Arizona Basketball: How good is the Wildcats defense?
By David Rosen
Arizona Basketball has its strengths and weaknesses, but how good has the Wildcats defense been this season? We unpack and take a look.
Defense, defense, defense. Arizona Basketball head coach Sean Miller stresses how important is it to play solid team defense, every game. Especially in today’s style of offense in college basketball, it forces teams to put a lot of effort on defense. For the Wildcats, they have had their moments of brilliance and mental lapses as well on defense. How good is their defense?
This season the Wildcats have mainly played man-to-man defense and not too much zone. Occasionally they have thrown in a full-court press as well. With the depth the Wildcats have, it has allowed Miller to play more man and not worry too much about foul trouble. On the flip side though, playing this style of defense forces his players to consistently communicate.
The one thing Miller has been known for during his tenure at Arizona is not really mixing it up that much on defense. Why that is, who knows? Throwing in a zone or a full-court press more often would force their opponent to make adjustments that they may have not been prepared for. The Wildcats have the athleticism to play different defenses, so why not?
More from Wildcats Basketball
- Arizona Basketball likely to schedule Florida Atlantic for 2023
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s FIBA World Cup performance is reminiscent of Kobe Bryant’s
- Rawle Alkins a star in the Drew League this summer
- Arizona Basketball to play in ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ in 2024
- Reflections on the Pac-12, the Arizona Wildcats, and other memories
As a team this season they have a total of 90 steals, which ranks at 72 in the nation. They are also forcing their opponents to an average of 64.9 points per game, 99th in the country. One of their big weaknesses on defense has been a three-point defense, which ranks 194th in the nation.
Why is it so bad? Many reasons, including not closing out on shooters in time and poor communication. Sometimes of the teams they have faced, such as Gonzaga, have many long-range shooters, which made it that much more challenging for the Wildcats to limit easy three-point shots. Even when they contested the shooters, they still made them.
One of the other main components to playing solid defense is defensive rebounding. During the most recent press conference, Miller indicating this is the worst defensive rebounding team he has had in his 11-year tenure. This season they rank 53rd in the nation, which isn’t that bad, but with the skill level, this team as they should be much better. Zeke Nnaji has started to come around on the glass, but everyone should be getting involved.
Rebounding leads to second-chance points and if the Wildcats can prevent those on the defensive end, it will increase their chances of success. One other aspect of a great defense is shot blocks. The Wildcats have a few big men they can do that. When they have done that this season, it has lead to fast breakpoints.
https://twitter.com/ZonaZealots/status/1204947204265267200?s=20
Must Read. Arizona Basketball: Wildcats take on St. John’s to wrap up non-conference play. light
At Zona Zealots, we know how good this team is on offense, but on defense is where they can improve. As they head into Pac-12 play next year, Arizona Basketball has a legit chance to be one of the top teams in the conference and in the nation. They just need to compete on both ends of the court. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!