A to Z: Wildcats Took Some Shots but Zeus, Johnson and Crew Have Rolled

As Kaleb Tarczewski has gone, so have his
Wildcat teammates, as proved by the Pac-12
Championship. Is more on the horizon?

It seems like ages since the Wildcats lost Brandon Ashley for the season with a bum foot: broken, torn ligaments or whatever the ailment is. But with it, Arizona’s young team suddenly appeared headed for the emergency room.

Arizona Looks to Keep ASU's Bachynski in 'Check'

Arizona has done a good job containing 

Jordan Bachynski in seven career games.

USA Today

Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Jordan Bachynski has proved to be a load for most opponents this season, especially last weekend for Oregon State and Oregon, on which the 7-2, 250-pound junior center narrowly missed two consecutive triple doubles. 

Correcting Aaron Gordon's Free-Throw Shooting

Forcing the issue on offense has led to 

Aaron Gordon not being relaxed at the 

free throw line. Did he turn a corner

against Oregon State?

Aaron Gordon's woes at the free-throw stripe aren't likely to scare away NBA teams this spring, just as it didn't with the likes of doppleganger Blake Griffin.

The two players are obviously similar in playing style, as they are high-flying highlight reels of rebounding and dunking prowess. Many comparisons have also been drawn based on their performance at the charity stripe. But on closer examination, it appears Griffin was more polished at the same stage of his collegiate career.

But did the Oregon State victory start to change that?

Splitting Pants Can Get Arizona Back on Track

At the end of Arizona's 67-65 victory over Oregon at McKale, coach Sean Miller sprinted to the locker room. But it wasn't just because he was relieved the Wildcats escaped their second consecutive loss. He had to change into sweats after splitting his pants during the game's final, nail-biting minutes.

Broken Foot, Lots of Questions but No Broken Dreams

When Cal's Nick Kravish stepped on the back of Brandon Ashley's right foot in the first half of the 60-58 loss Saturday night at Haas Pavilion, it could have been very easily to send Arizona's national champion chances up in smoke.

Steady Hands

T.J. McConnell. Courtesy Arizona Athletics.

Arizona's starting guards Nick Johnson and T.J. McConnell had zero — count 'em, zero — turnovers as the Wildcats squeaked out a 60-57 victory over Stanford on Wednesday night.

Thoughts on Surviving Another Game

It's funny how we make sports a live or die thing.

Don't Worry, Be Happy for Wildcats' Success

Previously, I wrote why I think Arizona would beat Syracuse head-to-head in a dream matchup of unbeaten teams. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams, respectively, in the nation are the trendy choice for the NCAA National Championship Game on April 7.

Hoops Dream Matchup: 'Zona Versus 'Cuse

Sure, there is a month and a half of season left, but it sure is fun to think about a potential Final Four or National Championship matchup between No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Syracuse. I'm not the only one.

RichRod's Magic Continues?

If I was a betting man, I'd put down 100 large on DT Marcus Griffin, a four-star prospect out of Bellevue, Wash., to be RichRod's latest signee. The high school senior visited Cal last weekend and was destined for Notre Dame but did an about-face and canceled his trip to South Bend for an official visit to Tucson.