The Wildcats bounced back from their seven-game losing streak with a sweep of the Bay Area schools, including a 70-54 win at home against Stanford on Sunday — and might finally have some momentum on their side. But will it be too little too late?
5 conclusions as Arizona tries to turn a corner
Arizona Wildcats center Chase Jeter is defended by Stanford's Josh Sharma, left, and Oscar Da Silva in the first half during a game at McKale Center on Feb. 24, 2019.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona jumped into seventh place Sunday night. Or maybe “crawled’’ would be a more fitting term.
It’s a three-way tie, anyway. Does anyone care when you’re tied for seventh place in anything, except maybe the PGA Tour money list.
Even though its 70-54 victory over Stanford was much easier than expected, the UA’s upward move isn’t a ticket to anyone’s bracketology, in the NCAA or NIT. The Wildcats play at Gill Coliseum and Matthew Knight Arena in Oregon this week and by Saturday night could be cold and alone in 10th place.
Either way, it was Arizona’s most impressive performance since beating Oregon State five weeks ago, and it sparked the following five conclusions:
1. Wildcats could still have a strong finish in them
Arizona Wildcats guard Brandon Randolph reacts after hitting a 3-pointer in the second half during a game at McKale Center on Feb. 24, 2019.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
In his upbeat review of Sunday’s victory, Sean Miller said “college basketball is about the finish.’’
The goal for this UA basketball team should be to finish the season with pride, dignity and a winning record. Something like 18-15 seems reasonable. Given all of the upsetting news of the last 18 months, avoiding a first-round loss at the Pac-12 Tournament might be an acceptable exit.
In my estimation, Arizona has not finished well 27 times over the last 35 seasons. Most college basketball seasons end with a sense of regret. That’s almost unavoidable. This is my list of those eight seasons that ended with more of a feeling of accomplishment than regret.
1986 — Arizona’s first Pac-10 championship. The first-round NCAA loss to Auburn was quickly forgotten.
1988 — As painful as a Final Four loss to Oklahoma was and is to this day, being ranked No. 1 and being discovered as a national brand endures.
1991 — Reaching the Sweet 16 was about max for a team that also avoided what might’ve been a crushing loss to No. 1 UNLV in the Elite Eight.
1994 — No tears were shed after a Final Four loss to Arkansas.
1996 — Much like ’91, the ’96 Wildcats maxed out, one bucket from upsetting Kansas in the Sweet 16.
1997 — National champs.
2002 — Losing four starters from a Final Four team used all of its fuel to get to the Sweet 16.
2011 — An unexpected journey to the Elite Eight, a Jamelle Horne 3-pointer from returning to the Final Four, remains in some ways the most feel-good season of the Miller years.
What would it take for Miller’s ’19 team to get on this list?
Beat the Sun Devils on Senior Day and reach the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. After beating Stanford with ease on Sunday, it doesn’t seem unreasonable.
2. Nothing in college basketball is set in stone
Jeff Wulbrun
Stanford Athletics
College basketball is fully unpredictable; coaching it isn’t for everybody. It’s a fluid, unstable business, as Arizona assistant coaches Book Richardson and Mark Phelps have recently discovered.
For example, Stanford’s Jeff Wulbrun is one of the few Pac-12 assistant coaches who appears actively involved in what is spoken and planned during timeout huddles, sort of like Utah’s Tommy Conner, who is the Utes’ X’s and O’s whisperer.
Most of the rest of the league’s assistant coaches stand back and nod, but on Sunday night at McKale Center, Wulbrun always seemed to be in the ear of head coach Jerod Haase.
Wulbrun, 58, has earned the trust of his head coach, and not just because he successfully recruited Haase out of South Lake Tahoe High School 27 years ago. Wulbrun was part of the Cal coaching staff that signed mega-prospect Jason Kidd — as well as Haase — in the Class of 1993.
It should’ve been a life-changing, ladder-climbing event for the Cal coaching staff — but on Feb. 7, 1993, in Tucson, it all came crashing down.
No. 8 Arizona beat the Kidd-led Bears 93-81 that night and it so unsettled Bears head coach Lou Campanelli that he pitched a fit in the post-game dressing room. Unfortunately for Campanelli, Cal athletic director Bob Bockrath was in the locker room and heard and saw a lot of things he wouldn’t tolerate.
Bockrath, the long-time Arizona associate AD, fired Campanelli that weekend. Haase ultimately transferred to Kansas and Wulbrun was not retained on new coach Todd Bozeman’s coaching staff and would up working in real estate and coaching a high school team in Indiana.
Five years ago, reunited with Haase, then the head coach at UAB, and Sunday night found himself back at McKale Center. What did we learn? Despite Wulbrun’s sideline wisdom, the Cardinal could sure use Jason Kidd.
3. Marred by losing streak, Cats not an NIT shoo-in
Arizona Wildcats guard Justin Coleman makes a drive toward the basket past Stanford's Bryce Wills in the first half during a game at McKale Center on Feb. 24, 2019.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Is it possible Arizona could split in Oregon, beat Arizona State on Senior Day, win a game or two in the Pac-12 Tournament and make a run in the NIT?
Not likely.
The most authoritative NIT projections — at dratings.com — don’t mention Arizona among the 32 teams in the field.
But it does list Utah Valley as a No. 7 seed, with Prairie View, Canisius and Drake.
Really.
Given that list of 7-seeds, it's clear that Arizona’s seven-game losing streak took an unimaginable toll.
On traffic-choked Fred Enke Drive in front of McKale Center, Stanford’s bus driver parked the large vehicle on the wrong side of the street, facing the wrong direction. It created some confusion as cars lined up to get into the Cherry Street Garage.
About 400 UA fans who wouldn’t normally cross Fred Enke Drive before the game enjoyed a pre-game happy hour after the dedication of the $16.5 million Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center, hosted by UA president Robert C. Robbins and athletic director Dave Heeke.
Heeke said that on special occasions, such as a football tailgate event, as many as 4,000 to 5,000 people can occupy the 75,000-square foot facility.
“It’s an important piece of the puzzle,’’ said Heeke. “It shows we are committed in a major way to our football program.’’
The one thing that’s missing is a place to properly park a bus.
5. Tie-less Miller is on to something
Arizona Wildcats head coach Sean Miller gets upset with an official in the first half during a game against Stanford at McKale Center on Feb. 24, 2019.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Miller coached without a tie on Sunday. It’s a good look. The Pac-12’s fashion pace-setter is Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak, who outfits his staff in golf-type shirts and slacks.
He understands. College basketball isn’t a wedding or a funeral. It should be somewhat informal.
Washington coach Mike Hopkins, ASU’s Bobby Hurley, Oregon’s Dana Altman and Oregon State’s Wayne Tinkle all coach sans a sport coat. If Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has any taste or fashion sense, he should amend the league’s coaching handbook.
