Commentary: Despite loss, Cats made standout plays


By Amanda Branam
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Monday, March 28, 2005

Yes, it happened. It wasn't just a bad, bad dream.

The Arizona men's basketball team's meltdown in the last four minutes of regulation against Illinois allowed the Illini to tie it up at 80 and send the game into overtime. The Illini won 90-89 to advance to the Final Four.

As freshman Jawann McClellan said after the game, Arizona was the better team for 36 minutes of regulation.

So, those four nightmarish minutes aside, every major player for the Wildcats had at least one great game, if not two, over the weekend in Chicago.

Channing Frye

The senior center had two of his best performances in his final games wearing a Wildcat uniform.

Frye scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked six shots. He also hit a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining to keep the Wildcats afloat just before they deteriorated in Saturday's game.

Frye also hit a jumper with 1:15 remaining in the Oklahoma State game - the shot that preceded senior guard Salim Stoudamire's game-winning shot.

For the weekend, he shot 69.2 percent from the floor (18-26). In four tournament games, he shot 65 percent (26-40).

Salim Stoudamire

Although he had an un-Salim point total against Illinois (nine) the senior Portland, Ore. native contributed in other ways.

He also had five rebounds and seven assists Saturday, showing his worth on the court beyond his sweet stroke.

"It seemed like whoever was guarding him made it tough for him to get the ball," said Arizona head coach Lute Olson.

Hassan Adams

Everyone knew that the junior forward liked the spotlight and was not afraid to showcase his unreal athletic ability. This NCAA tourney was certainly no different.

When the Wildcats built up their 15-point lead in the second half, it was largely because Adams simply dominated the game.

Illinois held down Stoudamire for most of the night, but they had no answer for Adams.

He scored 3-pointers, drove to the basket and was active on the glass grabbing rebounds a guy his size would normally not come close to getting.

"Hassan Adams had an unbelievable game," Olson said of Adams' 21-point, eight-rebound night. "It's a case of where if Hassan goes hard every possession like he did tonight, he's as good a player as there is around."

Adams averaged 16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in four tournament games.

Mustafa Shakur

To say the least, it has been an up-and-down season for the sophomore point guard.

There were games where the flashes of potential were bright, followed by a game where he took poor shots or made confusing decisions.

He scored four points and had a single assist against Oklahoma State, playing only two more minutes then reserve Chris Rodgers.

On Saturday, Shakur stepped up, scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists.

If players are measured by how they play in big games, Shakur came through in the biggest, most pressure-packed game of the season.

"I thought he played well, too," Olson said. "He's obviously a great competitor."

Ivan Radenovic

The sophomore forward gave a 13-point, five-rebound effort against Illinois. He also had four steals in the game and shot 4-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe - not bad for someone 6-foot-10.

Against Oklahoma State, Radenovic scored 13 points, going 5-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line.

For the tournament, he was a great complement to Frye on the inside. It gave the Wildcats a size advantage in every game in this tourney.

Chris Rodgers

Rodgers' play off the bench was crucial to the Wildcats' deep run into the tournament. His defense lessened the effectiveness of OSU's and the Illini's explosive and talented guards.

Rodgers also found the shooting stroke that had eluded him prior to the tournament.

He only took two shots against Illinois and failed to score, but against Utah State in the first round he scored 10.

Both Rodgers and Olson seem to agree that the junior guard just needs more minutes to help his consistency offensively, and he will likely get that chance next season.

Jawann McClellan

The freshman forward had 10 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes against Illinois. He put in 37 minutes of effective play off the bench for the Wildcats in the two games this weekend.

McClellan went 5-for-6 from the line against Illinois, with many of those shots in pressure situations.

He will be in a much more prominent role next season, especially if Adams jumps to the NBA, and the experience gained from playing in the tourney will be huge for the Wildcats next season.

"I thought Jawann McClellan did a great job," Olson said. "For a freshman to be thrown into that kind of pressure environment, he knocked down some big free throws and got some big rebounds."