Arizona Basketball Player Grades through Season far

Arizona Basketball is now about halfway through the season, and we figured it would be fitting to grade the teams’ performance thus far.

With the Pac-12 conference schedule starting, now officially begins the second half of the season for Arizona Basketball.

Arizona Basketball is off to a good start all things considered, and we feel it would be fitting to breakdown the teams’ performance so far.

On Friday, the Wildcats will kick off their conference slate by facing the Cal Bears in Berkeley. At 11-2, Arizona has a great opportunity to win both games so long as they take care of business.

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The injured Parker Jackson-Cartwright has a chance to see some action against Cal should he feel well enough and ready, however, there is no rush to get him back as his health moving forward is more important. Update: It was officially reported he is cleared for the Cal game.

Allonzo Trier’s status is still unknown, although it is better to error on the side of him likely not being available on Friday. Regardless, the Wildcats should be fine as they’ve been acclimating to the current roster, and the team has been playing quite well without some key pieces.

So with that said, here’s our opinion on how we grade the performance of the team thus far…

Lauri Markkanen (A+) – I don’t think you could have asked for a better start from the Finnish big man. Not much was known about him coming, and some had thought there may be a bit of an adjustment, as he would need getting used to the American style of play. He leads the team in points, and is a big part of Arizona’s early success.

Kobi Simmons (B+) – Kobi has certainly accepted the challenge. Coming in, he was definitely going to need to earn his minutes, but as injuries happened, he was needed, and he was ready. Simmons has had some big games for Arizona thus far, and as he continues to go through some growing pains, he looks very good.

Rawle Alkins (B+) – Slightly inconsistent at times, Alkins has looked very good as a true freshman however. Perhaps a man among boys, he uses his strength, athleticism and physicality to his advantage. Alkins has shown glimpses of absolute greatness, and like Simmons, he’s been able to play early and is definitely benefiting to learn as he continues to get plenty of minutes.

Dec 10, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Kadeem Allen (5) dribbles the ball during first half of the game against the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena. Arizona won 79-60. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

Chance Comanche (B-) – I will say he has struggled a bit since the Santa Clara game. Comanche finished last season pretty well, and his future definitely looked promising coming into 2016-17.

Still a bit inconsistent at times, Chance again continues to show great promise, and the athleticism and ability is definitely there. Hopefully, he really taps into that talent and continues to have more performances like the one he had against New Mexico heading into the Pac-12.

Dusan Ristic (A-) – He has been one of Arizona’s bigger contributors of late, and Ristic’s development continues to show. Yes, he is not one of Arizona’s better defensive players, but what he lacks in that category, he makes up for in his offense. Ristic continues to look better and better, and he will be heavily depended upon moving forward.

Kadeem Allen (A+) – Allen is easily the glue guy. Similar in some ways to the veteran TJ McConnell, Allen is a bit more versatile, and as head coach Sean Miller has continued to rave, his role on this team is huge. He’s definitely assumed to the leadership role, and with PJC still out with injury, Allen has done an admirable job in filling his shoes.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright (B) – Still very much learning Miller’s challenging motion offense, PJC continues to show some great improvement in his career. Given that it’s a rather smaller sample size this season, we went with this grade based on the few games he’s played this season.

Parker has that vision and ball distribution ability that Miller covets, and it’ll definitely be great to finally have him back healthy. He’s got some very respectable stats so far, and heading into Pac-12, we really hope he comes back healthy and ready to improve!

Keanu Pinder (A) – Based on his role, we feel this grade is fitting. In short, Pinder is not supposed to be a big time contributor, and looking purely at what’s expected of him, and what he brings to the table, Arizona certainly got a steal in Keanu.

He brings energy, focus and intensity off the bench, and when he’s in, he definitely makes his presence known. His defensive ability will be much welcomed, and we can only hope Miller continues to play to his strengths.

Arizona Bench (A+) – Because you can’t justifiably grade these guys too hard based on their game performance. Sort of the unsung heroes, they don’t get much playing time, but bust their butts in practice every week. A team that has certainly gone through a number of injuries, these guys are the ones helping the team get better each week, and they definitely put their best effort out there.

Next: Ex-Wildcat Andre Iguodala Continues to Show off Athleticism

Think our grades are fair, or would grade differently? Let us know on Facebook & Twitter. We are proud of the effort our team has put forth so far, and can’t wait for Pac-12 play to start. Bear Down, Arizona!

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