SAN DIEGO -- Earlier this week, Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon opened up about his quest for perfection. And he was perfect in the first half Sunday night in an 84-61 win over Gonzaga, going 5 for 5 from the floor, 1 for 1 from the free-throw line and 1 for 1 from beyond the 3-point line.
He finished 8 for 10 from the field, 1 for 3 from the line and 1 for 2 from beyond the arc. He had 18 points, six assists and four steals.
"He's a fantastic player," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "The best thing about Aaron is he just plays so hard. That's a talent in itself. He just brings it. I remember Billy (Donovan) and Shaka (Smart) telling me, they coached him this summer in USA Basketball, and what a motor he has. Sean (Miller) is putting him in all the right spots so he can find success on the offensive end. He's a handful."
Miller has now reached the Sweet 16 five times as a coach, three times with Arizona and twice with Xavier. Someone asked him Sunday night about being labeled the best coach who hasn't reached the Final Four.
"I would like to get off that list," he said. "This is our third time in the Sweet 16 in the five years I've been at Arizona, and what we have to do is be ourselves. It's going to happen ... if we continue to do things the right way. You need some good fortune; Coach (Lute) Olson talks about that all the time."
In scoring 84 points, Arizona is now 29-1 under Miller when reaching the 80-point mark. ... The Wildcats had at least four players in double figures for the 23rd time in 36 games this season. ... Arizona set a season high with 21 turnovers forced, surpassing the previous high of 18.
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