Transcript: live Q&A chat with Bruce Pascoe on UA basketball

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Transcript: live Q&A chat with Bruce Pascoe on UA basketball

Here's the transcript of today's live question-and-answer chat on Arizona Wildcat basketball with the Star's basketball beat writer, Bruce Pascoe.

Welcome to today's live chat. Bruce Pascoe will join the chat at noon. Some questions are already queued up for him. You can submit a question at any time; they aren't made visible to the public until Bruce is ready to answer.

by John Bolton, StarNet night... 1/14/2013 6:33:04 PM
Just out: Wildcats drop to seventh in AP Top 25 poll

by John Bolton, StarNet night... 1/14/2013 6:52:01 PM
Please...find out why York hasnt played in the last few games. If, it is his "D", then how will anyone know if he can play "D" if he doesnt get a chance to showcase it.

by Mrzipityduda 1/14/2013 7:00:50 PM
Hi everyone. thanks for joining.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:01:04 PM
I have looked into the York situation several times and the bottom line is that Miller just thinks the other guards are ahead of him. The fact that UA has been in a lot of close games lately -- and are using a smaller lineup more often -- is also squeezing him out. I thought maybe he might get into the OSU game but he did not. From what I hear, his defense is improving and that is not all that's keeping him off the floor. But it's hard for me to say first-hand because practices are closed

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:03:28 PM
Bruce, love your writings! Tell me, why in the world would our top recruit Aaron Gordon choose AZ in the spring??? With BA, GJ, KT, and AC coming back next year, don't you think he'll just choose Washington or Kentucky instead? Who do you think he'll ultimately choose? Thanks!

by WildAboutdaCats!!! 1/14/2013 7:03:52 PM
Thanks. I think you hit it on the head. He may very well go somewhere with a wide-open opportunity. Washington has a strong chance because of Romar's relationship with Gordon's family and Kentucky always has a good chance with anyone, of course. But UA can sell the fact that it turned Derrick Williams into the No. 2 pick in just two years (and Williams wasn't rated nearly as highly out of HS as Gordon is), the only-game-in-town environment here, facilities, etc.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:06:17 PM
Bruce, seems that Tarq and Chol haven't improved their ball handling abilities when receiving the entry passes. Is that true or am I just imagining all the turnovers?

by john 1/14/2013 7:06:37 PM
No that's a weak spot, to be sure. Has always been Chol's biggest issue since he started playing in seventh grade. Tarczewski has shown some improvement and has been very impressive in many other areas; he just had a hard time at OSU.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:08:10 PM
How do you see the big three freshman helping Arizona in the immediate future?

by Sam 1/14/2013 7:08:49 PM
I think we're going to see more days of two of them being on and one off, like at OSU. Some games in the past two or all three of them haven't been huge factors. The problem is two-fold: They are freshmen that are still learning a lot, and they aren't always getting the ball as much as they might at some other schools because UA has so many other threats. But it's pretty obvious that all three of them have the talent they were billed as having. You just don't see it all the time with all of them.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:11:53 PM
Thanks for taking questions Bruce. How much longer into the season until Kaleb have his breakout game and dominate offensively in the paint?

by UAHoops97 1/14/2013 7:11:58 PM
He's had 13 boards twice so that's pretty dominant. but offensively, i'm sure he will have a big night sometime. but it's going to take him starting off hot and then getting enough passes from his teammates to rack up points. UA still doesn't get him the ball as much as it could, again because there are so many other options. If Tarczewski were playing for a lot of other teams, he'd already have 20-point games.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:14:09 PM
Is Parrom's health back to 100 percent? He sure looks terrific - wish AZ could clone him.

by JG 1/14/2013 7:14:13 PM
It appears to be 100 percent, which I wondered if he could ever get to. You just don't know with nerve damage, which appeared to have played a role in his foot injury last season, and as a result UA was quietly nervous before the season if he could make it through the season healthy.
Most importantly, his confidence and attitude seem to be 100 percent. that wasn't the case last season or even early this season.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:16:59 PM
Just saw that Kevin O'Neill was fired by USC. Story say USC just wants to go in another direction and named Associate Cantu as interim coach. Any comments on this.

by Peter Giunta 1/14/2013 7:17:14 PM
Anytime a coach is fired in midseason, you wonder if there are other circumstances. But Pat Haden (USC's AD) says that he could now finally evaluate USC because they were healthy, and determined that it needed a change. That's an understandable opinion.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:18:22 PM
Haden was fair to KO after last season, saying he would stay because USC had so many injuries last season than he could not evaluate them. In fact, KO had issues out of his control since his first season, when the team was banned from the postseason. He also had a pretty bare recruiting cupboard in part because Derrick Williams and MoMo Jones were released before KO arrived. But now, the Trojans were at full strength and performing under expectations.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:20:10 PM
Where will Kevin O'Neill go next, do you think?

by JG 1/14/2013 7:20:31 PM
I'd think he'd either take the rest of the season off (though it's pretty cold now at his upstate NY vacation house) or do some scouting for an NBA team. He can always get a job in the NBA either as a scout or assistant because he's well regarded for his knowledge of the game.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:22:25 PM
What would it look like if you gave Coach M. and staff an objective grade through the first 10 weeks of this season on developing this team/rotations and game time coaching decisions.

by Joe 1/14/2013 7:23:16 PM
Not my place to throw around that kind of opinion as a beat writer. But it does seem like York's playing time, Miller's timeouts (or lack thereof) and the relatively weak early schedule have all drawn some scrutiny. But bottom line is this team is surpassing expectations so far.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:29:24 PM
Bruce, how were the atmospheres at the two Oregon schools? How was the new Oregon arena? On TV, it def seemed like a top five team was in the building. OSU seemed quiet or bored. I watched the Oregon ASU game, and I didn't hear the same excitement, even though that game came down to the wire.

by Andre 1/14/2013 7:29:45 PM
The new Oregon arena is terrific but it just isn't as loud as Mac Court was. They tried but i don't think they can duplicate MacCourt with today's building codes. It was loud, and the nice touch is that they still let students stand courtside opposite the benches even with the money pressure to sell those as seats. Oregon State was definitely quieter, but they aren't having that great of a season so far. Gill can get quite loud when the Beavers are good.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:31:54 PM
FWIW, I can say my ears actually hurt during the Florida and Colorado games. Not true of any other UA game this season so far.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:32:42 PM
Bruce, which freshman have you been the most impressed with and why? Do you think the light bulb has clicked for one or any? When does that light bulb usually click for freshmen big men?

by Andre 1/14/2013 7:33:05 PM
Wow. they've all been very impressive at times and all have terrific attitudes and work ethics. but I'd have to say Tarczewski probably the most because he's been fairly consistent, and it's so hard for a 7-footer to adjust to the speed of the college game. Often it seems like highly rated big men are disappointing for a while (and sometimes permanently) until they get it. That often doesn't happen until the second or third year. But Ashley's upside also really jumps out at you -- he could be a very good pro.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:36:51 PM
Was I imagining it or did OSU just dribble-drive to the hoop at will ?

by Greg 1/14/2013 7:38:48 PM
I wouldn't go that far. Collier had some success but he was also stuffed at times. But UA has had that issue, yes.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:39:33 PM
Looking at ASU, what are the biggest threats that the Cats have handle? I feel like ASU has got momentum at least in conference

by Endless 1/14/2013 7:42:12 PM
All of ASU's starters are playing well. It will be interesting to watch Bachynski vs Tarczewski and, of course, Carson because I don't know if Nick Johnson will be guarding him or how that will shake out. Should be a great game to watch.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:43:27 PM
What would it look like if we played Duke next week? Are the Cats even close to being ready for prime time?

by Greg 1/14/2013 7:43:37 PM
Depending on where the game would be played, they'd probably lose but not by too much. They have shown the ability to rise up or down to their opponent. I thought they'd lose to Florida and SDSU, maybe even Miami, before the season.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:44:55 PM
There are many fans who are starting to believe that Sean Miller is not as good at developing players, especially big men, as was thought. Is there any truth to that?

by fan1 1/14/2013 7:45:02 PM
Miller did help Derrick Williams go from Top 150 to No. 2 in the NBA draft. At Xavier, he also turned Derrick Brown from a lightly recruited and skinny HS player into a fringe NBA guy. Right now he almost has too much talent up front in the sense that none of them need to be dominant so none of them are. I thought Jerrett's comment may have also been telling -- the young guys may be deferring a bit. They are nice guys and seem to be buying into the team-first thing Miller is preaching so their games may appear on the outside not as impressive as they can be. Jerrett finally broke out of a slump on Saturday when he basically got mad at himself. He has the ability to do it.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:50:33 PM
Reasons to press:
Our depth means we can always have fresher players in the game (3-4 min rotations)
More players playing mean more players happy (York, Chol, Mayes)
Play to Lyons, Ashley, Johnson, Hill, and York’s strength: Open court running
Take teams out of their comfort zone
Our D is already not stopping teams so what is the worse that could happen

by coug88 1/14/2013 7:51:16 PM
I see your argument but that's just not happening. Miller is convinced that playing the press more would not be effective in the long run. He's a sound man-to-man guy. The defense has been somewhat inconsistent this season but he isn't going to change it anytime soon.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:53:08 PM
What have you heard, if anything, about how TJ McConnel and Matt Korchek are doing in practice? Would TJ be starting over Lyons if there was no transfer rule? What kind of impact do you see TJ making next year?

by Andre 1/14/2013 7:53:20 PM
Based on what I've heard McConnell would either be starting or playing significant minutes at the 1 because he is the true point guard Miller likes to have. Lyons would play a combo role and this would effectively push Jordin Mayes out of the rotation.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:54:25 PM
What happened between Arizona and Jahii Carson? Say what you want about ASU (Arizona fans), but he is a stud up there. Trust me, at the time, I was ecstatic to have Josiah sign with U of A. Just curious if we decided to go all in on Josiah, or grades or first to commit etc

by Andre 1/14/2013 7:54:36 PM
It was first to commit and that was Turner, though I think that UA preferred Turner anyway at that point. He had a great playing relationship with Nick Johnson in AAU ball and I think Johnson played a role in Turner's decision. (Miller has said since then that he was rushed in some of his early recruiting decisions and this was obviously one of them...)

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:56:00 PM
Why is that when duke loses they drop lower then one or two spots but when the cats lose they drop them like three or four spots?

by wow 1/14/2013 7:57:15 PM
Maybe because losing at NC State is not seen nationally as as bad as losing at Oregon. Also there are a bunch of one-loss teams now so you compare all of their "bodies of work". UA is No. 10 in Sagarin and No. 2 in RPI, two things that matter for the postseason.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 7:58:59 PM
Kevin Parrom's flagrant: More about his "rep" than an actual flagrant? (what i thought..& isn't his ASU foul 3+ years ago?) or really a flagrant from your POV?

by don r. 1/14/2013 7:59:16 PM
Not sure i totally understand the question but I don't think Parrom had established a rep before the "no easy buckets" move. Yes that was his freshman season, at ASU

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 8:01:47 PM
ASU has been a surprise so far. Both team have a whole week to prepare, makes it very much a test of coaching preparation. Remember ASU was a big reason we didn't make the dance last year. It'd sure be a great time to hit our stride.

by Pete Giunta 1/14/2013 8:01:55 PM
Agreed on all points. Sendek is typically very good with extra time. Should be a great game to watch. (of course this time UA gets in the NCAA tournament even with a loss...)

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 8:02:45 PM
Will USC ever be a power BBall school or is football just too much over there?

by coug88 1/14/2013 8:03:20 PM
It will probably always be second to football because of the tradition, but that doesn't mean basketball hasn't been and can't be very good at USC. There is a ton of talent in Los Angeles and you don't have to get on a plane to recruit anybody. You can also get other top players who are intrigued by being in L.A.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 8:04:55 PM
Can you see any of the assistant coaches leaving this year?

by coug88 1/14/2013 8:04:56 PM
Yes. Whitford almost left for Miami (OH) and he could leave if he sees the right fit somewhere. Pasternack has already been a HC and is well-regarded. Book Richardson is a well-regarded recruiter and communicator who might get a look too. But keep in mind that all of these guys seem to like where they are and are well-compensated so they won't leave for just any job.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 8:06:31 PM
Thanks for joining everyone.

by Bruce Pascoe 1/14/2013 8:06:51 PM