Does Sean Miller have a point?

[.S&C.]

Or shut it and make a final four?

citing himself and the two players next to him at podium; "I'm not going to apologize for being 34-4. 69 wins in two years, back to back conference championships, have been top 10 for every day they've dribbled a ball here."

"We lost to Wisconsin in two hard fought battles in the elite eight. If that's a problem, I think you know what you can do."



This post was edited on 3/29 2:29 AM by .S&C.

 

[musrat59]

About what.

 

[.S&C.]

I'll add the quotes. My bad.

He basically said that anyone questioning his lack of a final four can get lost. Claimed his Pa12 titles (lame) and being top ten for 2 years, along with multiple elite eights.

 

[musrat59]

I would tend to agree with Sean as it is very hard to get to the final four plus the fact they had Wisconsin in their bracket again didn't help.

 

[.S&C.]

Originally posted by musrat59:

I would tend to agree with Sean as it is very hard to get to the final four plus the fact they had Wisconsin in their bracket again didn't help.

They really did get screwed. I would love for one of these coaches to call out the ncaa selection committee on it. Duke seems to be the only team that ever really gets the pass.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

I honestly think AZ would have taken down any other 2 seed plus Dook and Nova.

Wisconsin is a damn good team and Kaminsky & Dekker just killed them inside/out.

 

[Poetax]

But he needs to make it happen sooner then later or he becomes the Rick Barnes of the future.

 

[4UK]

I don't think UK fans are the right people to be asking this question. What Cal has done over the last 5 years is amazing, but it's not normal. Making the Final Four is tough and should never be taken for granted. So yes, I think Miller has a point. He also has been a bit unlucky, being paired up two straight years with a great team in Wisconsin. If they were in the East or South brackets, I think they'd be going to the Final Four this year.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Arizona seems to always hit that wall in the elite 8; 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015.

But his team has nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[.S&C.]

Yea, I'm actually not a big fan of the "miller to UK" sentiment, but they did get a bad draw. Although, Arizona doesn't look all that legit outside the garbage pac12 to me.

 

[UKErik]

I think he has a point. With that being said though, there's never been more emphasis on the tournament. If you're as talented as Arizona has been but miss out on the Final Four despite two tremendous seasons, you're going to feel some heat.

I do feel for him though. They lost a heart breaker last year. Today, I thought they played pretty well, but Wisconsin had an historic 2nd half shooting performance. Hell, they were knocking down off-the-dribble contested three point jump shots. IIRC, they only missed 4-5 shots the entire half.

GBB!!!

 

[.S&C.]

Arizona's program is just a bit overrated to me. Sean Miller is what the program is. They haven't been to a final four in 14 years and now it's looking like that number will grow to 15 or 16. 20 years could be a possibility. That's not a top program.

 

[UKErik]

No doubt. No Final Fours in 14 years is tough if you want to be considered elite. You can get away with it if you're one of the so called blue bloods I guess, but for a program with only one national title and 4-5 overall FF appearances, they need to do more.

GBB!!!

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Arizona got a virtual home game, played terrible on D leaving Wisconsin shooters wide open inside and outside for 40 minutes, and lost...so no, he does not have a point. With the talent he has, he should have won one of the three Elite 8 games he has coached in.

And no, Arizona did not get screwed. They played in a conference worse than the SEC and lost 3 games to 3 non-NCAA Tourney teams in a year where the fight for the last couple of #1 seeds was the fiercest in history I'd wager. Those 3 losses eliminated them from consideration for a 1 in the committee's eyes.

They were REWARDED with a 2 seed out west in a virtual home game situation. I suppose they could have put them out east or in the south or in the midwest, but then people would have whined about them being sent so far from home when they "could have been a 1 seed" and were arguable the top 2 seed, other than UVA.

 

[IdaCat]

Well, if he had won a couple of Big 12 titles instead of Pac 12, then he could say he had won the equal of a National Title. It works for the Chickenhawks.

 

[Jkwo_rivals113955]

He's fine. He's just getting started there - would you really predict, given the trajectory he's on now, that he won't start doing major tournament damage in the next decade (whether there or at a blue blood)? C'mon, now.

 

[.S&C.]

Originally posted by IdaCat:
Well, if he had won a couple of Big 12 titles instead of Pac 12, then he could say he had won the equal of a National Title. It works for the Chickenhawks.

As overrated as the BIG12 was, it's still galaxies better than the Pac12. I sometimes wonder if the SEC conference bashers realize how bad the Pac12 is. It's a pathetic league.

 

[LadyCaytIL]

lets be fair. Arizona got flipping raped by officials last year ... if you guys recall they lost to Wisconsin due to bad officiating that was fishy at best in the elite 8.

Having only watched a little of their game tonight....... looks like some favorable officiating for wisconsin again but nothing as bad as last year

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Originally posted by Wildcat-in-STL:
lets be fair. Arizona got flipping raped by officials last year ... if you guys recall they lost to Wisconsin due to bad officiating that was fishy at best in the elite 8.

Having only watched a little of their game tonight....... looks like some favorable officiating for wisconsin again but nothing as bad as last year

I disagree having watched the ENTIRE GAME, as I though the officiating was pretty even over 40 minutes. That said, if you watched the Xavier game...the refs gave that game to Arizona, marching them to the FT line. Heck, they shot 30 against Wisconsin.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

UK is lucky we get to play Wisky vs AZ. Only reason they won is because they went bonkers from 3. 10-12 in the 2nd half? That's crazy. Won't happen again.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Originally posted by Dennis Reynolds:
UK is lucky we get to play Wisky vs AZ. Only reason they won is because they went bonkers from 3. 10-12 in the 2nd half? That's crazy. Won't happen again.

Yup. Arizona left them wide open though Dennis...so I was very shocked by that as their D is supposed to be so good.

I say UK should overplay the 3 again, as it should work better against Wisconsin. They do not have the quick/athletic guards that Notre Dame has. Jackson and Grant were a bad match up for UK with their ability to run all over the place and drive and dish and whatever they wanted at times.

I'm happy to be playing a team that has a traditional starting line up for once as well. No more of this 3 or 4 guard crap we usually play against.

 

[26MichaelUK]

He will eventually get to multiple final fours. They really should have been there last year but got a bad call. He is getting more talent than anyone outside of Cal. Hell he took Xavier to the elite 8. He will get that first final four sooner than later.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

That monkey on his back will continue to grow into a 500 pound Gorilla before he knows it if he continues to lose in Reg. Finals.

 

[Lob2Davis]

I think the reason he made those comments is because McConnell was really down on himself after the game and had apologized to Miller for not being able to take him to a F4. Miller was just telling McConnell and the other players they didn't have anything to be ashamed of. And he's right, how the heck do you complain about a 34-4 season? We've been spoiled by Cal.
This post was edited on 3/29 6:11 AM by Lob2Davis

 

[thepip]

Originally posted by Poetax:
But he needs to make it happen sooner then later or he becomes the Rick Barnes of the future.

No, he is not close to being Barnes.

 

[CondorCat]

Originally posted by KWilt43atbuzz:
That monkey on his back will continue to grow into a 500 pound Gorilla before he knows it if he continues to lose in Reg. Finals.

True. Over a decade without a FF is not good if you consider yourself an elite program. Mounting pressure. Tubby had some close calls too in the Elite 8 but never made a FF after '98.



We've become spoiled with 4 FFs in the last 5 years! A Final Four is a true, banner-worthy accomplishment. Need to celebrate this one and be happy with whatever happens in Indianapolis.




This post was edited on 3/29 6:41 AM by CondorCat

 

[mjj_2K]

Jim Calhoun, giant Masshole that he is, made a really good point when he was asked about Miller on ESPN last week. Calhoun talked about how he himself was long considered a guy who couldn't get it done in the tournament. UConn had their breakout team in 90, and lost in the Elite 8 (as the 1 seed) to famous Laettner NCAA shot #1. Then they lost in the Sweet 16 as a 2 seed in 94, in the Elite 8 in 95, in the Sweet 16 (as the 1 seed) in 96, and in the Elite 8 again in 98. He said he remembered turning to one of his assistants after they finally made the FF in 99, and asking him"do you feel any smarter?".

Point being that if you keep getting really close, there's probably nothing you need to change. You just need to keep getting really close, and eventually you'll break through.

 

[barryn2000]

Originally posted by Dennis Reynolds:
UK is lucky we get to play Wisky vs AZ. Only reason they won is because they went bonkers from 3. 10-12 in the 2nd half? That's crazy. Won't happen again.

Yep....said that last night, no way Dekker goes for 27 against UK.

Zona would have been better off with Cal's plan, (and ND's)...deny the three, force them to beat you old school.

 

[CloverforkCat]

Concerning Sean Miller, he has gaged once again. His brother Archie, who is HC at Dayton, actually does more with a lot less than Sean does. He is the rising coaching star in the Miller family !

 

[Tannerdad]

I think he is a very good coach that will get there soon.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Miller will get there in the next 3 or 4 years. He's recruiting top classes now on a regular basis. They probably return Kaleb T, Ashley, and perhaps even Jefferson; plus, they are bringing in a top 3 class.


They will be back in the discussion next season for sure.

 

[akaukswoosh]

I agree on Archie. More impressive this season than his brother.

 

[anon1763419335]

he does, but i'm glad we dont have that problem that is all i'll say. next few years i doubt they will be as good. might be 2 or 3 seasons until they get back to an elite 8. at that point.....

 

[UK’98UK’00]

But Arizona has, oops, had the best starting five in the country. Sorry Sean, sorry Arizona players. Cal made the final four, championship game, and still had a monkey on his back. Hope he doesn't get too heavy.

 

[JohnBlue]

If he is pleased with winning the pac-12 each year then maybe he has reached his capacity.

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

I think it's a bit early to push the panic button on Sean Miller...2 sweet 16s and 4 elite 8s in his career...

Look at Bo Ryan...took him 15 years to break through...

Once it finally clicks for Miller and Zona they'll be making multiple trips...

This final four or bust mentality really only applies to 2 programs and coaches...UK and Duke...our standards and expectations are just absurdly different...

Lute Olson made 4 trips in 20 years...got 1 title...

Calhoun made 4 trips in 25 years...made the most of them and won 3 titles...but still...4-5 trips is a good career and gets most coaches in to the Hall...

If your coach consistently wins 25+ games, finishes at the top of the conference, and advances in the tourney...keep him...because there really isn't a step up from that...

nobody is getting to the final 4 every year...and most only get there a few times in a career...

 

[neilborders]

Calipari has made us forget just how hard it is to get to the Final Four, or hell, to even make it to the Elite Eight.

Coach K - only two E8's in the last 5 seasons. Only been to the E8 4 times in last 12 years
Roy Williams - only two E8's in last 5 seasons.
Bill Self - only two E8 's in last 7 seasons.

 

[anon_hvdd36eg5u05l]

Originally posted by mj2k10:

Point being that if you keep getting really close, there's probably nothing you need to change. You just need to keep getting really close, and eventually you'll break through.

Excellent, excellent point here. Exactly (part of the reason) why I want Miller at UK when Cal leaves. He's going to get it done, just a matter of time.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

We (UK fans) are becoming spoiled. 4 out of the last 5 years we have gone to the FF. That is virtually unheard of in this day and age. Getting to a FF is incredibly hard. There was a period after our '98 Championship that we didn't make it back for 13 years! Only 4 teams can make it and so many things have to go your way for it to happen. Just look at our game last night...we may be one of the most talented teams ever yet, we were almost eliminated by and undersized Notre Dame team with far less talent. Again, it's just a really hard thing to do.
We are living in the greatest time ever for Kentucky Basketball but, there isn't that much difference in our talent versus the Arizona talent. I'd say Cal is a bit better coach right now but, 'Zona is a strong program with Miller. I think they'll make it thru in a year where they aren't necessarily supposed to. Timing and the bracket must be perfect.

 

[BBCatsExile]

47.

Sean Miller is 47 years old and already had 4 Elite 8's, conference championships, recruiting at a top 3 level. His intensity and love for the game suggests this trajectory will only keep going...

Can you imagine what he'll accomplish by the time he's 67?

67 = Bo Ryan's FIRST final four.

Sean Miller is a future HOF coach if he keeps coaching. I think if he stays, he can turn Arizona into a modern Blue Blood post Lute Olson.

Big picture folks.

He's 47, not 67.