading. Trying to pretend to be neutral, but really trying to start some "banter" on a site that you've never posted on before with inflammatory nonsense, yeah, that shows real class.

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 9:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not deleting your posts

but I'm assuming they're being deleted because you're making statements that are not on-point (by making some ridiculous claim that the P-10 standard is only measured by some arbitrary timeframe as determined by Lute's coaching tenure) even though nothing in the original post or article seems to indicate the standard being measured by anything other than this present moment in time.

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 9:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

FURD fans are worse than SC

I was at the UCLA-Furd game last yaerr (2005) when we came way back to win in the 4th quarter . . . the embittered octogenarians filling the Furd alumni section were so rude to my wife (even though my MBA is from the Fur's GSB) and I throughout that she begged me to leave in the 4th quarter and we missed the come back. Things were so bad outside the "stadium" that I actually wished we were at the Coliseum! FURD SUCKS, GO BRUINS!

by charnaw on Jan 5, 2007 11:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry Chris

but you're wrong because Ben Howland isn't changing and will demand what he is getting from these players until he is gone. You think the sweep of Arizona last year was a fluke? Beating UCLA basketball is only going to get more difficult, especially with our 2007 and 2008 classes that are coming. Howland is the most competitive coach in the Pac-10 and that makes him the best.

by bruin95 on Jan 5, 2007 11:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Williams is remembering . . .

when Tim Floyd noted that Arizona was the standard in the Pac-10 when he took the job with USC. Desperate to hang on to that title, I can see where Williams is coming from.

However, I'm not sure we can get to mad at Williams for saying that. If I was on Arizona, or coached on the team, I wouldn't want my players to say anything different. Had Williams said UCLA is the standard, he would have been murdered in the Arizona media.

I am looking foward to UCLA v. Arizona - a tough game for sure. But then again, every game will be tough this year.

by rfirpo on Jan 5, 2007 8:34 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Last April, Timmy dumped Arizona

as his "standard" like a hot potato, and picked up Florida as his new "standard." What a joker.

by bornagainbruin on Jan 5, 2007 3:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's a Shame . . .

that Arizona lost that opener to Virginia. If they were undefeated, then they would be getting a lot more hype nationally, and it would be that much sweeter when we take them down.

by vanaaron on Jan 5, 2007 8:47 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Lighten Up, Francis

"Any of you homos say UCLA is better than Arizona, and I'll kill you!"

Easy there, skippy. The Pac 10 is a brutal conference. If I were Arizona, I would be worried about getting past a solid Washington St. team in Pullman first. Washington St. is just the type of team that can take all of the hot Arizona air out of Williams' head . . .

by Koach Karl I on Jan 5, 2007 8:48 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ben needs to save this quote and

show it to our players before the Arizona game. There's some motivation.

BTW, Arizona being the standard of the conference? Laughable. 1 NC does not equal 11.

by BruinFanatic1988 on Jan 5, 2007 8:55 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Fine

I want my money back for last season's Pac-10 tournament semi-final. If Arizona was the standard, why did they get slaughtered? It wasn't even a game. Arizona's defense last night was awful. Come back when you've beaten a top 10 team.

by alcor805 on Jan 5, 2007 9:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

What standard

are we talking about right now? Is the standard a team that plays no defense and just lets its players run free and wild? Or is it a team that plays together, with a tough defense and the ability to match up to any type of opponent so far?

Sure, Arizona's record of the last 10 years is probably better and they have done better in the Pac-10. But I don't care about standards, they don't win games for you.

Lute has been great at one thing: bringing top notch talent to Arizona. I don't think he teaches particularly good fundamentals or defense but he does get good performance out of his players...unlike the Lavinator.

by tasser10 on Jan 5, 2007 9:18 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thoughts on the AZ-UW game

AZ has no bench. When AZ had 2-3 backups were in the game in the first half, UW went on a 22-4 run, which was stopped when AZ put its starters back in and Romar put a completely on-fire Pondexter and Hawes (with 2 fouls) on the bench at the same time.

AZ has several big-shot shooters. The first half was like the Bird-Jordan horse game; each team responding to the other with a more ridiculous shot than the last. Shakur hit 3 long treys in a row and McClellan showed serious range in both halves, knocking down dagger shots like he thinks his name is Afflalo.

Don't waste it on defense. In second half, neither team wanted to waste any energy on the defensive side of the ball, so each team seemed to get a layup with about 29 seconds left on the shot clock. No D at all. It was pure street ball.

But they could if they wanted to. Both teams have good athletes who can defend a man one-on-one, but neither team has any concept of TEAM defense. Once a player broke down his man, it was smooth, unimpeded sailing to the hoop. No double teams. No weakside help. No shots were contested. Guys went through the motions on defense, tried to make it look like they were playing tough, but they weren't tough, just trying to make it look like they were. Reminds me of several UCLA teams under its previous coach.

You gotta at least try! Hawes completely stopped defending once he picked up his 3rd or 4th foul. Wouldn't even move his feet. Completely useless. Howland would have benched him.

What does it mean to us? Arizona has serious offensive firepower. Certainly its best offense since 2001. But our best BenBall defense will make them work. They will either get worn out or have to play with their bench, which really impairs their offense. Although its defenders are capable of getting into lanes and creating 1-on-1 match up problems for us, we will be able to break down their D with screens, passes and cuts and get enough easy hoops to win.

Marcus Williams can say what he wants, but they are in for a rude awakening when they head to Pauley and face our relentless defensive pressure.

by BruinsRule on Jan 5, 2007 10:09 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Like I said before the Wazzu, UDub games

I knew Wazzu was going to give us problems for a while since they have a strong committment to the D, but that high-powered offensive-minded teams like UDub, Michigan, etc, were going to prove no match.

It really comes down to this, if you have no D, you're still in a "shotgun" mode frame of mind, hoping that once the dust settles, you've still managed to score a few more times than the other side. An off-night for your O, especially created when a D like the Bruins bring, create frustration and desperation that leads to low-% shots being low-%.

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 11:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Arizona's defense isn't that bad...

Defensive FG%

UCLA - .424
Az - .426

It just might look bad considering the amount of possessions the other team gets due to their offense...

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 11:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's fine

We'll use possessions as a key then:

Team/Defensive Effeciency-Points/100 possessions (Rank)/Adj. DE-adjusted for site played & recentness (Rank):

UCLA/87.9(20)/82.9(9)
Arizona/101.7(172)/94.4(83)

And for S&G:

Washington/100.5(149)/96.3(106)
Stanford/95.3(88)/90.3(47)

Shoot, even Stanford is a better defensive team. And that's saying a lot.

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 11:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hopefully for Stanfurd's sake

they won't be scheduling UC Davis in the future!

by godblesstyus95 on Jan 5, 2007 12:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

ain't that the truth...

in football too.

Oye.

I think we have a nice little core up here on the farm, still not sold on Johnson though.

by ChrisHernandez on Jan 5, 2007 12:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Amount of possessions

you mean the frenetic, up and down, streetball pace that Zona always plays?

Yes, I have seen them play, and their defense is "better" than years past. Maybe Lute got a clue, after getting spanked last year 3 times, that maybe Howland is on to something with this defense thing. Still, their D is not as good as the Bruins, who also average 9.0 steals per game (compared to Zona's 6.5) and have more blocks (3.6 to 3.2).

by godblesstyus95 on Jan 5, 2007 11:56 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good thing we also can get years past as well

2006

UCLA/92.7(23)/85.1(3)
Arizona/97.6(77)/93.2(43)

2005

UCLA/100.0(133)/94.8(58)
Arizona/98.1(82)/92.9(40)

2004

UCLA/103.6(231)/98.1 (116)
Arizona/103.5(226)/98.9 (132)

As you can see, Arizona's actually getting worse. Maybe it's because it's still early in the season, but these possession-based stats, as this "Chris Hernandez" character wanted to see, shows that at least in this point in time, UCLA is much better than Arizona in defense. Shoot, Arizona is only 7th in the P10 in adjusted DE and DEAD LAST in raw DE.

BTW, I forgot to properly credit Ken Pomeroy's blog at kenpom.com for all this info. Thanks!

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 12:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

One more thing

Don't take my word for it, ask Old Man Lute himself:

"But we still have to figure out a way to stop people," Arizona coach Lute Olson said, trying to keep his high-flying 'Cats grounded entering Saturday's game at resurgent Washington State (13-2, 2-1).

by stevenucla on Jan 5, 2007 12:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No, it's got nothing to do with that.

They don't help out. They don't move their feet well. They don't fight through screens. They don't contest many shots. They don't get down and WORK on defense. Instead, they use defense as a time to take a deep breath and get ready for their offensive fireworks show. Due to their tremendous firepower, they can outscore most teams, but this "strategy" won't work against UCLA, WSU or USC (to name a few). Plus, they need the time to rest because their bench doesn't give them anything.

FG percentages are irrelevant without context (quality of opposition, 3s vs 2s) and even with that context, they are only one measure of defensive effectiveness.

by BruinsRule on Jan 5, 2007 2:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Standards Shmandards!

When you have more NCAA Titles hanging in your arena then ours you can talk. Period. The End!

by bruinelder on Jan 5, 2007 10:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Lute's Standard for Excellence

Hmm... let's see. Lute Olson took over in 1983, and has led the Wildcats to the tournament 22 times. Of those 22 visits to the tournament he has:

Lost in the 1st round: 8 times
Lost in the 2nd round: 3 times
Made the Final Four: 4 times
Won a Championship: 1 time

So, I guess the "standard of excellence" is not making it out of the 1st weekend of the tournament exactly half the times you've entered it, and only winning one championship during that tenure (same as UCLA, and we even endured the dark Lavin years during Lute's tenure). And this, granted, is with some very good talent at his disposal. Not impressive. Not at all. Your argument is weak. Just like your Stanfurd basketball team.

by godblesstyus95 on Jan 5, 2007 11:33 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

But the true standard of excellence at Stanford

is obviously the band. Really a class act and sooooo laden with talent. And the stupid tree mascot is what separates the Leland Stanford Junior Farm from the rest of us. Yep, nothing but class up the coast at Stanford. Sort of like the class across town at south central. Nothing but class.

by Fox 71 on Jan 5, 2007 11:40 AM PST reply actions 0 recs