When Kobi Simmons hit a couple of corner 3s and drove the ball inside against Cal’s zone defense last Saturday, Miller had reason to be relieved.
Because it wasn’t just against a man-to-man. It was against the kind of zone defense the Wildcats have been seeing more and more often as the Pac-12 season goes on.
“That’s part of what I loved about Kobi’s game against Cal. He was really comfortable and confident against the zone," Miller said. "Made big plays, got the ball inside. Had a great drive in the second half. He was ready to go and it was great to see.”
Of course, Miller is hoping everyone else on his roster is ready to go this week, too. Both Washington State and Washington are expected to test zone defenses against the Wildcats, maybe for an entire game.
“We’re working on it,” Miller said. “It’s not as if we’re gonna walk out there and be surprised. The youngest players out there, the more they have the opportunity to learn and see the more comfortable they will get with it.”
“We’re on the upswing to being more comfortable as a team and that’s our responsibility as a coaching staff. We don’t want to be confident against certain defenses and not others. But we took a big step in the right direction this week and I think that will only continue as we move forward.”
