Mamba forever
Some of our guys are wearing these Kobe 5 ProTro Chaos tonight. #RIPKobe pic.twitter.com/4l2CUPoygG
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) January 31, 2020
Just like he does every season, UA equipment manager Brian Brigger goes through Nikeβs catalog and speculatively orders shoes he thinks the Wildcats will like.
Little did he know how big a role his order of the Kobe 5 Protro Chaos shoes would become.
βThe guys liked the 4s, so I figured we should get them,β Brigger said before Arizona's 75-72 win over the Huskies on Thursday night.Β
The shoes arrived a month ago and Brigger said he had plans to distribute them next week, but then their legendary namesake was killed in a helicopter accident on Sunday.
The next day, Brigger gave them out. Most of the Wildcats broke them in during practices all week, then wore them for Thursdayβs game. Even though they are accented in light green, Brigger didnβt have a problem with them.
βThe way I look at it, thatβs the color of a saguaro,β Brigger said.
Several of Arizonaβs big men did not wear the low-cut shoes because they prefer the additional support of higher-cut shoes, though forward Ira Lee modified his.
On the heel of his red-and-blue shoes, Lee wrote the words βMamba Forever.β
Before the game, Washington also held a moment of silence for Bryant and the other eight people who died in the helicopter crash.
Carlesimo reunion
ESPN Radio picked up Thursdayβs game, with a familiar face to UA coach Sean Miller on the color commentary: P.J. Carlesimo, who coached Miller on USA Basketballβs 1991 World Championship Games team. Miller, then playing for Pittsburgh, was joined on that gold-medal-winning team by ASU coach Bobby Hurley, then playing for Duke.
That other familiar face
That would be television commentator Bill Walton, who not only did Thursdayβs game with Dave Pasch but is also scheduled to work UAβs next two home games: Against USC on Feb. 6 and against UCLA on Feb. 8.
According to Tubac-based ESPN researcher Joe Sullivan, among the research Walton was digging into before the game supported the theme of βcats and dogsβ β including the fact that nine of the past 20 teams to play in the NCAA championship game have been nicknamed either for a cat or a dog (UConn Huskies, Butler Bulldogs, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, etc.)
Along for the ride
Although UAβs big annual booster trip on Dec. 21 to San Francisco was dampened by the Wildcatsβ loss to St. Johnβs, some 16 donors made the trip with the Wildcats this weekend.
βHopefully two wins this time,β said Judi Kessler, who accompanied the group as UAβs associate AD for major gifts.
Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke also flew from meetings in Chicago to Seattle to join the team and boosters on Thursday.
βWent out to dinner and had a great time,β Heeke said.
While the boosters were scheduled to accompany the Wildcats all weekend β flying with them to Spokane on Thursday night and then home from Pullman after Saturdayβs UA-WSU game β Heeke headed home: For Fridayβs UCLA-UA womenβs basketball game and the UA-Texas swim meet on Saturday, which will be senior day for the menβs and womenβs swim/dive teams.
U-Dub students take aim at 'Sweaty Sean' and crew
The βDawg Pack Dirtβ tip sheet distributed throughout Washingtonβs student section took the usual shots at UA coach Sean Miller, showing him infamously wearing his sweaty white shirt during the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
But it also ran down the entire UA roster, especially Nico Mannion.
βWith his red hair and fair skin, living in Arizona is a bold mov but have no fear as weβre sure Zona compensates this redhead with at least SPF 50 in return for staying in the desert,β it said. βA freshman from from 'Italyβ has been able to make Arizona and 'Sweaty Sean' relevant again. We feel bad (Mannion) has such a heavy load to carry.β
Among other things the βdirtβ also said βall threeβ of Stone Gettingsβ fans call themselves βstonersβ and wondered why Jemarl Bakerβs name is spelled as it is considering it is pronounced βJamalβ (βDude, why is there an βrβ in your name?")
Hopβs honeymoon over?
After winning two Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards during his first two seasons at Washington, Mike Hopkinsβ honeymoon may be over. The Huskies have wonΒ just two of their last 10 games.Β
The Seattle Timesβ Percy Allen wrote that Hopkins said heβs learned more about himself in UWβs past nine games than he did during his first two seasons.
βSometimes itβs so easy to take a look at that (the score) rather than looking at the process and focusing on the process everyday,β Hopkins said. βFor me, Iβve always felt that way, but sometimes you can get lost in a different direction. So for me, itβs the process of why did I get into coaching? I got into coaching because I love making guys better. I love putting together a group of guys that they say canβt do it, but you can do it.
βIn perspective, you go through this thing and sometimes you get tested. But itβs really a sign of your true character of whatβs going to come out when youβre tested. Winning is not going to teach you anything, but Iβve learned a whole hell of a lot and hopefully we can turn it and thatβs what weβre focused on doing.β
He said it
βAll young players go through that stretch where you know they can maybe lose confidence in shooting and then it can lead to other areas. If you're a versatile player, your shot may not be going in, but there's so many other things you can do to help your team win. I think that's really our message to Josh. But I have to give him confidence. That falls on me. β
β UA coach Sean Miller, discussing guard Josh Green, who was 0 for 8 at ASU and 1 for 6 in the first half Thursday.
The big number
10
Arizona's first-half lead on Thursday. It vanished shortly before the half.Β
Another big number
9
Washington's second-half lead on Thursday. The Huskies went on to lose by three points.