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Transcript: Q&A with the Pac-12 Pundit on Pac-12 basketball

Join Patrick Finley at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a discussion on Pac-12 basketball. You may submit questions at any time.

A note to anyone planning to post a question: The time has changed and this chat will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday, not noon.

by Johanna Eubank, StarNet... 1/15/2013 5:53:15 PM
Hey everybody! Greetings from Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, where I just got done talking to Herb Sendek, Carrick Felix and Jahii Carson (who was wearing a "Hi My Name Is ..." sticker from a class project).

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:01:03 PM
We'll get to Pac-12 hoops questions. We encourage you guys to participate as much as possible. Great questions make for a great chat.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:01:28 PM
In your opinion is Arizona the best team in the PAC-12 and one of the best in the country?

by Jordan 1/16/2013 8:01:46 PM
No and yes. Right this second, I'd pick UCLA. The Bruins have won 10 of 11, just swept a road trip and will only get better. But they're one sprained ankle from being in serious trouble, as they only have eight rotation players. I think Arizona is one of the best dozen or so teams in the country, with a chance to move into the top five or eight if their freshman continue to grow.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:03:32 PM
Looking like Pac 12 has a legit chance of getting at least four teams into the tourney. What do you think?

by Jrock064 1/16/2013 8:04:07 PM
Four seems like a good number right now: Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and Washington, with Arizona State, Cal and maybe even Colorado on the fringes. I think the Wildcats and Bruins are the only two slam-dunk tourney teams right now. I'm eager to see how ASU plays against the UA on Saturday; big test for a 14-3 team

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:05:50 PM
Do you think Gabe York has a shot to replace Jordin Mayes in the back up guard rotation?

by JohanJM 1/16/2013 8:07:07 PM
Not this year. I think Mayes brings size and a veteran presence that York does not.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:07:33 PM
How long before talents like Chol and York become disgruntled with playing time and look elsewhere. Couple this with another top notch recruiting class, not enough time to go around!

by SonomaCat 1/16/2013 8:07:45 PM
The December deadline for recruits to transfer and be able to play midway through the next season passed without either leaving. Winning cures a lot of midseason itchiness, I think. I don't believe either are contemplating leaving, as of now.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:09:06 PM
Do you think Withey would be the dominant defensive force he has become if he stayed at Arizona ?

by Saul 1/16/2013 8:09:18 PM
That's a wonderful question. Jeff Withey, now the center at Kansas, took years to even really look comfortable on a college basketball floor. Now, though, he's a wonderful blocker. Sean Miller's "Pack Line" man-to-man defense is different than Kansas', and it encourages players to protect the rim. Does that mean Withey gets more blocks? Fewer? Dunno.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:10:26 PM
Hi Pat. What in your opinion are the Cats' weaknesses this year?

by Gerardo 1/16/2013 8:10:41 PM
They could use better ball-handling. The front line freshmen haven't grown the way some would like — but it bears repeating that big guys rarely ever ever ever are stars from the get-go. It's not as much of a plug-and-play situation as it is with guards. Their defense and 3-point shooting, though, has surpassed my expectations — though three-point defense has not.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:12:20 PM
Keep those questions coming, guys. Bonus points for making me laugh.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:12:33 PM
Is the medical extension still a possibility for Parrom, or has that request been denied?

by Ron-Las Vegas 1/16/2013 8:12:43 PM
i believe Parrom is treating this season as his last in college. I don't believe he's a candidate for a medical hardship waiver, by the letter of the law, but the UA could ask for a waiver. I know Miller, in the past, has said he would have sat Parrom all year last season, if he had his druthers, but he wanted Parrom to get back on the court after such a traumatic series of events.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:15:13 PM
When will the Pac 12 network ever be carried by the Directv...Pac12 is losing a lot of $$$ and soon a lot of fans!!

by Willie 1/16/2013 8:15:19 PM
Wonderful question. I haven't heard of any movement on that front. The Pac-12 and DirectTV could make a lot of money together, if they'd just agree on a contract. I know a few die-hards who have switched to a different carrier, but it's probably a lower number than the league would like. Remember this: a lot of folks that have DirectTV have it for the NFL package. No college league is wise to make fans choose between it and the dominant professional sport in America.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:16:48 PM
Pat, I asked Bruce this same question....of the three freshmen big men, who has impressed you the most this season and why?

by Andre 1/16/2013 8:17:03 PM
Probably Ashley, then Jerrett, then Zeus. But Tarczewski can be a greater benefit to the team on bad days, as he can rebound, take up space and alter shots.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:18:33 PM
Do you see Matt Scott having any serious NFL consideration? With the Shriner's Game this weekend he could turn many people's heads.

by Wildcat1703 1/16/2013 8:18:44 PM
Not a hoops question, but worth answerin'. I think he deserves some consideration, especially given the direction that NFL offenses seem to be going in — with an emphasis on mobile quarterbacks. That said, Scott is not a big guy. And his arm is not considered overwhelming, either. Not a great combo.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:20:28 PM
What disappointed you the most about our team's performance on the road trip? I know we had a split which is good, and we had a nice bounce back win vs osu. But did anything disappoint you in either the Oregon and/or Oregon State game?

by Andre 1/16/2013 8:20:30 PM
I don't root, so losses don't disappoint me (if that makes sense — hope it doesn't sound obnoxious; i don't mean it that way at all). I thought they'd get a split on the road, and I don't consider that worthy of panic. They'll split again this year, and the world won't end. If you're asking what surprised me, in a bad way, here's one glaring one: three-point defense. Oregon made 7-of-11 tries, one game after Utah made 7-of-16 and Colorado made 10-of-21. (Or, depending on how you saw the replay, 11 of 21). That's not acceptable.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:25:14 PM
What have you heard, if any, of how TJ McConnel is doing in practice?

by Andre 1/16/2013 8:25:20 PM
They like him, I've heard

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:25:27 PM
Football question, Mr. Pac-12: Why are these East Coast people hating on me, my offense and the Pac-12. Haven't we westerners been at the cutting edge of offense forever?

by Chip K. 1/16/2013 8:25:28 PM
Because Philadelphia fans are hard-wired to do so. I think NFL fans have every right to be skeptical of Chip Kelly's offense, but it's the most futuristic thing to happen in football — college or otherwise — this decade. All coaching hires are gambles. If you're gonna bet, why not bet on someone with the highest upside? (In related news, I kinda love the Bears hiring a CFL coach who also happens to be a QB guru).

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:26:58 PM
I was a heck of a shooter back in the day. Which Pac-12 big men can shoot the rock the best, and who has an NBA future?

by Josko Visnic 1/16/2013 8:27:18 PM
Now that's a DEEEEEEEP question. Love it. Up here in Tempe, Jonathan Gilling made 42 percent of his three-point attempts in the last 22 games of last year, but seems to be struggling this year. He's rebounding MUCH better, but his shooting touch has been lacking. At UCLA, Shabazz Muhammad leads the league in three-point shooting, but I don't consider him a true power forward/center type

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:31:05 PM
Who wins Saturday?

by Mike V. 1/16/2013 8:31:12 PM
I'm not in the prediction biz, but I think it's closer than Arizona Wildcats fans would want to believe. Jahii Carson and Carrick Felix — and ASU's new man defense — bring an athleticism to the party that hasn't always been there. My question for YOU GUYS: tell me who's going to win, but most importantly, why. We'll post the best ones

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:32:38 PM
I don't know how long you've been watching, but what is your favorite UA/ASU basketball memory? I don't care if its in ASU's favor or U of A's favor.

by Andre 1/16/2013 8:32:46 PM
I've been aware of this game since I was a kid, but really started following maybe seven years ago. In terms of strange-but-memorable, it's hard to beat Kevin Parrom's "No Easy Buckets" routine as a freshman — which was followed by him trying to pick a fight on the McKale Center floor as the buzzer sounded a month later. In terms of pure basketball intrigue, last year's game up here in Tempe might have taken the cake: the Wildcats had everything to play for, and lost. The Sun Devils were the opposite.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:35:00 PM
Bill Walton — and other people I know — absolutely adore Oregon's Kazemi. What, outside of his great floor presence and knack for spacing, makes the big man a prospect.

by Josko Visnic 1/16/2013 8:35:10 PM
Walton was ALL ABOUT Arsalan Kazemi on television the other night, mentioning his home country of Iran more than a few times. He's 6-7, so he doesn't have the ideal NBA body, by any stretch. (By comparison, his former Rice teammate Omar Oraby, at 7-foot-2 center, does have the required size. But Kazemi's a much better player).

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:37:42 PM
In your opinion is Arizona a contender for a national title or not?

by Jordan 1/16/2013 8:37:48 PM
If they played the tournament today, I don't think the Wildcats would win the whole thing. But they play the tournament in March, when the UA's freshmen could be MUUUUUCH different players than they are today. To me, that's what's intriguing about the Wildcats — they have room to grow. (Interestingly, I think you can say the same about UCLA.)

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:40:17 PM
C'mon, dear readers. I want questions and predictions. BRING IT.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:40:43 PM
Also, here's what I just posted from up here, about ASU downplaying the importance of last year's upse

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:41:29 PM
Well, the link button is acting up. Sorry about that.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:43:13 PM
whats wrong with Zeus'es hands? can't seem to catch anything thrown to him.

by vegascat 1/16/2013 8:43:14 PM
Dunno that anything is wrong. But it's interesting to watch college players and their willingness to pass to big men. Eventually, and I believe this has already happened, guards will stop trying to feed it in tough spots to a guy they fear will drop the ball. That's trouble, because feeding the most is something the Wildcats MUST do.

by Pat Finley 1/16/2013 8:44:43 PM