Arizona Basketball: Sean Miller has many options this season

Arizona Basketball head coach Sean Miller has many options this season with the depth he has at all positions.

Many options. That would be the best way to describe head coach Sean Miller’s current situation prior to the start of the first game of the Arizona Basketball season against Chico State on November 1st. He has almost a month to figure out who the starting lineup will be comprised of and who’ll be coming off the bench. There are those players who are guaranteed starters, but there are others whose roles are yet to be defined.

Having a much deeper bench than last season, Miller will have some decisions to make by Nov.1st. The great thing though about college basketball is that it’s a long season and starting lineup and rotations can change. Don’t be surprised to see Miller try a lot of different lineups in order to see what combination of players makes the most sense.

This is a good problem for a head coach to have. Players know that nothing can be taken for granted, especially playing time and that they’ll have to earn it during practice and during the games. Certain players such as Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Chase Jeter know they’ll be starting, but still, they must remain focused and not do anything that might cost them that starting spot.

The projected started rotation is likely to be Mannion and Max Hazzard at the one and two positions. Green at the three, Ira Lee at the four and Jeter at the five. Based on how the Red and Blue game went and on how the next month of practice goes, that starting five could possibly change.

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One of those changes might be Devonaire Doutrive at the two and maybe Stone Gettings at the four. If those two don’t start, expect them to play a significant amount of minutes. Also, how does Miller utilize the size and strength of Zeke Nnaji? His versatility would allow him to play the four and possibly the five.

Don’t forget about Christian Koloko. At 7 feet tall, he likely will be the main backup for Jeter at the center position. His size, strength and natural athleticism will add major depth to the frontcourt.

Oh wait, let’s not forget about Dylan Smith. His experience, ball-handling, and shooting abilities make him a contender for the starting shooting guard experience. Hazzard has the slight edge as a shooter, but Smith has the experience playing under Miller and understands his system.

Just imagine if Brandon Williams was in the lineup, wow. Even without Williams, who Wildcats fans will deeply miss this season (get better BWill), Miller has many options. One of his main criticisms over the years is his lack of using a deep rotation. Will this be the season he decides to try something different using the depth he has to his advantage. We can all hope!

See what Sean Miller had to say about his team after the Red and Blue game:

At Zona Zealots, we look forward to seeing all players in action this season. From the time the season begins till the end, expect many changes in the rotations. For now, we’ll all have to wait patiently to see what happens. As always, Bear Down Arizona!