I don't think I even made it down to one contest last year. It was nice getting back into McKale, though that "ARIZONA" beneath the block "A" seems kind of redundant and the missing cactus was disturbing.
As for the team, let's just say we should all be very happy if it makes the tournament this year. Parrom was the biggest surprise for me. He's playing tough and aggressive ball from the get-go. All of the freshmen look like they have solid potential, it's just gonna take some time to put it all together. I can see what Miller is talking about.
I like Miller's demeanor on the sideline. Lute's sitting a few rows above the bench and I was watching him lean over in his seat, trying to get a feel for what was going on in the huddle. Sure is nice to see the guy still around. Wise looked as fast as ever and while there were still some questionable shots going up, he was the best player on the floor. He'll need to do a lot of scoring this year as opposed to in the past when I've complained about the guy not passing enough. He was, at least for one night, playing better defense than he has in the past. And he only flopped twice from what I could tell.
Horne was looking good. His handle looks slightly improved and you can tell the difference in his sense of his role. Much more aggressive. Judkins looked better, too, though still a bit lost defensively.
Thanks for the update. This is my first bball season back in the states, living in Florida these days, after 4 and a half years in Italy. Looking forward to seeing the Cats live this year. I am gonna try and get to McKale for a game but it might be tough. Hope the Cats can can get their stuff together early in the year this season. This looks to be a down year in the Pac this year so hopefully we can put it all together and amke a run.
Parrom made a huge impression on me. Miller had all 10 players hustling, but you can tell that the defense needs some "game-time experience." There were a lot of mental mistakes and missed assignments that will be adjusted as the players mature. On the Wildcats Network, Horne admitted that Fogg gave him the flu and he wasn't 100%...if he was only 90%, then I'm STILL impressed. I think that Lute is a distraction to Miller (staring over his shoulder), but it is nice to see that he's still in love with his school. I may drive up to Norman for the OU game & I have tickets to Maui. I'd like to make a couple of trips back to Tucson, but I'll save my vacation days for a "Rose Bowl" trip! I agree that the "Arizona" is redundant, but the Block-A looks classy.
Hey AZCATS, thanks for the update. I think that is nicest thing you have said about Beetlepac in three years!!
Wise looked as fast as ever and while there were still some questionable shots going up, he was the best player on the floor. He'll need to do a lot of scoring this year as opposed to in the past when I've complained about the guy not passing enough. He was, at least for one night, playing better defense than he has in the past. And he only flopped twice from what I could tell.
Good stuff man. I think early on the loss of Jordan Hill and Chase will be a big factor as the team will struggle to remain at .500 before the season even begins. It should be interesting to see how things play out in Maui. Drawing Wisconsin in the first round will tell us plenty about this team.
Don't worry all, the band is young too. Hopefully we can put it all together soon and make it back to the NCAA tournament. I mean, the trumpets rock so don't worry about that. Oh, yeah, the basketball team was okay too ;-)
I think that is nicest thing you have said about Beetlepac in three years! What can I say? I was feeling generous.
What happened to the volumptuous Scarlett?
And Diggory, what's up with the student section? I noticed a lot of empty seats... Of course it was an exhibition but not the grandest way to kick off the Miller era. I sure hope we get a full house when the regular season begins. Strange seeing McKale unfilled.
I never got along with the trumpet section (being a former drummer), but I heard that Sean Cullen is conducting the pep band this year, so I'll give them props. I doubt that the student section will be empty for long - hopefully Miller will knock some sense into the athletic department and let the kids sit along the sidelines (behind the visitor's bench). An effective crowd can cause a hostile environment. I was talking to Chase the other day & he said that Aaron Brooks hated playing at Washington & Stanford more than any other Pac-10 arena...although he also hated the "Wildcat growl" effect that McKale likes to abuse...weird.
Houston, Shawn Cullen is definitely in charge of the pepband this year and he's pretty awesome. And the drummers and trumpets have started getting along better starting when I became section leader (3 years ago). We're much more civil with eachother now so it's working out.
The student section won't stay that empty. It was just a weird night in general to have a game. Wednesday isn't a great night for students. The reason Thurs and Sat are usually packed is because lots of students don't have class Fri and none have class on Sun. Plus I heard a lot of people missed the reservation time on their ZonaZoo ticket reservation for this last game. Hopefully that's not a continuing trend
I was just kidding about the trumpet/drummer thing. I have a lot of friends that were on the trumpet line & they were great. As Miller steadily improves the team over time, McKale won't have any open seats available. Let's hope that the football stadium's upgrade results in some sell-outs as Foles improves over the next few years!
I was listening to President Shelton on public television the other day and he was saying he wants the UA athletic programs to be self-dependent, which means no state money. I thought it was already like that. Maybe it is. I wasn't really paying too much attention. But I know that the seats the students currently have are probably going to be the best they're gonna get, unless they start donating more cash. It's still a social event for a lot of these folks.
I was at the Western New Mexico game and I was throughly impressed. First off, the most dramatic change from last year's team is that we actually have a solid bench this year. No more playing 6 guys the entire game. Then Derrick Williams looked very good. We was the most aggressive of the post players on the block. There was a point in the game where he had a clear mismatch, and they were able to go right to him for a score on a couple of occasions. Lavender looked good, he hit I believe 4 3s. Kylrl (sp?) seemed kind of awkward in his movements and is definitely the most raw of our guys (he also has pretty bad hands). Jacobson even looked pretty good. Horne was really good on the boards, showing all that athleticism of his. Wise, Judkins and Fogg were very quick up the floor. Momo and Hill barely did anything.
Obviously we were playing a d2 school so it wasn't completely telling. But it was nice to see the Cats kill a team not only through the whole game....but they came out really well from the start
I was at that game too and I was very impressed by Lamont (Momo) Jones and Derrick Williams. I think both of them could work their way into starting this season. We have a very young team that obviously lacks big game experience, but if Miller can lead them I think this team has some serious potential. Also the band rocks!
Ah, another season of UA basketball is upon us. I live in Denver so I have to rely on FSN up here playing Cats games, and these boards to figure out what is going on. For example, I wasn't aware that they changed the floor. I think it's a shame, personally. That old school cactus logo was what made me a fan of UA basketball when I was a kid in Colorado and had no inkling yet that I would go to college there. The cactus logo was unique and classic. Oh well, the times change, but I would have liked to see the cactus logo somewhere on the court. Is it still on the swimming and diving center at least?
Anyways, Im psyched about the season, I can't wait to see Miller build on Lute's legacy and create a dominant program over the next few years. FSN plays a lot of Pac 10 games up here, so hopefully the Cats will get some air time. There are a lot of UA alumni up here in Denver so we normally get to watch a good number of games. Except last year, they played a ton of asu and Stanford games. It sucked a lot. I check the paper every morning when there is a UA game to see if it's televised up here, but it was so cruel to see the word "Arizona" followed by "State".
Oh well, here's to a good season, I look forward to checking these boards to stay up to date on everything and to get peoples' perspectives that actually get to watch every game live. Bear Down Cats!
Speaking of the old cactus logo, does anyone know of a website or store in Tucson where they sell gear with it? I seem to have lost all my UA clothes except of a couple old and ratty ZonaZoo T-shirts. I'd love to get a shirt with that old cactus logo on it.
