[CapitolHillCard]

Wow, tough crowd. 

I watched the game and, while it is disappointing that we did not pull off the brobdingnagian upset, the team came to play and generally played well.  I also don't think coaching is the main reason we lost this one (more on that below).

To give the team praise where it is due, we held a team that was averaging nearly 50 percent shooting and a +10 rebound margin to 36 percent and beat them on the boards by 2. Arizona was averaging 13 offensive rebounds a game, and we held them to less than half that -- although the one they got at the end cost us the game. 

Arizona is ranked #1 for a reason -- they are a tough, tough defensive team, that is undefeated and beaten a lot of really good teams already including Duke, San Diego State, Michigan, UCLA etc. They have top recruits at every position - far better rated than our players. Other than Michigan no one has came closer to them than we have. 

The main reason, I think, we lost is depth. Yes, Arizona clamped down, but we ran plays and we got many makeable shots (including in the last minute).  We just did not get those shots to fall because, I think, the team started to run out of gas.  Randle played all 40 minutes, Huestis and Brown played 39 minutes each.  And, I am not sure that we can really blame Dawkins for that -- when the reserves were in, Arizona went on a run.  Not having Rosco Allen, Bright, Brown, and Sanders hurts in games like this.

While I can't write that I am rooting for Dawkins to lose his job, I am not particularly invested in him either. He is a mediocre coach for a program like ours, albeit slowly improving, and a good recruiter.  But the team has gotten better and we played well and hard this evening. Nastic's improvement is remarkable. I don't think all that should get lost in our feelings about Dawkins.

[CapitolHillCard]

Wow, tough crowd. 

I watched the game and, while it is disappointing that we did not pull off the brobdingnagian upset, the team came to play and generally played well.  I also don't think coaching is the main reason we lost this one (more on that below).

To give the team praise where it is due, we held a team that was averaging nearly 50 percent shooting and a +10 rebound margin to 36 percent and beat them on the boards by 2. Arizona was averaging 13 offensive rebounds a game, and we held them to less than half that -- although the one they got at the end cost us the game. 

Arizona is ranked #1 for a reason -- they are a tough, tough defensive team, that is undefeated and beaten a lot of really good teams already including Duke, San Diego State, Michigan, UCLA etc. They have top recruits at every position - far better rated than our players. Other than Michigan no one has came closer to them than we have. 

The main reason, I think, we lost is depth. Yes, Arizona clamped down, but we ran plays and we got many makeable shots (including in the last minute).  We just did not get those shots to fall because, I think, the team started to run out of gas.  Randle played all 40 minutes, Huestis and Brown played 39 minutes each.  And, I am not sure that we can really blame Dawkins for that -- when the reserves were in, Arizona went on a run.  Not having Rosco Allen, Bright, Brown, and Sanders hurts in games like this.

While I can't write that I am rooting for Dawkins to lose his job, I am not particularly invested in him either. He is a mediocre coach for a program like ours, albeit slowly improving, and a good recruiter.  But the team has gotten better and we played well and hard this evening. Nastic's improvement is remarkable. I don't think all that should get lost in our feelings about Dawkins.