With the 2019-20 Arizona Basketball season soon upon us, time to make five bold predictions for this upcoming season.
Arizona Basketball is going to have a much better season than last season. Let’s just get that out of the way. They have the experience and athleticism to do great things. What are those great things you ask? Well, I am going to make five bold predictions for the 2019-20 season.
To have a great season it requires the Wildcats win many games. It also requires things that can’t be controlled to go the team’s way. Such as getting the calls at the end of a game or getting the bounces to go your way or just getting lucky. Sometimes it can even come down not enough time on the clock. So much can happen in 40 minutes of play.
Things this team can control is producing consistently on both ends of the floor, limiting lapses on defense, finding ways to grind out hard-fought battles and taking advantage of their depth. Unlike last season, this time around the Wildcats can accomplish all of these things.
Taking into consideration things this team can control and can’t control, let’s get into the five bold predictions for this team starting with No.5.
No.5 Nico Mannion Pac-12 Player of the Year
The last Arizona Basketball player to win Pac-12 Player of the Year was Deandre Ayton. It was not a surprising outcome due to his freakish abilities. This time around, Nico Mannion may not be built like Ayton but has the skillset to have a tremendous impact.
Mannion has the whole package and some. Ball handles, shooting abilities, court awareness, point guard mentality 100% of the time, the Red Mamba has game. He will be counted on not just to be the starting point guard, but the leader of the team. With the departure of Brandon Williams, the pressure will be there for Mannion to perform and he will.
He will finish the regular season among the top in the Pac-12 in points per game and assists. If his senior year accomplishments and multiple individual accolades are any indications, Mannion will go down as one the great point guards in the Miller Era. Oh yeah, he will also earn Pac-12 Player of the Year as well!
No.4 Wildcats win 30+ games this season
17-15. That was the overall record for Arizona Basketball last season. In probably one of the worse seasons this program has seen in quite some time, the 2019-20 season will all be about redemption.
During the 2016-17 season was the last time the Wildcats won at least 30 games. That year they went 32-5 under Sean Miller and made it all the way to the Sweet 16. This upcoming season they will get back to the 30+ win club.
The non-conference schedule does have slated some tough opponents, including one everyone has circled, Gonzaga at home on December 14th. The Wildcats will look to feed off the McKale center energy to boost them to victory and get revenge for their defeat to the Bulldogs in Maui last season. Outside that game and the Pac-12 schedule, the Wildcats can win a majority of their games. Yes it will be tough, but they can do it!
The Wildcats have the depth, talent, skillset, experience and leadership to win games. They have players on their team that know how to win. When opponents face Arizona, no matter the situation, they always give it their best because they want to be the team that beats Arizona. Not this season. Teams will have to give 110% effort and that might not even be enough.
No.3 Wildcats won’t lose a Pac-12 game at home
The Pac-12 will be loaded with incoming talent and returners, making it an exciting conference race this season. It won’t be easy, especially for teams to win on the road making it even more important to win home court games. The Wildcats have all the right key ingredients to win all of their home Pac-12 games inside McKale Center.
According to 247 Sports, they have the second-ranked incoming Pac-12 class with the Oregon Ducks securing the No. 1 spot. USC and Washington are two other schools that will be among the top 4. Another school that will be a tough outing is against UCLA.
The one thing though that gives the Wildcats the edge at home against all of their Pac-12 opponents is McKale Center. Considered to be one of the toughest places to play, opponents will need to bring it as they say if they want to have any chance this season.
Last season they lost to Oregon, Washington, Arizona State, and USC at home. Not this season. All of these schools better be ready because the Wildcats are gonna Bear Down on ya!
No.2 – Pac-12 regular season and tournament champs
Getting bolder! The Wildcats will take care of home court during non-conference and conference play and pick up huge wins on the road, which will help them secure both the Pac-12 regular-season and Pac-12 Tournament title this upcoming season.
The program last did this during the 2017-18 season, when they had a starting lineup of Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Allonzo Trier, Rawle Alkins, Dusan Ristic, and Deandre Ayton. Not too shabby.
Last season they finished below .500 with a conference record of 8-10 and losing in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament to USC. Lack of scoring and depth contributed to the season-ending early then most fans are accustomed to.
Those players who are returning from last year, such as Chase Jeter and Ira Lee, understand what is needed to compete in the Pac-12. Getting some help in the form of Mannion, Josh Green, Zeke Nnjai, Stone Gettings and Max Hazzard will make this type an extremely powerful unit on both ends of the floor.
No.1 Sean Miller will make his first Final Four appearance
This will be the year! Many believe Sean Miller isn’t a great coach because he hasn’t been able to get to the Final Four at Arizona or Xavier with the talent he has had. That’s a fair statement to make. Keep in mind though, it’s much harder then people think to get to the Final Four. Just because there is talent out on the floor, doesn’t guarantee victory. That’s why they call it March Madness because it’s madness!
The talent though he has this year will get him to his first Final Four as a head coach. Miller has been to the Elite Eight four times (once while at Xavier and three at Arizona) and has come so close. This will be the year!
The last time the Wildcats made it to the Final Four was under the GOAT Lute Olson in 2001. They went on to lose in the championship game 82-72 to the Duke Blue Devils.
Many players, former and current, want him to get that chance to play for a National Championship because he deserves it. Everything that he has done for this program since taking over for Lute Olson has been remarkable. Yes, he hasn’t won a National Championship, but that shouldn’t take away from what he has done for this program.
Let us know what you think about our bold predictions for Arizona Basketball. Agree or disagree? Share your thoughts. Keep in mind these are bold predictions, so they may not all come true but you never know. Gotta believe! As always, Bear Down Arizona!