Arizona Wildcats basketball: On Senior Night sorrow, chants from the ‘Zoo, the proposal
- Updated
Seen and heard at McKale Center during Arizona's game against UCLA.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Usually, these things end with smiles.
With Sean Miller as coach, the Wildcats have typically held their Senior Day ceremony after the game. A risk considering the possibility of conducting it after a loss.
To this point, that hadn’t been an issue for Miller’s Wildcats.
• In 2010, Arizona beat USC by two on Nic Wise’s final night.
• In 2011, UA beat Oregon 90-82 for Jamelle Horne.
• In 2012, it was a two-point win over UCLA for Kyle Fogg, Jesse Perry and Brendon Lavender.
• In 2013, it was a 15-point win against ASU for Kevin Parrom, Solomon Hill, Mark Lyons.
• In 2014, UA beat Stanford by 13 in Jordin Mayes’ last home game.
• In 2015, Arizona handily beat Stanford by 22 when T.J. McConnell kissed the court goodbye.
• In 2016, Gabe York had a career night as the Wildcats beat Stanford again, this time by 32. Kaleb Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson also played their last home games.
Miller said speaking to the McKale crowd after the game that he’s always thought “what happens if we lost?”
He told the media after the game that he’s continued Lute Olson’s tradition of doing the ceremony after the game, though he never quite understood why it was done after the game instead of before.
You get where this is going…
Saturday, Arizona lost on Senior Night, though it wasn’t a particularly busy night in that regard, as Kadeem Allen is the lone senior the Wildcats will lose this year.
Unfortunately, it’s a game that ended with the Wildcats down three, with the ball and the clock winding down …and Allen airballed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Arizona will likely also lose Allonzo Trier and Lauri Markkanen to the draft, along with the possibility that Kobi Simmons or Rawle Alkins leaves early.
As for Allen, Miller started getting choked up as he lauded his lone senior this year.
“In all of the years I’m a coach,” Miller said. “I’ve never seen anybody grow up more than this guy.”
Allen finished Saturday’s game with seven points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one turnover.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A bunch of Allen’s family members were at McKale for Senior Night, and they wore some interesting attire.
Every member of his family was donning a shirt displaying the Sports Illustrated cover he was on this season.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
15: Combined points between Arizona’s three stud freshmen, Lauri Markkanen, Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons, who shot a combined 6 of 20.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Lonzo Ball is considered a lock to be picked in the top five of the upcoming NBA Draft, with some projections even pegging him as a candidate for the top pick.
With that comes attention, of course, but being apart of the Ball family brings on a little something extra.
First, his younger brother LaMelo scored 92 points in a high school basketball game recently. Yes, 92, though much if it came as the result of cherry picking and a lack of opposition from the other team.
LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball will both join UCLA in the coming years, though Lonzo won’t be around the Bruins anymore for that.
Recently, Ball’s outspoken father, Lavar, went so far as to say his son was better than Steph Curry. Yes, that Steph Curry, the two-time NBA MVP.
The freshman Ball didn’t quite live up to that level of hype his father bestowed on him, though he did have a solid game, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists, two steals and just two turnovers.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Despite the ill-advised “overrated” chant at Ball, the ZonaZoo did a little better attacking other UCLA players.
During free throws, they chanted “Who’s your daddy?” at UCLA guard Bryce Alford, who is, of course, the son of UCLA coach Steve Alford.
With stud Bruins freshman T.J. Leaf, the fans chanted “traitor”, which is a reference to Leaf’s decision to flip his commitment from Arizona to UCLA last year.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona always honors a member of the US Armed Forces during every game.
Saturday was a special moment for Captain Shaun Owenby — he proposed to his girlfriend at halfcourt.
And…she said yes!
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Usually, these things end with smiles.
With Sean Miller as coach, the Wildcats have typically held their Senior Day ceremony after the game. A risk considering the possibility of conducting it after a loss.
To this point, that hadn’t been an issue for Miller’s Wildcats.
• In 2010, Arizona beat USC by two on Nic Wise’s final night.
• In 2011, UA beat Oregon 90-82 for Jamelle Horne.
• In 2012, it was a two-point win over UCLA for Kyle Fogg, Jesse Perry and Brendon Lavender.
• In 2013, it was a 15-point win against ASU for Kevin Parrom, Solomon Hill, Mark Lyons.
• In 2014, UA beat Stanford by 13 in Jordin Mayes’ last home game.
• In 2015, Arizona handily beat Stanford by 22 when T.J. McConnell kissed the court goodbye.
• In 2016, Gabe York had a career night as the Wildcats beat Stanford again, this time by 32. Kaleb Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson also played their last home games.
Miller said speaking to the McKale crowd after the game that he’s always thought “what happens if we lost?”
He told the media after the game that he’s continued Lute Olson’s tradition of doing the ceremony after the game, though he never quite understood why it was done after the game instead of before.
You get where this is going…
Saturday, Arizona lost on Senior Night, though it wasn’t a particularly busy night in that regard, as Kadeem Allen is the lone senior the Wildcats will lose this year.
Unfortunately, it’s a game that ended with the Wildcats down three, with the ball and the clock winding down …and Allen airballed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Arizona will likely also lose Allonzo Trier and Lauri Markkanen to the draft, along with the possibility that Kobi Simmons or Rawle Alkins leaves early.
As for Allen, Miller started getting choked up as he lauded his lone senior this year.
“In all of the years I’m a coach,” Miller said. “I’ve never seen anybody grow up more than this guy.”
Allen finished Saturday’s game with seven points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one turnover.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
A bunch of Allen’s family members were at McKale for Senior Night, and they wore some interesting attire.
Every member of his family was donning a shirt displaying the Sports Illustrated cover he was on this season.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Lonzo Ball is considered a lock to be picked in the top five of the upcoming NBA Draft, with some projections even pegging him as a candidate for the top pick.
With that comes attention, of course, but being apart of the Ball family brings on a little something extra.
First, his younger brother LaMelo scored 92 points in a high school basketball game recently. Yes, 92, though much if it came as the result of cherry picking and a lack of opposition from the other team.
LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball will both join UCLA in the coming years, though Lonzo won’t be around the Bruins anymore for that.
Recently, Ball’s outspoken father, Lavar, went so far as to say his son was better than Steph Curry. Yes, that Steph Curry, the two-time NBA MVP.
The freshman Ball didn’t quite live up to that level of hype his father bestowed on him, though he did have a solid game, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists, two steals and just two turnovers.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Despite the ill-advised “overrated” chant at Ball, the ZonaZoo did a little better attacking other UCLA players.
During free throws, they chanted “Who’s your daddy?” at UCLA guard Bryce Alford, who is, of course, the son of UCLA coach Steve Alford.
With stud Bruins freshman T.J. Leaf, the fans chanted “traitor”, which is a reference to Leaf’s decision to flip his commitment from Arizona to UCLA last year.
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