Arizona basketball: Coaches' focus on defense comes to a head after Cats' lack thereof leads to loss

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Arizona Wildcats woke up a different team Friday, but not in the way ESPN cameras might suggest.

The Wildcats are no longer undefeated after their 70-66 loss at Oregon on Thursday yet it isn’t all about dejection and the memory of fending off giddy students who stormed the Matthew Knight Arena floor.

Now, they may become a team that uses more contributors, after coach Sean Miller determined the Wildcats’ defense was suffering from overused key players.

Now, they may also be more focused for a game tonight at Oregon State, where they have not won since 2008-09.

Now, they may do things such as guard three-pointers better, pressure the ball defensively and take care of it offensively.

Things that, all of a sudden, they know can translate to a loss. On Thursday, for example, Arizona allowed Oregon to shoot 56.7 percent from the field in the first half and make 7 of 11 three-pointers for the game while UA turned the ball over 14 times.

Read more about the Wildcats in Saturday's Arizona Daily Star.