Oh exam week how you mess with us. You slow everything down, allotting us a mild mid-week slate, only to blow up all over everything with a packed Saturday. And how did we like that Saturday? Defensively to be sure. Only one Pac-12 opponent (Creighton) surmounted the 70-point mark. And did you see the USC game? I hope not because UC-Riverside shot 19% and scored just 26 points in the Galen Center. They did not score their thirteenth point until there was 5:38 remaining in the game. I mean Riverside nearly scored as many points as Florida had turnovers in the final minute in Tucson!
The one defense to struggle, also known as the only team to lose, was Cal. It was their third consecutive loss and perhaps exposed Cal’s depth issues and dependence on Allen Crabbe. He struggles and the Bears struggle and the score-tastic junior struggled Saturday night. That is if we can define struggle as missing a quarter of your team’s shots; a feat Doug McDermott did not accomplish. That score-tastic junior from Creighton dropped 34/9 on Monty’s crew and propagated the conference’s abysmal record against ranked opponents. Did you know the Pac was 2-16 against such opposition this season heading into Saturday?
But Arizona beat Florida! This is a great win for the Wildcats, one I thought was
far bigger than just a mid-December bout, and a game that served as Arizona’s first big test. Safe to say they passed, as that was a terrific game they won without necessarily playing their best. But I’m curious what this really means for the conference? Sure that single win boosts conference RPI but does that really do much for anyone? To me, one top team does not a conference make. Take the football season for example. The Pac ran some seven different schools into the top-25 and has two BCS bowlers now. This model – one the hoop squads are no doubt pursuing – allows teams to bolster their resume on a weekly basis. Not everyone is going to schedule a USC-like schedule with an out of conference slate built for giants; but everyone does have to play 18 conference games. So Arizona’s win is indeed a favor to everyone in that they’ll get two shots (in most cases) to beat a top team and boost their tournament resume. That’s ultimately not enough chances to go around and get more than two teams dancing including the regular season champ (I’ll never get over that UW stat). Alas, I don’t want to continue to discuss the conference’s mediocrity because at this late point in the non-conference season, I think we’re locked into just one ranked team for a little while.
New subject here – at least for this piece – but are things really getting that bad in Seattle? I know they had a 2-0 week but some of what I read was not particularly nice regarding Romar. A few loyalists were likening the situation to that of the Jeff Tedford era at Cal; some really great success before comfort began to settle in and perhaps some complacency. Romar himself – a generally mild mannered coach – said he was going to have to up his intensity, setting the tone for a team that has seemingly lacked such. In a group setting, teams often become projections of their leader. This change hopefully serves as a wakeup to all involved in purple before it gets too late.
Time to go, but have to just say that 17 & 20 is absurd. Doesn’t matter if you’re playing Fresno State or local pickup, a 17/20 night is something to be mentioned. Well done, ‘Dre.
Be great.
