Rein man: junior point guard Jason Gardner has hold of the Arizona offense. If he loosens his grip just a bit, the young Wildcats will go a long way. (College Basketball).(University of Arizona basketball team)

By the time Lute Olson finished discussing his worst loss ever at Arizona, most of the Wildcats had seen enough of their cramped locker room in the basement of Oregon's creaky McArthur Court. They bolted. Except for the team's three juniors.

Jason Gardner, Luke Walton and Rick Anderson did not change clothes, did not pack their gear, did not look at one another, did not speak unless asked to. They just sat there with their heads down and eyes red.

"I don't know what it is," Gardner said. "It's getting back to the basics, getting in the gym and getting a lot of shots up."

Walton, the team's vocal leader, said he simply couldn't figure out "how ...