Arizona Wildcats
Good Wins: San Diego State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Washington, UCLA
Bad Losses: at Stanford
Strengths:
1. Athleticism. Even without expatriate recruit Brandon Jennings, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and Nic Wise form the most athletic trio on the est Coast. All three possess a dynamite slashing ability and attack the basket with ferocity. Hill and Budginger in particular have tremendous springs, though Budinger’s lateral movement on defense leaves something to be desired. But the ‘Cats as a whole can get up and down the floor with anyone in the country.
2. Chemistry. The adversity this team has been through thanks to the turmoil caused by Lute Olson’s on-again, off-again status as coach in the last 18 months has helped them grow as a unit. So did the well-publicized boot to throat incident that Chase Budinger suffered in a game against the Houston Cougars in late January. Wise has done a fantastic job as floor general in regulating Zona’s pace and flow, feeding the ball to the post with a deft touch. If Hill or Budinger is double-teamed, neither is shy about kicking the rock out to Zane Johnson, who more often than not has drilled open threes down the stretch.
Weaknesses:
1. Defense. Perhaps the only thing last year’s team did better than this one is defend–a fact which reflects a change in mindset from interim coach Kevin O’Neill to interim coach Russ Pennell. O’Neill’s grind-it-out style clearly conflicted with both the mindset and skill set of the players Lute Olson had recruited, and without the hyper-intense attention to D emphasized by O’Neill, these ‘Cats can sometimes get lackadaisical on the defensive end.
2. Depth. Arizona is really only six deep. It’s been a game of musical chairs between Jamelle Horne, Zane Johnson, and Kyle Fogg for the remaining two slots in Arizona’s starting five, and more often than not lately it’s been Johnson and Fogg. Alex Jacobson and Fendi Onobun provide some nice beef inside, though it must be said Onobun’s career at Arizona has been a little disappointing. This puts tremendous pressure on Hill to avoid foul trouble.
Other Factors:
Bench: See above.
The Departing: Arizona will likely be starting with a fresh slate next year, both on the bench and and on the floor. Both Hill and Budinger are expected to enter the NBA Draft at the end of this season. Wise should still be around to run the team but this remains his best chance to make a deep Tournament run.
Tournament Prediction:
Arizona has been a terrible road team all season (just 2-7 in the Pac-10, with both wins coming at the Oregon schools). Against the right team they could pull a first-round upset but it’s hard to see them going any further than that.
I know that the NCAA tourney is not a competition between the 64 top teams in the nation (although it should be), but even still, don’t you think AZ deserves a tournament bid given the adversity they have overcome? This fact coupled with their lack of depth makes their 18 (hopefully 19) wins this season all the more impressive. Don’t forget that several of those road losses were by a slim margin and could of been avoidded less the poor play of Horne…
Posted on March 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm | Comment PermalinkI know that the NCAA tourney is not a competition between the 64 top teams in the nation (although it should be), but even still, don’t you think AZ deserves a tournament bid given the adversity they have overcome? This fact coupled with their lack of depth makes their 18 (hopefully 19) wins this season all the more impressive. Don’t forget that several of those road losses were by a slim margin and could of been avoided less the poor play of Horne…
Posted on March 6th, 2009 at 4:30 pm | Comment PermalinkArizona is one of the best programs in the West.Their ability to consistently produce contenders should be taken into account when selecting tournament teams.It is a shame that the tournament does not always truly represent the best teams in the nation.Arizona always plays a tough non-conference schedule as well as in confernece and is a team that can always make a run at the title.I hope they can keep their streak of tournament appearances alive.Go Cats!
Posted on March 14th, 2009 at 6:15 pm | Comment PermalinkArizona got in on it’s “history” last season and went out in the first round. A 63 RPI, 2-9 road record, and losing five of last six says NO SOUP FOR YOU. Quit whining and go quietly into irrelevance.
Posted on March 14th, 2009 at 7:43 pm | Comment PermalinkArizona has four wins outside the state of Arizona. (Gonzaga was in Phoenix which is a home game in all ways except the gym.) Here are the RPI’s of Arizona four road wins: 333, 197, 179, 154. Not a single “good” win outside the State of Arizona.
“This fact coupled with their lack of depth makes their 18 (hopefully 19) wins this season all the more impressive.”
Lack of depth is just another reason NOT to select Arizona. The reality is Arizona had as much depth as the others and more than some, they just weren’t good enough to play.
Posted on March 14th, 2009 at 11:22 pm | Comment Permalink