Arizona opens the NCAA Tournament against Ole Miss in Coral Gables, Florida, on Friday; Miami will face Canisius in the earlier game.
Michael Lev The nationally televised NCAA Selection Show didn’t exist when Chip Hale was a player at Arizona in the 1980s. Per Hale’s recollection, Wildcats coach Jerry Kindall simply would get a phone call and tell the team where it was going.Arizona was projected to make the NCAA Tournament by every reputable publication. But when more than half the field had been revealed, and the Wildcats weren’t part of it, anxiety crept into the clubhouse at Hi Corbett Field.
Both programs return several regulars from a year ago, but they’re different teams squaring off in a different environment. Playing on the road in an unfamiliar stadium is nothing new for the 2022 Wildcats. “I think it really helps us,” Hale said. “A lot of the coaches were wary of having a tournament and getting injured. ... A lot of teams had some guys get dinged up. But in the end, all of us felt like, ‘Hey, this has prepared us way better for next week.’ ”
“The main thing that Coach did with us — and I try to do every day, but we’ll try to do even more here — is don’t do anything that you’re not capable of,” Hale said. “Stay who you are. Just play your game. “Chase was swinging today, obviously nice and easy, but the pain is not as bad as we thought it was gonna be,” Hale said. “So unless he takes another blow to it, there’s not really any worry of injuring it again.”
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