TUCSON, Ariz. -- Maybe it was just one night in Las Vegas, maybe it was more the offense than the defense that was the problem, or maybe it was the stars didn't align for a night, but Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller acknowledged some "slippage" from his team in its most recent outing prior to a holiday break.
Hopefully, what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
This week is a fresh start for the eighth-ranked Wildcats (12-1) as they prepares for Arizona State (8-5) on Sunday in their Pac-12 Conference openers. The two teams face one another at McKale Center at 5 p.m. (MT) on FOX Sports 1.
Arizona has had a week to reflect on what happened in its 71-67 loss to UNLV, and what could happen if it doesn't correct some issues.
"This is an opportunity for us to get better across the board," Miller said in the season's first Pac-12 conference call on Tuesday. "To improve everything we are doing."
In the aftermath of the UNLV loss, most questions were about Arizona's defensive effort in allowing 70 points for the first time this season. A week later, Miller was less critical of a defense that he said has been solid all season. "There are a lot of things we continue to do well," he said.
"If you look at our two games (prior to the break), we didn't score 70 points in either game," Miller said, referring also to a rough 60-55 victory over UTEP. "Whether it's our free-throw shooting, whether it's our lack of offensive rebounding or maybe that four or five extra turnovers in both games -- recently we've had more struggles on offense than on defense."
Arizona is shooting 64.9 percent on free throws, with Miller continuing to express faith that it will improve. He said recently the Wildcats would spend lots of time working on them during the break.
How Arizona gets going on offense will soon be determined. The Wildcats have looked superb when they have been able to get out on the break, using Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson break to finish plays. Hollis-Jefferson fouled out with seven minutes left in Las Vegas, and Johnson had his poorest game of the season (two stars not aligned).
They also look good -- very good -- when Brandon Ashley, Gabe York and Elliott Pitts are hitting shots from the perimeter.
Miller's challenge is to make it happen more routinely if the Wildcats are to defend their Pac-12 title.
They were the clear-cut favorite at the start of the season, but Miller said Tuesday as many as four or five teams could emerge as champions. "I also think there are a number of teams that are better than we thought," he said.
Miller singled out Oregon coach Dana Altman as the coach of the year to this point for leading a completely remade Ducks team to a 10-3 start.
"I can't believe the number of wins they have, the quality of play they have had in playing that many freshmen; playing with the unexpected departure of some great players," he said. "Oregon is one of those teams in our conference that is a sleeper."
Follow Steve Rivera on Twitter
