Lessons from Arizona

[applezag]

I don't like any loss, but I do think today offered a few lessons:

1. When outside shots aren't available, get the ball inside. I've seen some criticism of Heytvelt for his play in this game, but it is hard to fault him when he only gets 4 shots. If the defense is so intent on stopping the three, there needs to be concerted effort to go through Josh. It really is GU's highest percentage option for easy buckets. I especially got frustrated that we didn't see the ball in the high post to him and Daye more. That was a successful approach when they did it. I was especially frustrated when Hill had foul trouble and we still didn't do this enough.

2. We need to get better at late game situations. This has been a recurring theme for a while. It has long been Few's philosophy to defer to the same player again and again to handle the ball in these situations--all the way back to Santangelo. Would it be a bad idea to try some other guys? Austin? Gray?

3. Is Pargo being overly intent on "getting others involved"? He seemed to find himself buried under the hoop a number of times when it in the past he would have elevated and scored. I really like the approach he has taken this year overall, but wonder if he is penetrating too deep before he decides whether to pass or score. There sort of is a point where you need to decide one way or the other.

4. It's okay to set a goal of going undefeated, but advertising it isn't a good idea.

Overall this game should not give us reason to panic or doubt the long-term prospects of the team. They defended well--Arizona made tough shots. They executed on offense to get okay shots, but they needed better. They guys played hard. A lot of bounces went Arizona's way in this one and that is just going to happen sometimes. It was a winnable game to learn from, but the changes needed are minor tweaks as opposed to big ones.

[Reborn]

Gonzaga is an Elite Team and a great basketball team. I mean did you see how excited the Wildcats were. OMG!!! I thought their fans were going to rush the floor. The announcers called it an upset. Who ever would have thought that an Arizona win over Gonzaga would be an upset. Man their players were really really excited. They played their best game of the year and the Zags played their worst. And we barely lost, and could have won.

You can't win them all.

Budinger and Wise played the whole game. They didn't take a second off. This really dispells the theory that resting guys is better than playing them all game. Wise never got tired. Budinger never got tired. Hill wasn't even breathing hard at all......They seemed rested. We seemed slow and tired. Josh never beat Hill down court one time. Josh seemed to be in slow motion today. And his shot was def off. Thats basketball.

The Zags will always get homered on the road so fans, get used to it. They shot ten more fouls shots than the Zags.

Arizona is a lot better than many people think. They will be tough at home.

Meech was not the best Freshman on the floor.

I don't know why Ira and Downs didn't play more????

[CDC84]

Good take AZ, as always.....

[loyalviking]

Good Post AZ.

The lesson that I hope they take out of this is how to break a press and trapping halfcourt defense. I kept waiting for Few to adjust and he never did. If you move the ball quickly against the zone and flash to the middle and run the baseline you will have layups and short jumpers all night long (they did this a few times w/ Bouldin on the baseline, and Daye to the high post). You have to make the defense move and chase, and you do this by making quick passes and cutting to the open area.

IMO the guys tried to beat it in the halfcourt with to much dribbling, not alot of movement, and holding the ball too long allowing the defense to adjust. Everyone knows you will trap at each of the corners, but yet the ball continued to be thrown there. Overload the zone with a baseline runner and a high post and pass and cut.

Anyway, I hate the fact that there are regular posters on here bashing the guys/team. There was no way this team, even as good as it is, would have went undefeated...the schedule is just too tough and they are getting everyones best every time out. They will be more than fine..Arizona suprised them tonight with the pressure and it just didn't happen.

Lesson learned would be my guess.

[JohnOGU]

3. Is Pargo being overly intent on "getting others involved"? He seemed to find himself buried under the hoop a number of times when it in the past he would have elevated and scored. I really like the approach he has taken this year overall, but wonder if he is penetrating too deep before he decides whether to pass or score. There sort of is a point where you need to decide one way or the other.

I have been thinking this my self. We all know what JP was told during the NBA workouts he was put through. That he needs to become more of a distributor. Some time i watch him play and it looks to me as if when he gets put in a position to score, he hesitates and kicks it out to someone else.

We all also know how good of a scorer JP can be. One of the best on the team when he wants to be.

Im not saying take the game over. But if he's in a position to score, he needs to capitalize on it. If that means jumping over someone to do it, then so be it. I dont think he would go for any of those dunks where the chances of him missing are high.

[MDABE80]

In this game, JP and everyone should have taken it to the rim and kept it up. Jeremy seemed a bit shy on driving today. Not sure why. Mostly GU spent too much time outside of the key when winning would have achieved on the inside. Just my take. Those 7 turnovers were just terrible but Az didn't waste their opportunities.

Lots of holes in our game today. Little things too. Kind of seem both the offense and defense didn't perform well today. Those refs didn't help much either...I watched it again. Grrrrrr

[SintoZag]

Did anyone see...

how our ranking was never mention or posted next to our name on the screen until the end of the game and AZ won. Its like FSNs Pac-10 loving announcers did not anyone to know that AZ wasn't the high ranked team until they one.

[kclubfounder]

I like point #4 the most. The team was too cocky. Confidence is good, but over-confidence is bad. It is a cliche, but this loss will be good for this team in the long run.

[krozman]

did anyone else feel that Sacre was really really needed to bust our funk? HEAL FASTER BIG MAN!

[TacomaZAG]

The biggest lesson to learn

from this loss is the need, requirement actually, to be able to adjust on the fly. There is no excuse for being beaten by the press for pretty much the whole second half, no excuse for not pounding it inside when Hill had foul trouble, no excuse for going dry again in the final 2.5 minutes, no excuse for the panic in the last 70 seconds, no excuse for letting AZ run off 10 straight early in the second half with no attempt (time out, personnel change, etc.) to stop it.

We can't just "keep sawing wood" when the saw is dull or broken. Sometimes it's just time to try a new saw.

The second half of this game reminded me of the Davidson game last year in the tourney, the Indiana game in the tourney a number of years ago, and the last 3 minutes was UCLA all over again.

The personnel has been different for each of those tourney examples and last night's example, but the results have been the same.

Hmmmmmm.........

Not to late to fix it. We don't need to fix it during conference play except against St. Mary's and SD as the games are not the same, but it has bit us in the a$$ in the tourney year after year.

Flexibility and adaptability is the key, not blind allegiance to a pre-determined game plan.

Hopefully, I'm building this into more than it is, but last night it sure felt like deja vu all over again.

Go ZAGS

[johnwzag]

did anyone else feel that Sacre was really really needed to bust our funk? HEAL FASTER BIG MAN!

Me! We needed him this game. Would have slowed Hill down I think.

[former1dog]

A small but perhaps significant point.

Meech, who is already my favorite player, kept getting stuck on Budinger on defensive switches. Obviously, this is a major mismatch.

We needed to make the adjustment on defense to prevent this from happening or we needed to get Meech out of the game in favor of a bigger defender, for whom Budinger was having trouble against the whole game.

A small adjustment the coaches failed to make and in a close game could have altered the results.

[77Zag]

I don't like any loss, but I do think today offered a few lessons:


4. It's okay to set a goal of going undefeated, but advertising it isn't a good idea.

Perfectly stated --

We are a very good side and have the ability to go as far as we've ever gone in the dance, but ... with that said, perhaps we were a bit cocky going into this game. I our momentum was tarnished a bit by Matt's comments -- let's be real - "undefeated" -- could that have displayed on the AZ lockers to help a very good team be a little better for this game.

Time to step up now and roll UConn -- I kind of feel a bit sorry for TX Southern, I smell a bit of release coming their way. Last show at the Kennel prior to Xmas break --

Go Zags!!

[BobZag]

I don't like any loss, but I do think today offered a few lessons:

1. When outside shots aren't available, get the ball inside. I've seen some criticism of Heytvelt for his play in this game, but it is hard to fault him when he only gets 4 shots. If the defense is so intent on stopping the three, there needs to be concerted effort to go through Josh. It really is GU's highest percentage option for easy buckets. I especially got frustrated that we didn't see the ball in the high post to him and Daye more. That was a successful approach when they did it. I was especially frustrated when Hill had foul trouble and we still didn't do this enough.

2. We need to get better at late game situations. This has been a recurring theme for a while. It has long been Few's philosophy to defer to the same player again and again to handle the ball in these situations--all the way back to Santangelo. Would it be a bad idea to try some other guys? Austin? Gray?

3. Is Pargo being overly intent on "getting others involved"? He seemed to find himself buried under the hoop a number of times when it in the past he would have elevated and scored. I really like the approach he has taken this year overall, but wonder if he is penetrating too deep before he decides whether to pass or score. There sort of is a point where you need to decide one way or the other.

4. It's okay to set a goal of going undefeated, but advertising it isn't a good idea.

Overall this game should not give us reason to panic or doubt the long-term prospects of the team. They defended well--Arizona made tough shots. They executed on offense to get okay shots, but they needed better. They guys played hard. A lot of bounces went Arizona's way in this one and that is just going to happen sometimes. It was a winnable game to learn from, but the changes needed are minor tweaks as opposed to big ones.

Agree. Upon reflection, it was sort of a Perfect Storm. The sixth straight away game for GU and a fresh AZ being pumped sky high. Pargo with 7 TO's. Josh scoring 6. I don't believe that happens with fresh bodies and minds.

But plenty to work on for UConn and beyond, no question.

[siliconzag]

Fellas,

So far this season, I think there has been a lot of, for lack of a better word, “whiskey talk” and not only from Bouldin! I nearly got caught up in the idea that the Zags are a final four team too after reading the reviews and comments you chaps have been writing. It’s just a hunch, but this won’t be the only disappointing loss of the year IMO. In fact, if I were Randy Bennett I would study those films very carefully. Jim Calhoun may have a slightly different approach, but it appears that using a defensive scheme that encourages dribble drives may lead to turn overs and easy transition baskets.

While one loss doesn’t destroy the Zags chances to be a number one seed, it does expose some perennial vulnerabilities: turning the ball over too much, failure to adjust, inability to make crisp decisive passes, and a defense which is neither intense or adaptable. Jeremy Pargo is a decent enough PG when they are ahead, but he struggles when times are lean and Plan A isn’t working. Sorry to say this, but I am not sure the Zags belong in the top 8 teams. Arizona is not that good of a team. Some say they shot out their arse, but to be honest, part of their shooting percentage was a function of inept and maladaptive defensive execution. A victory over U Conn might exonerate the Zags, but I think there are at least 3 more losses ahead. If they break even against UConn, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Mary’s, there is still hope for a decent seed.

I plan to attend the BIS, but I think it might be a good time to put St. Jude on speed dial. And for God's sake, stay away from the whiskey!

Happy Advent,

Sili