Sports
LIVE BLOG: Wildcats versus Bears (with the Lute Olson halftime show!)
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| Former Arizona coach Lute Olsen shouts from the seats during the the first half of Arizona's NCAA college basketball game against California in Tucson, Ariz., Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP Photo/John Miller) |
By Nick Prevenas, www.gvnews.com
Hello and welcome to the next-to-last game at McKale Center this season. Tonight, the Arizona Wildcats (18-11, 8-8 Pac-10) take on the California Golden Bears (21-8, 10-6) in a vitally important contest for Arizona’s tourney chances.
It’s good to be back after two games away from the Live Blog. The Accenture Match Play and an unfortunate chest cold kept me from detailing every second of the Washington road trip, but I’m ready to go tonight. Tonight’s game has a chance to be a classic.
Tonight is a very special night. Not only is Lute Olson being honored before the game in the first of what is scheduled to be many special ceremonies for the Godfather of UA hoops, but my good friend Daniel Thrall is in the house as one of the nominees for Teacher of the Year. Way to go, Dan!
As far as the actual basketball goes …
Mike Montomgery has these Bears playing inspired basketball this season, and few teams in the nation feature a more dynamic backcourt. If Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher played for a school like North Carolina or UConn, we’d be so sick of hearing how great they are -- especially since their stellar play has made Cal fans forget about Ryan Anderson (for my money, the most underrated player in college hoops last year) rather quickly. However, they’ve flown a little bit under the radar this year. Cal is a legitimate team with a chance to do some damage in the Big Dance.
While Arizona’s chances obviously rest predominantly on the shoulders of the Budinger/Hill/Wise trifecta, Kyle Fogg will be vital for any winning effort. As Fogg goes, so go the Wildcats. His relentless defensive intensity will be needed to help slow Cal’s fantastic backcourt, and his timely offensive production is a necessity for a team that gets more than 70 percent of its scoring from three players.
PREGAME: You know it’s a monster game when the Wildcats enter through the students’ section. That it without question the most effective gimmick to fire up this McKale Center crowd. When they did this before the ASU game, it felt like the noise was going to lift the roof off this building. However, Wildcat fans hope the final result turns out a little differently tonight.
Also in the student section, I just spotted a huge Lute Olson sign. Make no mistake -- these kids still revere Lute, even if most of them were barely in grade school when Olson coached the Cats to the 1997 National Title.
Fans are also fired up because Stanford just took down Arizona State.
This just in -- Lute Olson’s in the house! All four Beatles could still be alive and ready to play a full show from center court and the fans wouldn’t be more excited than they are now. Lute’s sitting baseline with UA President Robert Shelton instead of his traditional spot mixed in with the fans.
19:33 REMAINING: Jordan Hill scores the game’s first points on a four-pivot post move. His patience on the block this season is remarkable.
19:16: Randle answers with a three from the top of the key. That kid is just a lethal perimeter shooter -- 45 percent from beyond the arc.
17:43: Wise buries his first three. That one was pure. He looks much better than he did last weekend, like that hip bruise isn’t bothering him at all.
17:10: Talented Duke transfer Jamal Boykin gets a putback to fall. Thus far, Cal looks a little more active on the offensive glass.
16:40: Randle buries a ridiculous runner in the lane to put Cal ahead 7-5. If that was a game of billiards, the opponent would’ve called that one “slop,” except Randle had every intention of making it.
15:42: Budinger steps in to take an obvious charge from Theo Robertson. Budinger is still getting that “soft” tag applied to him from various scouting services. While that might’ve been an applicable criticism in the past, it certainly isn’t anymore. This kid is tough as week-old steak and he’s the lead-by-example heart of this squad.
15:18: Hill gets a 12-foot jumper with a man in his face to find the bottom of the net. We’re tied at 7.
14:34: Wise catches that one off a curl cut and drops the three. He’s in that “if I
14:15: Jamal Boykin hits a nice open jumper from the elbow. This one is going to be nip and tuck all night long.
13:58: Budinger takes off from six feet away for that lay-up attempt, but Harper Camp undercuts him to draw the charge. It was a borderline call, but I just think that play is dangerous. Players get hurt on those plays more than any other.
13:04: Wise wiggles his way to the hoop, gets shoved to the floor, misses the lay-up, and doesn’t even get the call for his troubles. That’s too bad.
12:48: Well, it evened out there. Wise found Hill on the delayed break and Hill got away with an obvious travel before he stuck that 12-foot jumper.
12:30: Wise takes a VERY rare seat on the bench, as Brendon Lavender checks in to run the point. The more rest Wise can get at this stage of the game, even better.
12:00: Jamelle Horne hustles his way to an offensive rebound and a trip to the foul line. He’s playing with a ton of energy tonight.
11:24: Lavender absolutely pesters Randle all over the floor and nearly forces a turnover. That’ll make coach happy.
11:18: Budinger gets a pair of freebies to fall. Wildcats lead 16-9.
10:42: OK, Jordan Hill is REALLY making the leap this year. He sets up his post move and draws a double team. Instead of forcing a medium-range jumper, Hill spots Horne out of the corner of his eye and hits him with a pinpoint pass. Horne promptly slams it through.
10:15: Jorde Gutierrez gets a slick reverse lay-in to fall. On top of the talented Randle/Christopher duo, Cal is also really deep.
9:58: There he is again! Wise delivers a perfect bounce pass to Horne, which he slams through with authority. I don’t know if Horne is good enough to play in the NBA, but I sure think he could make some noise in the slam dunk contest.
8:46: Is that Jordan Hill or Arvydas Sabonis? On that offensive set, Hill delivers a no-look pass to Budinger, who buries that open three. He can score, rebound and now pass at an elite level.
7:26: It’s been a while since Cal scored, so Randle puts an end to that drought with a pull-up three that rattles in . 24-17 UA.
6:44: Well, Lavender might’ve erased some of his good will with the coaching staff on that play. He gets himself mixed up in a 1-on-3 fast break, where he could’ve been called either for traveling or charging. The refs go with charging. Just a tip -- it’s hard to get a defender to bite on a pass fake when there isn’t a teammate of yours within 20 feet.
6:25: Theo Robertson gets a tough baseline lay-up to fall. He might’ve stepped out of bounds, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.
5:53: With two defenders draped on him, Hill sinks a soft righty jump hook.
5:29: Budinger scores on an aggressive baseline drive (channeling my inner Marv Albert), AND the foul! Budinger gets the freebie to fall for a 29-22 UA lead.
5:09: It must be mentioned that Patrick Christopher (season average 15 ppg) has been held scoreless thus far. In Cal’s 69-55 win on Jan. 2, Christopher tallied 23 and held Budinger to 4-16 shooting in one of his finest games of his college career.
4:46: Fogg rattles in a midrange jumper for his first bucket.
4:15: Horne and Gutierrez get tangled up as they battle for that board, and things get a little heated. Cooler heads prevail, however.
Also, hold onto your hats, UA fans. Alex Jacobson is in the game.
4:01: Nikola Knezevic drops his first shot attempt -- a hair-trigger three from the wing. Something tells me that kid is a shooter. He also looks like he’s someone’s younger brother instead of a college basketball player. Seriously, he doesn’t look old enough to drive.
3:45: Weak foul call on Wise attempting to guard Knezevic in the backcourt.
3:30: Hill jumps over three Bears for that rebound, but misses the jumper. How was that not an over-the-back call? That was the textbook definition of going over a player’s back for a rebound. Hill got away with one there.
3:05: Jacobson kick-starts that Wise one-man fast break with a slick steal near the baseline. Nice work, Tree!
2:03: Budinger buries a clutch three from the corner with the shot clock winding down. Wise’s penetration (poor Knezevic can’t stay in front of him) created that open look.
1:48: Christopher tallies his first point at the line, 18 minutes into the contest.
1:26: Wise got far too fancy on that one. He split the double team again, but tried to cram the pass to Hill through about seven different arms. That one didn’t stand a chance.
1:24: Wise falls victim to yet another weak foul call, forcing him to the bench for the remainder of the half. He has three personals, which will definitely loom large in the second half.
0:50: Knezevic sticks another open three. He’s only played in four of Cal’s last 13 games. His six points are two shy of his season high. Unbelievable.
0:05: Robertson sticks a three on a nice set play to cut UA’s lead to four.
HALFTIME: 38-34 Wildcats.
UA was definitely the better team that half, but they only have a four-point lead to show for it -- shades of last week’s Washington State game. However, if these Wildcats have a second-half letdown after the Lute Olson ceremony, something is seriously wrong.
As I type, I continually glance to the jumbotron to watch this heartfelt slideshow of Lute’s (spectacular) accomplishments as UA coach. There aren’t too many dry eyes in the house right now. I’ll admit, the clip where Jawann McClellan hugged Lute and broke down almost got me, just because McClellan was always my favorite Wildcat.
A handful of former UA greats, including Suns’ General Manager Steve Kerr, are here to witness this.
One minor quibble -- I wouldn’t have gone with “These Are The Times” by Billy Joel for the background music. I’m just not the world’s biggest Billy Joel fan, I suppose.
“LUTE! LUTE! LUTE!” Despite everything that happened during the past two seasons, the fine folks of Tucson still adore this man.
“If there was ever a time to describe what it’s like to be a Wildcat, it’s right now,” athletic director Jim Livengood said.
Kerr grabbed the microphone to talk about that four-win team that took the floor before Lute whipped them into shape -- from the basement to a tourney staple.
“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to make it 25 years in a row,” Kerr said. That line got the loudest cheer of the night.
OK, I spoke too soon. The loudest cheer came on this line:
“Going to McKale was always like going to the dentist for a root canal,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery said in his video tribute.
The Pac-10’s assistant commish announced that Lute will get a spot in the Pac-10 Hall of Honor when the conference tourney kicks off next week.
Now it’s Lute’s time to shine.
He’s clearly humbled and appreciative of this ceremony. The flashbulbs are popping off quickly and often. I think I’m getting goosebumps.
“This is a basketball town,” Lute said. “Keep it that way.”
As far as the game goes, Budinger leads all scorers with 13 points -- much better than his first go-round against these Bears. Hill has nine points and five boards, with Wise adding eight points. Horne was the surprise star of the first half with six points and seven boards, thanks to his hustle and athleticism. UA hasn’t shot the ball all that spectacularly (42 percent), but the team has committed only three turnovers.
Robertson led the Bears with 11 points (3-6 from three) and Randle added 10. Arizona has done a phenomenal job holding Christopher to only one point, but if he gets rolling in the second half, it could spell trouble.
Look for Cal’s speedy, athletic guards to attack Wise and attempt to draw that fourth foul on him.
19:45: An inauspicious start for the UA defense. A complete defensive breakdown leads Jordan Wilkes sneaking in for an open lay-up. On the other end, Hill misses that turnaround jumper by a good two feet.
19:30: And the hits keep on coming. Robertson is left completely alone on the offensive glass and converts an easy lay-in. Ugly.
19:11: Budinger stops the bleeding with an aggressive drive. However, only one of his two foul shots fall through the net. Arizona just looks horribly flat to start the second half.
18:03: Christopher gets one of two at the line, giving Cal its first lead in forever. He still can’t get much going. He only got to the line after a gift of a foul call on Budinger.
17:39: Hill buries a nice jumper from the elbow. It’s 41-39 Wildcats.
17:09: Welcome to the game, Patrick Christopher! He scores on an aggressive drive to the hoop to tie the game at 41.
16:20: Normally, when Horne shoots a three, it leads to a long rebound. That time, however, he nailed it -- might’ve even surprised himself on that one. He’s 16-78 from three on the season now.
15:23: Horne is everywhere tonight. He draws a foul by crashing the boards with some enthusiasm -- something we’re not seeing from the other Wildcats right now.
14:52: They might let that move slide on the playground, Wise, but that’s a carry here. He knows it and doesn’t protest the call.
14:35: Theo Robertson is on fire. He gets another three to drop to close the gap to one. Seconds later, Hill draws a dubious whistle as he attempts to establish post position.
14:08: Christopher gets in on the three-point act. Cal leads 47-45 and has completely outplayed the Wildcats this half.
13:51: Hill is furious. He’s clearly shoved as he makes his post move, but the official elects to rule that he stepped on the baseline. Yeah, that’ll happen after a shove to the back.
13:26: ANOTHER Cal three from the exact same spot -- this time from Randle. 50-45 Bears, and things are slipping away.
12:56: Horne finds Hill on a terrific jump pass. Hill absorbs another shove (no call, of course), but doesn’t let that deter him from banking in that hook shot. That might turn the momentum a little bit.
11:47: It’s a ballgame now! Hill hustles his way to a great offensive rebound, misses the putback attempt, but Budinger cleans up the mess. Cal up one, but the fans are rocking.
11:12: During the media timeout, Lute spots Mike Montgomery arguing with the refs. He emphatically motions for the officials to T him up, but does so with that big Lute grin of his. Maybe my favorite moment of the season.
10:53: After a couple of Hill free throws, Robertson drives down and sneaks a layup past Hill’s outstretched arms.
10:30: Hill answers with a pretty turnaround jumper from 14 feet.
10:11: Boykin makes good use of a pump fake and powers home a lay-up. It’s back and forth now.
9:15: Another three, same spot. Randle gets that one after a patient Cal offensive set. The Bears have absolutely destroyed the Wildcats from the three-point line (11-23 tonight, most in the second half).
8:57: Hill is keeping the Wildcats in this with his assortment of turnarounds and jump hooks. The bigman is up to 19 points on the evening, showing no ill effects from the ankle sprain.
8:05: After a key defensive stop, Budinger muscles his way in for a short jumper
7:46: Perhaps getting a hand in Randle’s face would be to the Wildcats’ advantage. He put down another open three. All of these shots are coming 3-5 feet to the right of the top of the key. Randle is 5-7 from deep, and comes into the game with a reputation as a lights-out shooter. Each time he lines up a shot, Pennell already gets that frustrated look on his face.
7:25: Budinger calmly and casually answers with a three of his own. We’re deadlocked at 60.
6:30: Robertson is the benefactor of a nice give-and-go -- and a sloppy defensive set on UA’s part.
6:15: Wise ties things up with two from the line. It seems like now would be the time to start setting up plays to get Wise open threes. He was on fire to start the game, but hasn’t taken a three in quite some time.
5:57: Same guy, same spot. Randle, three, open, good. I should set up a computer shortcut key so I don’t have to type it out every time Randle hits an open three.
5:10: Randle weasles his way in for a midrange jumper, but misses that one. Perhaps Randle can’t make anything from closer than 21 feet?
4:54: Hill goes right at Wilkes and forces him into his fifth and final foul. The lanky 7-footer had no chance all night against Hill. He gets one of two to fall, cutting Cal’s lead to 65-63.
4:31: Randle finally misses an open three. That one was to the left of the key, so maybe that had something to do with it.
4:13: Here come the Pac-10 refs in full force. Wise makes a spin move against Gutierrez, who shamelessly flops to draw an embarrassing foul call. Just disgraceful. Wise’s fourth foul, by the way. I can’t say enough bad things about that call. Yeesh.
3:24: Randle spots up for another three -- this time, with a hand in his face. It doesn’t matter. Cal up 68-65 after Randle’s seventh three of the ballgame.
3:09: Bad pass, Kyle Fogg. He sails that ball five feet wide of Wise. Cal ball, with a chance to start putting some serious pressure on the Wildcats. Zane Johnson enters the game for Fogg, who has secretly had a dreadful ballgame.
2:30: Outrageous! How did Budinger get that one to go in? He drives it hard across the lane, absorbs the foul, and throws the ball behind his momentum and banks it in. The free throw cuts Cal’s lead to 68-66. That could be the momentum shifter these Wildcats needed.
2:00: Randle drives it hard and decides to challenge Hill on that lay-up attempt. Big mistake. Hill swats it away.
1:55: Undeterred, Randle buries an absurd three from 25 feet away with the shot clock hitting zero. He’s had the ballgame of a lifetime tonight.
1:41: The officials have interjected and ruined a perfectly great basketball game. Gutierrez flops AGAIN as Wise brings the ball up court and draws Wise’s fifth foul. Nothing makes me madder as a basketball fan than incompetent officials who favor the floppers. Disgusting.
1:11: Randle spots Christopher camping out in the corner for an absolute dagger of a three. 74-66 Bears, and the fans are livid. They will elect to blame the refs for what’s happening -- and they deserve some blame -- but the refs aren’t shooting the ball here. Cal is absolutely on fire from beyond the arc. What can you do? Every time a Cal guy shoots a three, it’s going in. No team should go 16-30 from three, but Cal has done it.
1:01: Hill gets a turnaround to fall to keep this a two-possession game. Gotta foul here.
0:48: Cal runs off 13 seconds before Budinger can finally find someone to foul. He lowers his shoulder and sends Randle sprawling back, too. Budinger is clearly frustrated -- can you blame him?
0:47: OK, that’s the ballgame. Randle missed the front end of a one-and-one, but gets his own rebound. Keep in mind, the the 5-foot-8 Randle was in there against four Wildcats and none of them could keep him from getting the rebound. That’s just embarrassing.
0:44: Robertson burines a pair of free throws. Wildcats down eight.
0:37: Horne gets an open three to fall -- his second of the night! -- to cut Cal’s lead to five, 76-71. Does this team have another miracle left in it this season?
0:26: Christopher misses the front end of that one-and-one. Budinger misses a three that would’ve blown the roof off, but Hill cleans up the mess with a nice putback. It’s 76-73 Cal and this game is suddenly far from over. It’s crazy how quickly momentum can shift when a team doesn’t take care of business at the line. At this rate, Cal will shoot a higher percentage from three than it will from the stripe.
0:25: Christopher at the line, finally gets a front-end to fall. He hits the second one, too.
0:14: After burning too much time searching for a three, Budinger takes the easy two by taking it hard to the hoop. It was the right play. Wildcats down 78-75.
0:14: Robertson at the line now. Cal really struggled at the stripe earlier, but they’re locked in now. Theo gets both of them to fall to push it back to five.
0:10: Wow, that was fast. The Wildcats didn’t even look for a three on that one. Budinger rocketed up the floor and dunked it against Cal’s prevent defense. Arizona is going to force Cal to hit a LOT of free throws to win this. Credit the Wildcats for doing a terrific job of extending this game.
0:09: The whistle came at a bit of a delay, but Horne finally gets the foul on Randle -- Horne’s fifth. He put forth an outstanding effort tonight. Now at the line, Randle leaves the first one short, but hits the second.
0:04: Budinger got a great look at that three, but got nothing but back iron. That shot was only a couple inches long. Randle comes down with a rebound and seals the game at the line.
FINAL: 82-77 Cal, in a suddenly somber McKale Center.
POSTGAME: That one hurts.
It’s no secret that the Wildcats needed that win, but they couldn’t quite get it done.
Everyone and their brother knows Cal loves to shoot the three. In the postgame press conference, Pennell told us that they had it scouted and everyone on the team knew what they needed to do, but for whatever reason, Cal’s shooters kept getting open.
It’s amazing that the game was this close, considering Cal shot 16-30 from three. A number like that typically equals a blowout. But Arizona kept it a ballgame.
That’s little solace, however. Budinger and Wise joined us in the media room, and they were considerably despondent. That has to be the worst part of being a top-level athlete. Imagine if you just struggled through a horrible day at work, and immediately afterward, you had to answer pointed questions about your failures.
Needless to say, hardly anything of substance is ever said in that circumstance.
Poor Budinger looked like he wasn’t going to sleep at all. Instead, he’d spend his night stewing over this heartbreaking loss.
It’s clear that the Wildcats also wanted to win this one with Lute in the house. But Arizona came out so flat in the second half. By the time the team turned things around, it was too late.
Budinger tallied a season-high 28 points, but that didn’t cheer him up in the least. Hill submitted one of his finest performances, with 24 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, playing all 40 minutes on a badly sprained ankle. Horne added 13 points and nine rebounds. Wise, however, had a forgettable night. After a red-hot start, Wise cooled off and battled foul trouble before committing his fifth with roughly two minutes to play.
Meanwhile, Wise’s counterpart submitted a career game. Randle’s shooting display was one for the ages. His 31 points on 8-11 shooting from three will surely get him more than a few “Pac-10 Player of the Week” votes.
Robertson made up for Christopher’s off night, scoring 24 points. Christopher picked things up after a dreadful first half, adding 11 second-half points during Cal’s big run.
Arizona (18-12, 8-9 Pac-10) now faces a must-must-must-win game on Saturday against Stanford, whose coming off a big win over ASU in Tempe. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747
It’s good to be back after two games away from the Live Blog. The Accenture Match Play and an unfortunate chest cold kept me from detailing every second of the Washington road trip, but I’m ready to go tonight. Tonight’s game has a chance to be a classic.
Tonight is a very special night. Not only is Lute Olson being honored before the game in the first of what is scheduled to be many special ceremonies for the Godfather of UA hoops, but my good friend Daniel Thrall is in the house as one of the nominees for Teacher of the Year. Way to go, Dan!
As far as the actual basketball goes …
Mike Montomgery has these Bears playing inspired basketball this season, and few teams in the nation feature a more dynamic backcourt. If Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher played for a school like North Carolina or UConn, we’d be so sick of hearing how great they are -- especially since their stellar play has made Cal fans forget about Ryan Anderson (for my money, the most underrated player in college hoops last year) rather quickly. However, they’ve flown a little bit under the radar this year. Cal is a legitimate team with a chance to do some damage in the Big Dance.
While Arizona’s chances obviously rest predominantly on the shoulders of the Budinger/Hill/Wise trifecta, Kyle Fogg will be vital for any winning effort. As Fogg goes, so go the Wildcats. His relentless defensive intensity will be needed to help slow Cal’s fantastic backcourt, and his timely offensive production is a necessity for a team that gets more than 70 percent of its scoring from three players.
PREGAME: You know it’s a monster game when the Wildcats enter through the students’ section. That it without question the most effective gimmick to fire up this McKale Center crowd. When they did this before the ASU game, it felt like the noise was going to lift the roof off this building. However, Wildcat fans hope the final result turns out a little differently tonight.
Also in the student section, I just spotted a huge Lute Olson sign. Make no mistake -- these kids still revere Lute, even if most of them were barely in grade school when Olson coached the Cats to the 1997 National Title.
Fans are also fired up because Stanford just took down Arizona State.
This just in -- Lute Olson’s in the house! All four Beatles could still be alive and ready to play a full show from center court and the fans wouldn’t be more excited than they are now. Lute’s sitting baseline with UA President Robert Shelton instead of his traditional spot mixed in with the fans.
19:33 REMAINING: Jordan Hill scores the game’s first points on a four-pivot post move. His patience on the block this season is remarkable.
19:16: Randle answers with a three from the top of the key. That kid is just a lethal perimeter shooter -- 45 percent from beyond the arc.
17:43: Wise buries his first three. That one was pure. He looks much better than he did last weekend, like that hip bruise isn’t bothering him at all.
17:10: Talented Duke transfer Jamal Boykin gets a putback to fall. Thus far, Cal looks a little more active on the offensive glass.
16:40: Randle buries a ridiculous runner in the lane to put Cal ahead 7-5. If that was a game of billiards, the opponent would’ve called that one “slop,” except Randle had every intention of making it.
15:42: Budinger steps in to take an obvious charge from Theo Robertson. Budinger is still getting that “soft” tag applied to him from various scouting services. While that might’ve been an applicable criticism in the past, it certainly isn’t anymore. This kid is tough as week-old steak and he’s the lead-by-example heart of this squad.
15:18: Hill gets a 12-foot jumper with a man in his face to find the bottom of the net. We’re tied at 7.
14:34: Wise catches that one off a curl cut and drops the three. He’s in that “if I
14:15: Jamal Boykin hits a nice open jumper from the elbow. This one is going to be nip and tuck all night long.
13:58: Budinger takes off from six feet away for that lay-up attempt, but Harper Camp undercuts him to draw the charge. It was a borderline call, but I just think that play is dangerous. Players get hurt on those plays more than any other.
13:04: Wise wiggles his way to the hoop, gets shoved to the floor, misses the lay-up, and doesn’t even get the call for his troubles. That’s too bad.
12:48: Well, it evened out there. Wise found Hill on the delayed break and Hill got away with an obvious travel before he stuck that 12-foot jumper.
12:30: Wise takes a VERY rare seat on the bench, as Brendon Lavender checks in to run the point. The more rest Wise can get at this stage of the game, even better.
12:00: Jamelle Horne hustles his way to an offensive rebound and a trip to the foul line. He’s playing with a ton of energy tonight.
11:24: Lavender absolutely pesters Randle all over the floor and nearly forces a turnover. That’ll make coach happy.
11:18: Budinger gets a pair of freebies to fall. Wildcats lead 16-9.
10:42: OK, Jordan Hill is REALLY making the leap this year. He sets up his post move and draws a double team. Instead of forcing a medium-range jumper, Hill spots Horne out of the corner of his eye and hits him with a pinpoint pass. Horne promptly slams it through.
10:15: Jorde Gutierrez gets a slick reverse lay-in to fall. On top of the talented Randle/Christopher duo, Cal is also really deep.
9:58: There he is again! Wise delivers a perfect bounce pass to Horne, which he slams through with authority. I don’t know if Horne is good enough to play in the NBA, but I sure think he could make some noise in the slam dunk contest.
8:46: Is that Jordan Hill or Arvydas Sabonis? On that offensive set, Hill delivers a no-look pass to Budinger, who buries that open three. He can score, rebound and now pass at an elite level.
7:26: It’s been a while since Cal scored, so Randle puts an end to that drought with a pull-up three that rattles in . 24-17 UA.
6:44: Well, Lavender might’ve erased some of his good will with the coaching staff on that play. He gets himself mixed up in a 1-on-3 fast break, where he could’ve been called either for traveling or charging. The refs go with charging. Just a tip -- it’s hard to get a defender to bite on a pass fake when there isn’t a teammate of yours within 20 feet.
6:25: Theo Robertson gets a tough baseline lay-up to fall. He might’ve stepped out of bounds, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.
5:53: With two defenders draped on him, Hill sinks a soft righty jump hook.
5:29: Budinger scores on an aggressive baseline drive (channeling my inner Marv Albert), AND the foul! Budinger gets the freebie to fall for a 29-22 UA lead.
5:09: It must be mentioned that Patrick Christopher (season average 15 ppg) has been held scoreless thus far. In Cal’s 69-55 win on Jan. 2, Christopher tallied 23 and held Budinger to 4-16 shooting in one of his finest games of his college career.
4:46: Fogg rattles in a midrange jumper for his first bucket.
4:15: Horne and Gutierrez get tangled up as they battle for that board, and things get a little heated. Cooler heads prevail, however.
Also, hold onto your hats, UA fans. Alex Jacobson is in the game.
4:01: Nikola Knezevic drops his first shot attempt -- a hair-trigger three from the wing. Something tells me that kid is a shooter. He also looks like he’s someone’s younger brother instead of a college basketball player. Seriously, he doesn’t look old enough to drive.
3:45: Weak foul call on Wise attempting to guard Knezevic in the backcourt.
3:30: Hill jumps over three Bears for that rebound, but misses the jumper. How was that not an over-the-back call? That was the textbook definition of going over a player’s back for a rebound. Hill got away with one there.
3:05: Jacobson kick-starts that Wise one-man fast break with a slick steal near the baseline. Nice work, Tree!
2:03: Budinger buries a clutch three from the corner with the shot clock winding down. Wise’s penetration (poor Knezevic can’t stay in front of him) created that open look.
1:48: Christopher tallies his first point at the line, 18 minutes into the contest.
1:26: Wise got far too fancy on that one. He split the double team again, but tried to cram the pass to Hill through about seven different arms. That one didn’t stand a chance.
1:24: Wise falls victim to yet another weak foul call, forcing him to the bench for the remainder of the half. He has three personals, which will definitely loom large in the second half.
0:50: Knezevic sticks another open three. He’s only played in four of Cal’s last 13 games. His six points are two shy of his season high. Unbelievable.
0:05: Robertson sticks a three on a nice set play to cut UA’s lead to four.
HALFTIME: 38-34 Wildcats.
UA was definitely the better team that half, but they only have a four-point lead to show for it -- shades of last week’s Washington State game. However, if these Wildcats have a second-half letdown after the Lute Olson ceremony, something is seriously wrong.
As I type, I continually glance to the jumbotron to watch this heartfelt slideshow of Lute’s (spectacular) accomplishments as UA coach. There aren’t too many dry eyes in the house right now. I’ll admit, the clip where Jawann McClellan hugged Lute and broke down almost got me, just because McClellan was always my favorite Wildcat.
A handful of former UA greats, including Suns’ General Manager Steve Kerr, are here to witness this.
One minor quibble -- I wouldn’t have gone with “These Are The Times” by Billy Joel for the background music. I’m just not the world’s biggest Billy Joel fan, I suppose.
“LUTE! LUTE! LUTE!” Despite everything that happened during the past two seasons, the fine folks of Tucson still adore this man.
“If there was ever a time to describe what it’s like to be a Wildcat, it’s right now,” athletic director Jim Livengood said.
Kerr grabbed the microphone to talk about that four-win team that took the floor before Lute whipped them into shape -- from the basement to a tourney staple.
“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to make it 25 years in a row,” Kerr said. That line got the loudest cheer of the night.
OK, I spoke too soon. The loudest cheer came on this line:
“Going to McKale was always like going to the dentist for a root canal,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery said in his video tribute.
The Pac-10’s assistant commish announced that Lute will get a spot in the Pac-10 Hall of Honor when the conference tourney kicks off next week.
Now it’s Lute’s time to shine.
He’s clearly humbled and appreciative of this ceremony. The flashbulbs are popping off quickly and often. I think I’m getting goosebumps.
“This is a basketball town,” Lute said. “Keep it that way.”
As far as the game goes, Budinger leads all scorers with 13 points -- much better than his first go-round against these Bears. Hill has nine points and five boards, with Wise adding eight points. Horne was the surprise star of the first half with six points and seven boards, thanks to his hustle and athleticism. UA hasn’t shot the ball all that spectacularly (42 percent), but the team has committed only three turnovers.
Robertson led the Bears with 11 points (3-6 from three) and Randle added 10. Arizona has done a phenomenal job holding Christopher to only one point, but if he gets rolling in the second half, it could spell trouble.
Look for Cal’s speedy, athletic guards to attack Wise and attempt to draw that fourth foul on him.
19:45: An inauspicious start for the UA defense. A complete defensive breakdown leads Jordan Wilkes sneaking in for an open lay-up. On the other end, Hill misses that turnaround jumper by a good two feet.
19:30: And the hits keep on coming. Robertson is left completely alone on the offensive glass and converts an easy lay-in. Ugly.
19:11: Budinger stops the bleeding with an aggressive drive. However, only one of his two foul shots fall through the net. Arizona just looks horribly flat to start the second half.
18:03: Christopher gets one of two at the line, giving Cal its first lead in forever. He still can’t get much going. He only got to the line after a gift of a foul call on Budinger.
17:39: Hill buries a nice jumper from the elbow. It’s 41-39 Wildcats.
17:09: Welcome to the game, Patrick Christopher! He scores on an aggressive drive to the hoop to tie the game at 41.
16:20: Normally, when Horne shoots a three, it leads to a long rebound. That time, however, he nailed it -- might’ve even surprised himself on that one. He’s 16-78 from three on the season now.
15:23: Horne is everywhere tonight. He draws a foul by crashing the boards with some enthusiasm -- something we’re not seeing from the other Wildcats right now.
14:52: They might let that move slide on the playground, Wise, but that’s a carry here. He knows it and doesn’t protest the call.
14:35: Theo Robertson is on fire. He gets another three to drop to close the gap to one. Seconds later, Hill draws a dubious whistle as he attempts to establish post position.
14:08: Christopher gets in on the three-point act. Cal leads 47-45 and has completely outplayed the Wildcats this half.
13:51: Hill is furious. He’s clearly shoved as he makes his post move, but the official elects to rule that he stepped on the baseline. Yeah, that’ll happen after a shove to the back.
13:26: ANOTHER Cal three from the exact same spot -- this time from Randle. 50-45 Bears, and things are slipping away.
12:56: Horne finds Hill on a terrific jump pass. Hill absorbs another shove (no call, of course), but doesn’t let that deter him from banking in that hook shot. That might turn the momentum a little bit.
11:47: It’s a ballgame now! Hill hustles his way to a great offensive rebound, misses the putback attempt, but Budinger cleans up the mess. Cal up one, but the fans are rocking.
11:12: During the media timeout, Lute spots Mike Montgomery arguing with the refs. He emphatically motions for the officials to T him up, but does so with that big Lute grin of his. Maybe my favorite moment of the season.
10:53: After a couple of Hill free throws, Robertson drives down and sneaks a layup past Hill’s outstretched arms.
10:30: Hill answers with a pretty turnaround jumper from 14 feet.
10:11: Boykin makes good use of a pump fake and powers home a lay-up. It’s back and forth now.
9:15: Another three, same spot. Randle gets that one after a patient Cal offensive set. The Bears have absolutely destroyed the Wildcats from the three-point line (11-23 tonight, most in the second half).
8:57: Hill is keeping the Wildcats in this with his assortment of turnarounds and jump hooks. The bigman is up to 19 points on the evening, showing no ill effects from the ankle sprain.
8:05: After a key defensive stop, Budinger muscles his way in for a short jumper
7:46: Perhaps getting a hand in Randle’s face would be to the Wildcats’ advantage. He put down another open three. All of these shots are coming 3-5 feet to the right of the top of the key. Randle is 5-7 from deep, and comes into the game with a reputation as a lights-out shooter. Each time he lines up a shot, Pennell already gets that frustrated look on his face.
7:25: Budinger calmly and casually answers with a three of his own. We’re deadlocked at 60.
6:30: Robertson is the benefactor of a nice give-and-go -- and a sloppy defensive set on UA’s part.
6:15: Wise ties things up with two from the line. It seems like now would be the time to start setting up plays to get Wise open threes. He was on fire to start the game, but hasn’t taken a three in quite some time.
5:57: Same guy, same spot. Randle, three, open, good. I should set up a computer shortcut key so I don’t have to type it out every time Randle hits an open three.
5:10: Randle weasles his way in for a midrange jumper, but misses that one. Perhaps Randle can’t make anything from closer than 21 feet?
4:54: Hill goes right at Wilkes and forces him into his fifth and final foul. The lanky 7-footer had no chance all night against Hill. He gets one of two to fall, cutting Cal’s lead to 65-63.
4:31: Randle finally misses an open three. That one was to the left of the key, so maybe that had something to do with it.
4:13: Here come the Pac-10 refs in full force. Wise makes a spin move against Gutierrez, who shamelessly flops to draw an embarrassing foul call. Just disgraceful. Wise’s fourth foul, by the way. I can’t say enough bad things about that call. Yeesh.
3:24: Randle spots up for another three -- this time, with a hand in his face. It doesn’t matter. Cal up 68-65 after Randle’s seventh three of the ballgame.
3:09: Bad pass, Kyle Fogg. He sails that ball five feet wide of Wise. Cal ball, with a chance to start putting some serious pressure on the Wildcats. Zane Johnson enters the game for Fogg, who has secretly had a dreadful ballgame.
2:30: Outrageous! How did Budinger get that one to go in? He drives it hard across the lane, absorbs the foul, and throws the ball behind his momentum and banks it in. The free throw cuts Cal’s lead to 68-66. That could be the momentum shifter these Wildcats needed.
2:00: Randle drives it hard and decides to challenge Hill on that lay-up attempt. Big mistake. Hill swats it away.
1:55: Undeterred, Randle buries an absurd three from 25 feet away with the shot clock hitting zero. He’s had the ballgame of a lifetime tonight.
1:41: The officials have interjected and ruined a perfectly great basketball game. Gutierrez flops AGAIN as Wise brings the ball up court and draws Wise’s fifth foul. Nothing makes me madder as a basketball fan than incompetent officials who favor the floppers. Disgusting.
1:11: Randle spots Christopher camping out in the corner for an absolute dagger of a three. 74-66 Bears, and the fans are livid. They will elect to blame the refs for what’s happening -- and they deserve some blame -- but the refs aren’t shooting the ball here. Cal is absolutely on fire from beyond the arc. What can you do? Every time a Cal guy shoots a three, it’s going in. No team should go 16-30 from three, but Cal has done it.
1:01: Hill gets a turnaround to fall to keep this a two-possession game. Gotta foul here.
0:48: Cal runs off 13 seconds before Budinger can finally find someone to foul. He lowers his shoulder and sends Randle sprawling back, too. Budinger is clearly frustrated -- can you blame him?
0:47: OK, that’s the ballgame. Randle missed the front end of a one-and-one, but gets his own rebound. Keep in mind, the the 5-foot-8 Randle was in there against four Wildcats and none of them could keep him from getting the rebound. That’s just embarrassing.
0:44: Robertson burines a pair of free throws. Wildcats down eight.
0:37: Horne gets an open three to fall -- his second of the night! -- to cut Cal’s lead to five, 76-71. Does this team have another miracle left in it this season?
0:26: Christopher misses the front end of that one-and-one. Budinger misses a three that would’ve blown the roof off, but Hill cleans up the mess with a nice putback. It’s 76-73 Cal and this game is suddenly far from over. It’s crazy how quickly momentum can shift when a team doesn’t take care of business at the line. At this rate, Cal will shoot a higher percentage from three than it will from the stripe.
0:25: Christopher at the line, finally gets a front-end to fall. He hits the second one, too.
0:14: After burning too much time searching for a three, Budinger takes the easy two by taking it hard to the hoop. It was the right play. Wildcats down 78-75.
0:14: Robertson at the line now. Cal really struggled at the stripe earlier, but they’re locked in now. Theo gets both of them to fall to push it back to five.
0:10: Wow, that was fast. The Wildcats didn’t even look for a three on that one. Budinger rocketed up the floor and dunked it against Cal’s prevent defense. Arizona is going to force Cal to hit a LOT of free throws to win this. Credit the Wildcats for doing a terrific job of extending this game.
0:09: The whistle came at a bit of a delay, but Horne finally gets the foul on Randle -- Horne’s fifth. He put forth an outstanding effort tonight. Now at the line, Randle leaves the first one short, but hits the second.
0:04: Budinger got a great look at that three, but got nothing but back iron. That shot was only a couple inches long. Randle comes down with a rebound and seals the game at the line.
FINAL: 82-77 Cal, in a suddenly somber McKale Center.
POSTGAME: That one hurts.
It’s no secret that the Wildcats needed that win, but they couldn’t quite get it done.
Everyone and their brother knows Cal loves to shoot the three. In the postgame press conference, Pennell told us that they had it scouted and everyone on the team knew what they needed to do, but for whatever reason, Cal’s shooters kept getting open.
It’s amazing that the game was this close, considering Cal shot 16-30 from three. A number like that typically equals a blowout. But Arizona kept it a ballgame.
That’s little solace, however. Budinger and Wise joined us in the media room, and they were considerably despondent. That has to be the worst part of being a top-level athlete. Imagine if you just struggled through a horrible day at work, and immediately afterward, you had to answer pointed questions about your failures.
Needless to say, hardly anything of substance is ever said in that circumstance.
Poor Budinger looked like he wasn’t going to sleep at all. Instead, he’d spend his night stewing over this heartbreaking loss.
It’s clear that the Wildcats also wanted to win this one with Lute in the house. But Arizona came out so flat in the second half. By the time the team turned things around, it was too late.
Budinger tallied a season-high 28 points, but that didn’t cheer him up in the least. Hill submitted one of his finest performances, with 24 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, playing all 40 minutes on a badly sprained ankle. Horne added 13 points and nine rebounds. Wise, however, had a forgettable night. After a red-hot start, Wise cooled off and battled foul trouble before committing his fifth with roughly two minutes to play.
Meanwhile, Wise’s counterpart submitted a career game. Randle’s shooting display was one for the ages. His 31 points on 8-11 shooting from three will surely get him more than a few “Pac-10 Player of the Week” votes.
Robertson made up for Christopher’s off night, scoring 24 points. Christopher picked things up after a dreadful first half, adding 11 second-half points during Cal’s big run.
Arizona (18-12, 8-9 Pac-10) now faces a must-must-must-win game on Saturday against Stanford, whose coming off a big win over ASU in Tempe. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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