Pac-12 Basketball: A Friendly Conversation Between a Cat and a Dawg - Basketball Edition

Back to the last game... I guess Romar didn't show the 2013 Huskies how to effectively run an alley oop against Arizona...

Dude, seriously, the last play of that game was abysmal. That was worse than Webber's timeout. Ok, maybe not. Not at all. But that was poor and maybe in some way embodied Gaddy's career. Still haven't quite figured out how to make that work but...no words.

So the Wildcats were finally able to win in Seattle last time, why do you think Arizona doesn't play Washington very well in recent history?

I think it's more that the Dawgs play well. It's a tremendous rivalry and has generally featured the last remaining stalwarts of the up-tempo Pac-12. It gets the people going! The Dawg Pound fills up and ESPN broadcasts it and there's just annually a recipe for a big game. So I suppose it figures that Arizona would get their first win up there in B1G fashion.

Have you been pleasantly surprised, simply satisfied or disappointed with the impact of the three heralded freshman big men this season?

Pleasantly surprised. I mean, expectations were sky high and I'm bummed none of them turned in to Anthony Davis but I'm a realist. They've taken lumps and bumps but the shear fact Arizona no longer sports a 6'6" center or Kyryl will forever have me feeling pleasant.

Lute Olson's ex-wife and Miles Simon - yes, no, maybe so?

No. Niet. Yuch. But the other stuff I know, heard, presume surrounding all of this stinks.

Are you still reeling from the loss of Abdul Gaddy?

It was about time the Huskies took one from us. What with Arizona securing Michael Dickerson, Jason Terry, and Marcus Williams. Couple-a rings there. Anyhow, I really do feel for Gaddy. I get the impression he never quite caught the breaks he needed to really get his career going and didn't have quite the right situation - always in the shadow of Thomas or Wroten - and then the whole ACL problem. Felt for but it's probably going to be a good parting for both parties.

The 2001 NCAA Championship is the only sporting event I have actually turned off because I thought that the officiating was so bad in one team's favor and was giving them an advantage. Looking back, do you think the Wildcat's got jobbed?

That was indeed a couple of momentum swinging calls but I suppose credit where credit's due. Mike Dunleavy some big threes to pull...MIKE DUNLEAVY. I hate to say this but couldn't it have been Battier or even K himself? Why'd it have to be Dunleavy? What's more is the thugging that Gilbert Arenas took in Arizona's semi-final steamrolling of Michigan State. He wasn't remotely 100% and that didn't help. But yeah, the refs stunk.

Does Sean Miller look like Jimmy Kimmel, or does Jimmy Kimmel look like Sean Miller?

If that's to say he runs in circles with Matt Damon I'm cool with it.

Which Husky player over the last 10 years or so have you feared the most?

Brandon Roy, the best Husky. He was so just so damn good and cool and smooth and I loved to watch him play. He embodied everything you'd love to watch in basketball player and he showed up in every big situation. But I was most afraid of Venoy.

Lastly, greatest Pac-12 Tournament shot ever? Is at least the best call ever... Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold Blooded!

Easily. Look, I know this shot cost the Cats the tournament title but they ultimately made a run into the Elite Eight that was two weeks of pure magic and that was incredible. But the Thomas step back alone was incredible. That was a great basketball game. AND THEN WE ALSO GOT GUS! That was the perfect storm of basketball. Literally captured every aspect of March that we love. The best.