Game Thread: Oregon @ AZ

[520GGATO]

Only 6 players with consistent minutes. If nobody steps up this team is going to be worn out by the time the tourny starts. That won't be good. Someone else is going to get minutes. It's a given.
Miller knows what he's doing. Don't swet it. Everthing is gonna be alright. Maybe a little tuffer, but this team thrives on being tuff.

 

[The Derski]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GlCFmSsTE8]2013/ 2014 Arizona Wildcats - Dunked On - YouTube[/ame]

 

[dcZONAfan]

i'll be honest guys. I disagree with a lot of what you have said. THIS team only wins if we don't see much of korcheck, pitts, and mayes. If they could play, they would have played already. There is a reason they haven't, and it's that they aren't ready.

Consider this (at least with Pitts)...If this was LAST year and we had to depend on Gabe York all of a sudden to help us make a run at the national championship, do you really think he would have been able to help? Simply, no he couldn't, and the same can be said for Korcheck as well. THAT is why they haven't played. They simply aren't good enough, and Miller knew that. The only way were were going to be the best team is if he continued to mold this team into the unit it was becoming. Injuries happen, but are you really expected to plan for a season ending injury? Absolutely not. That is the kind of injury that can't be helped by this "depth" you guys are looking for. Korcheck might have helped fill in for a few games during conference play had ashley, gordon, or Zeus sprained his ankle. BUT in order to win a national championship we needed our studs all year, and we needed to NOT be playing Korcheck, Pitts, and Mayes any real minutes during the tourney. Miller knew this, and that's why he coached the team the way he did.

 

[CatsTopPac]

i'll be honest guys. I disagree with a lot of what you have said. THIS team only wins if we don't see much of korcheck, pitts, and mayes. If they could play, they would have played already. There is a reason they haven't, and it's that they aren't ready.

Consider this (at least with Pitts)...If this was LAST year and we had to depend on Gabe York all of a sudden to help us make a run at the national championship, do you really think he would have been able to help? Simply, no he couldn't, and the same can be said for Korcheck as well. THAT is why they haven't played. They simply aren't good enough, and Miller knew that. The only way were were going to be the best team is if he continued to mold this team into the unit it was becoming. Injuries happen, but are you really expected to plan for a season ending injury? Absolutely not. That is the kind of injury that can't be helped by this "depth" you guys are looking for. Korcheck might have helped fill in for a few games during conference play had ashley, gordon, or Zeus sprained his ankle. BUT in order to win a national championship we needed our studs all year, and we needed to NOT be playing Korcheck, Pitts, and Mayes any real minutes during the tourney. Miller knew this, and that's why he coached the team the way he did.

No worries man, disagreements make for better discussion. I personally am not saying that Korchek should have been in the rotation, for the reasons you give. But I do think that Korchek should have been the king of garbage minutes. When we were up by 20-25+, I think he should have been out there until (if) we got back down to under 20 points ahead. And there were 10 games where that was the case. Now, Korchek played in most of those games. But I just don't agree with him getting so little time, when those games provided great opportunities for him to get more minutes of experience, while the game is out of hand.

I think we could all agree that our weakness in personnel this year was two-fold: first, we lack a good backup PG. NJ suffices, but he isn't necessarily a backup. It's what he is used for, but that puts a lot of eggs in his basket, and it doesn't cover up for the real problem of not having someone to come off the bench to plug in at PG and keep the rest of the rotation in order. That is why Miller really leans on Mayes to get minutes almost every game. I think he's doing the right thing there. It doesn't give him a lot of minutes, but it gives him a lot of looks against different teams. Him playing 19 of 22 games is fine with me, because he is only playing like 5 mpg. I'd like to see the same with Pitts. By that, I would like to see Pitts play over any of the walkons, at every opportunity. Absolutely no reason to take him out during garbage minutes.

Same with Korchek. Because I think our biggest personnel issue this year is not having almost any depth in the front court. Just shifting AG over and bringing in RHJ is not depth, its covering a problem with by moving a starter over. Now, just like moving NJ over, I think there is great value in doing that. It adds versatility to the rotation to utilize against different lineups. But when the game is out of hand, those guys all need to get out and stay out, until they are needed again. THis does two things. First, it gives the 7 man rotation some rest for later in the season when the back end of the Pac schedule is tougher, and leads right into the 3-games-in-3-days Pac tourney. Second, it gives a player like Korchek all the garbage minutes in the world to couple in-game development and experience, with what he gets in practice.

I think that injuries, foul trouble, or really bad off-games are a commonplace in CBB at the end of a season--for almost every team. As the season rolls on for players who play 30+ minutes a game, they get tired and sloppy with fouls, hurt, or just have bad games. And if/when that happens, the bench becomes so important. If coaches load up on minutes and depend on players to frontload playing time at the beginning of the season, then there just isn't anyone there at the end. The players who are not in the rotation are rather rusty, and have not had much of any in-game experience. Because the reasons why teams need deep benches toward the end of the season (injuries, fouls, and to a lesser extent, bad games) are so common, bringing players in who are just outside of the rotation during garbage minutes is that much more important. And think about it, the guys don't get any better by staying in to extend a lead from 20-25 to 30-35. There is no reason to keep them in.

My point with Korchek is this: We were up by 26 at halftime on LBSU. Guys like Mellon, Peters, and Conklin got a total of 13 minutes. I understand that some of that time was played while Korchek was on the court, but when you are up by 26 in the first half, there is no reason why Mayes (who did, with 14 minutes), Pitts, and Korchek aren't brought into circulation. Fuck the walkons, unless Mayes, Pitts, and Korchek are getting double digit minutes, and are extending the lead. And even then, I think they should be kept in to get time. It definitely helps them. Hell, Pitts didn't even play! I don't know why not, maybe he was sick. If so, cool. But Korchek only played 7 minutes, same as Peters. That's crazy for Korchek to get as much PT as Peters.

We were up by 27 on FDU at half. Pitts and Mayes both got double digit minutes (Pitts got 5 points in 11 minutes), but Korchek only got 8 minutes. 8 minutes when we were up by 27 at half and won by 50???? His ass should have been in for a whole half! He got 3 points and 3 boards in 8 minutes. He should have been in getting good minutes. We were up 24 at half against URI. Korchek played 3 minutes. That's fucking crazy. Zach Peters played that much, that's unacceptable. Your argument that if Korchek doesn't do well enough to play then he shouldn't play, but he is getting the same minutes in these games as Peters, and he is definitely better than Peters. And Korchek played 1 fucking minute against Texas Tech. I get that it was a closer game, but the game was out of reach before the last minute. One minute is an insult to anyone with a scholarship.

Same with NMSU. Only up 8 at half, but then we blow them out by 18 in the second half to beat them by 26. Korchek gets 3 minutes. There is no reason why he shouldn't have been put in with at least 6 minutes left when we are already up by 20. Put him in with the rest of the starters if it's that big of a deal, so that it's not like he goes in with only bench guys out there with him. But he needs to be one of the first guys in there when the game is out of reach. Not just waiting until we're up by 25 and then doing a 5 man swap. NAU, we're up 24 at half, and he gets 7 minutes. There is no reason why BA and AG should be playing over 30 mpg when we are up by more than 20 for over half the game. Korchek went 1-1 from the field with a block and a rebound. No reason why he shouldn't have played double digit minutes.

We get into Pac play. Holy fuck we were up 28-7 on WSU at the half. And before this game was what threw up the red flag for me. Zeus is out with a sprained ankle. A perfect game to start Korchek, or at least load up on minutes in case Zeus re-injured his ankle (or, I don't know, BA breaks his foot). We won by 35 and Korcek played 5 fucking minutes. 5!! That's what the walkons played, and the reason why he needed more minutes was already presenting itself in the form of Zeus being out.

Ultimately, I'm not saying that he should have been the 8th guy in the rotation. But the guy has only played 45 minutes all season. And with the understanding that needing another big man sometime in the season (because it's just such a likely scenario, and frontcourt depth being such a weakness for us from the start), I just think that Korchek could have gotten double the minutes, have twice the experience (and probably 10X the confidence) than he's got right now, and we still don't come close to losing any of those games, and none of the starters are any worse off. If anything, they are fresher down the stretch. Instead, it's blatantly obvious to Korchek that Miller has so little confidence in him that he won't even give him more than 5 minutes in a 35 point victory.

I just think that we would be in such a better situation if Korchek would have gotten more minutes. I'm not saying that we would be relying on him, or putting our hopes and dreams on him. But it wouldn't be such a dropoff if he played more that only 45 minutes this season.

 

[520GGATO]

He'll have no choice but to play Matt, to give a big the rest.
No way this team survives being only 6 deep going down the stretch and into March. Their true opponent would be fatigue. Zues,Ag and RHJ averaging 35-40 min a game from here on out? No way. I agree with what you said though DC. They won't be ready. Hopefully they surprise.
On a seperate note- They need to give Zues the ball more.

 

[520GGATO]

Yup CTP. Totally agree. Miller made a huge mistake not giving Matt more minutes in garbage time. I was sure he was gonna get the start well zues was wresting up his ankle. I was taken by surprise when he did'nt.

 

[WhiteMamba]

Wait, what is going on in here?

Is it college basketball season or something?

 

[520GGATO]

No. That ended after starting 1-5 in conference play.
Jk.

 

[CatsTopPac]

On a separate note; I'm just worked up because I wish we still had Ashley. I just thought that we should have given Korchek and Pitts (more Korchek because of the lack of depth in the frontcourt) more minutes during blowouts, and that was while Ashley was healthy. And now that he's out, I just feel that he needed minutes that much more. I'm not trying to put too much emphasis on a guy like korchek to make or break our season. We still have a very good team, and it will be up to all of them to take us deep finish out the season. I just think it wouldn't be such a drop in production putting Korchek in, if he would have been in more. Definitely not trying to come off that I'm blowing up on dc or anyone by my long comment. Just venting. Hopefully we can pick it up tomorrow and make a statement this weekend. BTFD

 

[WhiteMamba]

No. That ended after starting 1-5 in conference play.
Jk.

man I am sorry to hear that. I thought Zona was going to be super good this year. Oh well.

 

[CatsTopPac]

No. That ended after starting 1-5 in conference play.
Jk.

Hahahahahahaha. good one. Always welcome to join the party Mamba. You watch much CBB?

 

[CatsTopPac]

man I am sorry to hear that. I thought Zona was going to be super good this year. Oh well.

Welp, I guess that answers my question on if you watch much CBB

 

[WhiteMamba]

Hahahahahahaha. good one. Always welcome to join the party Mamba. You watch much CBB?

Welp, I guess that answers my question on if you watch much CBB

That was just me playing dumb and deflecting.

I pay attention. And would do more so if I were a fan of Zona. A team with a rich tradition and currently the best team in the country.

I just haven't got into CBB since Altman came on board. Absolutely nothing to do with him at all. My interest has just been slowly fading since Ridnour/Jones/Jackson era.

Each year the interest diminishes more.

I know, that makes me a lame ass. I will try to get into it..... Now that CFB LOI day is finished, I usually start watching and doing a crash course on what I have missed.

 

[The Derski]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJWtnn8OTw]Arizona Wildcats Basketball - Inch by Inch - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Monte Carlo Wildcat]

Game day! Bear Down

 

[gordontrue]

This 5 day gap between games sucked!! Lose 1st game, lose Ashley for a year.. then wait 5 days!!!

I'm more than ready to get life after Ashley started. Bear down!

 

[CatsTopPac]

It's almost game time!!!!!!!!!

Bear the fuck DOWN!!!!!!!!

 

[Monte Carlo Wildcat]

Can our game ever start on time! Fml

 

[520GGATO]

Another very close game before the Cats. This shit is crazy.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Don't go to OT!!!!!!!