Red-Blue, Preseason, and Non-Con Basketball

[CatsTopPac]

Any thoughts on the Gonzaga game? True road game in their house, no Zeus. I'm hoping we keep it within single digits. Although the Zags only beat WSU (who was picked last in the PAC) by 9 tonight.

I know we certainly have the ability to win, and we certainly have the ability to get rolled. I think keeping it in single digits would be great.

 

[johnson]

This is a huge game. Cats are an elite program and beating the Zags on the road reminds everyone of that. If they lose, it's not the end of the world, but questions marks start popping up.

 

[azchamps]

This is a huge game. Cats are an elite program and beating the Zags on the road reminds everyone of that. If they lose, it's not the end of the world, but questions marks start popping up.

I couldn't agree more. The way you put it is probably the reason I've been doubling my blood pressure pills this week.
If the CATS feel like they are the underdog, that just might be the spark they need to claw those dogs.

GO CATS! BEAR DOWN!

 

[The Derski]

Huge win for the Cats!!

 

[azchamps]

I can go back to my regular dosage of blood pressure pills now.

GO CATS!

 

[johnson]

BEAR DOWN! Fantastic win, esp down 12 points in the second half...showed a lot of character.

If we look on the bright side, this is a team still trying to figure things out that is 7-1 in the process with a win over the #13 ranked team.

 

[CatsTopPac]

This is better in my opinion that if we had beaten providence and lost to both MSU and GU. Obviously because we would have one less loss, but I think today showed that we can still play with the great talent.

We have a long way to go, but this was great for us to keep the Best in the West, and also that we can win on the road against a solid opponent.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Yo, on the real though: I have a good buddy who moved to Spokane this year. He's a huge AZ fan. He said that the whole town is massively depressed. When people say that AZ basketball is all Tucson has, think about Spokane and Gonzaga Athletics, and basketball being all they have.

It has to suck because we're 5-1 against them. Zags had an opening before Miller, but it keeps getting slammed shut for Best in the West the last few years. I would loath us if I were a Zags fan. Hahahaha, fuck that sucks for them; especially given what was on the line for each game in the series.

Well, we renewed the rivalry in '19-'20 and '21-'22, with a potential meeting in Maui in '18. Here's to that!

 

[CatsTopPac]

BEAR DOWN! Fantastic win, esp down 12 points in the second half...showed a lot of character.

If we look on the bright side, this is a team still trying to figure things out that is 7-1 in the process with a win over the #13 ranked team.

It's a process for sure. Took a big step today, although it remains to be seen how much it resonates.

Even if the Zags helped us out a little with some carelessness on their side, we went in their house, got punched in the mouth, hopped up and started throwing haymakers. I was shocked that we came back, glad to see we have it in us. Hahaha, we're going to need that more often.

And like you said, it's a process.

BTFD.

 

[Destroydacre]

Congrats on the win Wildcats! I thought the teams were pretty even, more or less, over the entire course of the game, but in crunch time your guys stepped it up and Gonzaga's freshmen guards played like, well, freshmen. Good luck the rest of the season.

 

[gordontrue]

Zags scored 2 points in the final 7 minutes.

Reminds me of all those close games a couple seasons ago where Arizona would turn on the D at the end of the games.

I'm not as willing to attribute it to Arizona's defense as I was that season... but the defense did step up.

Miller's teams almost always seen to peak at the end of games and seasons.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Zags scored 2 points in the final 7 minutes.

Reminds me of all those close games a couple seasons ago where Arizona would turn on the D at the end of the games.

I'm not as willing to attribute it to Arizona's defense as I was that season... but the defense did step up.

Miller's teams almost always seen to peak at the end of games and seasons.

I agree. I think in games like the Florida game a few years ago where they didn't get a FG in the last 5 minutes, that was our defense.

What worries me is that Gonzaga did a great job of beating themselves. We had some good steals, but those careless turnover turned the tide more than our play. Take nothing away from our guys, but the Zags played a part in giving it up.

 

[johnson]

Yo, on the real though: I have a good buddy who moved to Spokane this year. He's a huge AZ fan. He said that the whole town is massively depressed. When people say that AZ basketball is all Tucson has, think about Spokane and Gonzaga Athletics, and basketball being all they have.

It has to suck because we're 5-1 against them. Zags had an opening before Miller, but it keeps getting slammed shut for Best in the West the last few years. I would loath us if I were a Zags fan. Hahahaha, fuck that sucks for them; especially given what was on the line for each game in the series.

Well, we renewed the rivalry in '19-'20 and '21-'22, with a potential meeting in Maui in '18. Here's to that!

Great points. Spokane is....well, Spocompton (that's a bit unfair, but I've heard my NW friends, who obviously don't go to Gonzaga, refer to it as that often). Zags always give us a scare. They just can't seem to get over the hump against the Cats, which is fine by me.

I also think Tucson has more than basketball going for it. While we can debate football all day, it's relevant there, and Spokane has nothing in comparison.

 

[gordontrue]

Final non-con game tonight. Maybe I should be taking Long Beach St a little more seriously?? I'm looking at their schedule and I see wins over BYU, Seton Hall, Colorado St, and New Mexico St. Even more impressive is the very close losses to OK St, SDSU, & UCLA. Virginia & Oregon have been the only 2 teams to blow them out.

 

[CatsTopPac]

I'm hearing that Zeus is practicing, and might come back for the UCLA game. Dude was gone for a while, and missed time before that with his other ankle injury. Hopefully he can get back into it, we're going to need him going up against these bigs.

 

[johnson]

Friend just text me that Trier has a broken hand. Say it ain't so.

 

[gordontrue]

crap