Seen and heard from the CU Events Center, where the Arizona Wildcats fell 82-79 to Colorado on Saturday night.
EuroVision
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa, back, looks to pass the ball as Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV defends during the first half.
Kerr Kriisa’s decision to use the first name on the back of his jersey might be a nod to Steve Kerr, but it also follows the tradition set by some European athletes.
The No. 10 that Azuolas Tubelis wears also happens to be the same number that, in soccer, is given to a key midfielder and has been worn by soccer icons around the world such as Diego Maradona, Pele and Lionel Messi.
Ryan Reynolds, UA's director of basketball operations, said Arizona approached the Pac-12 to see if doing so was OK and were told it was not a problem.
No banana guy, either
Arizona and Colorado players warm up in an empty arena.
If there’s any road arena where it’s really nice for the Wildcats not to have fans, it’s the CU Events Center.
The “C-Unit” student section is typically located behind part of the visitors bench, allowing any of their, um, remarks to be easily heard by the Wildcats while also putting them and their costumes within easy sight of TV cameras.
On Saturday, there weren’t even cardboard cutouts of many students; just cardboard random CU fans and animals. Reserve forward Tibet Gorener sat right in front of a guy in a cowboy hat while walk-on Grant Weitman had a few dogs behind him.
They'll have the usual
Restaurants are open for inside dining in Utah and Colorado but the Wildcats took no part, even on Friday night between games.
Instead, they had a meal served at their Boulder hotel, pretty much like every other meal this season.
“Same ol' regular COVID trip,” Reynolds said.
At least the Wildcats were able to get in and out of town quickly.
They arrived in Boulder around 11 p.m. Thursday after playing at Utah and were expecting to arrive back in Tucson by 11:30 p.m. Saturday thanks in part to the fact that their smaller charter jet can fly into nearby Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in nearby Broomfield.
Matched up
Colorado coach Tad Boyle has been alternating his post starters depending on who the Buffaloes are facing: Either 7-footer Dallas Walton and 260-pound Evan Battey against bigger teams, or Battey and 6-7 Jeriah Horne against smaller ones.
Since Arizona starts 7-footer Christian Koloko and 6-10 Azuolas Tubelis, Boyle went big — and the move might have been at least part of the reason why Arizona struggled early.
Walton missed a jumper and committed a foul in the first minute but the Buffaloes later went ahead 10-2 when Battey rebounded a missed jumper from Eli Parquet and Walton put it in while Battey later scored inside during the Buffs’ 19-2 run to open the game.
In proportion
While there weren’t any fans on hand, no student section breathing down the Arizona bench in the corner of the CU Events Center, both Arizona and Colorado could feel the weight of Saturday’s game.
For Arizona, a win meant a chance to was a chance to stay in the Pac-12’s upper division and quickly forget about a 15-point loss at Utah on Thursday.
For Colorado, it may have been even more important: The Buffs needed a win to have a chance to staying within striking range of first-place UCLA if they are to win the Pac-12, and also stay firmly in the NCAA Tournament hunt.
But Buffs coach Tad Boyle tried not to make too much of it before the game.
“The Arizona game is one game,” Boyle said. “We want to win. We want to get back on that track but it’s not like if we don’t win our seasons over with because it’s not.
“I want them to play with confidence and not fear of making mistakes. The problem is for us to compete for a league championship or even an upper half finish, this is critical game. So from that standpoint it is a big time game.”
Ralphie protocols
Colorado is also among the Pac-12 teams allowing guests of players to watch the game, but it does so with strict protocols. Player guests are given health screenings and assigned to sit in an A, B or C pod section, with only those in a household actually sitting directly next to each other.
“STOP! Pod B Only Beyond This Point” read one sign. Also, at the start of every aisle open to player guests is a floor sticker featuring a cartoon version of Ralphie with a mask over his face, looped behind his horns.
Arizona has not allowed player guests since its second game of the season. This season, the Wildcats have had to face family members of other teams at ASU, Utah and Colorado.
McCray name lives on
Ernie McCray set the UA’s single-game scoring record in 1960.
Between Arizona’s game with Colorado on Saturday and its 104-84 win over Cal State Los Angeles exactly 61 years earlier, a lot of really good players have worn the Wildcats’ uniform.
Ernie McCray has found his name still lingers among them, thanks in part to the program-record 46 points he scored on Feb. 6, 1960.
“It's an honor for me and I really wouldn't care if it was broken today,” McCray told UA’s athletic department website. “But what has done from me is that it gets my name out with the Sean Elliotts, Damon Stoudamires and Andre Iguodalas. Because of that record, I'll get mentioned with the greats … it was an incredible night. It was the first time I've ever gotten a standing ovation."
McConnell magic
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell celebrates after the Pacers took the lead late in the second half Friday.
It might not have made much of a splash nationally, when Indiana still lost 114-13 to New Orleans on Friday night, but former Wildcat T.J. McConnell had somewhat of a historic night.
According to ESPN, McConnell became the first bench player to dish 15 assists in under 30 minutes of playing time since Manu Ginobili did it in 2012-13 and only the second since John Lucas in 1988.
McConnell had the assist on 11 3s and four two-pointers, giving him the assists on 41 points total. The assists for 11 3s and 41 total points were the most by a player coming off the bench in the last 25 seasons, according to ESPN via Elias. McConnell has 27 assists in his last two games for the Pacers.
The big number
100
Colorado coach Tad Boyle watches the first half of Saturday's game.
Conference wins (against 90 losses) at Colorado for Boyle following Saturday's game, counting eight wins in the Big 12 during his first season of 2010-11 before the Buffs moved to the Pac-12.
— Bruce Pascoe
