蜜柚直播

How could it? If the program isn鈥檛 distressed about Allonzo Trier鈥檚 knee, Book Richardson鈥檚 indictment or Rawle Alkins鈥� foot, it must surely worry that the next time Sean Miller鈥檚 team doesn鈥檛 properly execute his treasured pack-line defense, the coach will combust on the sideline and vanish in a puff of smoke.

蜜柚直播 leads the nation in stress and tension. Does anybody have any fun playing basketball anymore?

If the -type analysts generated statistics for smiling, 蜜柚直播 would be No. 351 of 351 Division I teams.

Thursday night was a perfect time for 蜜柚直播 to celebrate its basketball legacy 鈥� 30 years ago Thursday, 蜜柚直播 was ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history. Given the occasion, it could鈥檝e been the first time the Wildcats were able to take a deep breath since the FBI introduced itself to the UA in September.

Instead, the Wildcats struggled for 35 minutes before beating UConn 73-58. At times, Miller huffed and puffed and almost blew the house down.

鈥淲e were 3-3 at the beginning of the year and 10-3 is a lot better,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淲e have had to scratch and claw for everything.鈥�

Thursday was more scratching, more clawing. Do you realize 蜜柚直播 was a 16-point favorite on the Las Vegas odds sheets? It was more like a one-possession game against a UConn team that is shooting its worst field-goal percentage since 1991, and long ago lost the look of an NCAA Tournament team.

Of particular interest was that UConn鈥檚 team and its bench was engaged throughout. They absorbed the moment. The Huskies were a lot like the Gumbys of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 first No. 1 team, with bench players Harvey Mason and Sean Rooks leading the cheers through a 35-3 season.

By comparison, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 body language continues to be that of a team beaten down by expectations, investigations and a fall from grace.

Rarely has an 蜜柚直播 basketball team needed a Christmas break the way this one does. If it鈥檚 possible, the road ahead is more difficult than the road traveled. 蜜柚直播 opens Pac-12 competition next week against No. 3 蜜柚直播 State.

But for one of the first times this year, Miller littered his postgame remarks with positives.

鈥淲e weren鈥檛 a very confident team earlier,鈥� he said Thursday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e much more sure of ourselves now.鈥�

His much-maligned defense?

鈥淚 think our defense is turning the corner,鈥� he said.

Exactly 30 years earlier, Dec. 21, 1987, the Wildcats turned the corner. 蜜柚直播 was ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time. It was such a big deal that U.S. Representative Morris Udall, a former Wildcat basketball captain, sent the team a congratulatory telegram at its hotel in Moscow, Idaho.

The 鈥�87-88 Wildcats were the original Fun Bunch. Steve Kerr and Tom Tolbert led the league in laughs.

Something else happened on that happy night 30 years ago. Pitt freshman point guard Sean Miller 鈥� yes, Sean Miller 鈥� scored a team-high 15 points as the undefeated Panthers rallied to beat Akron and climb to No. 3 in the nation.

Can it be that it was all so simple then?

Can鈥檛 it be fun again?

One of those who celebrated a bit this week was Richardson, the exiled coach. He staged a party at his 蜜柚直播 home Sunday evening, the occasion of which was his 45th birthday.

Not all friendships have gone up in smoke during the turbulence of the fall.

One of Thursday鈥檚 most cheerful moments came when Parker Jackson-Cartwright swished a 3-pointer to give 蜜柚直播 a 60-55 lead. UConn coach Kevin Ollie referred to it as a game-changer.

鈥淭hat was the biggest shot of the night,鈥� said Ollie. 鈥淕etting the lead to five.鈥�

Jackson-Cartwright took just three shots in 32 minutes Thursday. He made two 3-pointers. It suggests he has fully accepted his role and it could be a signal that the rest of the pieces on this team may soon fit into place.

Deandre Ayton had the first 鈥渟ingle-single鈥� of his college career, with just nine points and seven rebounds. For a man who churned out nine double-doubles in his first 12 college games, it might鈥檝e been disconcerting.

But it wasn鈥檛 disconcerting because Dusan Ristic had perhaps his best game at 蜜柚直播, scoring 18 points, gathering 10 rebounds and playing 33 minutes. Ristic almost never plays that long or shoots that often. He averaged 23 minutes last season and just 22 this year.

It was Ristic鈥檚 performance that might鈥檝e pushed Miller over the hump and put him in the holiday spirit.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 talk about him enough; he deserves all the credit in the world,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淗e has practiced almost 400 times at 蜜柚直播 and I can鈥檛 remember one where he didn鈥檛 come in ready to practice.鈥�

In Ristic鈥檚 brief appearance in the interview room Thursday, he appeared upbeat, actually smiling on several occasions.

Can Christmas be far behind?