Arizona Basketball left Anaheim Wooden Legacy Champs, but not without things that we learned about this team.
The 2019-20 season for Arizona Basketball has gone well so far. They are 9-0, Wooden Legacy Champs, have a No.14 ranked (that might change) and are now about to embark in the toughest part of the non-conference season with games against Baylor and Gonzaga. There are three things though that we learned about this team in Anaheim that they will need to continue to focus on to remain at the top of college basketball and to be able to compete with the best.
FIght. In the first six games played, the average margin of victory was 30+, but then that dropped significantly during the Wooden Legacy. Multiple factors contributed to that including the teams they were playing some of their best basketball. Wildcats took a few punches, but then got right back up and delivered the knockout!
This team showed a lot of fight and truly defined what it meant to Bear Down! In all of the games, there were trailing at some point, but behind the leadership of freshman Nico Mannion and seniors Chase Jeter and Dylan Smith stepping up when needed, they didn’t give up and put themselves in a position to win every game.
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Team defense. One of the biggest things that Sean Miller continues to enforce to his team is defense and how important it is to the overall outcome of the game. This season they are stacked with talent, but with three of the starting five being freshman, it has been an adjustment for them to play defense at the college level.
Of the course of the three games, there were times not just those three but everyone had mental lapses on the defensive end and communication was lacking. This, of course, led to teams knocking down uncontested three-point shots. Yes, some were of course defended but if the player isn’t getting over to the shooter quick enough it leads to an easier shot.
In the final against Wake Forest, the Wildcats stepped up their defense, forcing their opponent to shoot 32% from the field and 31% from three. They were contesting mostly every shot, making it very difficult. Putting together a 40-minute effort as they did on the defensive end will be key, especially against top-ranked opponents.
Runs. If you have been a Wildcat fan long enough you know that when they go on one of their “runs”, it’s over for their opponent. That was the case in the Wooden Legacy. In the final, they went on a 19-3 run to take full control of the game.
The one thing though they will need to improve upon is not to let their foot off the gas. Towards the end of the final, they stopped attacking and were tentative, giving the Demon Deacons hope. Whether it’s Mannion, Green, Jeter or Smith, someone will need to take charge of closing out games. Several times in this tournament, the Wildcats pulled out ahead, but then couldn’t finish off their opponent.
For this team to be great, they need to continue to attack the ball when up by a comfortable margin, giving their opponent no chance of coming back. It is easy to become complacent and relax when winning, but what separates good times from the great ones is the ability to always attack and stick to the game plan no matter what.
https://twitter.com/APlayersProgram/status/1201354958282473472?s=20
Agree or disagree, let us know your thoughts. At Zona Zealots, we know this team has the potential to be one of the best under Sean Miller. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!