UA motiving UCLA
Each UCLA player had copies of quotes made by Arizona's Nic Wise placed at their lockers this week. The quotes stem from a story in last month in the Tucson Citizen.
Here is the beginning of the story:
Every day in practice, Arizona assistant basketball coach Mike Dunlap has a message for the team.
"You can beat UCLA in Pauley Pavilion," he tells the Wildcats.
There's nothing subtle about that motivation, but the words are also code for, "You can beat anybody."
Like the No. 4 team in the nation.
By the rankings, Arizona's 69-64 victory over Gonzaga at US Airways Center on Sunday afternoon was the program's best win since early in the 2001 season. It feels oh so good, as if anything in this crazy, mixed-up world of UA basketball is possible.
"One thing coach Dunlap just said even right now in the locker room is that we can beat UCLA in Pauley Pavilion, and we can beat them at home," said junior point guard Nic Wise.
"We haven't beaten them in a while. That's one thing we focus on every day in practice - Pauley Pavilion."
pfffff... Your dreams are going to die Thursday night, bud. UCLA is going to pwn the kitty cats. We are looking ahead to the Sun Devils.
I'm pretty sure every team we play has their games with us circled on their calendars. We're an elite team - we should expect this stuff.
Well, we now know how big that Gonzaga win was. They're not even ranked anymore.
Love it UA. Bring it!
Is placing these quotes at the lockers Howland's ace in the hole?
Nic Wise?? The answer on jeopardy to "who's he?" No Pac-10 honors last year or any kind, marginal games against the Bruins, he needs to shut up. Chase "no D" Buddinger? nope. The Bruins have a 7 game streak against the 'Cats and it will continue to 8 in Pauley this Thurs. Go Bruins.
I don't know about you guys, but it feels like I took a lot of the losses of the Lavin years a lot harder than the satisfaction of the beat-downs of this era...
I am going to try and change that in '09...
Go team...
No chat for me Thursday...because I will be at Pauley watching the Wildcats getting embarrassed!
I agree... it was dumb for Nic Wise to say this comment... but the Bruins better not count this as a win just yet. As for looking ahead to the SCUMdevils... not a smart move... that will bite you in the butt. The WILDCATS will do better than most of you think.
I'm confused... so what's the issue with what Nic said? There was nothing in Nic's comments "out of the ordinary". If anything, the coaches comments are worse than Nic's.
anyone who knows howland knows that "looking ahead" is not an option. The fans might look ahead, but the team will not. I still get excited about the zona games each year, even if they haven't exactly been themselves in the last couple.
To me, this quote is basically saying that arizona thinks we'll be the hardest team to beat at home this year, but they still believe they have a chance. It would be pretty stupid for them to tell their kids they had no chance with us. I don't see this lighting a fire under our guys, but it will remind them that every team is gunning for us.
Bruin fans, you should just take the flattery and move on. Pennell was basically saying, if you guys fight through all the crap this program is facing--a retired HOF coach, the loss of Brandon Jennings, Jerryd Bayless, Emanuel Ngedu, and Jeff Withey, etc.--you can still compete with and possibly beat the best teams on your schedule...even ucla. Not that I expect that to happen, but it's nice to give these guys something positive to hold onto despite the negatives they've been blanketed by for two years.
Yes, the bulletin board material should be attributed to Coach Pennell, not Nic Wise. He was just quoting his coach.
Also, isn't it crazy how far things can swing in such a short time. Not terribly long ago, we beat ucla in Westwood by about 25 one year and 15 the next. Now it's just the reverse. It's been the greatest rivalry in the west since the mid-80s; let's all hope it gets that way again by us holding up our end of the bargain one of these times.
And I think the headline should have read "motivating," not "motiving."
BEAR DOWN and BEAT the BRUINS!!!!!!!
Pardon me...I meant Coach Dunlap, not Pennell.
Thank goodness UCLA has basketball because the Football team sure does suck.
Go Cats.
Hey Cat Scan... I mean, Fan - don't we know it! Couldn't agree with you more. Go Bruins.
I do think it is kinda funny that the Bruins have to put up one general quote from the struggling wildcats to motivate the team. Is this a lack of confidence in the bruins coaches to motivate their team to play hard? Did you hear the latest slanderous quote? Hardin of ASU said his coach could coach better then your coach in pauley pavilion!!! OHHHHH GASP!