While Arizona Basketball was getting crushed on Thursday night many of you brought to my attention a column that I wrote shortly after the Wildcats were put into this years March Madness. I was sure that Sean Miller could get the most out of his team in this years tourney. After all, when you have star recruits spread across the floor, you should be better than most right? But I was wrong…
Of all the seeded upsets on Day One, the Wildcats laid the biggest egg. Bigger than Baylor. In fact, the Pac-12 once again showed that the basketball out West doesn’t quite measure up to other conferences. USC couldn’t guard a simple in-bounds play late, Colorado fizzled out, and then there were the Wildcats. The calling card for UofA is March Madness. No other way to put it. When Arizona fans try to sugarcoat this one away they will only be fooling themselves…
I like Sean Millers as an X’s and O’s coach but his team didn’t respond to him in Thursday nights blowout loss. No other way to put it. Also, when the coach wants to chide the media late in the season for not giving Gabe York enough credit, then the coach should expect criticism when York doesn’t deliver in the Pac-12 semis against Oregon 7-20 shooting. He should expect even more questions when his shooting guard goes 3-9 vs Wichita State. Let’s see, 10-29 shooting in the two biggest games of the season. Careful when you make “us” an issue…
The only recourse for fans in the hours after the loss is to take it out on Miller and the players. Their next step in rehab is to point to the five-star players coming to Arizona next year. How’s the “One and Done” recruits worked out for you in the way of March Madness? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that approach when you see stories about Alonzo Trier “huddling with his inner circle” about his NBA chances, less than 12 hours after losing to Wichita State? Is the priority the University of Arizona, or simply a six month stopover to get ready for the NBA?
I was wrong thinking that Arizona would wake up in time to make a run here in March.
