SportsLine.com Report
March 18, 2000

Round 2: Cats run out of gas, can't solve Wisconsin

Slowly but surely, Wisconsin lured another speed-loving opponent into playing its deliberate pace … and when it was over the Badgers had pushed Arizona into another earlier than expected exit in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats' 1997 national championship has quieted those jokes about their embarrassing first-round losses, but this fact remains: Saturday's loss marked the fifth time in nine years that Lute Olson's teams have lost to teams seeded at least seven spots beneath them.

But, hey, at least the loss to No. 8 Wisconsin wasn't in the first round.

Mark Vershaw scored 15 points in the 66-59 upset, and the Badgers' rugged defense thoroughly took Arizona out of its offensive game. The Wildcats certainly could have used the guy at the end of the bench -- injured center Loren Woods -- because their only post presence (power forward Michael Wright) was absolutely smothered.

"They made us play out of our game and do things we aren't used to," said forward Richard Jefferson, who didn't help matters by being in foul trouble.

The only other time Arizona scored so few points this season was in an 86-60 loss at Louisiana State.

"It was a tough lesson to learn," Olson said. "It was very obvious that the better team won this game from the standpoint of maturity and toughness."

Wright and Jefferson were stifled by Wisconsin's defense. Wright had two points in 37 minutes and Jefferson seven points and four fouls in 16 minutes.

"They came out and played real physical and wouldn't allow me to establish myself down low," Wright said. "I had to work so hard just to get the ball."

How They Got There

By the end of the first week in December, Arizona had beaten Kentucky, Notre Dame and Texas, been coronated as the Preseason NIT champion in New York, and was a few days away from routing Michigan State.

After that start, the Wildcats were identified among the elite tier of teams in the country and maintained it all season. An early January victory at Stanford, breaking the Cardinals' 18-0 start, indicated that a starting lineup that included two freshman guards wouldn't hold the Wildcats back.

Nor would injuries. Arizona played without wing forward Richard Jefferson for most of the Pac-10 season -- inserting another freshman, Luke Walton, in his place -- and then lost star center Loren Woods late in the regular season. Even without Woods, Arizona completed the sweep of the Cardinal on March 9.

Starting lineup

• PG Jason Gardner (5-10, 178, Fr.): A spitfire, Gardner plays with a chip on his shoulder and a toughness that belies his size. He was at his best in the big games, scoring 18 at Texas, 20 against Michigan State, 22 at Stanford and 20 at UCLA. Gardner was selected to the SportsLine.com All-Freshman team.
• SG Gilbert Arenas (6-1, 191, Fr.): An open-court player with great athleticism, Arenas had four consecutive games of 20-points or more in February, the first Arizona freshman to do so since 1975. He was the MVP of the Preseason NIT, seemingly oblivious to pressure. He was UA's leading scorer in February when he scored in double figures in all seven games.
• C Justin Wessel (6-8, 235, Jr.): Wessel, the fill-in for injured Loren Woods, is a lunchpail guy, but also possesses perimeter shooting skills. He doesn't make mistakes. He suffered an ankle injury against Stanford and missed the season finale, but was back against Jackson State. Although he didn't actually start (the UA went with three forwards), he played 27 minutes, with 10 points and eight rebounds.
• SF Luke Walton (6-8, 230, Fr.): Maybe he's only keeping the position warm for Richard Jefferson, who has returned from a broken foot, but nobody is complaining about Walton's play of late. The son of former UCLA great Bill Walton, Luke was tentative upon joining the starting lineup, struggling with his shot, but has been gaining confidence with each outing. He has tremendous savvy and is a precision passer. He had 15 points and 12 assists in the second meeting with Stanford.
• PF Michael Wright (6-7, 235, So.): You can't get much more consistent than the sophomore from Chicago. He's neither a good jumper nor blessed with much lateral quickness, but he's an ox, relentless on the boards. In a nine-game stretch late in the Pac-10 season, Wright scored 20 or more points seven times, averaging 22 points per game.

Keys to Success

Without Woods, the Wildcats became dependant on their freshmen guards, Arenas and Gardner. Both are explosive, destined for college stardom. But both have struggled at times, typical of first-year guards.

Wright became one of the steadiest players in the league, ranking near the lead in shooting percentage and rebounding, racking up 14 double-doubles by early March. When not surrounded and smothered by double-teaming defenses, Wright is among the nation's premier power forwards.

Walton developed into a terrific passer, leading the team in Pac-10 games in assists and becoming a reliable starter and, essentially, a point guard playing small forward. At 6-8, he also has the size to be an imposing defensive player on the wing.

The Coach

A year doesn't seem to go by without someone suggesting that Olson is having his best coaching performance. But the 1999-2000 season might actually be the one.

Olson mixed and matched without much of a drop, starting three freshmen most of the season. The UA had no real bench to speak of, yet Olson was effective in using Gardner and Arenas for almost 40 minutes a game without getting them foul trouble. They played with the discipline of upperclassmen, which was taught to them by Olson in practice sessions.

The Bench

Well, there is basically two guys.

Richard Jefferson, a 6-8 sophomore, returned at the beginning of March after missing 13 games because of a broken foot. Whether he starts or not (and we'll see if his start against Jackson State was a one-game deal), he will see significant minutes. He's the team's best athlete, top outside shooter, capable of slashing to the basket and creating points. His upside is such that he could be an NBA lottery pick, but he's trying to make up for lost time.

Rick Anderson, a 6-8 sophomore, is a streaky shooter who has spent much of the season in Olson's doghouse for defensive breakdowns and for taking low percentage shots.

Offense

This has been Olson's worst shooting team since 1984, hovering around .450 all season, and clearly his most challenged 3-point shooting team, ninth in the Pac-10 much of the year. But it has inside-out capabilities when Woods is in the lineup, and a healthy Jefferson restores the 3-point threat.

Defense

Fundamentally sound, Arizona doesn't commit senseless fouls. It held its opponents to 39 percent shooting most of the year, on average, second to Stanford in the league. Woods' presence in the middle seems to give the feeling that Arizona has six men on the court.