Arizona Wildcats basketball: On Ray Smith's 'bittersweet' tourney debut, Australian memories
Seen and heard at Vivint Smart Home Arena during the Wildcats' media session on Friday in advance of their second-round game against Saint Mary's.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Ray Smith has a presence about him. The 6-foot-9-inch Smith he sticks out, and that has more to do with his personality than anything.
Smith and UA teammate Kobi Simmons took turns recording video of each other dancing Friday at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Soon after, Smith sat in the corner, surrounded by media, teammates and assistant coach Book Richardson, and began to freestyle rap. (UA assistant coach Book Richardson dropped the beat.)
That Smith is still smiling is remarkable in an of itself.
“It’s bittersweet,” Smith said. “Bittersweet is definitely the word.”
Smith tore his ACL as a high school senior in Las Vegas, missing the season. He tore his other ACL as a UA freshman last season and missed a full year. Smith returned healthy to start his redshirt freshman season, but suffered a third ACL tear during a UA exhibition game, and was forced to medically retire. Smith has remained involved with the team.
He’s admired the chemistry on this year’s team which, he said, is something that wasn’t as prevalent last season.
“It’s exciting,” Smith said. “Last year it wasn’t as special as this year, the way this team is gelling.”
The situation is still tough at times, however.
“I think at times he really acts like he’s okay. But he’s searching, he’s trying to find his niche and where he’s going to end up,” said UA coach Sean Miller. “It’s one of the great stories of our season because we’ve hung in there. And I think in some ways worked to honor Ray by our performance and knowing that he can’t be with us.”
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
350: Saint Mary’s ranking in adjusted tempo out of 351 schools, according to Kenpom.com. It’s a statistic that measures how fast-paced teams are, meaning SMC is the second-slowest team in the country.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Saint Mary’s guard Joe Rahon and ex-Wildcat Ryan Anderson began their college careers as teammates.
That was in 2014, when both were starters at Boston College. That year, the Eagles finished 8-24, and most of the team went their separate ways.
Anderson transferred to Arizona, sat out a season and averaged a double-double last year (15.3 points per game, 10.1 rebounds) before UA’s early NCAA Tournament exit.
Rahon transferred to the Gaels, where he’s averaged 9.6 points per game the last two seasons.
Rahon said he’ll shoot Anderson a text message before Saturday’s game between the Wildcats and Gaels. Anderson is now playing professionally in Belgium.
“We always had a good relationship and a friendly rivalry when we got to play together so that was fun,” Rahon said. “He’s a great guy and they’re a great program, so I was stoked for him when he got the chance to go play for them. He had a really good year last year.”
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona big man Keanu Pinder played for the Aussie Boomers’ U19 team in the 2013 FIBA World Championships.
One of his teammates was guard Emmett Naar, from Sydney, who now plays for Saint Mary’s.
Saturday, the two Aussies will face off for the first time, and they’re not the only ones. Seven SMC players hail from Australia.
“It’s pretty exciting. All that time back there, who would’ve thought we’d match up in the NCAA Tournament,” Naar said. “He’s a great guy. It was nice getting to know him, knowing people back then and seeing how far they’ve come.”
Naar didn’t have any particular stories to tell — “there are probably stories I shouldn’t tell,” he said, laughing — but did recall the bonding experience that U19 team had in China, expericing exotic cuisine and a sleeping arrangement that wasn’t ideal.
“A lot of snails at the buffet and some pretty rough sleeping arrangements,” Naar said. “That’s how you become tied together as a team, if you can get through an experience like that.”
Pinder “wasn’t adventurous at all” on the China trip, Naar said.
“Probably one of the guys that just went to McDonalds for most meals,” he said, “which was most of us, to be fair.”
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Ray Smith has a presence about him. The 6-foot-9-inch Smith he sticks out, and that has more to do with his personality than anything.
Smith and UA teammate Kobi Simmons took turns recording video of each other dancing Friday at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Soon after, Smith sat in the corner, surrounded by media, teammates and assistant coach Book Richardson, and began to freestyle rap. (UA assistant coach Book Richardson dropped the beat.)
That Smith is still smiling is remarkable in an of itself.
“It’s bittersweet,” Smith said. “Bittersweet is definitely the word.”
Smith tore his ACL as a high school senior in Las Vegas, missing the season. He tore his other ACL as a UA freshman last season and missed a full year. Smith returned healthy to start his redshirt freshman season, but suffered a third ACL tear during a UA exhibition game, and was forced to medically retire. Smith has remained involved with the team.
He’s admired the chemistry on this year’s team which, he said, is something that wasn’t as prevalent last season.
“It’s exciting,” Smith said. “Last year it wasn’t as special as this year, the way this team is gelling.”
The situation is still tough at times, however.
“I think at times he really acts like he’s okay. But he’s searching, he’s trying to find his niche and where he’s going to end up,” said UA coach Sean Miller. “It’s one of the great stories of our season because we’ve hung in there. And I think in some ways worked to honor Ray by our performance and knowing that he can’t be with us.”
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
350: Saint Mary’s ranking in adjusted tempo out of 351 schools, according to Kenpom.com. It’s a statistic that measures how fast-paced teams are, meaning SMC is the second-slowest team in the country.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Saint Mary’s guard Joe Rahon and ex-Wildcat Ryan Anderson began their college careers as teammates.
That was in 2014, when both were starters at Boston College. That year, the Eagles finished 8-24, and most of the team went their separate ways.
Anderson transferred to Arizona, sat out a season and averaged a double-double last year (15.3 points per game, 10.1 rebounds) before UA’s early NCAA Tournament exit.
Rahon transferred to the Gaels, where he’s averaged 9.6 points per game the last two seasons.
Rahon said he’ll shoot Anderson a text message before Saturday’s game between the Wildcats and Gaels. Anderson is now playing professionally in Belgium.
“We always had a good relationship and a friendly rivalry when we got to play together so that was fun,” Rahon said. “He’s a great guy and they’re a great program, so I was stoked for him when he got the chance to go play for them. He had a really good year last year.”
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Arizona big man Keanu Pinder played for the Aussie Boomers’ U19 team in the 2013 FIBA World Championships.
One of his teammates was guard Emmett Naar, from Sydney, who now plays for Saint Mary’s.
Saturday, the two Aussies will face off for the first time, and they’re not the only ones. Seven SMC players hail from Australia.
“It’s pretty exciting. All that time back there, who would’ve thought we’d match up in the NCAA Tournament,” Naar said. “He’s a great guy. It was nice getting to know him, knowing people back then and seeing how far they’ve come.”
Naar didn’t have any particular stories to tell — “there are probably stories I shouldn’t tell,” he said, laughing — but did recall the bonding experience that U19 team had in China, expericing exotic cuisine and a sleeping arrangement that wasn’t ideal.
“A lot of snails at the buffet and some pretty rough sleeping arrangements,” Naar said. “That’s how you become tied together as a team, if you can get through an experience like that.”
Pinder “wasn’t adventurous at all” on the China trip, Naar said.
“Probably one of the guys that just went to McDonalds for most meals,” he said, “which was most of us, to be fair.”
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