Arizona Wildcats basketball: On a (red and) blue-blooded fan, Kareem's Day, trolling Trier
- Updated
Seen and heard at Pauley Pavilion during Arizona's 96-85 win over No. 3 UCLA.Β
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
The first UCLA student in line outside Pauley Pavilion early Saturday morning wasn't even a UCLA fan, really.
Instead, it was Catalina Foothills High School grad Liam Giffin, a UCLA freshman who said he grew up a βhugeβ Wildcat fan. So even though Giffin showed up at 5:30 a.m, wearing a UCLA shirt under his CFHS sweatjacket, he said he would be pulling for UA.
βBut donβt tell anyone in line with me,β Giffin said.Β
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
There was no Alfordville sprouting up outside Pauley Pavilion starting Friday night because, well, itβs not allowed.
UCLA students were prohibited from camping out, or even lining up outside the building before 10 a.m. for the 1 p.m. Pacific time game. Giffin showed up at 5:30 a.m. anyway; before long, he was leading a pack of several hundred diehard students who were ordered to wait atop a nearby hill.
By 10 a.m., a line five people thick crawled all the way up the hill, probably counting several thousand students, on a notably unbalmy (45-50 degrees) Southern California morning.
βIt was cold, but it was OK,β said UCLA student Shane Taleinsnick, who showed up at 7 a.m.
The student crowd didn't grow just because Arizona was in town, either. UCLA junior Joey Levin, dressed in a bear onesie, said even Thursday nightβs UCLA-ASU game drew a similarly large lineup of student fans.
βPeople are very excited,β Levin said. βLast year you could show up an hour before the game and get good seat. This year if you show up an hour before the game you won't get a seat.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
While it might have been Allonzo Trier Day for the Wildcats, it was officially Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins legend-turned-social-activist was honored for having received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in November.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block introduced Abdul-Jabbar at center court, saying his storied Bruin playing career was just βreally his warmupβ for a post-playing career of supporting civil rights and social justice.Β
Abdul-Jabbar received a second standing ovation at the halftime ceremony, having already received one when he walked into Pauley Pavilion before the game.
βItβs a very special thing for me,β Abdul-Jabbar said. βA number of my heroes attended this school, including Jackie Robinson.β Β
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
While UCLA students chanted at Trier from the moment he hit the court for warmups 90 minutes before the game started β βP-E-D! P-E-D! P-E-D!β and βCHEAT! CHEAT! CHEAT!β were among their favorites β coach Sean Miller, the UA program and the city of Tucson all took some heat on a βdirtβ sheet distributed in the student section.
βThe Dirt from the Denβ introduced UAβs coach as βSEAN MILLER, WHO IS THE HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF CAPS LOCK.β
Of UAβs program, it wondered: βHas any team in the history of organized sports gained so much prestige with so few actual accomplishments? β¦ Both Kentucky and Zac Enfronβs East High School team inΒ High School MusicalΒ have more basketball championships than Zona.β
It also claimed that the residents of Tucson βcompete to illegally dump more garbage in their backyard than anyone else.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
Miller compared UCLA point guard wizard Lonzo Ball to an NFL quarterback.
βIf you let Tom Brady just sit back in the pocket, go through his progression, no blitz, no pass rushβ¦ heβs just too good and he makes everybody else better,β Miller said. βWe wanted to challenge him. We wanted to pressure him.β
They did, sort of. But Ball was still Ball. He had 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting β including 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line β along with eight assists to one turnover, plus six rebounds and two steals.
βWe didnβt do anything to stop him,β Miller said. βHeβs the best guard that Iβve seen.β
Yet, in his postgame UCLA news conference, Ball was hardly in a mood to talk about himself. The biggest number he saw was this: 50, the percent UA shot from the field.
βWeβve gotta guard going forward,β Ball said. βThe places we want to go, we have to play defense.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
24:Β Second-chance points by Arizona off 12 offensive rebounds, helping defuse UCLAβs offensive attack.Β
- Bruce Pascoe
- Updated
βIt feels like a different team, of course.β β Miller, when asked about the return of Allonzo Trier.
- Bruce Pascoe
The first UCLA student in line outside Pauley Pavilion early Saturday morning wasn't even a UCLA fan, really.
Instead, it was Catalina Foothills High School grad Liam Giffin, a UCLA freshman who said he grew up a βhugeβ Wildcat fan. So even though Giffin showed up at 5:30 a.m, wearing a UCLA shirt under his CFHS sweatjacket, he said he would be pulling for UA.
βBut donβt tell anyone in line with me,β Giffin said.Β
- Bruce Pascoe
There was no Alfordville sprouting up outside Pauley Pavilion starting Friday night because, well, itβs not allowed.
UCLA students were prohibited from camping out, or even lining up outside the building before 10 a.m. for the 1 p.m. Pacific time game. Giffin showed up at 5:30 a.m. anyway; before long, he was leading a pack of several hundred diehard students who were ordered to wait atop a nearby hill.
By 10 a.m., a line five people thick crawled all the way up the hill, probably counting several thousand students, on a notably unbalmy (45-50 degrees) Southern California morning.
βIt was cold, but it was OK,β said UCLA student Shane Taleinsnick, who showed up at 7 a.m.
The student crowd didn't grow just because Arizona was in town, either. UCLA junior Joey Levin, dressed in a bear onesie, said even Thursday nightβs UCLA-ASU game drew a similarly large lineup of student fans.
βPeople are very excited,β Levin said. βLast year you could show up an hour before the game and get good seat. This year if you show up an hour before the game you won't get a seat.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe
While it might have been Allonzo Trier Day for the Wildcats, it was officially Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins legend-turned-social-activist was honored for having received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in November.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block introduced Abdul-Jabbar at center court, saying his storied Bruin playing career was just βreally his warmupβ for a post-playing career of supporting civil rights and social justice.Β
Abdul-Jabbar received a second standing ovation at the halftime ceremony, having already received one when he walked into Pauley Pavilion before the game.
βItβs a very special thing for me,β Abdul-Jabbar said. βA number of my heroes attended this school, including Jackie Robinson.β Β
- Bruce Pascoe
While UCLA students chanted at Trier from the moment he hit the court for warmups 90 minutes before the game started β βP-E-D! P-E-D! P-E-D!β and βCHEAT! CHEAT! CHEAT!β were among their favorites β coach Sean Miller, the UA program and the city of Tucson all took some heat on a βdirtβ sheet distributed in the student section.
βThe Dirt from the Denβ introduced UAβs coach as βSEAN MILLER, WHO IS THE HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF CAPS LOCK.β
Of UAβs program, it wondered: βHas any team in the history of organized sports gained so much prestige with so few actual accomplishments? β¦ Both Kentucky and Zac Enfronβs East High School team inΒ High School MusicalΒ have more basketball championships than Zona.β
It also claimed that the residents of Tucson βcompete to illegally dump more garbage in their backyard than anyone else.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe
Miller compared UCLA point guard wizard Lonzo Ball to an NFL quarterback.
βIf you let Tom Brady just sit back in the pocket, go through his progression, no blitz, no pass rushβ¦ heβs just too good and he makes everybody else better,β Miller said. βWe wanted to challenge him. We wanted to pressure him.β
They did, sort of. But Ball was still Ball. He had 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting β including 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line β along with eight assists to one turnover, plus six rebounds and two steals.
βWe didnβt do anything to stop him,β Miller said. βHeβs the best guard that Iβve seen.β
Yet, in his postgame UCLA news conference, Ball was hardly in a mood to talk about himself. The biggest number he saw was this: 50, the percent UA shot from the field.
βWeβve gotta guard going forward,β Ball said. βThe places we want to go, we have to play defense.βΒ
Tags
As featured on
Allonzo Trier finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his season debut.Β
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson π΅ (@this_is_tucson) β’ Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
This new restaurant is coming soon, bringing Southern favorites to Tucson
-
60 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Sept. 19-22 π₯¨
-
This nameless taco stand makes delicious al pastor tacos straight from the trompo
-
The iconic Barbie truck is returning to Tucson with exclusive merch π
-
60 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Sept. 12-15 πΌπ¬
-
100 fun events happening in Tucson this September 2024 π»πΆ
-
At 6 months old, Tucson's baby elephant has made her way into the big girl pool
-
35 FREE events happening in Tucson this September 2024 πΈ
-
Where should I eat in Tucson? A GIANT list of bucket list spots for every craving
-
We're hosting a bookish happy hour with author meet-and-greets and a scavenger hunt π