Arizona Wildcats basketball: On Fultz's future, PJC's struggles, Simmons' slam
- Updated
Seen and heard at McKale Center during Arizona's 77-66 win over Washington.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
With 3:02 remaining in Sundayβs game, Washington star Markelle Fultz went to the free-throw line with the Huskies down by 10 points.
Fultz has star power at a level beyond what Arizona fans have experienced at McKale Center in a long time.
He is the likely top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, receiving nearly universal praise from the scouting community despite Washingtonβs struggles this season.
So Fultz stepped up to the free-throw line, and Arizonaβs ZonaZoo student section felt it was an apt moment to start chanting βover-rated.β
Not quite, but the chant seemed effective β Fultz missed both attempts and all four he tried on the day.
But even in a game that one could classify as βa struggleβ for Fultz, the star guard still tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one block, though he did shoot 8 of 23 from the field while missing all four 3-point attempts.
Still, Fultz is as big a name as there is in college basketball, and he impressed.
There were multiple national reporters in town to check Fultz out β Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, as well as The Ringerβs NBA writer Kevin OβConnor, who flew out from Boston.
Washington dropped to 9-12 on the season with Sundayβs loss, but Fultz remains the Huskiesβ saving grace.
βHeβs been learning. About five games ago you could see that he elevated his play,β Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said.
βHe was already doing well, then it was something even different. Like, heβs even better right now.β
On the season, Fultz is averaging 23.7 points, 6.2 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game and has scored more than 30 points five times.
After the game, OβConnor asked Fultz questions about which NBA players he watches and tries to model his game after. He named Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, though he wants to be his own type of player, he said.
βYou talk about Markelle Fultz β in any single game, heβs capable of putting his team on his back and winning it,β UA coach Sean Miller said.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
13: Minutes played by UA point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who finished with zero shot attempts for the second straight game, no assists and three turnovers. Miller said Jackson-Cartwright is healthy, but βit just didnβt go his way.βΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Itβs pretty rare that Arizona will face a team with a player with more hype for the next level than Lauri Markkanen.
It happened against UCLA, with Lonzo Ball, a presumptive Top-5 NBA Draft pick.
And, of course, it happened again with Fultz.
It wasnβt Markkanenβs best game β he finished with 12 points, six rebounds, four fouls and three turnovers β but he made a key late-game 3-pointer, and Romar was thoroughly impressed by the Finnish freshman.
Romarβs scouting report: βTheir freshmen are good, but him in particular; thereβs no one in college basketball like him, with that package. Heβs very gifted. β¦
βJust his poise, playing purposeful basketball. He knows what heβs doing, he knows you canβt stop him, he just gets to those spots.βΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Huskies had a visitor in the crowd: forward Marquese Chriss, a rookie with the Phoenix Suns.
Before last season, Chriss wasnβt thought to be a one-and-done, but after flashing his athletic potential β heβs a 6-9 forward β Chrissβ stock went through the roof and he left early, leaving the talent cupboard relatively bear by the time Fultz arrived.
In two games against Arizona last year β both losses β Chriss averaged 15.5 points and six rebounds per game.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Wildcats are usually good for one highlight-reel-worthy dunk per game.
Arizona mightβve had its best one of the season on Sunday, at least since Rawle Alkins jumped over Sean Miller during the Red/Blue Gameβs dunk contest.
With 4:33 left in the game, after driving the baseline past two Washington defenders, freshman guard Kobi Simmons rose up to the rim by UW guard Matisse Thybulle, performed a double-pump fake that sent Thybulle flying, and, still in the air, dunked the ball home with two hands.
After the game, ESPN sent out a mobile alert with the caption: βArizonaβs Kobi Simmons drives baseline and throws down next-level double-pump slam vs. WashingtonβΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
@FakeRichRod: "Coach Miller, you just won $10,000,000!!!" Coach Miller: "(expletive) THAT IT COULDVE BEEN $10,000,001!!!" β a parody Rich Rodriguez account. Despite the 11-point win, Miller punished Arizonaβs players for their performance by not making any of them available for postgame interviews.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
With 3:02 remaining in Sundayβs game, Washington star Markelle Fultz went to the free-throw line with the Huskies down by 10 points.
Fultz has star power at a level beyond what Arizona fans have experienced at McKale Center in a long time.
He is the likely top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, receiving nearly universal praise from the scouting community despite Washingtonβs struggles this season.
So Fultz stepped up to the free-throw line, and Arizonaβs ZonaZoo student section felt it was an apt moment to start chanting βover-rated.β
Not quite, but the chant seemed effective β Fultz missed both attempts and all four he tried on the day.
But even in a game that one could classify as βa struggleβ for Fultz, the star guard still tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one block, though he did shoot 8 of 23 from the field while missing all four 3-point attempts.
Still, Fultz is as big a name as there is in college basketball, and he impressed.
There were multiple national reporters in town to check Fultz out β Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, as well as The Ringerβs NBA writer Kevin OβConnor, who flew out from Boston.
Washington dropped to 9-12 on the season with Sundayβs loss, but Fultz remains the Huskiesβ saving grace.
βHeβs been learning. About five games ago you could see that he elevated his play,β Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said.
βHe was already doing well, then it was something even different. Like, heβs even better right now.β
On the season, Fultz is averaging 23.7 points, 6.2 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game and has scored more than 30 points five times.
After the game, OβConnor asked Fultz questions about which NBA players he watches and tries to model his game after. He named Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, though he wants to be his own type of player, he said.
βYou talk about Markelle Fultz β in any single game, heβs capable of putting his team on his back and winning it,β UA coach Sean Miller said.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
13: Minutes played by UA point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who finished with zero shot attempts for the second straight game, no assists and three turnovers. Miller said Jackson-Cartwright is healthy, but βit just didnβt go his way.βΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Itβs pretty rare that Arizona will face a team with a player with more hype for the next level than Lauri Markkanen.
It happened against UCLA, with Lonzo Ball, a presumptive Top-5 NBA Draft pick.
And, of course, it happened again with Fultz.
It wasnβt Markkanenβs best game β he finished with 12 points, six rebounds, four fouls and three turnovers β but he made a key late-game 3-pointer, and Romar was thoroughly impressed by the Finnish freshman.
Romarβs scouting report: βTheir freshmen are good, but him in particular; thereβs no one in college basketball like him, with that package. Heβs very gifted. β¦
βJust his poise, playing purposeful basketball. He knows what heβs doing, he knows you canβt stop him, he just gets to those spots.βΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
The Huskies had a visitor in the crowd: forward Marquese Chriss, a rookie with the Phoenix Suns.
Before last season, Chriss wasnβt thought to be a one-and-done, but after flashing his athletic potential β heβs a 6-9 forward β Chrissβ stock went through the roof and he left early, leaving the talent cupboard relatively bear by the time Fultz arrived.
In two games against Arizona last year β both losses β Chriss averaged 15.5 points and six rebounds per game.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
The Wildcats are usually good for one highlight-reel-worthy dunk per game.
Arizona mightβve had its best one of the season on Sunday, at least since Rawle Alkins jumped over Sean Miller during the Red/Blue Gameβs dunk contest.
With 4:33 left in the game, after driving the baseline past two Washington defenders, freshman guard Kobi Simmons rose up to the rim by UW guard Matisse Thybulle, performed a double-pump fake that sent Thybulle flying, and, still in the air, dunked the ball home with two hands.
After the game, ESPN sent out a mobile alert with the caption: βArizonaβs Kobi Simmons drives baseline and throws down next-level double-pump slam vs. WashingtonβΒ
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
@FakeRichRod: "Coach Miller, you just won $10,000,000!!!" Coach Miller: "(expletive) THAT IT COULDVE BEEN $10,000,001!!!" β a parody Rich Rodriguez account. Despite the 11-point win, Miller punished Arizonaβs players for their performance by not making any of them available for postgame interviews.Β
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