Arizona Basketball: What does Dylan Smith’s return mean for the Wildcats

Arizona basketball will have senior Dylan Smith back in the lineup next season, adding defense, three point shooting and experience.

Coming back. Senior guard Dylan Smith decided to come back for one more season with Arizona basketball. After having a up and down junior year with the Wildcats, he will look to have a much better year. His strengths are mainly defense and ability to shoot the three, which the Wildcats will need if they want to make a deep postseason run this upcoming season.

Smith had his moments last season, some good and some not so good. Maybe it was the pressure he felt to perform considering the talent they had lost a season prior? Maybe it was matter of not being confident with his shot? Being primarily a three point shooter, confidence is key. At times he couldn’t miss, but then there were times in which he struggled.

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He wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball from long range and inside the paint, which is something that Coach Sean Miller instills with his players – shoot the ball. Which I get, but if a player is struggling and the team is needing crucial buckets maybe pass the ball to someone else. Smith’s three point average for the season was 35.1%. and field goal average was slightly lower at 34.1%

Smith did have some solid games on the offensive end, including 11 in which he scored in double figures. HIs season high was 16 twice against Utah and Colorado on the road. Important to note in those two games he did start, which gave him the opportunity to take more shots.

In the 32 games he played, he started in 15 of them. For the season, Smith averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.5 minutes played per game. Those are decent stats, but the one that really hurt him and the team was turnovers. He averaged 1.7 per game, including a season high six against Washington State at home. This again may circle back to Smith feeling the pressure and needing to force it a little bit too when handling the ball.

This next season, there were will be plenty of ball handlers on the team, which will benefit a player like Smith to be more of spot up shooter. It will be crucial for him to move without the ball and use ball screens to get open. When Smith starts knocking down shots from long range, that will boost his confidence. A confident Smith can be a difficult guard for opponents.

The other strength of Smith that will play a big role next season is his defense. He was one of the team’s best defender last season and will need to play that role again this year to secure playing time. Coach Miller stresses defense more then anything else and Smith understands that, making him a key asset on that side of the floor.

Miller thought of Smith as his best perimeter player on defense and will likely carry over to the 2019-20 season:

Lastly, Smith will bring experience to the roster next season. On a team that includes transfers and incoming freshman, having seniors on the team can help balance out the inexperience. Whether he comes off the bench or possibly starts, it will be important for Smith to play this role.

Wildcats are maxed out with 13 scholarship players now that Smith has decided to return. Many things are still up in the air. Whose starting? Who will be the key contributors off the bench? How many minutes will Smith and other returners get? Miller has decisions to make and hopefully he can make the right ones.

Smith will have a lot to prove to fans, players and coaches next season. At Zona Zealots, we look forward to seeing No.3 prove everyone wrong, in doubting his abilities. Time to step up to and deliver! As always, Bear Down Arizona!