By
Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Team wasn't tired in loss to Purdue, according to Olson
UA junior forward Michael Wright became the first player from the Pacific 10 Conference to be recognized as the league's player of the week yesterday.
The 6-foot-7 Chicago-native lead the No. 5 Wildcats in both scoring (16.8) and rebounding (12.5) in Arizona's four games last week.
"He had a tremendous week, and it couldn't happen to a better player," undergraduate assistant coach Josh Pastner said. "He deserved that award, and I expect him to get a few more before the season is up."
Wright was named the Maui Invitational's Most Valuable Player after averaging 16.3 points and 13.7 rebounds in games against Chaminade, No. 24 Dayton and No. 9 Illinois.
The award is the second of Wright's career.
Despite playing four games in a five-day span, the UA men's basketball team (3-1 overall) was not tired in its 72-69 loss to Purdue at the Wooden Tradition Saturday, according to head coach Lute Olson.
After traveling more than 9,000 miles from Maui, Hawaii, to Indianapolis for a game against Purdue, the Wildcats were able to rest Friday despite a light practice.
"I think if we had had to play (Friday), there is definitely an effect, because we could see it in practice," Olson said of his team being sluggish. "They were really struggling in practice with their wind. I didn't feel on Saturday that they tired.
"I feel it is just a case of Purdue playing very well and shooting it extremely well."
Not all Arizona players agreed with Olson's sentiments.
Freshman guard Travis Hanour noticed the team was a step slow while playing its fifth game in nine days.
"I think we were definitely tired from a long road trip," Hanour said.
Hanour had plenty of time to rest in Indianapolis, though - the freshman did not play for the first time this season.
It seems Olson and junior forward Richard Jefferson have different thoughts about Jefferson's mentality during games.
Jefferson - who struggled in his zero point effort against Purdue - said he was upbeat despite the fact that he was 0-for-6 from the field.
"I am definitely the last person to get really down on myself and start feeling sorry for myself," Jefferson said. "My teammates and coaches won't allow me to do that, and that's not the type of person that I am."
Both Olson and Pastner maintain that Jefferson's struggles were partly due to a dip in the junior forward's confidence.
"Richard just has to overcome getting down on himself when things get bad," Olson said. "He wants to do so well, and when he is not doing well, he is his own worst critic. He's just got to stop doing that."
Jefferson is averaging 11.8 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting in four games this season.
While most people know that sophomore guard Gilbert Arenas is a deft scorer, Olson said he would like to see the Wooden Award nominee play better defense - especially team defense.
Against Purdue, Arenas had 18 points and three steals but had trouble containing the Boilermakers perimeter players.
"I am not pleased," Olson said when asked about Arenas' defense. "Gilbert is better if you designate him to take their best player and tell him, 'Don't worry about helping and rotating and things like that.'"
Olson said Arenas' problems stem from playing lazy defense when his man does not have the ball. The sophomore has been chronically late on double teams.
"The places that Gilbert breaks down is if he doesn't have the No. 1 guy that he is working on," Olson said. "He tends to stand up and tends to relax when he's away from the ball."
With UA's loss to the Boilermakers, any and all talk of Arizona having an undefeated season ended.
Some Wildcat players - Jefferson and senior center Loren Woods - had talked openly about an undefeated season before the regular season began.
But, with Woods serving a six-game suspension while the Wildcats play a grueling schedule, UA has been at a disadvantage early this season.
"Like I said before the season started, with the schedule we have and the schedule that we still have ahead of us, anybody to talk about an undefeated season ... has to be someone who doesn't know much about basketball or gets carried away with themselves, as probably some of the players did," Olson said. "Even without Loren, when it comes to Connecticut at Connecticut (Dec. 9) and Illinois in Chicago (Dec. 16) and some of the other games that we face in the league, for someone to say undefeated is very, very unrealistic."
The loss to Purdue might have been a blessing in disguise for the Wildcats. The defeat may have helped keep the team grounded and focused on a long and difficult season.
"I think we feel good," sophomore guard Jason Gardner said. "Even though you lose, you can always learn from losing.
"I think that we were going to lose sometime during the season. It is better (now) than later in the season, and I still think that we are the top team in the country."
