Eh?
Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson attended high school, for a time, in Las Vegas. But the two Longhorns are native Canadians, and proud.
The Toronto-born Joseph said the most common questions he hears about his home country are: "Do you like hockey? How cold is it up there? It is cold all year-round?"
He does have a favorite hockey team: the Toronto Maple Leafs.
And he admits to a few translation issues with his Texas teammates, including Houstonians Jai Lucas and Gary Johnson.
"They do talk weird," Joseph said. "Sometimes I can't understand these guys, like Gary and Jai. But they say the same thing to me. It's like a circle. … We just gotta have a group huddle: 'What did you say?'"
Deee-fense
People are also reading…
UA forward Derrick Williams was a bit surprised by who guarded him to start the Memphis game: Antonio Barton, a 6-foot-2-inch guard.
"At first, I didn't know what was going on," Williams said. "He was following me around the court. Coach was like, 'Get in the post.'"
So it made sense to ask Texas guard Dogus Balbay, albeit playfully, if he was looking forward to guarding Williams today. The 6-1 Istanbul native played along.
"Yeah, they put me on it," he said, smiling. "Let's see how it goes."
The big number
16
Times since the NCAA tournament expanded in 1985 that Arizona has won at least one game in the Big Dance
Basketball bash
Looking for a pre-game party today?
Try the Tulsa Downtown Basketball Bash, a free, tented street fair in a parking lot across the street from the BOK Center.
Underneath heated and cooled tents, the bash offers beer - we spotted Guinness, Miller Lite and Blue Moon - and trucks selling everything from barbeque to pizza and Italian sandwiches.
The bash, which stayed open until 2 this morning, opens again at 10 a.m. and runs through tipoff time.
Quotable
"I hear more stories about me and Coach Weber than Bill Self and Illinois. I don't think the fans really care about Coach Self anymore. It's been eight years. They've been done and over with."
- Illinois guard Demetri McCamey, on facing Kansas' Self, the former Illini boss
Sweet home
Were the Wildcats to win today, they would advance to play in the Sweet 16 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The UA has two players from Orange County, near the arena - Kyle Fogg and Alex Jacobson.
"That'd be awesome," Jacobson said Friday. "I'd have a lot of friends come out and support me. It'd be pretty much a home-court game for Arizona."
Asked for the best touristy stop in the area, non-Disney division, Jacobson pointed to California's largest mall, South Coast Plaza, in Costa Mesa. Also, the beach.
"I spend most of my time in Newport Beach," the 7-foot center said.
Phony
Are you friends with Sean Miller on Facebook? Arizona has a message for you: Don't be.
That's because, according to the school, the page attributed to "Sean Miller" - with photos of the coach abound, and more than 2,500 people who "like it" - is fake.
The user's last entry was Wednesday at 12:04 a.m. It read, "Let's hope that we can stay focused. … We're 0-0 … Brand new season … who doesn't love this time of year?"
Thursday, the school's official athletics Facebook account said:
"This page is in no way associated with Arizona Athletics or Sean Miller," it said. "It is a fake page and everyone who reads it should report it as fake."
Another quotable
"I wondered if they went in at halftime and switched jerseys, if anyone would ever figure it out - because they look similar, they play similar and, as we watch more and more film, I'm sure there are some little differences."
- Illinois coach Bruce Weber, on Kansas twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, who combined for 31 points against Boston University
Patrick Finley
