Welcome to Tucson, Arizona. Home of the Wildcats. Home of Lute Olson. Home of the choke artists we all know as the Arizona Wildcat Basketball program the last several years…..This year seems no different to me. Sure we are only one game into the season, sure we have a great program, with great players and great talented freshmen. But as I say, once a choke artist, always a choke artist. Case and point was the recent 90-93 loss to Virginia. Case and point were the Wildcat’s two losses to Connecticut and Michigan State at the beginning of last season. Case and point: our tragic Elite 8 loss to Illinois in 2005. In 2004 it was no different, they got bounced by Seton Hall. I could go on and on all day….

I digress that the reason that the 2006-07 Cats will be no different from any other year, the past eight years, is because Lute fails time and time again to manage the game. These are 18 to 22 year old kids out there. Sure, you have to let them play. They always PLAY. Play away kids. Play away. Why bother to call a simple timeout? It doesn’t have to be at the end of the game. There doesn’t have to be a reason, except for to salvage momentum. “Hey Lute, why don’t you do a little coaching on the sidelines?” Lute’s idea of game management, is standing there yelling at the referees. It is standing there making sure none of his pristine white hair has been ruffled. His idea of game is to the let the team play. My idea…get this, is to call a timeout a the right time. To talk to your players when they start to lose the grip on the game. When they are behind, where are you Lute? Smiling? Happy? I am not asking for you to change your coaching style, you do great with game preparation, practice, and overall knowledge. What you do not do right is managing the game. You haven’t won in eight years, it is time to change your tune. So for the fan’s sake, and for your sake…For your players sake, and for my sanity, call a damn timeout!

- Matt Blake, mblake@azsportshub.com

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