Arizona is holding its weekly press conference today and we will get a chance to hear from Sean Miller and Rawle Alkins for the only time before they hit the floor Saturday against Arizona State. I'll pass along any important notes to come out of this week's press conference. Alkins will be up first to speak with the media and then Miller will get his chance to speak.
Rawle Alkins
* Alkins says the expectations of the game this weekend are higher because of how highly ranked Arizona State is. Having said that he doesn't think it's any bigger than it normally is every year.
* Alkins says he thinks of ASU being like New Mexico in the way that it plays and it likes to shoot 3-pointers and go fast. That is one game he thinks the Wildcats can use as an experience to learn from and draw from.
* He says he doesn't know the game plan that Sean Miller has for Saturday's game but if that means playing some power forward in a four-guard lineup he will do whatever the coaching staff asks of him.
* Alkins says he thinks Wednesday's practice was "the most competitive" the team has had this year and he thinks the team's defense is coming along nicely now.
* Alkins calls on the game being on Pac-12 Network this weekend as a sign that nobody knew Arizona Stat would be as good as it is. He said the game being on the conference's network over a channel like ESPN show that.
* He says he was "the instigator" in practice and tried to find ways to motivate his teammates when he wasn't able to be on the floor. Alkins uses an example of talking to Deandre Ayton's defender to get Ayton motivated during practice and get him to work harder.
* He says Ayton has started to handle the ball more now as he continues to develop and that is something has been a bit surprised by, but mentions that the Arizona freshman big man has started to dribble out of certain areas on the floor now and take on defenders in isolation situations.
Sean Miller
* Miller opens his portion of the press conference talking about Jerry Kindall's passing, and the UA head coach said that he talked plenty with the former UA baseball coach. He says when he spoke with Kindall he knew he was talking to a "really great guy."
* Miller says "there's not really any easy answers" when talking about how to go up against ASU. He says the Sun Devils have an offense you don't see too often. He says they are more than a small team that can shoot it. He says Romello White is someone that doesn't get enough credit and someone his team is concerned about. Says UA has a big challenge on its hands Saturday.
* Miller says he is not as shocked by what ASU has done because it has older players and veterans who have been in the program. He again says that ASU has a chance to be the No. 1-seed and win a national title and he said he isn't sure anybody saw "that" coming but he isn't completely shocked by what ASU has done this year.
* Miller has already mentioned the ASU's ability to reach the free-throw line and he said the starting guards and the bench in particular have to be able to defend without fouling. He mentions that it will be about not allowing easy baskets and if a player can't do that then he should have no questions about why he's not in the game.
* Miller says that Dusan Ristic is one of the team's best players and mentions that the senior center has improved his defense. Miller said that Ristic has earned the right to play as many minutes as he has and while he won't give up what his plan is he said if he does go small Ristic will have to work with whatever lineup he has out there.
* Miller says he hasn't decided who will be part of the rotation and who will guard certain ASU players yet, but he mentions that's not a good thing. He said the players are working hard but it sounds like there hasn't been the type of separation in his reserves that he would hope so the picture isn't as clear.
* Miller says coaches are not quick to credit other teams because it could reflect badly on their own team, but he says ASU has earned the right to be ranked as high as it is. He mentions the crowds at Wells Fargo Arena are better, from what he's seen, than ever in his time at UA.
* Miller says "we're always the heavy favorite in many ways" when asked about the Sun Devils being the "heavy favorite" to win the conference. He says ASU deserves that credit, but he knows what he has with his own team.
"Whoever loses this game could still go on to be great," Miller says about this game in the grand scheme of things. He says on the flip side winning doesn't guarantee anything. He said that ASU winning at Kansas tells you what you need to know about what type of talent the Sun Devils have right now.
* Miller says the rivalry between Arizona and Arizona State isn't what the rivalry he went through with Xavier and Cincinnati calling that one a "bloodbath" and he said "if you're soft you want to transfer right after that game" but he does feel this rivalry is one that is different because the two schools are in the same conference. He also notes that it isn't as intense in basketball because there are other schools such as UCLA that gain this type of attention as well.
Rawle Alkins
* Alkins says the expectations of the game this weekend are higher because of how highly ranked Arizona State is. Having said that he doesn't think it's any bigger than it normally is every year.
* Alkins says he thinks of ASU being like New Mexico in the way that it plays and it likes to shoot 3-pointers and go fast. That is one game he thinks the Wildcats can use as an experience to learn from and draw from.
* He says he doesn't know the game plan that Sean Miller has for Saturday's game but if that means playing some power forward in a four-guard lineup he will do whatever the coaching staff asks of him.
* Alkins says he thinks Wednesday's practice was "the most competitive" the team has had this year and he thinks the team's defense is coming along nicely now.
* Alkins calls on the game being on Pac-12 Network this weekend as a sign that nobody knew Arizona Stat would be as good as it is. He said the game being on the conference's network over a channel like ESPN show that.
* He says he was "the instigator" in practice and tried to find ways to motivate his teammates when he wasn't able to be on the floor. Alkins uses an example of talking to Deandre Ayton's defender to get Ayton motivated during practice and get him to work harder.
* He says Ayton has started to handle the ball more now as he continues to develop and that is something has been a bit surprised by, but mentions that the Arizona freshman big man has started to dribble out of certain areas on the floor now and take on defenders in isolation situations.
Sean Miller
* Miller opens his portion of the press conference talking about Jerry Kindall's passing, and the UA head coach said that he talked plenty with the former UA baseball coach. He says when he spoke with Kindall he knew he was talking to a "really great guy."
* Miller says "there's not really any easy answers" when talking about how to go up against ASU. He says the Sun Devils have an offense you don't see too often. He says they are more than a small team that can shoot it. He says Romello White is someone that doesn't get enough credit and someone his team is concerned about. Says UA has a big challenge on its hands Saturday.
* Miller says he is not as shocked by what ASU has done because it has older players and veterans who have been in the program. He again says that ASU has a chance to be the No. 1-seed and win a national title and he said he isn't sure anybody saw "that" coming but he isn't completely shocked by what ASU has done this year.
* Miller has already mentioned the ASU's ability to reach the free-throw line and he said the starting guards and the bench in particular have to be able to defend without fouling. He mentions that it will be about not allowing easy baskets and if a player can't do that then he should have no questions about why he's not in the game.
* Miller says that Dusan Ristic is one of the team's best players and mentions that the senior center has improved his defense. Miller said that Ristic has earned the right to play as many minutes as he has and while he won't give up what his plan is he said if he does go small Ristic will have to work with whatever lineup he has out there.
* Miller says he hasn't decided who will be part of the rotation and who will guard certain ASU players yet, but he mentions that's not a good thing. He said the players are working hard but it sounds like there hasn't been the type of separation in his reserves that he would hope so the picture isn't as clear.
* Miller says coaches are not quick to credit other teams because it could reflect badly on their own team, but he says ASU has earned the right to be ranked as high as it is. He mentions the crowds at Wells Fargo Arena are better, from what he's seen, than ever in his time at UA.
* Miller says "we're always the heavy favorite in many ways" when asked about the Sun Devils being the "heavy favorite" to win the conference. He says ASU deserves that credit, but he knows what he has with his own team.
"Whoever loses this game could still go on to be great," Miller says about this game in the grand scheme of things. He says on the flip side winning doesn't guarantee anything. He said that ASU winning at Kansas tells you what you need to know about what type of talent the Sun Devils have right now.
* Miller says the rivalry between Arizona and Arizona State isn't what the rivalry he went through with Xavier and Cincinnati calling that one a "bloodbath" and he said "if you're soft you want to transfer right after that game" but he does feel this rivalry is one that is different because the two schools are in the same conference. He also notes that it isn't as intense in basketball because there are other schools such as UCLA that gain this type of attention as well.
