Game Thread: Zona vs UNLV

[Peter Gozintite]

We get everyone's best shot. Occasionally some teams will play out of their minds against us. We are the reason the opponents arena is sold out when we come to town. Comes with the territory of being an elite squad.

T&M was 3000 short of a sell out, and was a very typical crowd.

 

[The Derski]

T&M was 3000 short of a sell out, and was a very typical crowd.

How does a school like UNLV fail to sellout when #3 comes to town? We sell out exhibition games.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

How does a school like UNLV fail to sellout when #3 comes to town? We sell out exhibition games.

Students out of town for Christmas break.
About a million things to do in Vegas besides watch a college basketball game
AZ isn't quite the draw you thought it was.

We get everyone's best shot. Occasionally some teams will play out of their minds against us. We are the reason the opponents arena is sold out when we come to town. Comes with the territory of being an elite squad.

And for all of the shit you guys have been giving UK fans for being cocky, this is the most "UK" thing anybody has ever said that didn't involve the term "everyone's SuperBowl."

 

[The Derski]

Students out of town for Christmas break.
About a million things to do in Vegas besides watch a college basketball game
AZ isn't quite the draw you thought it was.

I'm quite certain if this game was while school was in session it would have been a sellout. I'm still surprised it wasn't considering how much Vegas loves their Rebel basketball. My point still stands. Look at Arizona's schedule and tell me we are not the biggest game for every one of our opponents.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

U N L V Bitches!

See what happens when you wait til after the game to call out the other team?????

 

[dcZONAfan]

Students out of town for Christmas break.
About a million things to do in Vegas besides watch a college basketball game
AZ isn't quite the draw you thought it was.



And for all of the shit you guys have been giving UK fans for being cocky, this is the most "UK" thing anybody has ever said that didn't involve the term "everyone's SuperBowl."

I gave Kentucky fans shit for being cocky. Not him. So sorry your attempt here simply doesn't work, since I said nothing like this about Arizona being every team's Super Bowl

You really have a stick up your ass lately, you know that?

 

[elijah]

We get everyone's best shot. Occasionally some teams will play out of their minds against us. We are the reason the opponents arena is sold out when we come to town. Comes with the territory of being an elite squad.

I understand this.. You act like syracuse has never been an elite team before. I understand getting everyone's best shot.

And I'm not trying to piss on Arizona because cuse is weak this year, I'm posting my opinion on one player because that's how I see him.

 

[CatsTopPac]

I understand this.. You act like syracuse has never been an elite team before. I understand getting everyone's best shot.

And I'm not trying to piss on Arizona because cuse is weak this year, I'm posting my opinion on one player because that's how I see him.

I don't really even know where to begin with you, and your opinion. I guess technically, you can say whatever the fuck you want. But can you please back up your opinion so that it doesn't appear that you are just trolling? Aside from the fact that he leads our team in points, boards, and 3PT%, he is also 2nd in steals and assists. He's also running with almost a 15 and 7 line while playing less than 30mpg.

I'm not sure what you, or the people you criticize for overrating him, are talking about, but AZ fans are (for the most part) very pleased with his production at the 13-game mark in his college career.

I can admit, he certainly has holes in his game. His turnovers are especially troubling, and I'm uneasy with his FT%. He complains about fouls too much, and I think he needs to shut his mouth and play ball more than he does right now. A lot of the time he feeds off the fans' reactions that the call was wrong, and he let's it get to him. He loses a little focus.

I'm not sure that anyone actually predicted him to be a FT juggernaut, or that he specifically wasn't going to turn the ball over. I'm not sure that makes him overrated.

How many AZ games have you watched this season, and do you have any understanding of the player roles on this team? I ask for a few reasons. First of all, if you knew the roles on this team, you would know that our biggest problem this season is the lack of leadership on offense. In which case, you would be more apt to blame McConnell for not being a senior PG leader. He (TJ) does a good enough job in the box score, but he is not leading the team. We have no leader. Our offense lacks cohesion and it manifests in a rough looking offense that has a difficult time scoring, despite the offensive talent. Instead, we have a freshman taking the last shot. It's a pretty shitty place for our team, and for Johnson. Speaking of Johnson, last year, our leader was Nick Johnson. He was vocal, and he brought the team together as well as anyone I've seen in a while. He was our lockdown defender, our late-game go-to, and he was vocal. He was the heart of the team, and he's gone. TJ was supposed to step up, but it's not translating into heart. TJ is the brain.

So we have asked SJ to step in and do all of that as a freshman, and it's not even his role to be the mental leader. He's freakishly athletic, but he is still trying to gain the mental aspects of the game (maturity, IQ, and leadership).

Did anyone say he was supposed to immediately grab the reins and take over for NJ? Because I missed that completely. His physical talents are far above average, indicated by watching absolutely any basketball he's played this year. But mentally, it's a different story. Just like Nick Johnson botched the last play at Oregon two years ago which gave us our first loss, SJ just fucked up. That's all there is to it. The biggest problem our team has is that we have no last-shot, go-to leader. SJ's biggest problem is that we are counting on him to be that guy, when it's really not his natural role. His role is to be a monster out there. That would be like saying Deshaun Thomas was supposed to be the leader of OSU two years ago when they had Craft. Or like saying that CJ Fair was supposed to be the leader instead of MCW. The most talented player doesn't automatically equate to leadership.

So WTF are you actually expecting out of him? I think he is doing a great job. I expected him to come on and score buckets, and grab boards. My expectations of him on defense are pretty close to what he is producing. He gets burned a couple times a game because college players are quicker than he is used to, but he is getting in passing lanes and causing turnovers. We put RHJ in when we need staunch defense. Is he supposed to be scoring over 20ppg with double digit rebounds? Because he is playing with 4 other guys who are scoring double digits, and three guys who have over a 7 foot wingspan. One of the qualities of this team is that anyone can go off on a given night, and we'll still have 4-6 players in double digits scoring. So, he doesn't have to carry the team. That would also be indicated with the fact that no one (let alone SJ) plays 30mpg. If SJ played the full 40, he would be almost right at 20 and 10. But we don't need that. That's not his role, either.

So, in conclusion. WTF are you even talking about? Support your opinion with counterpoints to my opinion that he is doing everything right now that we fully expected him to do, after 13 games. He won a tough game against SDSU to take the Maui Inv with 6 stone cold FTs to ice the game, in addition to some key boards down the stretch. I can honestly say that I didn't expect him to be able to do it. I expected more like what happened at UNLV. He needs to cut his teeth on these losses, mature a little, and play within himself instead of getting a little out of hand. But I would rather have too loose, than too conservative. So I'm fine with where he is at and we'll see where he goes. But I still don't expect for him to be the leader, and if we don't have one in March, we'll struggle to get--the overwhelming talent we have--to the FF. But that also won't be on him. So, please clarify your opinion, or you're just a troll. Forgive us for seeing you any different, but you are not really explaining yourself well enough for us to think anything different.

 

[elijah]

You have realistic views of Johnson, I agree fully with everything you just said. You have a fair assessment of Johnson and it all makes sense,

But, when you read around (not just the Hoop) there's a lot of people that have this type of player of the year hype for Johnson and he isn't even close. I shouldn't say a lot, but there's more than just your typical bias over him in some places. 15 and 7, that's damn good for a freshman. When you just take in what he's doing, he's doing phenomenal. But, there's still people that are acting like he's a hero, and a savior, which he isn't. That's where I start to call him overrated.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Okay, but who are these people, and what do they say? And how many of these people are there, who write that he is the second coming, compared to how many people have realistic opinions? I guess my point is that I really don't see so many people who make the claims that he is supposed to be POY, especially when compared to the more accurate reports of his strengths and weaknesses. I don't know if because a few people put him on a pedestal, that it makes him overrated. I think it just means that they were wrong. I never saw him on anyone's list of first team AAs. He's only on a couple 2nd team lists, and usually more around being on people's 3rd team. Hell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is on as many lists.

When I think overrated, I think of someone like VanVleet. There's a kid who is on every AA list, and mostly 1st team. And yet, he only has 11ppg and 5.3 apg. He is shooting only 37% from the field, and 30% from 3PT. Other than rising .3 in spg, his numbers have either stayed the same as last year, or they have fallen. And he is a junior. To me, that is overrated. That's not just a few articles, or talking heads exaggerating what's expected. Everyone in the country had him as one of, if not the very best PG in all of CBB. Instead, he is #44 in assists, and can't shoot.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

How does a school like UNLV fail to sellout when #3 comes to town? We sell out exhibition games.

no one gives a fuck about AZ?

 

[ukfanfrombirth(cali cat)]

teehee

 

[Arizona_Sting]

no one gives a fuck about AZ?

If no one gives a fuck about us with the sellout streak we have going then what does that say about UNLV's horrific fan support?

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

Arizona sucks! UNLV dominated. ASU took care of the rebs this year and 2013!

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

Where all the Cats fans at?

I got work tmrw AM on the East Coast!

Good road test for UA...

They cannot handle the "road" rank 3 was way too high. Sean Miller "I'm shrinking"

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

UOFA sells out because there is NOTHING else to do in Tucson (North Nogales)
Us folks here in the great Maricopa County have too many sports to support and attend.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

If no one gives a fuck about us with the sellout streak we have going then what does that say about UNLV's horrific fan support?

Sorry, noone but AZ gives a fuck about AZ

 

[TangoBlue]

Who is the girl in your avatar?

lol:

 

[520GGATO]

UOFA sells out because there is NOTHING else to do in Tucson (North Nogales)
Us folks here in the great Maricopa County have too many sports to support and attend.

1. North Nogales is 61 miles south of Tucson. Did they stop teaching geography at Tempe Normal community college in order to fund your dying basketball program?
2."too many sports to support and attend". So, is this the reason why your football stadium(sun devil stadium) is going to have reduced capacity\seats in the coming years???
3. I don't know how you find the time to "support and attend" such winners like the Coyotes, Suns, Cardinals, and the "football school". It must be a killer.
4. Tell me, how big was Herb Sendek's new contract extension again? How do they pay him with no revenue coming in? They must pay him with all your bull shit since that's about all he's worth.

Bear Down as to in ASU shitting the bed in every sport they play in and you attend. But hey, at least you still got women's basketball.

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

1. North Nogales is 61 miles south of Tucson. Did they stop teaching geography at Tempe Normal community college in order to fund your dying basketball program?
2."too many sports to support and attend". So, is this the reason why your football stadium(sun devil stadium) is going to have reduced capacity\seats in the coming years???
3. I don't know how you find the time to "support and attend" such winners like the Coyotes, Suns, Cardinals, and the "football school". It must be a killer.
4. Tell me, how big was Herb Sendek's new contract extension again? How do they pay him with no revenue coming in? They must pay him with all your bull shit since that's about all he's worth.

Bear Down as to in ASU shitting the bed in every sport they play in and you attend. But hey, at least you still got women's basketball.

i just beared down a massive Wilbur inthe toilet this afternoon! Thought of you. Nogales, Tucson, Oracle, its all the same. We dont want you driving up here to support our teams here. Save your gas and stop in Marana for a Jack in box.