Banners On The Parkway - Beating ArizonaYour only remaining free source for Xavier Musketeers newshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47177/banners-fave.png2015-03-25T10:26:59-04:00http://www.bannersontheparkway.com/rss/stream/80483542015-03-25T10:26:59-04:002015-03-25T10:26:59-04:00Beating Arizona: How Arizona State did it
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<figcaption>Herb Sendek came up with the plan to beat Arizona, but it didn't save his job | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Arizona's most recent loss was against Arizona State on February 7th. Here’s a look at how it happened.</p> <p>You probably know by now that Arizona has lost a grand total of three games by a grand total of nine points this season. The pessimistic take on that fact is fairly obvious; the optimistic one is that they are beatable. We've reached out to the SBN blogs that cover each of the teams that has knocked off Arizona this year to get a feel for how it happened and whether or not Xavier can replicate their efforts. Our final piece in this brief series will look at Arizona's most recent loss a mere 13 games ago.<br> <br>Arizona State jumped out to a four-point lead within the first minute and carried a seven-point margin into halftime. Arizona chipped away all second half and got to within a possession late in the game, but ASU was able to answer every run and came away with a three-point victory. The Sun Devils put together a solid offensive game, shooting 26-52/7-15/22-28 while Arizona coach Sean Miller (perhaps you've heard of him) bemoaned his team's lack of defensive toughness - especially around the rim - in his post-game comments.<br> <br>To provide further background on this game, we asked Connor Pelton - basketball writer for SBN's ASU blog House of Sparky - for a few minutes of his time. He obliged.<br> <br><b>Banners on the Parkway:</b> Tarczewski was bad (2/9/1 on 1-6/0-0/0-0 shooting) in the Arizona State win; was it a schematic decision that took him out of the game, or just good one-on-one defense?<br><b>Connor Pelton, House of Sparky</b>: The coaching staff made a concerted effort to not let Tarczewski beat them. He was pressured hard whenever he touched the ball in the post, and while this strategy did result in the other four starters all scoring in double digits, they did their main job and escaped with the upset. While on offense, Arizona State did a good job of challenging the center and got him in foul trouble early. This did not limit his playing time much but did result in him not being too physical down the stretch.<br> <br><b>BotP</b>: Your offense shot the ball really well (26-52/7-15/22-28) against an Arizona defense that has been fairly stingy. Did your guys just get hot at a good time, or was there something put in place that was resulting in really clean looks?<br><b>CP, HoS: </b>Simply put, everything clicked at the right time. The team had shown signs of hot shooting in the weeks leading up to this game, but a combination of winning nearly every 50/50 ball (which led to a lot of quick, cheap buckets) and impressive ball movement on the perimeter made for a perfect storm.<br> <br><b>BotP:</b> Wow, I just noticed 28 FTA and 25 fouls called on Arizona; friendly whistle or just good execution? Is Xavier going to need the stripes going their way to have a shot in this one?<br><b>CP, HoS:</b> There were some questionable calls, but there were some strange whistles both ways [ed. note: ASU was called for 20 fouls on the game #refshow]. The difference was that the calls that went the Sun Devils way resulted in free throws the majority of the time, while the ones for Arizona did not. A little help from the officials never hurts when you're trying to beat a top ten team.<br> <br><b>BotP: </b>Arizona State was trailing 25-18 with 9 minutes to go in the first half before a 19-4 run completely flipped the game. What triggered that outburst?<br><b>CP, HoS:</b> Arizona State upped the ante on defense, and the saying "the best offense is a good defense" really proved true during that run. The crowd was whipped into even more of a frenzy than they already were and the team just got into a rhythm the likes of which we didn't see again all year.<br> <br><b>BotP</b>: KenPom has Xavier losing by 10. The line opened at Xavier -11. From my angle, this looks like a huge mountain to climb for X. Give a reason to believe we can get this win and move one step closer to our first Final Four.<br><b>CP, HoS: </b>Well, Kansas and Virginia have already bowed out of this tournament, and if I was asked this question last week I would have said the Wildcats were more beatable than both of those teams. Getting them into some early foul trouble will be one of the biggest keys to an upset. If you do that, you'll start to see the team that lost to UNLV, Oregon State, and Arizona State and not the one that has dominated opponents like Utah and Ohio State. It's not going to be easy, and it's one of those games where every possession from the opening tip to the final seconds is going to be critical. But beating this team is not impossible.<br> <br>----<br> <br>Thanks again to Connor for taking a break from covering the Herb Sendek firing to answer our questions.<br> <br>Here's what I'm taking away from that: Tarczewski can be attacked on both ends if you do it wisely. Arizona has too many weapons to defend them all; someone is going to get his, and we have to be okay with that. They're not a machine; if you punch them in the mouth (figuratively), you can put together a run against them. What are your thoughts?</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/25/8288205/beating-arizona-how-arizona-state-did-itJoel D2015-03-24T16:22:34-04:002015-03-24T16:22:34-04:00Beating Arizona: How UNLV did it
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Runnin' Rebels gave Arizona their first loss and remain the only team to beat them by more than one basket. Here's a look at how they pulled it off.</p> <p>You probably know by now that Arizona has lost a grand total of three games by a grand total of nine points this season. The pessimistic take on that fact is fairly obvious; the optimistic one is that they are beatable. We've reached out to the SBN blogs that cover each of the teams that has knocked off Arizona this year to get a feel for how it happened and whether or not Xavier can replicate their efforts. We looked at Oregon State earlier today; now let's check in on that UNLV win.<br> <br>The Runnin' Rebels went ugly early, using athleticism and aggression to turn the game into a chippy affair. By the time the dust settled, there had been a total of 40 fouls and 51 free throws in the game. There was a double technical in the first half and flagrant one on Arizona later on. The Wildcats had control of the game for the first 30 minutes or so but never really finished off UNLV. When Arizona went cold with just under 11 minutes left, the hosts caught and then overtook them, and sloppy execution down the stretch gave 'Zona its first loss of the season.<br> <br>To get a better feel for this game that I didn't watch, we reached out to Tyler Bischoff, Mountain West Connection's UNLV basketball writer. Being a gentleman, he reached back.<br> <br><b>Banners on the Parkway: </b>You crushed Arizona on the glass, with OReb%/DReb% of 35%/82.1%. How did that happen? Was it a great game plan or just great individual efforts?<br><b>Tyler Bischoff, Mountain West Connection:</b> This game was an outlier for UNLV. The Rebels were a horrible rebounding team - 306th in offensive rebounding percentage, 242nd in defensive rebounding percentage - but this was a part of the season that Dave Rice was harping on rebounding. UNLV was the first team to outrebound Utah three days prior. As far as strategy, UNLV sent everyone to the glass and conceded fast break opportunities. The Rebels had six points in transition. Plus it was one of the few games where UNLV looked engaged in blocking out on every single shot.<br> <br><b>BotP:</b> Arizona went up 58-52 with 10:43 left in the game, then UNLV finished the game on a 19-9 run. What changed with the defense that helped hold the Wildcats to 9 points in the final 10:43?<br><b>TB, MWC:</b> Over the last 10 minutes UNLV played three different defenses: man, 1-2-2 and 1-3-1. But it wasn't so much what UNLV was doing. Arizona was just bad. The Wildcats missed six shots at the rim down the stretch and four threes. All four threes were open. UNLV did force a few turnovers with active hands including Jelan Kendrick ripping Stanley Johnson in the final five seconds.<br> <br><b>BotP: </b>This game featured a double technical, a flagrant 1, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fouling out with 7:14 left. Did that sort of chippiness contribute to the win for UNLV, or was it just something that flared up?<br><b>TB, MWC: </b>A few of UNLV's players loved to play that way. Jordan Cornish got into Stanley Johnson resulting in the double technical. Goodluck Okonoboh and Chris Wood were better because of the added intensity. I don't think Johnson and Arizona were thrown off by the chippiness, but <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/23/young-rebels-stand-and-take-down-no-3-arizona/" target="_blank">if it changed the game, it was definitely in UNLV's favor</a>. Hollis-Jefferson fouling out, and Kaleb Tarczewski finishing with four fouls, had everything to do with Chris Wood being unstoppable. UNLV just ran a 1-4 low isolation for Wood over and over. Wood torched those two so bad that Sean Miller had to put Stanley Johnson on Wood in the final five minutes. Matt Stainbrook might be able to replicate this effect, since Sean Miller likely won't send a double team.</p>
<p><b>BotP:</b> Arizona's offense was bad, shooting 23-54/5-15/16-27 and turning the ball over 15 times in 73 possessions. What did UNLV do to force this sort of performance out of the Wildcats?<br><b>TB, MWC: </b>Arizona missed a lot of open shots at the rim, free throw line and from three. UNLV was not a great defensive team this year, but they at least made Arizona work for their open shots. The biggest issue for Arizona was that Stanley Johnson was awful. He had 13 points but shot 3 of 11, plus was just 6 of 11 from the line with a season-high seven turnovers. In the final minute alone he blew a layup in transition and lost his dribble when Arizona had a chance to win the game in the final 10 seconds.</p>
<p><b>BotP:</b> KenPom has Xavier losing by 10. The line opened with Arizona favored by 11. From my angle, this looks like a pretty big mountain for X to climb. Give me a reason to hope that my guys can get this done and bring the program one step closer to its first Final Four.<br><b>TB, MWC</b>: As far as hope, I love Stainbrook. If he can consistently score against Arizona, Xavier will have a chance. But Xavier probably needs Arizona to have an off night shooting, as well. They've got so many different pieces that it is hard to take away every good look. The best optimism is probably from Arizona's win over Ohio State. Wildcats not named T.J. McConnell shot 9 of 34 from two, including Stanley Johnson scoring four points on 1 of 12 shooting. Get that performance and Stainbrook going off and Xavier would advance.<br> <br>----<br> <br>Thanks again to Tyler for taking time out to answer questions as we preview a game that doesn't involve his team.<br> <br>Here's what I'm taking away from that: we have to have max effort and concentration on the boards. Arizona isn't some unstoppable machine on the glass; we have the horses to hang with them there, especially if we're running four or five defenders to rebound rather than fast break. If Matt Stainbrook is on his game, the Arizona front line can be had, especially if the whistle breaks our way (which is admittedly doubtful). Finally, luck is going to be a factor. We can play our A+ game, but it wouldn't hurt if Arizona didn't bring theirs.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/24/8285243/beating-arizona-how-unlv-did-itJoel D2015-03-24T12:59:24-04:002015-03-24T12:59:24-04:00Beating Arizona: How Oregon State did it
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<figcaption>Olaf Schaftenaar stretched the Arizona defense. | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Beavers beat Arizona by two on January 11th. Here's what went down that night.</p> <p>You probably know by now that Arizona has lost a grand total of three games by a grand total of nine points this season. The pessimistic take on that fact is fairly obvious; the optimistic one is that they are beatable. We've reached out to the SBN blogs that cover each of the teams that has knocked off Arizona this year to get a feel for how it happened and whether or not Xavier can replicate their efforts. First up is Oregon State.<br> <br>Oregon State and Arizona played tight the who way, with neither team ever leading by more than four points in a game that featured 15 ties and 20 lead changes. Oregon State shot 13-17 from the line and was the beneficiary of a rough 18-27 performance from the stripe by Arizona. With 1:33 left, Malcolm Duvivier finished a three-point play to put OSU up 56-52. Arizona answered with a 4-0 run to tie it before Langston Morris-Walker scored the winning basket with 28 seconds left. A final shot at the other end for Arizona's TJ McConnell went begging and that was that.<br> <br>SBN blog Building the Dam's Andy Wooldridge covers OSU basketball. He was gracious enough to answer some questions for us regarding the Beavers' win over Arizona.<br> <br><b>Banners on the Parkway: </b>Arizona is generally a great offensive rebounding team, but you kept them off the offensive boards almost entirely. Was it great individual efforts, or the product of a strategic decision?<br> <br><b>Building the Dam:</b> One of the keys was to make Arizona take outside shots, and with at least 3 players on the perimeter, so they can't crash the boards. There is a big difference between their having to truly rebound, vs. a lot of those offensive rebounds actually just being put-backs. You have to limit the put backs.<br> <br><b>BotP:</b> Gary Payton and Langston Morris-Walker combined to shoot 7-10 from inside the arc against a team that allows teams to shoot just 42% from two-point range on the year. How can Xavier's perimeter players find similar success?<br> <br><b>BtD:</b> A steal or two definitely helps. And you have to move away from the ball, work to get open looks, but also move on the perimeter, in order to again keep at least some of their players outside and spread out.<br> <br><b>BotP: </b>Defensively, your boys absolutely smothered a team that shoots pretty well (aside from sending them to the line 27 times). Was this a man or zone defense? Or was it just a really bad shooting night for the Wildcats?<br> <br><b>BtD:</b> Whether you use man or zone, the key is to force more outside shots, and fewer from point blank range. No one shoots as well from the outside.<br> <br><b>BotP:</b> Your 6'10" PF Olaf Schaftenaar was a cool 3-5 from behind the arc on the night. How big of a benefit was it to have a big man who could step out and wreck 'Zona's defense from deep? How hamstrung will Xavier be for lack of one?<br> <br><b>BtD:</b> It definitely either forces the opponent to spread their defense, which helps create some lanes, or concede some points, because not many guards can deal with a big outside shooter. If Xavier can't duplicate that, perhaps they can get some mid-range, 12-15 foot jumpers? 2 points is not as good as 3, but you have to find some "extra" points in places where Arizona's length isn't as big of a detriment.<br> <br><b>BotP: </b>KenPom has Xavier losing by 10. The line opened with Xavier as an 11-point underdog. From my angle, this looks like a really big mountain for X to climb. Give me some reason to hope our boys can get this win and take one step closer to our first Final Four.<br> <br><b>BtD:</b> It will be hard to find much hope, in my opinion, because Arizona is playing some of their best ball of the year lately. But if you can force the 'Cats to extend their defense, perhaps you can get someone out of position, and into foul trouble.<br> <br>The other route to go is to defend the passing lanes when TJ McConnell has the ball, instead of just trying to defend him. He creates a tremendous amount of what Arizona does, and if you can take away a few passes, you may be able to take away a few easy baskets, and make it a game where every possession counts.<br> <br>-----<br> <br>Big thanks to Andy and Building the Dam for helping us out there. Here's what I took away from that: we need Trevon to be finding that short corner shot he likes and hitting it. We need Matt and Jalen to be able to score from the high post, not just the low post. A big game from Big Game James on both ends but especially on the glass would go a long way toward what we need to get done. Most of all it's going to take a total team effort on both ends of the floor to get this season to Saturday.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/24/8284287/beating-arizona-how-oregon-state-did-itJoel D2015-03-23T12:10:15-04:002015-03-23T12:10:15-04:00Is there a way to beat Arizona?
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<figcaption>This won't be easy | Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There are no easy ways to beat a team that hasn't lost in six weeks. Here are three things that Xavier can exploit to keep their chances alive.</p> <p>The Sweet 16 is where tournament dreams begin to transition. For the first weekend, there is a sense in which everyone is just happy to be there. Even the true big dogs of the tournament have a chance from Sunday until Thursday to draw a breath and reflect on what has been done so far. This year's field was so evenly balanced (all of the top 44 KenPom teams were in) that even a 14 seed like Georgia State was a legitimately good team. It's a four day cavalcade of genuinely good basketball.</p>
<p>By the time the first tip of the Sweet 16 goes up on Thursday, things have changed. Every team left is now acutely aware that two wins separate them from the grandest stage of college basketball. Every team knows, now that underdog VCU and George Mason teams have shown the way, that they can get there. The tournament is now out on the knife edge. The little fluff that there was has been excised from the field, there are no more easy outs.</p>
<p>It's into that crucible that Xavier steps to face one of the very best teams in the nation. When people are asked who can beat Kentucky this year, the Arizona Wildcats are frequently one of the names that comes up. Vegas has Xavier as a massive 11 point underdog. Even the usually conservative Ken Pomeroy system sees Xavier as a ten point loser. This is the <i>Andrea Gail </i>sailing smoothly out from Glouscter before turning at the Flemish Cap to see what was waiting. Much like the ill fated fishing vessel, there is no way out for Xavier but to go through.</p>
<p>So how can Xavier beat Arizona? Only three teams have managed it this season. UNLV on December 23rd, Oregon State on January 11th, and Arizona State on February 7th. For nearly six weeks the Wildcats have not only not lost, they've only played two games that wasn't decided by double digits and those were against Sweet 16 teams Utah and UCLA. They are rolling right now, but they aren't completely invincible.</p>
<h4>1. Keep them off the offensive glass</h4>
<p>Yes, that's all you have to do! In the losses against UNLV and Oregon St. the Wildcats didn't even grab 20% of their misses. (In the loss to Arizona St they grabbed 41.9%). Holding Arizona off the offensive glass limits the efficiency of their offense and doesn't allow them to make up for missing shots. In those two games the Wildcats shot 42.6% and 37.8% from the floor because they couldn't get easy stickbacks. Taking every reasonable chance to limit Arizona to one shot possessions may be the most apparent way to beat them. The bad news? Arizona ranks 47th in the nation by grabbing 35% of their misses. Xavier counters by being 34th in the nation and allowing only 27.3% of missed shots to be grabbed by the offense. It's going to be a battle all game long on the glass.</p>
<h4>2. Challenge everything</h4>
<p>First, the bad news. Arizona shoots 36.2% from deep. Thankfully, only 15 teams in the nation take fewer three pointers than the Wildcats. Where they do their damage is in the paint. They are 32nd in the nation in effective field goal percentage on the back of shooting 53.2% inside the arc. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Kaleb Tarczewski, and Brandon Ashley all prefer to play inside the arc, only Stanley Johnson and Gabe York really stretch the defense. In their three losses the Wildcats shot their usual percentage from deep, but didn't shoot as well inside the arc and finished with an EFG% under 50%. Trying to force bad shots will be paramount for a Xavier defense that doesn't excel at doing that.</p>
<h4>3. Knock down shots and grab your misses</h4>
<p>I know, that seems simplistic. Frankly, there aren't a lot of ways to go head to head with Arizona and win. They are an excellent team that KenPom ranks right behind Kentucky. If not for the other Wildcats, Sean Miller's squad would be a prohibitive favorite to win the tournament. Two of the teams that beat them, Arizona St. and Oregon St., simply shot the lights out on their way to EFG% of 56.7% and 57.7% on the night. Those teams shot 46.7% and 45.5% from behind the arc and stretched out Arizona's packline to the breaking point, exactly the same thing teams have done to Xavier this year.</p>
<p>Arizona St. and UNLV also each fought through the best defensive rebounding team in the nation to grab 32% and 35% of their misses. Longer shots generating longer rebounds may explain some of that, or maybe they simply attacked the glass relentlessly on offense. Arizona doesn't want to run, so Xavier can send Matt Stainbrook, James Farr, and Jalen Reynolds after every missed shot without too much fear of breakouts.</p>
<p>Those are the ways that Arizona can be beaten. They are not myriad, and they are not easy. The matchup is not as bad as it could be, Villanova could still be in, but it's not a good one either. This will be a Herculean task for Chris Mack's Musketeers. It won't be easy, pretty, or sexy basketball, but if they pull it off it will go down as one of the biggest wins in program history.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/23/8277667/is-there-a-way-to-beat-arizonaBrad D