After Norfolk State, we will be playing the annual "1 game a week" nonsense...
Tommy does this. I don't believe there is a good reason to schedule it this way. He can get away with it vs Cupcakes, but we have 2 big games setup.
UCLA into UCONN is going to be difficult, but it will also help prepare the team for the fight to come.
I truly do not understand why he does this seemingly every year.
Win, Lose... doesn't really matter.
It is simply not good to be going from a fairly Good pace of a schedule to just hitting the brakes completely on the season like this.
Auburn and Alabama will just be slogs to wait for.
I don't see the benefit from us not scheduling them differently.
For this reason I have cause for concern. It is difficult to keep a team motivated when they play 3 games over 15 days.
This is not Football Tommy.
It allows time to recover from lifting, practice (without specifically preparing for the upcoming opponent) and avoid constant travel.
Once conference play begins, basketball life is hectic, especially considering the random locations of Big-12 opponents.
Although the players are young and strong, their bodies need a break (especially guys like Boswell, who can be found on 4th Ave during off-days) 🙃
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 11, 2025, 06:13:33 AMIt allows time to recover from lifting, practice (without specifically preparing for the upcoming opponent) and avoid constant travel.
Once conference play begins, basketball life is hectic, especially considering the random locations of Big-12 opponents.
Although the players are young and strong, their bodies need a break (especially guys like Boswell, who can be found on 4th Ave during off-days) 🙃
Boo Boo Boswell was not mentally prepared for "UofA" lifestyle.
I think it is hard to keep focus even when you aren't paid Millions to play sports as a teenager.
I don't see why Tommy had to schedule 2 of the tougher games this way. He could have done it with cupcakes or "good" cupcakes that are projected to be in March Madness like 13-15 type seeds...
I don't quite understand the method to the madness. You didn't explain it any better to me.
These are Professional Contracted Workers. They don't need this much rest. I would be shocked if any of them actually "Lift". Especially In-Season where most small injuries could occur or begin at the gym if not careful.
Most of the Lifting is off-season work. I can't even imagine Gilbert Arenas picking up a weight unless it was to bop someone over the head with it.
Rounds is one of the best, if not the best, trainer in the country. With a full week off, they're absolutely in the weight room. Nobody will overwork but it's nice to not have 2-3 days between games EVERY week.
It is SUPPOSED to be to allow your team to rest/relax/recoop and to allow you and your staff to gameplan and make adjustments from the previous four games.
The problem is that Lloyd does not make adjustments.
I will start by saying I have not WATCHED the last two games because they were not available to me.
From the highlights that I have watched from the NAU/UCLA games, Lloyd has a lot of adjustments he needs to make with this team on the defensive end if they are going to live up to the hype.
I normally don't buy into it because I am anti-homer, but THIS team does have Final Four potential IF Lloyd is able to make the proper adjustments.
#BearDown
Lloyd made major adjustments at halftime of the UCLA game. The Cats were aggressively attacking the basket and limiting turnovers. On defense, we didn't try to "switch back" after hedge screens at the top of the key, so UCLA didn't have any open looks from the perimeter.
Against NAU, no major changes were necessary throughout the game. Our defense allowed us to play with freedom in the second half. Once we were up 56-21, Aristode was given the green light.
Quote from: mvpreed2 on November 15, 2025, 03:53:31 AMThe problem is that Lloyd does not make adjustments.
Tommy does not adjust, but I will say that in the UCLA near-disaster, he was tough enough to keep Koa out of the game down the stretch and not just play him to play him. He did rely on the best possible strategy for a change. That is technically an adjustment. But we are also lucky that Delly stepped up and Bradley is the type of PG he is that attacks the rim instead of chucking up shots.
In other words - the adjustment was to not just re-insert Koa with 4 fouls and a bunch of time to go, knowing we were down and UCLA would have just attacked Koa and probably forced getting easier 2's or Koa would have fouled out anyway and it would have disturbed the flow. Mick the Gollum couldn't make an adjustment since Tommy was stubborn (in the right way) and he just saw his team dwindle out to the end.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 17, 2025, 09:26:37 AMUCLA didn't have any open looks from the perimeter.
UCLA is not a team anyone should be scared of from the perimeter, but the way Tommy coaches Defense, EVERY team is a threat from 3pt land. So there is really nothing more to be said about that. "Make or Miss" basketball is the brand Tommy likes to play.
That's typically true but Bilodeau, Clark and Dailey are all pretty good outside shooters, regardless of Arizona's defensive style.
In the second half, our opponent's open looks were blanketed, as opposed to the start of the game, which the high screens opened up the Bruins' outside game.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 17, 2025, 12:52:54 PMThat's typically true but Bilodeau, Clark and Dailey are all pretty good outside shooters, regardless of Arizona's defensive style.
In the second half, our opponent's open looks were blanketed, as opposed to the start of the game, which the high screens opened up the Bruins' outside game.
So you are trying to say that Tommy just preferred to make UCLA "Prove It From Deep" for a whole Half of the game before adjusting? That only speaks to what I say about Tommy.
In the first half, we dared them to shoot. I'm saying that Lloyd recognized that they uncharacteristically hit jumpers and he adjusted to close out shooters in the second half. It worked.
Quote from: arxpert on November 17, 2025, 12:05:31 PMTommy does not adjust, but I will say that in the UCLA near-disaster, he was tough enough to keep Koa out of the game down the stretch and not just play him to play him. He did rely on the best possible strategy for a change. That is technically an adjustment. But we are also lucky that Delly stepped up and Bradley is the type of PG he is that attacks the rim instead of chucking up shots.
In other words - the adjustment was to not just re-insert Koa with 4 fouls and a bunch of time to go, knowing we were down and UCLA would have just attacked Koa and probably forced getting easier 2's or Koa would have fouled out anyway and it would have disturbed the flow. Mick the Gollum couldn't make an adjustment since Tommy was stubborn (in the right way) and he just saw his team dwindle out to the end.
Again, I did not get to see the game, but I will say this.
As long as Lloyd is showing that he is willing to make
SOME adjustment, that is on the right track for him, Arizona and these prospects.
#BearDown
I don't understand the problem statement.
Is 5-0 at this point in the calendar too fast or too slow when most other teams have also played 5 or less games?
Quote from: LeftCoastCats on November 19, 2025, 07:39:28 PMI don't understand the problem statement.
Is 5-0 at this point in the calendar too fast or too slow when most other teams have also played 5 or less games?
It really isn't about the other programs.
My point is Tommy often schedules in a way that kills our momentum. There are obviously a set amount of games needed OOC, but especially this season, I don't like 1 week off after the "cup cake", leading into Auburn, then another week off to Bama (or whichever order we play them in)
Sure, we are 5-0. We could easily be 3-2. Maybe even 2-3 if we were less fortunate. It isn't so much about the record as it is the time between the games.
I would prefer to play Auburn and Bama the way we played UCLA and UConn with momentum and then if you want to schedule some actual Strong Mid Majors like an Ivy League top team and "Vermont" or someone you think will take their Mid Major Conference easily and earn a 14 seed, then that would be better for us to get some time off and still have a quality simulated March Madness 1st Round opponent to look forward to.
It is just something I notice Tommy does and a preference I have.
If Tommy can keep the team motivated into December without losing control then "great". It will be the first time. He usually loses control around the end of November into Mid-Late December.
We need to remain focused regardless if we win or lose. Not get complacent with too much time off. This isn't an 82 game NBA level schedule demand. It is around 30 games then some Tournament Play over 5 Months...
Game by game "momentum" is only relevant to fans. Players won't get energy against Denver on Monday because they won on Wednesday. It's a new game plan, arena and environment.
Momentum is an in-game factor.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 19, 2025, 09:19:08 PMGame by game "momentum" is only relevant to fans. Players won't get energy against Denver on Monday because they won on Wednesday. It's a new game plan, arena and environment.
Momentum is an in-game factor.
No, momentum is all encompassing. It is routine based primarily. Every sport experiences Rust after long layoffs.
Also tell that to Arizona Football losing to Iowa State then blowing it to BYU and Houston. Momentum matters to players in all Pro Sports. Yes College is Pro now so I can say that.
Arizona came into the BYU game, after blowing out OSU. If momentum from 7 days prior affected our players, we would have rolled the Cougars.
Unless there's a long layoff before a bowl game, college football players are on a daily routine with a minimum of one week between games. A bye doesn't negatively affect anybody and momentum from a 7-14 day standard layoff is non-existent.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 20, 2025, 04:02:11 AMIf momentum from 7 days prior affected our players, we would have rolled the Cougars.
While Football and Basketball "bye weeks" are not built the same, they are still competitively disruptors when things are going well. No matter what sport nor matchup.
That is,
Unless you schedule appropriately and take on Denver and Norfolk State in those layoffs.
If you think that we couldn't have taken on SDSU and Bethune Cookman after this UCLA + UCONN without stumbling, then this team is a true Pretender.
No one is saying to run a Gauntlet and schedule Auburn and Bama after UCLA and UConn
But don't tell me that playing Denver and Norfolk State, then taking 2 long breaks before "auburn / bama" 1 week apart each is going to be "seamless" or a cake walk. That is akin to going from 10 to 100mph.
In Football, the SEC commonly schedules someone like "The Citadel" at the end of the year before they go into their Final Hell Weeks.
The ideal scenario would have been to roll this momentum into YOUR MIGHTY Bethune, SDSU, then take on Auburn all at Home within a 10 day period.
Then take the week off, travel over to Alabama for that fake Neutral Site Game that no one would hold over our heads - all upside, no true downside.
Then head home and take on Norfolk and South Dakota State before Conference Play starts up.
Ideally you want to keep your Level Up. Not stall out, risk a let down, then risk further stumbles messing around with a team like SDSU after getting a reality check.
If collegiate athletes are hyped for 48-168 hours after the previous game ended, then they need to be checked from a mental perspective. College athletes need breaks from the pressure and intensity of constant games, especially at high levels.
FWIW, Bethune Cookman took Auburn to OT, so the opponent is irrelevant if the games are one week apart. The team has time to game-plan, prepare and live college lives for a few days.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 20, 2025, 10:27:11 PMIf collegiate athletes are hyped for 48-168 hours after the previous game ended, then they need to be checked from a mental perspective. College athletes need breaks from the pressure and intensity of constant games, especially at high levels.
FWIW, Bethune Cookman took Auburn to OT, so the opponent is irrelevant if the games are one week apart. The team has time to game-plan, prepare and live college lives for a few days.
If anything, this is 2025 going on 2026 and attention spans are as low as they have ever been. If you think that these young kids are going to stay locked in with that much free time you may be pissing in the wind even if they are Paid Professionals that have no business being on Campus nor associated with a University at all in the New Era.
Let me be wrong this time. Let the team prove me wrong and cut down the nets undefeated. Let them lose some games and still cut down the nets. I really don't need to see an immaculate season to appreciate greatness. I am observing a flaw. It really is that simple. A flaw until proven to not be a flaw.
Let me see the "professionals" take care of business as Full Grown Men would and stay focused.