Arizona Wildcats basketball: On Markkanen's recognition, the real Corey, hard knocks
- Updated
Seen and heard at Gill Coliseum during Arizona's 71-54 win over Oregon State.
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen was named one of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award honoring the nation’s top power forward.
The award run by the Basketball Hall of Fame also named UCLA’s T.J. Leaf and Cal’s Ivan Rabb out of the Pac-12.
Other finalists: Baylor’s Johnathan Motley, Memphis’ Dedric Lawson, Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, Pittsburgh’s Michael Young, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Valparaiso’s Alec Peters.
- Bruce Pascoe
Former UA forward-turned-broadcaster Corey Williams called the Wildcats’ Dec. 14 game with Grand Canyon from ESPN’s studios in Connecticut… even though it was played in Tucson, where Williams lives.
While doing that “remote broadcast” for ESPNU meant Williams couldn’t gather tidbits from some off-screen action, Williams said the studio’s equipment was helpful.
“It’s like a smaller room with three or four screens showing different angles,” Williams said. “The great thing about that is you’ve got all your stats, graphics, internet screens and a lot of information at your fingertips.”
- Bruce Pascoe
Williams has watched a lot of the Wildcats as a former player and fan this season. And he’s been impressed.
“They look extremely good right now, they look very dialed in,” he said before the game. “They look like they could make a deep run in the tournament. They look as good as any Pac-12 team I’ve seen, there’s no question about that.”
- Bruce Pascoe
Fans attending Gill Coliseum on Thursday had a chance to choose from a virtual buffet of giveaways. The hungry had a chance to grab free beef jerky samples from Bakke Brothers Brand (honey glazed, honey jalapeno or peppered) and/or a small bowl of nachos.
The crazed could “check out” a fathead of their favorite Beaver player, wave it around during the game and then return it. Die-hard fans could also receive their choice of a Beaver car flag, ‘Go Beavs’ armsleeve or several other items in exchange for giving their email address to marketers.
- Bruce Pascoe
Despite Arizona’s top-5 ranking and the fact that the Wildcats typically attract up to a thousand of their own fans for out-of-state games, only about 4,000 people total appeared to show up at Gill Coliseum.
Even the OSU student section was barely filled, with several prime seats available as late as 15 minutes before tipoff. The UA fans totaled less than 200.
Theories: There was a forecast of possible freezing rain Thursday night, which threatened to make the drive back to Portland (or even downtown Corvallis) potentially hazardous. There was also the early 6 p.m. PST tip, making it hard for folks to get there after work.
Or maybe it was just the fact that OSU is 0-10 in conference play.
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
One of the reasons OSU has struggled is the absence of Tres Tinkle. He was initially expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist, but with the injury now hitting the 10-week mark, he was placed in a hard cast earlier this week.
The Beavers are expecting to give Tinkle 2-3 weeks in the hard cast before reevaluation. If the injury is deemed season-ending, he would be eligible for a medical redshirt because he didn’t play in more than 30 percent of OSU’s games and none after the halfway point of the season.
- Bruce Pascoe
“It’s difficult to teach when you’re winning. Guys usually learn after a loss, but he still has to teach. So I totally understand where he’s coming from.” — Williams, on why UA coach Sean Miller was especially downbeat after the Wildcats swept the Washington schools at home.
- Bruce Pascoe
15: Straight Arizona wins heading into the Wildcats’ showdown at Oregon on Saturday.
- Bruce Pascoe
Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen was named one of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award honoring the nation’s top power forward.
The award run by the Basketball Hall of Fame also named UCLA’s T.J. Leaf and Cal’s Ivan Rabb out of the Pac-12.
Other finalists: Baylor’s Johnathan Motley, Memphis’ Dedric Lawson, Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, Pittsburgh’s Michael Young, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Valparaiso’s Alec Peters.
- Bruce Pascoe
Former UA forward-turned-broadcaster Corey Williams called the Wildcats’ Dec. 14 game with Grand Canyon from ESPN’s studios in Connecticut… even though it was played in Tucson, where Williams lives.
While doing that “remote broadcast” for ESPNU meant Williams couldn’t gather tidbits from some off-screen action, Williams said the studio’s equipment was helpful.
“It’s like a smaller room with three or four screens showing different angles,” Williams said. “The great thing about that is you’ve got all your stats, graphics, internet screens and a lot of information at your fingertips.”
- Bruce Pascoe
Williams has watched a lot of the Wildcats as a former player and fan this season. And he’s been impressed.
“They look extremely good right now, they look very dialed in,” he said before the game. “They look like they could make a deep run in the tournament. They look as good as any Pac-12 team I’ve seen, there’s no question about that.”
- Bruce Pascoe
Fans attending Gill Coliseum on Thursday had a chance to choose from a virtual buffet of giveaways. The hungry had a chance to grab free beef jerky samples from Bakke Brothers Brand (honey glazed, honey jalapeno or peppered) and/or a small bowl of nachos.
The crazed could “check out” a fathead of their favorite Beaver player, wave it around during the game and then return it. Die-hard fans could also receive their choice of a Beaver car flag, ‘Go Beavs’ armsleeve or several other items in exchange for giving their email address to marketers.
- Bruce Pascoe
Despite Arizona’s top-5 ranking and the fact that the Wildcats typically attract up to a thousand of their own fans for out-of-state games, only about 4,000 people total appeared to show up at Gill Coliseum.
Even the OSU student section was barely filled, with several prime seats available as late as 15 minutes before tipoff. The UA fans totaled less than 200.
Theories: There was a forecast of possible freezing rain Thursday night, which threatened to make the drive back to Portland (or even downtown Corvallis) potentially hazardous. There was also the early 6 p.m. PST tip, making it hard for folks to get there after work.
Or maybe it was just the fact that OSU is 0-10 in conference play.
- Bruce Pascoe
One of the reasons OSU has struggled is the absence of Tres Tinkle. He was initially expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist, but with the injury now hitting the 10-week mark, he was placed in a hard cast earlier this week.
The Beavers are expecting to give Tinkle 2-3 weeks in the hard cast before reevaluation. If the injury is deemed season-ending, he would be eligible for a medical redshirt because he didn’t play in more than 30 percent of OSU’s games and none after the halfway point of the season.
- Bruce Pascoe
“It’s difficult to teach when you’re winning. Guys usually learn after a loss, but he still has to teach. So I totally understand where he’s coming from.” — Williams, on why UA coach Sean Miller was especially downbeat after the Wildcats swept the Washington schools at home.
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