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 Jeter’s 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.
“No,” he said.
Saying the mood "is not happy-go-lucky” 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.
“What 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,” Miller said. “That is to play our best basketball in Vegas and that is to win three games in three days or four games in four days.
“I think those four byes are big. It doesn’t mean that a team who plays on Wednesday, especially this season, can’t win the championship but I think, that the three games in three days gives you a better overall opportunity and being healthy we can’s 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 we’re thinking.”
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Ira Lee was asked how he would answer the same question about whether UA was a tournament team.
“I mean, after the past two games, would you think so?” Lee said. “That’s all I can bounce back with that question.”
Miller said Jeter sat out practice on Monday and again declined to estimate his chances of returning Thursday at ASU.
“I really don’t know,” Miller said. “I think it’s really his call with discomfort, pain and how much better it’s getting. I do think he’s making progress but I don’t know what that means, whether he doesn’t play against ASU and is able to play next weeks against the Washingtons or beyond.”
Asked if Jeter would risk worsening the injury by returning at that point, or whether it was just about pain tolerance, Miller said:
“I really can’t answer that other than we’re going to do what’s best for Chase,” Miller said. “Whenever he has the opportunity to practice or play then we’ll take that next step.”
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.
“I think so,” he said. “We’re not there yet but I’m excited about that group for sure. I also don’t 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 who’s not able to play but able to practice like Chase Jeter did a year ago, could be a grad transfer who’s eligible right away, or junior college player (or) international, even a high school player. Usually we’ve had a class of five and that number will increase as more transfers around the nation are happening.”
Miller doesn’t talk about the investigation but did make a reference to “our circumstances” 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 he’s had to lower expectations with this group.
“Yes and no,” Miller said. “I think at the beginning of April, we didn’t 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 he’s 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 didn’t make a lot of shots but I thought he played really well and then against UCLA he put it all together.
“So 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 they’re at the mercy of the team they’re on and maybe they don’t 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.
“So much of our team’s 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, that’s the group that we’re calling on maybe more now than we otherwise would have for sure.
“We 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.”
Miller was asked how much of a toll last weekend took on him.
“From Day 1, 10 years ago, it’s taken a toll on me,” he said. “It’s a tough task and tall order. High expectations and we’re working hard to meet those expectations every day.”
The expectations are “just to win every game. It’s not OK to lose. It isn’t. That’s all part of it. I don’t 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. Losing’s not fun for anybody and I’m no exception.
Asked about the community’s response, Miller said:
“I think fans are allowed to have their own reaction. I’m sure a lot of them are angry. I’m sure a number of them are upset. There’s quite a few that are very, very supportive. That’s the great part about being a fan. You can really be who you want to be.”
