Today was Pac-12 Media Day up in the Bay Area. I wasn't able to make it, but the event was streamed online and I will now relay some of the big topics of the day that were discussed from the media gathered there in San Francisco.
* I'll start with the media poll. Arizona was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 by the conference media today with Oregon picked to win it. It's not really a big surprise to see the Ducks at the top and UA had a chance to come in third but ends up behind Washington. UA did receive one first-place vote in the poll.
Sean Miller was having none of praising his team during his time on the podium and he said he thought the Wildcats were too high at No. 4 on the list.
"I was surprised we were picked that high," he said. "I don't look at us as being the fourth best team in the Pac-12. I don't mean that in a negative light at all towards our group, but we've lost eight players from a year ago. So I think if you look at that, there's a lot of teams that have very good players and more experience returning."
* There were obviously going to be a lot of questions about the ongoing trial in New York regarding college basketball and the FBI's investigation into corruption, and things went about the same as they did last year with most of the first several questions involving some form of asking Miller about the trial and his program's involvement in what is going on in New York. Like he did in Tucson on media day, the UA head coach referred back to his previous statement regarding the issue and declined to comment much beyond that.
When the topic changed to Deandre Ayton he offered up a bit more of an answer.
"You know, Deandre is one of the great kids that I've ever been around," Miller said. "Obviously we're all very proud of him, of what he's doing right now, and the fact that he's the No. 1 pick. But again, I would ask you to go back to the statement that I made in March."
After being asked again about the topic he added: "Again, I'm aware a trial is going on, but if you'd like to ask me about our team this year, our program on the court, I'd be happy to answer those questions. Any of the other types of questions, I would ask you to go to the statement that I made in March."
* On the basketball side of things Miller was asked if all the "outside noise" was impacting the current team and he had this to say.
"You know, we're just at the beginning stages of it, so we're eight practices in, and we're not in the month of November yet," he said. "This is a period of time where I think every coach and team try to become closer. You learn more and more about who you have and what they can do, and that's really what we're -- that's what our charge is and the task at hand for me and our coaching staff."
* Arizona is certainly coming into the season in a different spot than it has in other years and this team has reminded others of Miller teams of old. He was asked how this year's Wildcats squad stacks up to some of his teams at Xavier that were made up of players who weren't necessarily the five-star type of prospects.
"Yeah, you know, really about a year and a half ago, we -- I think in any sport, any industry, you have to adjust to change, and if you look at the NBA, and we have a great example right here in this city with the Golden State Warriors, it's a different game now than it would have been five years ago. Ten years ago it's almost a different sport," he said. "A lot of times what happens in the NBA starts to become a part of college basketball, and I think the game of skill is here, and utilizing the three-point shot more rather than less. Having a group of players that can really move the ball and maybe have more firepower, then it becomes the charge of making that same group efficient and effective on defense.
"We really started to go down that route about a year and a half ago, and I think that the team that we'll put out there this year, that's the style that we'll play, and hopefully we'll improve, and as we continue to reestablish and add talent, that it will be a way of playing that you start to think about when you think of our program."
* Miller mentioned becoming a fun team to watch play and how that could help lead to success for his squad this year. Something else he mentioned was the players having no ego, which is something the Wildcats have had to battle over the years with certain players. This team feels different in that regard and that is one of the elements that he likes about the group he will have on the floor this season.
"Well, I think it's the first time I've come to Pac-12 Media Day and not been favored or co-favored in some time," he said. "Maybe if you look back on it, five, six years maybe, where we've been predicted to win it or finish second, and most of the time those predictions came true.
"That's a different type of pressure. That's a different type of team. For us this year, we don't have that. We're a team that I think can play with a healthy chip on our shoulder, trying to be better than maybe everybody else thinks we are, and figure out the way that we're going to go about doing that.
"And I think if you see us become successful, it will be because we're a team, we play together, we play with great effort, that we have like no ego, and that we're a fun team to watch, a fun team to be around. It takes time for that to happen. We lost our top seven players from a year ago. Judging us in November would be very unfair. I think we're going to be a group that I hope, especially if we're healthy, that can grow and become a very good team as we continue to march forward."
* I'll start with the media poll. Arizona was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 by the conference media today with Oregon picked to win it. It's not really a big surprise to see the Ducks at the top and UA had a chance to come in third but ends up behind Washington. UA did receive one first-place vote in the poll.
Sean Miller was having none of praising his team during his time on the podium and he said he thought the Wildcats were too high at No. 4 on the list.
"I was surprised we were picked that high," he said. "I don't look at us as being the fourth best team in the Pac-12. I don't mean that in a negative light at all towards our group, but we've lost eight players from a year ago. So I think if you look at that, there's a lot of teams that have very good players and more experience returning."
* There were obviously going to be a lot of questions about the ongoing trial in New York regarding college basketball and the FBI's investigation into corruption, and things went about the same as they did last year with most of the first several questions involving some form of asking Miller about the trial and his program's involvement in what is going on in New York. Like he did in Tucson on media day, the UA head coach referred back to his previous statement regarding the issue and declined to comment much beyond that.
When the topic changed to Deandre Ayton he offered up a bit more of an answer.
"You know, Deandre is one of the great kids that I've ever been around," Miller said. "Obviously we're all very proud of him, of what he's doing right now, and the fact that he's the No. 1 pick. But again, I would ask you to go back to the statement that I made in March."
After being asked again about the topic he added: "Again, I'm aware a trial is going on, but if you'd like to ask me about our team this year, our program on the court, I'd be happy to answer those questions. Any of the other types of questions, I would ask you to go to the statement that I made in March."
* On the basketball side of things Miller was asked if all the "outside noise" was impacting the current team and he had this to say.
"You know, we're just at the beginning stages of it, so we're eight practices in, and we're not in the month of November yet," he said. "This is a period of time where I think every coach and team try to become closer. You learn more and more about who you have and what they can do, and that's really what we're -- that's what our charge is and the task at hand for me and our coaching staff."
* Arizona is certainly coming into the season in a different spot than it has in other years and this team has reminded others of Miller teams of old. He was asked how this year's Wildcats squad stacks up to some of his teams at Xavier that were made up of players who weren't necessarily the five-star type of prospects.
"Yeah, you know, really about a year and a half ago, we -- I think in any sport, any industry, you have to adjust to change, and if you look at the NBA, and we have a great example right here in this city with the Golden State Warriors, it's a different game now than it would have been five years ago. Ten years ago it's almost a different sport," he said. "A lot of times what happens in the NBA starts to become a part of college basketball, and I think the game of skill is here, and utilizing the three-point shot more rather than less. Having a group of players that can really move the ball and maybe have more firepower, then it becomes the charge of making that same group efficient and effective on defense.
"We really started to go down that route about a year and a half ago, and I think that the team that we'll put out there this year, that's the style that we'll play, and hopefully we'll improve, and as we continue to reestablish and add talent, that it will be a way of playing that you start to think about when you think of our program."
* Miller mentioned becoming a fun team to watch play and how that could help lead to success for his squad this year. Something else he mentioned was the players having no ego, which is something the Wildcats have had to battle over the years with certain players. This team feels different in that regard and that is one of the elements that he likes about the group he will have on the floor this season.
"Well, I think it's the first time I've come to Pac-12 Media Day and not been favored or co-favored in some time," he said. "Maybe if you look back on it, five, six years maybe, where we've been predicted to win it or finish second, and most of the time those predictions came true.
"That's a different type of pressure. That's a different type of team. For us this year, we don't have that. We're a team that I think can play with a healthy chip on our shoulder, trying to be better than maybe everybody else thinks we are, and figure out the way that we're going to go about doing that.
"And I think if you see us become successful, it will be because we're a team, we play together, we play with great effort, that we have like no ego, and that we're a fun team to watch, a fun team to be around. It takes time for that to happen. We lost our top seven players from a year ago. Judging us in November would be very unfair. I think we're going to be a group that I hope, especially if we're healthy, that can grow and become a very good team as we continue to march forward."
