In a 25-minute news conference Tuesday, Arizona coach Sean Miller discussed at length things such as the expectations facing his team, poor shooting, Chase Jeterβs back and the future.
But when asked if he felt the Wildcats were an NCAA Tournament team at this point, he needed only one word.
βNo,β he said.
Saying the mood "is not happy-go-luckyβ at the moment, Miller said the Wildcats, who were crushed twice in Los Angeles last weekend to drop to 5-3 in Pac-12 play, have to take a non-power conference approach to reaching the NCAA Tournament at this point.
That is, try to get a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, then win three games.
βWhat we have to do is focus on being the best team we can be and then head into our conference tournament very similar to that of the low-major, mid-major leagues,β Miller said. βThat is to play our best basketball in Vegas and that is to win three games in three days or four games in four days.
βI think those four byes are big. It doesnβt mean that a team who plays on Wednesday, especially this season, canβt win the championship but I think, that the three games in three days gives you a better overall opportunity and being healthy we canβs control that, but hopefully that will be the place and playing our best basketball being as prepared as we can, as confident as we can and making those three or four days a magical run. I would think every team in our conference would have to think the same way that weβre thinking.β
MORE: Arizona Wildcats focusing on what they can control in quest for NCAA Tournament bid
WATCH: 'It's not OK to lose': Sean Miller, Ira Lee talk about expectations and bouncing back for ASU
Ira Lee was asked how he would answer the same question about whether UA was a tournament team.
βI mean, after the past two games, would you think so?β Lee said. βThatβs all I can bounce back with that question.β
Miller said Jeter sat out practice on Monday and again declined to estimate his chances of returning Thursday at ASU.
βI really donβt know,β Miller said. βI think itβs really his call with discomfort, pain and how much better itβs getting. I do think heβs making progress but I donβt know what that means, whether he doesnβt play against ASU and is able to play next weeks against the Washingtons or beyond.β
Asked if Jeter would risk worsening the injury by returning at that point, or whether it was just about pain tolerance, Miller said:
βI really canβt answer that other than weβre going to do whatβs best for Chase,β Miller said. βWhenever he has the opportunity to practice or play then weβll take that next step.β
Already with four signees and commit Zeke Nnaji for his 2019 class, Miller made it clear he was looking just about anywhere for a sixth player to add in the spring when asked if he expected to have a turnaround next season.
βI think so,β he said. βWeβre not there yet but Iβm excited about that group for sure. I also donβt think that group will end there. Being able to add one more player this spring if not more than one. Whoever that could be.
"It could be a transfer whoβs not able to play but able to practice like Chase Jeter did a year ago, could be a grad transfer whoβs eligible right away, or junior college player (or) international, even a high school player. Usually weβve had a class of five and that number will increase as more transfers around the nation are happening.β
Miller doesnβt talk about the investigation but did make a reference to βour circumstancesβ on Tuesday. Those were the ones that led to him having just six players on his roster entering last April, as he noted Tuesday when asked if heβs had to lower expectations with this group.
βYes and no,β Miller said. βI think at the beginning of April, we didnβt really have a team. We lost our entire recruiting class and we really fought hard to get Brandon Williams here. Thank goodness he came back to us.
"Right now heβs a really shining light on our team. His performance right now is probably the one performance that he continues to grow and get better. I know at USC he didnβt make a lot of shots but I thought he played really well and then against UCLA he put it all together.
βSo I would start right there. We were fortunate to (add) the guys that we had. ... (and) the recruiting class that Deandre (Ayton) was a part of, he did his part and then left. Emmanuel Akot, Brandon Randolph, Alex Barcello and Ira Lee, as a young player, sometimes theyβre at the mercy of the team theyβre on and maybe they donβt have as big of a role as they would have liked but that following year they get a bigger opportunity and they have a bigger role and they improve and they embrace it.
βSo much of our teamβs success this year to this point and moving forward is the performance of that group, that we can keep their confidence up and they grow and learn from their bigger opportunity. Because of our circumstances, thatβs the group that weβre calling on maybe more now than we otherwise would have for sure.
βWe try as a coaching staff to coach these guys the best we can. The expectations of Arizona are going to be extremely high and we owe that to everybody to meet those.β
Miller was asked how much of a toll last weekend took on him.
βFrom Day 1, 10 years ago, itβs taken a toll on me,β he said. βItβs a tough task and tall order. High expectations and weβre working hard to meet those expectations every day.β
The expectations are βjust to win every game. Itβs not OK to lose. It isnβt. Thatβs all part of it. I donβt think everybody expects to go 40-0 every season but when you lose you want to learn from it, bounce back and be better because it happened. Losingβs not fun for anybody and Iβm no exception.
Asked about the communityβs response, Miller said:
βI think fans are allowed to have their own reaction. Iβm sure a lot of them are angry. Iβm sure a number of them are upset. Thereβs quite a few that are very, very supportive. Thatβs the great part about being a fan. You can really be who you want to be.β
