Mountaineers Shoot Them Some Wildcats
WASHINGTON -- West Virginia has always had an answer. Whether it was in the person of Alex Ruoff, Darris Nichols, or De'Sean Butler, every time Arizona has gotten close, the Mountaineers have nailed a big shot.
March 20, 2008
WVU Up to Old Tricks
WASHINGTON -- As they've been known to do, the West Virginia Mountaineers are making their threes early on. Darris Nichols and Alex Ruoff hit on back-to-back trips to stake WVU to an early 8-3 lead.
The Payne Train
WASHINGTON -- Cameron Payne and Jonnie West may not have entered tonight's game, but it sure seems like they are enjoying themselves.
Bayless Must Step Up
WASHINGTON -- Where has Jarryd Bayless been? He just, around the 9:30 mark, scored his first bucket of the second half. Why has the diaper dandy who averages 20 a game been so quiet?
Quick Note on the WVU Band
WASHINGTON -- Don't ask me why, but there is a 60-year-old man playing trumpet in the West Virginia band. First time I've ever seen that.
Wildcats Trail by One at Half
WASHINGTON -- Half time stats are nearly identical.
Budinger Waking Up
WASHINGTON -- After a somewhat quiet first few minutes, Chase Budinger has come alive, scoring on a three, a slashing two, and a midrange jumper on consecutive Arizona possessions.
Standing O for Byrd
WASHINGTON -- Belmont coach Rick Byrd just filed into the front row of what was the Belmont fan section and now is a mix of Bruins and Mountaineers fans. All of them, regardless of allegiance, took to their feet to acknowledge Byrd's team's performance against Duke. He looks weary but even from across the court, you can also tell he is proud.
March 19, 2008
NCAA Tournament Preview: Washington
Verizon Center has seen its fair share of memorable college basketball games the last few years. It has seen Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke in January 2006, the ultimate Cinderella, George Mason, take down mighty Connecticut later that spring, and Roy Hibbert beat those Huskies on an unexpected three pointer just a couple months ago. With the eight teams the NCAA has sent to Verizon for the first weekend of this year's tournament, there is a good chance that the District is one again the site of a few classics.
March 14, 2008
Pac-10: Stanford Knocks Off Arizona, 75-64
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona knew that it needed to win tonight against second-seeded Stanford to ensure itself of a bid to the NCAA Tournament, but that wish didn't come true for Kevin O'Neill's squad.
The Cardinal used second-half run to gain some separation and never looked back, winning their quarterfinal showdown with the Wildcats easily, 75-64, in front of good-size crowd at Staples Center.
First Team All-Pac-10 selection Brook Lopez was the game's high scorer, registering 20 points on just 9-of-24 shooting. But the sophomore 7-footer did grab a game-high 15 rebounds and twin brother Robin wasn't too shabby himself, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds two assists and four blocks.
Mitch Johnson, though, may have been the game's biggest surprise, handling his point guard duties while scoring 11 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Fred Washington and Lawrence each added 11 points and eight rebounds to round out Stanford's five double-digit scorers.
Arizona, in the meantime, has four players in double figures, led by super freshman Jerryd Bayless, who tallied 18 points, three assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes. Jordan Hill played well down low for the Wildcats with 16 points and six rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the frontcourt play of Brook and Robin Lopez.
Chase Budinger, who led all scorers at halftime with 12 points, struggled in the second half to find his shot, finishing the game with just 13 points in addition to eight rebounds. Nic Wise also chipped in 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in the loss.
For the game, Arizona shot a meager 36.4 percent from the field but did knock down shots from behind the three-point line, leaving the game with a 42.9-percent clip from deep. Stanford, on the other side, really struggled from long range, making only two of its 10 attempts, but the Cardinal managed to dominate the glass with a 50-29 advantage and shoot 42.9 percent for the game.
Stanford, which moves to 25-6 on the season, will face No. 3 seed Washington State, a winner over Oregon earlier, in the second game of tomorrow night's semifinal doubleheader, while cross-town rivals UCLA (No. 1 seed) and USC (No. 4 seed) will square off in the first game at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.
So until then, we say goodnight from Staples Center, where the field has been cut down to four with all four tops seeds -- UCLA, Stanford, Washington State and USC -- moving on.
Pac-10: Arizona Out Of Gas
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona is trying to give Stanford a run for its money after the Cardinal extended its lead all the way to 15 points midway through this second half, and a pair of free throws by Jerryd Bayless and a three-pointer by Nic Wise have the Wildcats within nine with 2:23 left.
But it's going to take a stop nearly every time down the floor for Arizona to get back in this one, and the way things are going its not looking good for that streak of 23 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Pac-10: Stanford Running Away
LOS ANGELES -- With less than six minutes remaining in this one, Stanford has gained control thanks to some easy misses by Arizona and solid frontcourt play by Brook Lopez.
Arizona coach Kevin O'Neill has just called a timeout and it's not looking good fro the Arizona faithful. The Stanford crowd, however, is up and applauding their team after a big run that's separated themselves from the Wildcats.
Pac-10: Stanford Takes Over Lead
LOS ANGELES -- Stanford has just taken a 57-49 lead by using an 8-0 run and some inside play from Brook and Robin Lopez.
The Wildcats are in need of a basket and just got a big bank shot from Jordan Hill, cutting the lead back to six.
But two Brook Lopez free throws, a Lawrence Hill breakaway layup and the lead is now up to 10. Arizona needs to pick things up if it hopes to win this game and make it back to the Big Dance.
Pac-10: Arizona and Stanford Trading Buckets
LOS ANGELES -- We're five minutes into the second half of our fourth and final quarterfinal game between No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 7 seed Arizona, and it's both teams knotted at 44-44 after a pair of Jerryd Bayless free throws.
Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger both have 12 for Arizona, which seems to be staying with the Cardinal right now. Kevin O'Neill said after yesterday's win over Oregon State that Nic Wise has been the difference-maker for the 'Cats, and with Arizona standing at 16-5 when Wise and Bayless both play, you'd have to believe him.
Pac-10: Arizona and Stanford Trading Buckets
LOS ANGELES -- We're five minutes into the second half of our fourth and final quarterfinal game between No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 7 seed Arizona, and it's both teams knotted at 44-44 after a pair of Jerryd Bayless free throws.
Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger both have 12 for Arizona, which seems to be staying with the Cardinal right now. Kevin O'Neill said after yesterday's win over Oregon State that Nic Wise has been the difference-maker for the 'Cats, and with Arizona standing at 16-5 when Wise and Bayless both play, you'd have to believe him.
Pac-10: Arizona and Stanford Tied At Halftime
LOS ANGELES -- After 20 minutes of hard-fought play, it's Stanford and Arizona deadlocked at halftime, 35-35, with 20 more minutes to settle the score.
Chase Budinger has been silky smooth for the Wildcats so far, knocking down two of his four three-point attempts to lead all scorers with 12 points and five rebounds. Jordan Hill has got the job done on the interior for Kevin O'Neill's club, dropping in 10 points and grabbing six rebounds against two imposing 7-footers in twins Brook and Robin Lopez. Jerryd Bayless has seven points and no turnovers after playing all 20 minutes of the first half.
On the other side of things, Brook Lopez is on top of Stanford's stat sheet with nearly a double-double: 10 points and eight rebounds. Robin has been the other force for the Cardinal, tallying eight points and three rebounds in 12 minutes from his center position.
Stanford hasn't shot the ball particularly well from three at just 2-of-9 (22.2 percent), but the Cardinal are shooting better from inside the arc at 41.7 percent for the game. Arizona, meanwhile, has shot 39.4 percent and a respectable 37.5 from three.
On the boards, Stanford holds a slight 23-18 advantage.
March 13, 2008
Pac-10: Arizona Slams Oregon State, 87-56
LOS ANGELES -- In what never seemed to be a contest, No. 7 seed Arizona advanced to tomorrow night's quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 seed Stanford after running past Pac-10 bottom-dweller Oregon State with a 87-56 victory.
The Wildcats, who shot a blistering 70 percent from the field in the first half and finished 31-of-57 (54.4 percent) for the game, had all five starters score in double figures, as Jordan Hill led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Jerryd Bayless tallied 15 points and Chase Budinger dropped in 14 to go along with five assists, but what might have been the most important performance for Kevin O'Neill's team was the return of Nic Wise, who suffered a knee injury during the middle of conference play but had a quality game with 15 points, eight assists and five steals in 26 minutes.
Arizona also held a 39-32 rebounding advantage over OSU, which shot just 32.8 percent from the field and only 20 percent from three-point range.
The Beavers, in the meantime, had two players finish in double-digit points, as Lathen Wallace finished his sophomore campaign with a game-high 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-for-7 from three.
Calvin Hayes added 10 points in 24 minutes and Marcel Jones was OSU's main attack on the glass, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with seven points, two assists, three steals and a block.
While the Beavers never seemed to pose much of a challenge for Arizona, you can be rest assured that Stanford and the Lopez twins will provide a stiff challenge for the Wildcats, who were unable to beat the Cardinal on either occasion this season.
Stanford, after all, is coming off two gut-wrenching losses to UCLA and USC, and you know that Trent Johnson's team is need of some revenge after last week's disappointment next door at The Galen Center and across town at Pauley Pavilion.
Either way, we should have four thrilling games to witness tomorrow, starting at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET with No. 4 seed USC taking on fifth-seeded Arizona State. No. 9 seed Cal will take on top-seeded UCLA at 2:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. ET looking to get revenge and No. 3 seed Washington State and No. 6 Oregon follow at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. Top that off with the nightcap between Stanford and Arizona (8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. ET) and you got one heck of a day of basketball. So if you're able to tune in for any of the action (even you East Coasters going to bed by 11 p.m.), I'd recommend doing so.
So until then, we say goodnight from Staples Center, where Cal and Arizona were both victorious in tonight's first round action.
Pac-10: Arizona Continuing To Cruise
LOS ANGELES -- Our apologies for the fewer amount of posts during this second half of play, but to be honest, not a whole lot has changed since Arizona took a 34-4 lead on Oregon State in the first half.
The Wildcats, instead, now lead 81-51 with four minutes to play and if you thought that's bad, you don't want to know what the score was before, as 'Zona nearly held a 40-point lead around the 10-minute mark.
Kevin O'Neill has his reserves in at this point and Oregon State is just going through the motions and will finish the season without a win in the Pac-10.
You can't help but feel bad for OSU interim head coach Kevin Mouton, who took over for John Jay after the head coach was fired in the middle of the season and hasn't got the Beavers that one conference win that they were hoping for.
Pac-10: OSU No Test For Arizona
LOS ANGELES -- With five minutes gone in the second half, not much has changed here at Staples Center, as Arizona still leads Oregon State by more than 30 points.
Lathen Wallace has been the one bright spot for the Beavers, leading all scorers with 19 points, but it's been Jordan Hill who has taken over for 'Zona, throwing down to big dunks to get the crowd -- what little of what's left at least -- going.
With this game more than in Arizona's back pocket, this remaining 15 minutes should be a good practice session in getting ready for Stanford and ever-imposing Lopez twins.
Pac-10: Arizona Leading Big, 59-21, At Halftime
LOS ANGELES -- We're at halftime in our second game of the night here at Staples Center, and it's not exactly anything like the first game we got to watch.
Arizona is out to a 59-21 lead on No. 10 seed Oregon State, and the Wildcats already have two scorers in double figures as Jerryd Bayless and Nic Wise both have 13 points apiece. Chase Budinger and Jawann McClellan have each dropped in nine points for 'Zona, which shot a stellar 71 percent from the field and outrebounded OSU, 16-13, during the first 20 minutes of play.
The Beavers, meanwhile, could only muster up 26.7 percent from the floor in the first half, as Lathen Wallace leads the Beavers with nine points on 2-of-7 shooting. Calvin Hayes has also added six to the Beavers' scoring line, but it's not looking good for Kevin Mouton's team.
So while there's little chance of Oregon State winning tonight's contest, it will be interesting to see how much Arizona coach Kevin O'Neill will play his starters in the second half and whether or not he'll let them rest with tomorrow's big matchup against No. 2 seed Stanford on the horizon.
Pac-10: 'Cats Keep Pouring It On
LOS ANGELES -- With two minutes left before halftime, we got a snoozer on our hands as Arizona leads Oregon State, 56-17 (and yes, I am reading the scoreboard correctly).
The Beavers have looked like the 0-18 team that they've been all season, and with this margin already, there's little hope going into break for Kevin Mouton's players.
That is, unless they manage to keep Arizona from pretty much scoring in the second half. But with the way the Wildcats have shot the ball in this first half, I wouldn't put my money on OSU to make any sort of comeback.
Pac-10: Arizona Putting Away OSU Early
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona continues to roll here in the first half of the Wildcats' first round contest against No. 10 Oregon State, as there's not much that has gone right for Kevin Mouton's team in the first 15 minutes of play.
Jordan Hill has been particularly active down low for the 'Cats, and it doesn't seem like there's much that OSU has to offer on the interior.
Of course, this is a team that only won six games all year, including three straight against USC Upstate, Idaho State and Portland -- not exactly the nation's top-tier talent.
But with 4:34 remaining before halftime, it's Arizona already claiming a 30-point lead with the scoreboard reading 45-15.
Pac-10: 'Zona Putting On Shooting Clinic Early
LOS ANGELES -- While I've been finishing up some final stats and notes on our first game, Arizona has put on a shooting clinic, knocking down everything in sight and leading big, 32-8, with still 10 minutes left in the first half.
Jawann McClellan is leading the Wildcats with nine points at the moment and Jordan Hill has already had two big-time dunks to record six points in the first half. Freshman star Jerryd Bayless has seven, including a smooth-looking three from the right wing, and Chase Budinger has added five after stroking a three of his own.
March 12, 2008
Pac-10: Arizona Faces Oregon State
LOS ANGELES -- Our apologies for the late start on our second game of the night, as we got stuck listening to Cal coach Ben Braun discuss his team's big win over Washington in the first game of our doubleheader.
Seventh-seeded Arizona, which finished the season at 18-13 and 8-10 in the conference, comes into tonight's game against No. 10 seed Oregon State desperately needing to win to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament.
The Beavers, on the other hand, failed to win a Pac-10 game this season and most likely won't be able to match the athleticism that freshman sensation Jerryd Bayless and sharpshooting sophomore Chase Budinger present.
February 01, 2008
Wildcats Show Strength, Skill and Budinger
LOS ANGELES -- On a court with three highly-touted freshmen, Arizona sophomore Chase Budinger was a case study on why even a little experience can go a long way.
The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled in the second half of an 80-69 Pacific-10 Conference victory over USC on Thursday night. He had a game-high 29 points with eight rebounds and stroked four of Arizona 10 3-pointers in the victory. Before a record crowd of 10,258 at the Galen Center, he helped lead the Wildcats back into the Pacific-10 Conference title race.
Arizona's 3-point shooting and a 37-30 rebounding advantage helped the Wildcats move into a tie for third place in the Pac-10 standings.
Continue reading "Wildcats Show Strength, Skill and Budinger" »
Wildcats Rip By USC
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona dominated in the closing minutes to capture an 80-69 victory over USC and pull ahead in the Pacific-10 Conference standings. Chase Budinger had a game-high 29 points with eight rebounds to lead the Wildcats, who improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in conference.
USC fell to 13-7 overall and 4-4 in conference.
We'll have more after talking to both teams.
Wildcats Trying To Pull Away
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona has taken a 67-59 lead with 3:41 left in the second half. The Wildcats continue to outrebound USC and offensive rebounds have helped Arizona during a 12-3 run, which included a two-minute scoreless span for USC.
January 31, 2008
Chase Keeping Up
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona sophomore Chase Budinger just hit another big three-pointer to tie it up with USC, 55-55, with 7:49 left in the second half. The 6-foot-7 smooth-shooting forward has a game-high 21 points.
Jawann McClellan hasn't scored in the second half for Arizona while USC has three players in double figures. OJ Mayo has 17 points although he's missed a few jump shots over the last few minutes. Davon Jefferson has 15 points and Taj Gibson has 13 points as both have exceeded their first-half scoring output.
Grab It and Hold It!
LOS ANGELES -- USC forward Davon Jefferson might have a few more rebounds if he could just hold onto the basketball!
The freshman has looked strong except for a few times on the defensive glass where he's lost the handle on the basketball while trying to bring it down.
On Fire
LOS ANGELES -- USC has a 51-49 lead over Arizona with 11:27 remaining in the second half but it's got to feel like it should be leading by more. The Trojans are shooting a blistering 57 percent from the field (21-37 FG) but strong three-point shooting from the Wildcats is keeping it close. Arizona has made seven three-pointers and its latest, which was by Chase Budinger on an inbounds play tied it up, 49-49.
But then, USC forward Taj Gibson helped keep the shooting percentage high, grabbing on offensive rebound off a miss and dunking his putback home.
Hackett Doubtful To Return
LOS ANGELES -- USC sophomore Daniel Hackett is doubtful to return due to a bruised hip he suffered when diving for a loose ball in the first half.
The Trojans are hanging tough without him, taking a 42-38 lead with 16:23 left in the second half.
Angelo Johnson nailed a three-pointer from the corner and it was O.J. Mayo who delivered the assist off a dribble drive that sucked in the Arizona defense.
Arizona Closes First Half Strong
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona finished the first half on a 13-3 run to take a 34-31 lead.
Here are a couple of keys to the game for both teams.
USC: The Trojans need Taj Gibson and Davon Jefferson to be involved in the offense but more important, those two need to rebound after combining for just three in the first half. Plus, the Trojans need to overcome the loss of Daniel Hackett, who didn't return after hurting himself while diving for a loose ball.
Arizona: Keep taking good perimeter shots and see if there's a way to open things up for Chase Budinger. It doesn't hurt if the Wildcats can keep controlling the glass, where they had a 14-10 advantage.
Budinger, Cats Don't Back Down
LOS ANGELES -- Arizona is firing away from the perimeter. The Wildcats are 5-for-10 from beyond the arc and hit two of those during an 8-0 run. OJ Mayo nailed another jump shot to keep USC in the lead, 30-29, with 3:49 to go in the half.
Mayo and Arizona's Jawann McClellan both have 13 points.
Odd Look
LOS ANGELES -- I've just got to say (and I'm sure I'm not the first) -- it's really weird looking over at the Arizona bench and not seeing Coach Lute Olson there. Of course, Olson is probably glad he's not here right now as the Galen Center erupted after the Wildcats called a timeout to try and halt a 9-0 USC run.
The Trojans lead, 28-21, with 5:54 left in the first half and OJ Mayo is digging deep into his offensive bag of tricks. The freshman hit a scoop shot and then followed with a slick step-back three-point jumper.
Taj's Palace
LOS ANGELES -- It might be two freshman who garner a lot of the attention for USC in OJ Mayo and Davon Jefferson but there's no denying it's forward Taj Gibson who is the cornerstone for this Trojans team and key to keeping the USC fans in the Galen Center happy. The sophomore out of Brooklyn can hit the 15-foot jumper off the pick-and-roll, show off his great athleticism with a dunk and even control the glass on the defensive end.
He's done all of that to help USC take a 19-18 lead with 8:27 left in the half. However, he has two fouls and just went to the bench. USC needs to prove itself with him taking a rest.
McClellan Cooking Early
LOS ANGELES -- The pick and roll looks amazing when O.J. Mayo and Taj Gibson work together for USC, but so far it's all about Arizona senior Jawann McClellan, who has 10 points and has already made two three-pointers to give Arizona a 14-13 lead in this important Pacific-10 Conference basketball game.
Mayo Makes An Early Statement
LOS ANGELES -- USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo didn't wait long welcome Arizona freshman Jerryd Bayless into the Galen Center. Mayo rejected a jumper by Bayless, snared the ball and took it down the court before pulling up and nailing a three-pointer.
USC has an early lead, 8-6, with 14:44 remaining.
December 08, 2007
Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword
CHICAGO -- Arizona hit just enough free throws down the stretch to beat Illinois 78-72 in overtime. Ineptitude at the line did the Illini in. After a bad 6-for-10 effort in the first half, they followed that up with miserable 4-for-12 second half, including two missed front ends of bonuses.
Shaun Pruitt had a big game for Illinois with 24, and Trent Meacham chipped in 16. Jordan Hill answered Pruitt for Arizona by scoring 23. Jerryd Bayless added 20, including a couple of key jumpers in OT.
After the game, Kevin O'Neill talked about how his team is showing more tenacity and fight. That was a big problem last year, and it was evident in the NCAA tournament when Purdue beat them up and knocked them out. This year's team has already come back from way behind against good teams and won and today was another example of that. O'Neill would prefer it not always go that way.
"Our plan is not to get behind big early," he said. But he is encouraged by the fact that the team doesn't quit when that happens.
Arizona Trying To Finish Off Comeback
CHICAGO -- Arizona leads by four with 51 seconds left in overtime. Brian Randle fouled out on a charge hitting a shot that would have tied the game. Then Jerryd Bayless hit a jumper in the lane, which he followed up by posing and preening -- something he apparently does after every made basket no matter how routine. You would think guys 6-for-17 from the floor would be more humble.
Arizona has missed a few free throws in the OT, which has made it harder to put Illinois away.
Pruitt has just scored to cut the lead to three.
Let The Kids Decide The Game
CHICAGO -- A Jordan Hill put back with seven seconds left is sending us to OT at the United Center. After Illinois came down and had the ball stolen, the Arizona player (it's hard to see who they are from here because their numbers and uniforms are both dark) clearly signaled timeout with the ref looking right at him, but the ref ignored it.
Arizona was out of timeouts, so that is a technical foul. The ref does not have the liberty to ignore that signal, but he did. People always say the refs should swallow their whistles and let the players decide the game, but a bad no-call is just as much deciding the game as a bad call, and this was a bad no-call.
Chase Budinger finally hit a shot to give Arizona the lead in OT. Pruitt missed two more free throws to blow a chance at tying it.
Frantic Final Minutes
CHICAGO -- Both teams are getting very sloppy. Illinois has about five turnovers in the last few minutes, but Arizona either gives it back or misses the shot, so we go into the final minute with the Wildcats looking for their first lead of the game.
And they just got it on a dunk by Jordan Hill, who escaped the Illini inside. Arizona now leads 59-58.
Illini Going Cold
CHICAGO -- Illinois' offense has become a bit stagnant over the last few minutes and Arizona has crept back to within two at 57-55 with 3:28 left.
On back-to-back possessions, Illinois just missed a shot clock violation and then picked one up. They've also gotten a little sloppy with the ball, turning it over twice more on bad passes.
They just showed former Illini star Kendall Gill on the screen. As Paul Harvey likes to say, this is "partly personal." Gill is the best player to ever come out of my high school, Rich Central, in south suburban Olympia Fields, IL. Gill was coming in as I was going out, so he didn't play while I was there.
Illinois has just missed another free throw, but Brian Randle hit the second to put the Illini up three.
Bricks From The Line
CHICAGO -- At the eight-minute timeout, Illinois still leads by five, 52-47, but the Illini are killing themselves at the line. They are 0-4 this half, including two misses on the front end of 1-and-1s by Pruitt and Brian Randle. Pruitt even had two chances after a lane violation.
I've always felt that missing the front end should count as 0-2 because of the missed opportunity for the second shot, but I haven't figured out how to track that yet.
Chase Budinger has been a complete non-factor for Arizona. He finally forced up a shot a minute ago from about 20' that had no chance of going in. He's still looking for his first bucket.
Bayless Sighting
CHICAGO -- There has been a Jerryd Bayless sighting. Bayless hit a layup on the fast break and a three in transition to pull Arizona back within seven at the 12-minute timeout.
The cheerleaders are throwing T-shirts into the crowd. Nobody got one up here though. I don't know that Vlad Guerrero could get one up here.
Both teams are shooting a little better this half, but for Arizona, that's not much of a standard.
Same Ol', Same Ol'
CHICAGO -- Not much has changed early in the second half at the UC. Arizona is still sloppy with the ball and can't hit a shot. Shaun Pruitt is still dominating inside for the Illini, and the Wildcats have called an early timeout. With 15:14 to go, Illinois has extended its lead to 12 at 44-32. Pruitt scored the first four for Illinois and set up a three-pointer by Calvin Brock by drawing a double team in the post.
The biggest concern for Illinois is fouls. They have already committed four in the early going of this half.
Another Pet Peeve
CHICAGO -- Ever since they put in the rule a few years ago that teams had to use a 30-second time out in the first half or lose it, every coach takes it whether they need to or not. Bruce Weber just did that. His team is cruising along just fine with a seven point lead and a chance to take the last shot, a situation his kids know how to handle just fine, but he can't resist. As a result, they end up with a three point attempt by Mike Tisdale, who, needless to say, hasn't hit one all year. He still hasn't.
Illinois is up by a touchdown, 35-28 at the half as we are entertained by the Chicago Boys Acrobatic Team.
Airzona can't hit the broad side of this barn. They are 9-for-26 from the floor, and the Wildcats' two stars, Budinger and Bayless are a combined 1-for-11. Arizona is only 2-9 from three point range, but they have hit the occasional free throw, going 8-for-12.
Illinois is shooting 50 percent from the floor and is doing a lot of damage inside on the bigger Wildcats. Good thing Pruitt showed up, because he's playing great. He leads the Illini with 12 points, while fellow front-courter Brian Randle has eight and G Trent Meacham has seven.
Illini Still Up
CHICAGO -- At the last TV timeout, Illinois still leads by nine, 29-20. The two teams' cheerleaders are having a competition to see which squad's guys can hold up their girls the longest. It's the only thing Arizona is winning so far.
Glad to see Arizona's cheerleaders and mascot made the trip.
Stats are a mystery here. The scoreboard doesn't give us much, and in fact, the team foul totals only go up to five. Must be a pro thing. It does give us "snapshots of the game" during the timeouts, though, in case you want to read some of the players' tatoos.
For the first time today, surprisingly, the ILL-INI chant has gone up.
Getting Whiplash
CHICAGO -- The game is going back and forth hard, and I'm getting whiplash. Jordan Hill and Nic Wise led Arizona on a 16-2 run to tie the game at 16 after the Wildcats' horrible start, but before I could hardly get anything written about it, the Illini went on a 9-0 run capped off by a Shaun Pruitt layup to go up 25-16. Arizona has just taken its third timeout of the half.
Arizona Showing Signs Of Life
CHICAGO -- Arizona is finally settling down and playing their game. They haven't had a turnover since the last post and they are taking better shots. The Wildcats are on a 7-2 run and have cut the lead to 9 at the second TV timeout.
The Illinois band may not have the Chief to perform with them anymore, but they still play their Indian music that gets the fans up and clapping.
The United Center seats 20,000 and I'd say we have a crowd of about 17-18,000, so it's a pretty good turnout.
Finally Sitting
CHICAGO -- WIth 14:40 to play in the half, Arizona finally scored and the Illini fans are getting some rest. Illinois leads, 14-2, and Arizona has six turnovers already.
All Illinois Early
CHICAGO -- Arizona has just taken its second timeout of the first three and a half minutes because nothing is going right for the Wildcats. Illinois leads 10-0 and has already forced four turnovers. Arizona has only managed to get off one shot, and it was forced.
Most of the fans in front of us are standing, but one guy is complaining about it. He was instructed that, "We can't sit down until Arizona scores." They may get tired. Arizona just turned it over again.
Pruitt In The Lineup
CHICAGO -- Shaun Pruitt is in the starting lineup for Illinois and scored the first two points. We'll see how long he can go.
Arizona-Illinois Pre-game Notes
CHICAGO -- Illinois is hosting Arizona today at the United Center in Chicago. This is the 14th consecutive year that Illinois has scheduled a "home" game at the UC, which is also the home of the Chicago Bulls. The games actually count as neutral court games in the RPI, but there will be nothing neutral about the crowd. There are roughly 100,000 Illinois grads in the Chicago area and this place will be mostly full today. Illinois is 31-7 at the UC over the years, which includes games in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, and has won 15 of its last 16 here.
The Illini may be without starting C Shaun Pruitt, which means coach Bruce Weber may have to go with a dough nut lineup. Pruitt is the only healthy, legitimate big man on the Illinois roster. Brian Carlwell hurt his knee last week, so he's out, which means that 7'1" freshman Mike Tisdale may see a lot of time. He played a career high 15 minutes and scored 8 points against Weber St last Saturday.
Pruitt's absence will be felt in this game in particular because Arizona starts two big guys, 6-foot-10 Jordan Hill and 6-foot-11 Kirk Walters, although Walters is still getting back into game shape after missing last season with mono.
Arizona coach Lute Olsen announced this week that his leave of absence will cause him to miss the entire season. He is going through a divorce with his second wife. His first wife died in 2001. Former Northwestern and Tennessee coach Kevin O'Neill is coaching the team this season.
O'Neill and Illinois coach Bruce Weber are familiar with each other from O'Neill's coaching days at NU while Weber was an assistant to Gene Keady at Purdue.
The Wildcats are ranked 22nd in the AP poll and 24th in the coaches' poll entering the game. Freshman G Jerryd Bayless is off to a good start in his college career. He is leading the team in points and assists with 19.9 and 4.9 respectively. Sophomore F Chase Budinger is averaging 18.4 per game.
Illinois offense is more balanced, with six guys averaging between 7-11 ppg. The leader is Trent Meachem at 10.9.
My seat is about five miles away in the press box across from the Illinois bench. Fortunately, I have good eyesight.
Before the game in the press room, all the talk was about the Rose Bowl. I'm one of the few people here who has been to one (Illinois hasn't been in 23 years), so there were more questions about that than basketball stuff. Illinois fans are pretty fired up about that. There's a lot of garish orange Rose Bowl gear in the house.
We're just minutes from the tip.
- 2008 NCAA Tournament (201)
- ACC (421)
- Alabama (21)
- Anaheim (26)
- Arizona (53)
- Arizona State (10)
- Arkansas (12)
- Atlantic 10 (224)
- Auburn (11)
- Baylor (11)
- Big 12 (353)
- Big East (455)
- Big South (24)
- Big Ten (318)
- Big West (12)
- Birmingham (33)
- Boston College (34)
- Butler (63)
- BYU (40)
- C-USA (128)
- CAA (64)
- Cal (21)
- Cal State Fullerton (6)
- Charlotte (27)
- Cincinnati (12)
- Clemson (44)
- Colorado (23)
- Davidson (33)
- Dayton (48)
- Denver (44)
- Drake (16)
- Duke (97)
- Duquesne (7)
- Florida (24)
- Florida State (28)
- George Mason (11)
- George Washington (9)
- Georgetown (67)
- Georgia (42)
- Georgia Tech (29)
- Gonzaga (34)
- Hofstra (16)
- Horizon (67)
- Houston (13)
- Illinois (63)
- Illinois State (24)
- Indiana (65)
- Iowa (7)
- Kansas (98)
- Kansas State (59)
- Kent State (30)
- Kentucky (21)
- La Salle (17)
- Little Rock (44)
- Louisville (53)
- Loyola Marymount (30)
- LSU (9)
- MAAC (20)
- MAC (23)
- Marist (20)
- Marquette (53)
- Maryland (28)
- Memphis (52)
- Miami (29)
- Michigan (17)
- Michigan State (104)
- Minnesota (33)
- Mississippi State (27)
- Missouri (39)
- Missouri State (12)
- Missouri Valley (92)
- Mountain West (45)
- N.C. State (70)
- Nebraska (20)
- New Mexico State (28)
- North Carolina (170)
- Northwestern (11)
- Notre Dame (30)
- Ohio State (35)
- Oklahoma (64)
- Oklahoma State (21)
- Old Dominion (39)
- Ole Miss (17)
- Omaha (27)
- Oral Roberts (11)
- Oregon (16)
- Oregon State (8)
- Pac-10 (350)
- Pepperdine (11)
- Pittsburgh (96)
- Portland (8)
- Portland State (6)
- Posting Up (1)
- Providence (24)
- Purdue (41)
- Raleigh (37)
- Rhode Island (23)
- Rutgers (22)
- Saint Joseph's (44)
- Saint Mary's (30)
- San Diego (39)
- San Diego State (16)
- San Francisco (1)
- San Francisco (15)
- Santa Clara (15)
- SEC (220)
- Seton Hall (25)
- SoCon (33)
- South Carolina (18)
- Southern Illinois (42)
- Southland Conference (1)
- St. John's (35)
- Stanford (30)
- Summit (11)
- Syracuse (34)
- Tampa (36)
- Temple (43)
- Tennessee (100)
- Texas (108)
- Texas A&M (78)
- Texas Tech (10)
- UC Santa Barbara (14)
- UCLA (145)
- UConn (72)
- UMass (26)
- UNLV (6)
- USC (132)
- UT-Arlington (1)
- Valparaiso (3)
- Vanderbilt (43)
- Villanova (56)
- Virginia (22)
- Virginia Tech (43)
- WAC (31)
- Wake Forest (9)
- Washington (37)
- Washington (47)
- Washington State (56)
- WCC (104)
- West Virginia (58)
- Winthrop (24)
- Wisconsin (68)
- Wisconsin-Milwaukee (3)
- Xavier (98)