If Washington State coach Ernie Kent tries to crank up to his preferred tempo on Thursday, the Wildcats will probably be more than happy to match it.
According to Kenpom, UA ranks just No. 267 (of 351 teams) in adjusted tempo and No. 6 in tempo during conference play. That's due to style but also, Miller says, because they have had to slow down things to conserve energy for a shorthanded roster.
But the Wildcats also proved Saturday they can thrive in an uptempo game: They dropped 96 points on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, also having surpassed 90 points against ASU, Stanford and Sacred Heart this season.
UA not only has athleticism and offensive skills at all five positions, but also the ability to cut short opponents’ fast breaks via rebounding, ball-handling and racing back on defenses.
Miller says you can only run as fast as your depth and talent dictates, but said Kent is “comfortable” coaching an uptempo style; after all, Kent built his reputation with Oregon’s lightning-quick teams in the early 2000s.
“You can sense that’s how he wants to play, so it’s like playing against a team like UCLA,” Miller said. “You have to do as good job as you can of taking that away and get back, and be really good on offense so you don’t fuel their transition.”
