Arizona Faces Washington and Potential No. 1 Pick Markelle Fultz
By Mark Barrera
The Washington Huskies are next up to challenge Arizona. The Wildcats have won 66 of the last 67 games at home, but none featured a potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick.
College basketball has seen several top-ranked teams upset in the past week including No. 10 Oregon losing to Colorado and No. 6 Florida State was upset by Syracuse on Saturday night. With more and more teams losing that are ranked above Arizona, it opens up room for the Wildcats to keep on climbing the national rankings.
The Washington Huskies are in Tucson Sunday afternoon hoping to join the list of spoilers. Washington is 9-11 on the season and 2-6 in the Pac-12. Looking at their record, it makes sense as to why Arizona is an 18 point favorite. But the Wildcats can’t take this team lightly, especially when they have a potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
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Markelle Fultz is one of the best basketball players in the nation. Fultz is currently the leading scorer in the Pac-12 with 23.7 points, second in assists in the Pac-12 with 6.2 assists, and is also pulling in 6.0 rebounds per game. Against Arizona State, a game the Huskies lost, Fultz, put up 28 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
Five times this year Fultz has scored over 30 points. Any success the Huskies have depends on how Fultz plays. According to ESPN, Fultz is the only player in the country who is averaging at least 20 points, six assists, and six rebounds.
Other than Fultz, the Huskies don’t pose much of a threat. Opposing teams are currently averaging 47 percent from the field in conference play. Their best defensive player is out with a finger injury, and no one has come in to help. Arizona should have no problem scoring inside and getting to the foul line.
For Arizona, Kadeem Allen will more than likely get the call to guard Fultz. Allen is the best defensive player for the Wildcats. His ability to block shots, steal the ball and get in the passing lane will be leaned on heavily. When he’s not in the game, you can expect Kobi Simmons, and Rawle Alkins to all take their shot. Fultz will no doubt get his points, so Arizona will need to shut down everyone else.
Lauri Markannen has risen to the top of elite players in college basketball. If he ever was an unknown, he for sure isn’t anymore. No one on Washington can guard Lauri one-on-one, so he’ll be able to get his shots up.
The Huskies will be more than likely lean on a zone defense and double-teaming Lauri when they get a chance. Markannen has handled pressure defense all year, so he shouldn’t have any problem Sunday afternoon.
The problem Washington faces is they can’t solely focus on Markannen. This team has weapons at each position. Kobi, Rawle, Dusan and Kadeem are all threats Washington has to worry about. On top of those players, they now have to worry about Allonzo Trier.
In his only two games of the year, Trier has scored 29 points, dished out 11 assists, grabbed six rebounds and only has two turnovers. Washington coach Romar believes Trier is the difference maker for the Wildcats moving forward.
“Sometimes they would have scoring droughts, and I think Allonzo puts an end to all that. He’s such a gifted scorer. So as good as they are, they’re about to get better.”
One player to keep a close eye on is Chance Comanche. He has been playing at a high level ever since conference play began. In the last two games, he is 9-10 from the field. His confidence is at an all-time high, and he’s been a great spark off the bench. Chance has shown he’s capable of scoring at the mid-range level, back to the basket and off the dribble. He should have an excellent opportunity to show off his growth.
So in a game where a team has far more weapons than the opponent, what does that team have to worry about? Well, there are a few things Arizona will need to do to have a comfortable win.
Keys to the Game
Rebounds: Surprisingly Washington comes in with a higher rebounding average than Arizona. The Huskies are averaging 38.5 rebounds per game while Arizona is averaging 37.5. The Wildcats need to limit second chance points and multiple opportunities. To do this, they’ll need to make their presence known on the glass.
Turnovers: Even though the Huskies don’t have much of a defensive threat now, they are still averaging higher steals per game than Arizona with 6.2. The close games where Arizona has struggled to pull ahead, it has been due to a high amount of turnovers. The last thing Arizona wants to do is give more opportunities for Fultz to get the ball in his hands.
Limiting Markelle Fultz: As mentioned above, Fultz is going to get his points. Washington’s offense revolves around Fultz and controlling the play. He will put up a lot of shots on the outside and take the ball to the hoop. If Arizona can keep Fultz under 30 points, the Wildcats should have a comfortable game. But if Fultz has a career day scoring, the game will be closer than expected.
Next: T.J. McConnell Shining as a Starter in the NBA
Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm MST is the final game before Arizona heads up to face the Oregon schools. With a showdown in Eugene this coming week, you always worry about a young team looking ahead. The Wildcats can’t afford to not take the Huskies seriously, but Arizona will be ready, and they will win comfortably. BEAR DOWN!