Cats - all of them - crank up 'D'

2010-11-15T00:00:00Z 2012-11-30T19:18:00Z Cats - all of them - crank up 'D'Patrick Finley Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star
November 15, 2010 12:00 am  • 

In the almost 13 minutes between Idaho State baskets Sunday night, the Arizona Wildcats substituted 15 times, bringing wave after wave of hungry defenders onto the McKale Center floor.

The Bengals made one massive substitution. When Deividas Busma committed his third foul about three minutes into the run, he left the floor in possession of 12 of his team's 15 points.

Idaho State's 12-minute, 56-second scoring drought in Sunday's season-opening win was part Arizona intensity, part Bengal ineptitude.

Two nights after scoring 80 against Colorado, ISU turned the ball over eight times during the stretch, which ran from the 11-minute mark in the first half to 18:04 in the second. The Bengals missed 14 shots.

Coach Sean Miller was the first to say the Wildcats didn't do a lot different, defensively, in the stretch. That and the Bengals "probably missed some shots" they ordinarily would make, he said, during the 90-42 loss.

At one point, they had five guards on the floor.

"It went from being 17-15," ISU coach Joe O'Brien said, "to a kabillion to 15."

Not that the Wildcats -who finally gave up a basket to make the score 45-17 - don't deserve credit.

The Wildcats substituted liberally, and with success, which is stunning for a program that has lacked such depth for four years.

"We really tried to play our style of defense and get different players in the game fresh," Miller said. "One thing we want to take advantage of, if you're going to substitute and play 10 players, when you get called to the scorer's table, you have to enter the game with tremendous energy. And, if nothing else, always do your job on defense.

"That has a way of keeping the intensity up. Now, when you come back up with the players that started the game, you have a more intense environment on defense."

The Wildcats unveiled a new approach to defending the post, one of their issues last season. They trapped the post with a wing.

"We want to just root the ball out," forward Solomon Hill said. "Make them get it out."

The Wildcats focused on engaging the post players before they reached the block, and making sure to keep hands high in front of a passer looking low.

That in itself didn't thwart Busma, who finished with 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

To the contrary, ISU guard Broderick Gilchrest, who scored 39 at Colorado on Friday, was shut down.

He made 1 of 9 field goal attempts in 33 minutes while being guarded by MoMo Jones, Kyle Fogg and others.

"We knew that with Gilchrest coming off scoring 39 points, that they were going to have something planned for him," O'Brien said. "I just had no answers."

During the dry spell, Gilchrest missed five shots and committed one turnover.

"It was really emphasized, because we kinda struggled with guard play last year," Hill said. "I think it was just having the mindset of just getting stops, consistent stops, back to back.

"I think everybody was on the same page."

Wing Brendon Lavender said the Wildcats' defense, which held Idaho State to 28.1 percent shooting and 1 of 12 on three-point attempts, has benefited from having a "stable coach" for a second year.

"We know all the concepts," Lavender said.

Miller called defense "the one thing we can always control," and spoke of substituting often to keep the intensity up.

The Wildcats pressed occasionally Sunday, too, part of Miller's desire to "have that ability to be versatile in our man-to-man."

Sunday's run was more about trying than scheming - a good sign, regardless of the opponent.

'A year ago, I don't think we would have had the same defensive effort for 40 minutes," Miller said, "even if we played the same team."

Copyright 2013 Arizona Daily Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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