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WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY RATING?:
PP: Productivity Points (Points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocked shots, FGs made, FTs made added together and then subtracted by missed FGs, missed FTs, personal fouls and turnovers)
MIN: Minutes played overall
PR: Productivity rating per minute played (Productivity points divided by minutes played)
ARIZONA 63, COLORADO 43
PRODUCTIVITY RATING
* — STARTERS
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. — McDonald’s All-Americans with five-star ratings from recruiting services come to a program with a celebrity status that translates to a desire of wanting to not only call the shots but also try to make most of them.
Aaron Gordon
Arizona’s freshman sensations Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are throwbacks to another generation when young newcomers understood their place on the team, respected the upperclassmen and honored the coach’s process.
As the nation has discovered this season, with Arizona achieving only its fifth 30-win season, Sean Miller has a instilled a process as good as anybody.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
“They bought into the system; it’s as easy as that,” Arizona junior guard Nick Johnson said after the Wildcats’ 63-43 win over Colorado Friday night. “They came here and they left their egos at the door and they bought into our system.
“They don’t get mad when I come up to them and say, ‘Hey look, I don’t care about your offense, you need to buckle down on defense.’ They trust me as a leader and trust what coach preaches everyday that we’re a defensive team. When we get stops and get rebounds, you know, do the little things, that’s when we’re the best. That’s really a credit to them as people as
young men that they can do that.”
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TOP FIVE ARIZONA REBOUNDING TEAMS
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Gordon registered three steals and three blocked shots against Colorado. One of the blocked shots was as electrifying to the partisan Arizona crowd as the two alley-oop dunks by Johnson (one of which was in transition from a Gordon pass).
Gordon swatted down a dunk attempt by Colorado nemesis Xavier Johnson during Arizona’s game-clinching run in the second half.
“Basketball is a two-sided sport,” said Gordon, who also had two steals in Thursday’s 71-39 win over Utah. “It’s not just offense. It’s not just defense. I’ve always prided myself being a great defensive player.
“It’s not like I accepted a role of playing defense. This team has a good number of very talented basketball players. One night be his night. Another night might be his night. Whoever’s night it is, we’ll roll with it.”
UCLA got just what it wanted: A chance to avenge #arizonawildcats win in L.A. Plus more notes after Pac-12 semis: http://t.co/6taaXD1PPI
— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) March 15, 2014
Hollis-Jefferson, who led Arizona in productivity against Colorado, also had an emphatic blocked shot and a steal against the Buffaloes. He routinely goes against the opponent’s best offensive player when Johnson needs a rest or must switch to somebody else.
Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson combine for 62 blocked shots and 50 steals. They also rank first and third on the team in defensive rebounding. Gordon has 169 to lead the team. Kaleb Tarczewski is next with 137, followed by Hollis-Jefferson’s 101.
Doing the little things, as Johnson calls them, makes Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson a significant reason why this is Arizona’s best defensive team since the program started 109 years ago.
Hollis-Jefferson has bought into Miller’s process enough to accept his role as the sixth man. McOonald’s All-Americans usually believe their lofty status merits a starting role.
“Aaron and Rondae are two big reasons why our team is where we’re at right now,” Miller said. “Rondae’s extremely unselfish, as is Aaron. He comes off the bench, and he sometimes doesn’t like to come out of the game, but he’s okay with not starting.
“But it’s his unselfishness that I think you love. He gives his heart and soul on defense. On offense it’s not about scoring for him. It’s about passing, and he’s one of our best offensive rebounders. So he gives you talent, but talent in an unselfish way which is a good characteristic for somebody who doesn’t start.”
PAC-12 RPI (ESPN.com)
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ARIZONA OVERALL PRODUCTIVITY RATING
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Arizona puts on a clinic in second half to desroy Colorado. .dunks and domination were methods of choice..
http://t.co/V7JzXi6VpI
— Steve Rivera (@SteveRivera95) March 15, 2014
ARIZONA PAC-10/12
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR:
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NICK JOHNSON CAREER POINTS RANKING
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ARIZONA SCHEDULE/PRODUCTIVITY RESULTS
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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