Arizona's Hollis-Jefferson showing his serious side in postseason play

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The shimmy is still there, and so is the determination. They'll be there Thursday when Arizona faces Xavier in the Sweet 16. But the smiles are fewer and farther between for Arizona's do-everything forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

He's still affable, but all these NCAA games are part of a business trip for the full-throttle sophomore who has been asked to guard everyone and everything but the front door.

"People can tell I'm more on the aggressive side, more focused or straight forward," said Hollis-Jefferson, which is in contrast to the happy-go-lucky, free-spirited personality he's often showed in his two years in Tucson.

He's turned it up since the regular season ended, especially on the defensive end. He helped limit Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell to nine points on 3-of- 19 shooting on Saturday.

"I like this side," he said of his increased intensity. "I like the way I'm playing. It feels comfortable."

In the Pac-12 Tournament he admitted he was a bit peeved he was overlooked when it came to Defensive Player of the Year (which went to Oregon State's Gary Payton II), so he put the clamps down on his opponents. Over the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, that continued.

He calls it being in "attack" mode, and it's not about to change. Likewise for the shimmy at the free-throw stripe.

Sean Miller is used to it, but he'll have to face another coaching friend in Chris Mack, Xavier's head coach.

Before Miller left Xavier for UA in 2009, Mack was Miller's right -hand man for the Musketeers. When Xavier chose Mack as Miller's replacement then, Miller was quoted as saying, "Xavier doesn't make mistakes," when hiring coaches.

Mack is the latest on an Xavier coaching three that goes back through Miller, Thad Matta, the late Skip Prosser and Pete Gillen. Matta was on the opposing bench on Saturday when Arizona defeated Ohio State.

"Sean gave me a heck of an opportunity to come back to my alma mater,"Mack said after his team Georgia State to advance to the Sweet 16. "He put a lot of responsibility and trust in me. He ultimately really pushed for me to become the head coach, and for that I'm eternally grateful. It's hard to play against one of your best friends in the business. But it really won't matter to our guys, nor will it matter to Arizona, because they don't know me from a bucket of paint."

With former Arizona All-America point guard Damon Stoudamire and former Pittsburgh guard Miller on Arizona's coaching staff, T.J. McConnell said it's not hard to gain lots of insider knowledge about playing the point for the Wildcats.

McConnell was a guest on Jim Rome's radio show on Monday, and he was asked to compare his game to that of his coaches.

"Coach (Miller) has still got it," McConnell told Rome.  "And Coach Stoudamire has still got it, too. (But) I'd have to say I'm the third best out of the three."

When pressed to be less politically correct, McConnell rephrased his answer.

"You know what? I have to change my mind. I have to be first on that list," he said. "I'm not sure about those two. They can duke it out. I certainly belong first on that list."

Kidding aside, McConnell said he was grateful for the coaching of Stoudamire and Miller.

"In the Xs and Os, he's taught me more than I ever thought I could learn," McConnell said of Miller. "He's been the father figure I haven't had because my parents aren't here (in Tucson)."

Just last week, McConnell moved into third place in Arizona's record book for assists in a season with 228, passing Stoudamire. He's three shy of Reggie Geary's 231 and 19 behind Russell Brown's 247 set in 1978-79.

"It's really an honor to be in the same conversation as Coach Stoudamire," he said. "There's a reason why this place is called 'Point Guard U.' He's a big reason it's called that."

He then joked, "I guess I do have some bragging rights against him. I'll tease him about that for sure."

McConnell then said he has to realize Stoudamire made more than $100 million in his playing career -- "and I will probably never make close to that."

Follow Steve Rivera on Twitter

VIDEO: The Sports Guys look back on last week's victories and ahead to this week's games in Los Angeles.