The start of college basketball season is already here as it seems tip off earlier and earlier each year.
We have already been able to see two Arizona games since last Friday – an exhibition against Chico State and the regular season opener Wednesday night against Northern Arizona.
One thing is crystal clear: this team is completely different than the one that took the court a year ago.
This should be one of Sean Miller’s most exciting teams. There is top talent and depth at almost every position, and there is a blend of both true freshmen and experienced players.
Watching the exhibition against Chico State, one thing that stood out was the stretch in the second half where the Wildcats began to pull away from what had been a tight ball game (remember, Chico State led 33-32 at the half). It started with defensive stops leading to transition, and for the most part the group of players on the court for Arizona included Jermarl Baker Jr., Max Hazzard, Dylan Smith, Stone Gettings and Ira Lee.
The common denominator for that group is experience. Smith and Lee are veterans here in Tucson, while Baker Jr., Hazzard and Gettings combine for a wealth of practice and game experience at their previous schools. This group, which also includes starter Chase Jeter and hopefully soon includes Devonaire Doutrive, will take the pressure off the immensely talented freshman class and allow them to properly develop in all areas of their games.
Nico Mannion and Josh Green are going to be an excellent starting backcourt, but unlike some of Arizona’s talented freshmen guard duos over the years, these guys won’t be forced to play 35-plus minutes per game. Miller will have the luxury of pulling these guys aside on the bad nights when poor shot selection, sloppy passing or defensive breakdowns occur. The result should be quicker development for them individually and more consistent team performance.
Wednesday’s game against NAU did not provide much of a test for Miller’s team, but they passed it with flying colors. The Wildcats played 10 players in double-digit minutes, had eight players score at least seven points, turned the ball over only seven times and held the Lumberjacks to 32 percent shooting, including 33 percent from behind the arc.
When Arizona takes the court Saturday against Illinois, it will be a completely different challenge. The Illini have a talented and experienced roster, which should set them up for a big jump in the Big Ten this season.
Brad Underwood, who coached at Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State for one season before going to Illinois in 2017, is a very good coach who took his teams to the NCAA Tournament four straight years before arriving in Champaign, Ill. The Illini, surprisingly, have not been in the NCAA Tournament in six seasons.
The Illini escaped disaster in their opener Tuesday night, blowing a big lead late in the game against Nicholls State (it pains me to write about losing a big lead involving Illinois). Nicholls State went on a 16-0 run to lead with 30 seconds left, but Illinois was able to extend the game to overtime and pull away for the 78-70 victory. The Illini will play Friday night at Grand Canyon, before coming down to Tucson.
Arizona’s biggest concerns going into the game are going to be turnovers and rebounding. The Wildcats were very clean with the basketball against NAU after turning it over nine times in the first half against Chico State, but Underwood’s teams thrive on creating turnovers. In fact, every one of his team’s have finished inside the Top 25 nationally for turnover percentage defense, according to KenPom.com.
The second area Arizona will need to step up is on the boards to prevent second-chance points. The Illini had 20 offensive rebounds in their win against Nicholls State, while the Wildcats were outnumbered by the Lumberjacks, 10-7, on the offensive glass.
Sunday’s game will be a good early-season barometer for Arizona, which has a great collection of parts, but will take some time to put together the whole. However, it’s game like this one against Illinois that begin to reveal who is locked in and ready to compete on both ends of the court for 40 minutes. Toughest teams win in March, and it’s never too early to discover that identity.
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