2015 NCAA Tournament: Q&A With Zona Zealots

The Wisconsin Badgers are just one game away from a rematch with the Arizona Wildcats in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. The Badgers earned a close, 1-point victory last year in the Elite Eight, advancing to the Final Four for the third time in school history.

We’re not looking past a tough match up with the North Carolina Tar Heels Thursday night, but we took some time to ask Shereen Rayan, editor of Fansided’s Arizona website, ZonaZealots.com, a few questions about the potential match up.

Wisconsin Badgers

Be sure to check out ZonaZealots.com and follow them on Twitter.

Now, onto the questions:

BoH: How did Arizona fans and players feel about getting a 2 seed this season, and how did fans feel about being the No. 2 in the West with Wisconsin as the No. 1?

ZZ: We felt slighted actually. Not only did Arizona convincingly win the Pac-12 regular season, they won the championship as well, very convincingly … and still they get a number 2 seed. The Pac-12 is seldom talked about in the mainstream media (sports related). Listen to Mike and Mike in the Morning (ESPN), they almost never talk about Arizona and the Pac-12. The only broadcaster that brings us up is Jay Williams, and he picked Arizona, he and Charles Barkley. Gonzaga and Wisconsin and Michigan State are talked about all the time, and don’t let me forget Gonzaga, who is in one of the easiest conference, the WCC. And, I would like to point out, Arizona beat Gonzaga, still plenty of broadcasters picked Gonzaga to do very well in the tournament.

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BoH: A lot of people talk about Arizona and Wisconsin being two of the teams that have the best chance of knocking off Kentucky. What does this Arizona team do well to cause people to put them in that context?

ZZ: Arizona is a very deep team that does not rely on one or two players to carry the team. It is a true team, and on any given day, one or two players step up to help the team win. So if your strategy is to stop Kaleb Tarczewski or Brandon Ashley, then T.J. McConnell and Stanley Johnson step up, or maybe Gabe York, or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. You see? I think Ohio State totally forgot about Gabe York, who along with his fellow guard T.J. McConnell were the players that helped the team beat the Buckeyes. So Arizona has a lot of weapons, and when they get going, there is no stopping them, they keep their cool and have learned a lot from their three losses.

BoH: What would you say was the high point and the low point for the Wildcats this season?

The high point was being able to beat the teams we lost to (Arizona State, Oregon State, and Utah) later in the season. The Wildcats made sure that they showed the world they learned from their losses.

ZZ: The lowest point was losing to our rivals Arizona State. It was an away game. Arizona has won 38 consecutive games at home, a streak that will continue to next season. But how can you be a great team, and lose to your rivals? It stuck hard with the fans, and the team was embarrassed. Coach Miller lost his cool and then the team followed suit. The Pac-12 referee’s call our games very differently than the referees are calling these tournament games. Basically there are a lot less whistles in the tournament.

The high point was being able to beat the teams we lost to (Arizona State, Oregon State, and Utah) later in the season. The Wildcats made sure that they showed the world they learned from their losses. Oh, and winning the regular season and finally after three years of losing on a shot made by an opposing team in the final seconds, convincingly beating Oregon and their “Pac-12 Coach and Player of the Year” which we didn’t agree with either.

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BoH: Arizona lost Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon to the NBA draft last season. How has the team moved on from the two players this year?

ZZ: Stanley Johnson signed with Arizona, Brandon Ashley came back from his injury and Rondae Hollis-Jeffereson and Kaleb Tarczewski stepped up and gave us dunks!

BoH: What do Badgers fans need to know about this team? Whose names will they be hearing if the two are matched up in the Elite Eight?

ZZ: I hate to say this, but you may hear any of about eight names, as I said you never know who will have the outstanding performance of the game. You will definitely hear T.J. McConnell’s name, as he is breaking assist records at the University of Arizona, just two more and he moves into the number 2 ranking on assists.  T.J. is the “floor general” as named by his Coach Sean Miller, they are like father and son, both coming from Pittsburgh and family friends. Stanley Johnson, is the Pac-12 freshman of the year and estimated to go number 5 in the NBA draft. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s defense stopped plenty of teams this season as well.

Best of luck to the Badgers, the Wildcats want to play them again and even the score! Beardown Arizona!

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Thanks again Shereen. We’ll hit Zona Zealots up again if the Badgers and Wildcats are poised to meet up in the Elite Eight.