Arizona Basketball is ready to move up the charts, are you?

Arizona basketball is hanging on to the Top-25, they just moved into the top three in the Pac-12. Don’t hit the panic button just yet.

So the calendar now turns to February and Arizona Basketball is hanging in the Top-25 at 19-5 and sitting in 4th at 7-4 in Pac-12 play. How spoiled of a fan base are we that this is considered unacceptable? It seems all it takes is a little adversity and fans turn on our Wildcats.

For the first time in four years, I’ve heard so much doubt when listening to Arizona basketball fans. Maybe this team isn’t built to compete with the elite, or maybe Sean Miller has lost his touch with these guys. Just read it everywhere on national sites and even some of our own as bad as it is yes some are taking a rough patch and making it seem like there is no hope.

Where do we start with who is to blame? Do we blame Miller the leader, of the team? Do we blame the players? The list can go on and on and there is plenty of blame to go around. Then again what are we blaming people for?

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So we start with the biggest blow so far, our record of 49 straight home wins came to an end last week at the hands of some ducks. I mean honestly the Ducks? I hope everyone, especially the team, noticed the way that the Ducks celebrated on McKale’s floor.

The biggest take away from that night was that it was the first time I have ever seen Miller disappointed in a team. He seemed to not know what the next step was or how to fix it. I’m not saying any of this is true or that maybe this isn’t a bad thing for the team. After two wins in Washington, it seems Miller may have conjured up the right recipe.

Miller has always been a man to stand up for his work good or bad and its part of the reason he is one of the best in the nation if not the best. He took the blame, made his bigs stand up in front of the media, and stated there is work to be done.

So who is the team’s leader? Who is the one to take control? Maybe Ryan Anderson took that step, he played fabulously and so did the rest of Arizona Basketball. There were on notice that Oregon loss was huge! It was time to put up or shut up. The Cats put up; now it’s time to seek revenge against the So Cal teams starting this Friday.

Now that’s not to say this team isn’t good and possibly can’t be great, but maybe this loss was just the wake-up call they needed. Just showing up to a game will not be enough to win. It’s time to play for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back of the jersey.

Not placing the blame on any one player but honestly Arizona Basketball is the best team in the Pac-12 when they show up to play. Given you’re not going to win every game but all four of our conference losses could have just as easily been wins. The first three we lost by a total combined six points.

We are now in the home stretch, and the Cats have little room for error. Finally, for the first time this season, it looks like we will get a chance to take over second place. The Cats are a full-powered squad now that Allonzo Trier is back.

So now it comes to the fans. If you’re the one taking offense to what I’ve said, maybe you are part of the teams problem? What happen to the fans BEARDOWN attitude? What happen to never giving up? If we learned one thing last season, it is that talent isn’t everything. T.J. McConnell was talented but it was how he plays with heart, and that made his play so great. He left it all out on the floor.

It feels like fans have become spoiled by the elite eights and 20+ win seasons. Let’s not forget it took work to get there not just by the players but also by everyone wearing red and blue. Plus, you can’t win every game. Would you rather lose in January or March? Would you rather finish 36-4 like Wisconsin with a national title or 38-1 in second place like Kentucky last season?

Next: Arizona Basketball hoping to Bear Down on the Bruins

Get ready for the best time of the season and prepare for March! It could be worse; we could be known on SportsCenter as the school with a curtain of distraction that’s gaining more credit than what’s happening on the court. So as we get ready for the home stretch lets not forget to BEARDOWN and show what Arizona Basketball is all about!