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The last few days have been a downer

  • With losing the football recruit to Notre Dame and also losing to Washington, it has been kind of a downer being a cat fan the last few days. Our bball team just needs to ball up and win out and then win at least one pac-12 tourney game, or we will be in the NIT. It will make for a long summer if we can't get into the NCAA's, but I guess on the bright side, next years team shapes up to be good. Come on Cats - Bear Down!

    RoundCat

  • I was just flat out pissed about losing to UW again, but we can and probably should win out, so I am very optimistic.

    Losing what's his name and Daddy Dearest, though... yea, not really such a bummer. In fact I was happy we lost him because there is little chance anyone can live up tot he hype they themselves created and at 5'8" and 175lbs - he will not be such a big deal at the next level and there is nothing for a 5'8" to do in the NFL other than kick.

    "Arizona has no tradition" - Bill Walsh "We have a tradition of kicking Bill Walsh's ass" - Teddy Bruschi

    wineknow

  • I too was not pleased with the Washington loss. What's really irking me though is has anyone realized that the Wildcats haven't had a "high" seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2005?

    That's utterly amazing to me. Every year since, we've barely eeked our way into the tournament, including Olson's final seasons and that's just not good. I have faith in Miller turning the program around because the reality is the program needs some serious turning from almost 7 seasons of up and down basketball.

    The highest seed we've had was last year as the No. 5. I'd consider a 4-seed or better a high seed though.

    This post was edited by Gary Randazzo on 2/23/2012 at 1:56 AM

    National Basketball Recruiting Analyst & Publisher of Wildcat Sports Report

    Gary Randazzo ●

  • Losing twice to a team begins to say that they are better in at least the way they play us, so we can't be too angry at ourselves. The non-acceptance of the losses however, is a good thing, because it means we know where we should be.

    Many teams would give their school colors to be where Arizona has been.

    Part of being an elite program, and we are still, comes with all the expectations that we have set for ourselves.
    This year no, next year maybe, but whenever it comes, we are going to embark on another streak of many NCAA Tournament appearances. Can we exceed twenty-five? We very well could.

    This post was edited by RBob1 on 2/23/2012 at 8:30 AM

    RBob1

    RBob1

  • Elite? Us? Really?

    How many recent bad or mediocre seasons will it take before you think we're no longer considered "elite" ??

    I'd say we're a good program, with a strong history of winning a lot of games. And if you go back a few years, you'll see that we're pretty damn good.

    But honestly, I'd prefer to leave the stronger superlatives for the programs that have earned it. We made a really great tournament run last year. But other than that... we've been really mediocre for a number of years. Just look out our records.

    Bear Down Arizona

    Ben J

  • Making the tournament is a major accomplishment in itself. We maybe don't appreciate because we were so spoiled, but I'll take a low seed over no seed any day. I really believe that this year it is more critical for us than the past two. For Miller to keep moving forward with fans, recruits, media.... he just cannot miss the tourney.

    "Arizona has no tradition" - Bill Walsh "We have a tradition of kicking Bill Walsh's ass" - Teddy Bruschi

    wineknow

  • ELITE and don't you ever forget it.

    Time to nut up or shut up

    TewaWildcaT

  • Elite, really.
    Across the country among the press and broadcasters we are always considered right there with North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, and Kentucky, and the last two on that list by the way, have had their share of downers over the last 6-10 years.

    Those who are more recent fans, those who do not go back to the rise from 1983 through 2009 do not realize just how elite we have been. 25 years of tournament appearances, many Sweet-Sixteens, many Elite-Eights, and several Final Fours say in bold letters that we are Elite.

    RBob1

    RBob1

  • Hey RBob1 - don't hurt em by pointing out AZ's whole body of work, tradition and facts! thumbsup

    Sure AZ's play has been mediocre for a few years, but the ARIZONA PROGRAM is elite,

    Time to nut up or shut up

    TewaWildcaT

  • Arizona was elite...LAST YEAR. They were a shot rimmed out from the final four. Still an elite program.

    Wildcat_Brad

  • We weren't really ranked for most of the season last year. I wonder how many weeks Arizona has been ranked in the last 6 or 7 years. Probably not too many. Certainly not enough weeks to be considered Elite. Unless by elite, you really mean "better than mediocre"

    Bear Down Arizona

    Ben J

  • I think there are points on both side to the Elite argument. In another thread on another broad in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote that I thought you could not be elite until two different coaches had performed at an elite level for sustained periods.

    NOBODY groups us with Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas or UCLA - nor should they. If pointing out history makes us Elite, it catapults all of them off the planet. Even the youngest member of that group (UCLA) had a 30 year head start on us wining championships.

    IMO, we should be grouped with UConn, Michigan State, Syracuse, Florida, maybe Ohio State now, Louisville and I am probably forgetting a few. Most of those schools have multiple National Championships. We may have outperformed them for the 80's and 90's but in the past decade, UConn, Syracuse, Florida and Ohio State have zoomed past us.

    Also what do you do with Indiana? That's the only dynasty that has ever totally fallen from grace in BB. Sure, Kansas or UCLA or Kentucky have had rough patches but they haven't been relevant for the better part of two decades. "What up, Knight"? Still it's hard not to say they were one of the Elite programs of all time, because they were.

    I do think there are some over-hyped pretenders out there too that we should not be compared to or grouped with that I think we often are; Georgetown is #1. When is that publicity BS machine going end? Maryland never got over the hump. Texas, maybe Barnes is where Lute was after his first final four, I can see them being excellent for a long time. Oklahoma State is/has always been over rated. Arkansas was good for about 5 minutes but the SI book on college hoops is plastered with pictures and articles about Nolan Richardson (who left in disgrace, right?). Stanford under Monty - great program, always rooted for them but damn, how did they not ever get to a final four? Michigan - the fab five were a joke.

    I do think that Miller has real shot at doing something special here - being the second highly successful coach with a long tenure at AZ. A NC or even a few final fours will catapult us back to knocking on the door of the truly 'elite' schools - but we have a ways to go.

    "Arizona has no tradition" - Bill Walsh "We have a tradition of kicking Bill Walsh's ass" - Teddy Bruschi

    wineknow

  • Wildcat_Brad said...

    Arizona was elite...LAST YEAR. They were a shot rimmed out from the final four. Still an elite program.

    Yes and no we were also a couple of close calls away from being bounced in the first and second round. Last year the computers had us around 20th which I think is more accruate then the Elite 8 finish. Of course the trashing of Duke was epic.
    I won't consider us back until we are regularly a protected seed (4 or higher).

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by liver97 on 2/23/2012 at 2:55 PM

    liver97 ●

  • wineknow said...

    I think there are points on both side to the Elite argument. In another thread on another broad in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote that I thought you could not be elite until two different coaches had performed at an elite level for sustained periods.

    NOBODY groups us with Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas or UCLA - nor should they. If pointing out history makes us Elite, it catapults all of them off the planet. Even the youngest member of that group (UCLA) had a 30 year head start on us wining championships.

    IMO, we should be grouped with UConn, Michigan State, Syracuse, Florida, maybe Ohio State now, Louisville and I am probably forgetting a few. Most of those schools have multiple National Championships. We may have outperformed them for the 80's and 90's but in the past decade, UConn, Syracuse, Florida and Ohio State have zoomed past us.

    Also what do you do with Indiana? That's the only dynasty that has ever totally fallen from grace in BB. Sure, Kansas or UCLA or Kentucky have had rough patches but they haven't been relevant for the better part of two decades. "What up, Knight"? Still it's hard not to say they were one of the Elite programs of all time, because they were.

    I do think there are some over-hyped pretenders out there too that we should not be compared to or grouped with that I think we often are; Georgetown is #1. When is that publicity BS machine going end? Maryland never got over the hump. Texas, maybe Barnes is where Lute was after his first final four, I can see them being excellent for a long time. Oklahoma State is/has always been over rated. Arkansas was good for about 5 minutes but the SI book on college hoops is plastered with pictures and articles about Nolan Richardson (who left in disgrace, right?). Stanford under Monty - great program, always rooted for them but damn, how did they not ever get to a final four? Michigan - the fab five were a joke.

    I do think that Miller has real shot at doing something special here - being the second highly successful coach with a long tenure at AZ. A NC or even a few final fours will catapult us back to knocking on the door of the truly 'elite' schools - but we have a ways to go.

    well said. I agree with every one of your main points.

    Bear Down Arizona

    Ben J

  • liver97 said...

    until we are regularly a protected seed (4 or higher).

    Get ready liver, it's gonna be an annual thing again real soon! Then the bandwagon will start filling up (again). SMH.

    Time to nut up or shut up

    TewaWildcaT

  • wineknow said...

    I think there are points on both side to the Elite argument. In another thread on another broad in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote that I thought you could not be elite until two different coaches had performed at an elite level for sustained periods.

    NOBODY groups us with Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas or UCLA - nor should they. If pointing out history makes us Elite, it catapults all of them off the planet. Even the youngest member of that group (UCLA) had a 30 year head start on us wining championships.

    IMO, we should be grouped with UConn, Michigan State, Syracuse, Florida, maybe Ohio State now, Louisville and I am probably forgetting a few. Most of those schools have multiple National Championships. We may have outperformed them for the 80's and 90's but in the past decade, UConn, Syracuse, Florida and Ohio State have zoomed past us.

    Also what do you do with Indiana? That's the only dynasty that has ever totally fallen from grace in BB. Sure, Kansas or UCLA or Kentucky have had rough patches but they haven't been relevant for the better part of two decades. "What up, Knight"? Still it's hard not to say they were one of the Elite programs of all time, because they were.

    I do think there are some over-hyped pretenders out there too that we should not be compared to or grouped with that I think we often are; Georgetown is #1. When is that publicity BS machine going end? Maryland never got over the hump. Texas, maybe Barnes is where Lute was after his first final four, I can see them being excellent for a long time. Oklahoma State is/has always been over rated. Arkansas was good for about 5 minutes but the SI book on college hoops is plastered with pictures and articles about Nolan Richardson (who left in disgrace, right?). Stanford under Monty - great program, always rooted for them but damn, how did they not ever get to a final four? Michigan - the fab five were a joke.

    I do think that Miller has real shot at doing something special here - being the second highly successful coach with a long tenure at AZ. A NC or even a few final fours will catapult us back to knocking on the door of the truly 'elite' schools - but we have a ways to go.

    Basically I was going to agree with you too, Ben beat me to it. I think I've said almost everything you said in conversation with other fans before. Well said.

    blueleaf11

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