The present looked pretty good for the Arizona Wildcats in a 90-56 win on Wednesday, but Sean Miller also had reason to feel good about the future.
Not only did six Wildcats score in double figures against Oregon, but Arizona also received some solid help again from its three freshmen: Stanley Johnson collected 12 points, six rebounds and five assists; Dusan Ristic had nine points and five rebounds in 13 minutes and Parker Jackson-Cartwright had three points in eight mostly mistake-free minutes.
Miller didnβt always see that kind of production at the same time earlier this season.
βWe have a number of factors that make you feel that way,β Miller said of UAβs improvement. βOne is our young freshmen are all contributing and getting better. Dusan, if you look at who he is right now maybe compared to around Christmas, heβs more sure of himself. He affects the game in positive way.
"Parker did a good job against Stanford and Cal, and obviously Stanleyβs continued development -- you play within the framework of the team, be a better practice player, grow and mature -- all those things are really adding to our team improving.β
After 21 games a year ago, Arizona was 21-0. The Wildcats are 19-2 today.
Miller said itβs not that much different.
βWhat Iβve come to realize is each season is a different journey in and of itself, and what a team needed a year ago, this team canβt always compare,β Miller said. βI do think weβve responded well to the two losses weβve had. We learned a lot about ourselves and weβve learned a lot when weβve won a few games.
βLosing a game before Christmas (at UNLV) β Iβd like to think that allows us to be a better team. Thereβs some changes we made defensively and learning how hard it is to win on the road -- and Oregon State gave us a taste of that -- maybe better prepared us for the Bay area and now weβre playing teams for the second time and thatβs different as well.β
Speaking of that second time, on Friday, Arizona will have a chance to avenge its one loss of the conference season when Oregon State comes into McKale.
But the Wildcats may have to control rebounding and defend better than they did on Jan. 11 if they want to control the tempo and get things rolling like they did Wednesday against Oregon.
(Well, they will ifΒ Oregon State at leastΒ puts up more of a fight than it did at ASUΒ in a 73-55 loss earlier Wednesday.)
βWe have to adapt,β Miller said. βWe canβt get caught up in not liking the game because theyβre slower or because theyβre faster. Every time you play an opponent it requires a lot of concentration. Against Oregon State, itβs about turnovers and being able to generate great shots not just behind the arc but in and around the basket. Theyβre very good at defending the basket and defensively being able to guard the ball, which we didnβt do very well last time.β
T.J. McConnell said the Wildcats have to have the same aggressive mindset they had Wednesday on both sides of the ball against the Beavers.
βWhen weβre all aggressive, it only helps us,β he said. βWhen we played tentative against Oregon State, we didnβt play Arizona basketball and they made us pay for it. When weβre more aggressive on offense and defense, it shows with what kind of night we had tonight."
As T.J. McConnell did after the UAβs game in Eugene, when he scored 21 points, he said heβs simply taking what defenses are giving him.
He was able to find decent lanes to drive and shots to take in the first half, when he scored all 10 of his points.
βI think teams are trying to make me score,β McConnell said. βIβm seeing open lanes and this guy right here (Kaleb Tarczewski) is setting phenomenal screens. Iβm getting open shots and Iβm making them. Credit to may teammates for setting great screens and getting me open.
βIβve just been trying to let the game come to me. If I feel weβre struggling on offense Iβm going to look for my shot a little bit but if people are hitting shots Iβm going to back off a little bit and get other people the ball.β
Which is why he didnβt score after halftime.
Miller appreciated that restraint.
βHeβs a point guard,β Miller said. βHeβs the one guy I always know is never looking up there at the scoreboard to see how many points he has. He doesnβt care. He is the consummate playmaker, leader, winner. Heβs our teamβs heart and soul.
"A lot of our other players get a lot of praise and accolades and deservedly so. But nobodyβs more important to Arizona than T.J.β
Gabe York had his second double-figure scoring effort in his past three games (he had 13 points at Stanford), continuing to improve after an ankle injury kept him out on Jan. 15 against Colorado and limited on Jan. 17 against Utah.
York scored the first nine points of UAβs 14-0 second half run that put the Ducks away for good.
βGabe was instrumental in that run,β Miller said. βIt was good to see him play the way he did. He had an ankle injury a couple weeks ago. If youβve had an ankle injury and get cleared, thatβs only step one. It doesnβt feel right, takes some time. He looked like himself today, which was great for us.β
Those notes basically includes all the postgame comments that weren't in our full coverage: A game story, UA sidebar, Oregon sidebar, Greg Hansen's column, seen-and-heard notes and a photo gallery.
We also have a web version of this week's Sports Insider, our tablet magazine, if you can't or haven't yet seen it via iPad or Android tablet.
The official box score and play-by-play are attached as PDF files.
Also Wednesday, while ASU beat OSU, the Upshaw-less Huskies lost to Stanford.
Tonight, Arizona can gain sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 if UCLA can handle Utah at Pauley Pavilion tonight (8 p.m., ESPN2).
But the Utes' many "second-tier" recruits from SoCal may be motivated to prove themselves.
Other Pac-12 games:Β
Colorado at USC, 7:30 p.m., FOX Sports 1
Cal at WSU, 9 p.m., Pac-12 Networks
