On the traditional eve of the Arizona basketball season Sunday, Sean Miller was forced to stretch 10 key guys into a five-on-five scrimmage for 24 minutes.
This season, the Arizona coach has only two veteran inside players, a bunch of wings who could be but aren’t yet standouts, and a highly regarded freshman combo guard who is going to have to do it all, right now.
During Sunday’s Red-Blue Game, which the Red team won 39-33 despite nine points and 14 rebounds from Blue center Chase Jeter, Miller also went without a freshman whose UA future might already be in doubt, too. Belgian forward Omar Theielmans wasn’t present Sunday and Miller said he’s also missed recent practices.
“It’s a longer-term thing,” Miller said. “He missed today because of personal reasons and I think we’ll expound on that as we move through this week.”
So there were plenty of things Miller did not have. But there was also one thing that he does have, and that may matter the most on and off the court this season: Support, from his own bosses and from fans that sold out and once again nearly filled McKale Center for its preseason celebration.
During his pregame address to the crowd, Miller said Arizona fans were the best in the country, thanking them along with UA president Robert Robbins and athletic director Dave Heeke while alluding to the off-court issues he and his program have faced.
“When certain things aren’t going as expected, it really is amazing how you learn who is in your corner and who isn’t,” Miller told the crowd.
After the game, while Miller said he appreciated that 14,500 vocal fans show up regularly no matter who the Wildcats play, he also recognized that Sunday’s crowd was somewhat different. Because the Red-Blue Game is not on UA’s season-ticket package, it mixes in regular fans with many non-regulars who bring a noticeable appreciation.
“It confused me for one time,” Miller said. But once “we all figured out who’s in the building, it’s just amazing to see their passion for our program. To have them with us, it’s very meaningful … because in many cases this is their one shot to see this year’s team.
“We add a great thanks to them, to anybody who attends today’s game. It’s 12 noon. It’s Sunday. They don’t have to do that. And, by the way, it’s on TV. So for them to come out means a lot.”
The crowd also may have helped Arizona’s recruiting efforts, with UA commits Nico Mannion and Josh Green sitting in the front row of McKale Center’s west side along with five-star targets Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Zeke Nnaji and their families.
Mannion was interested enough that he even whipped out his phone to record the UA’s pregame dunk contest, which sophomore wing Brandon Randolph won for the second straight season in part by taking a ball off the side of the backboard and whipping in a windmill dunk.
Among the dunk judges was former UA guard Jerryd Bayless, who joined Deandre Ayton in being added to Ring of Honor. Ayton gave a video address and promised to be at McKale later this season.
Brandon Williams, a talented freshman combo guard, can explain what the Red-Blue atmosphere means. He sat in the stands the past two years, last year as a committed recruit.
“It was actually a dream come true. A dream come true,” Williams said. “I was committed last year at the time and I was like ‘wow.’ It was an honor and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
With that passion, of course, comes some pressure to do well. Williams had six points, but had three turnovers to his two assists for a Blue team that led 21-18 at halftime but was outscored by nine in the second half.
“I gotta be better with the ball,” Williams said. “And as a team, we gotta be better overall.”
While Williams will be counted on to play both point guard and shooting guard — moving off the ball whenever he’s in the game with grad transfer Justin Coleman — the Wildcats also displayed an intriguing hint of the future from their other active freshman, Devonaire Doutrive.
With just 175 pounds on his athletic 6-foot-5 frame, Doutrive was a human pogo stick not only in the pregame dunk contest but also in the game. He went 4 for 5 from the field for nine points while recording two steals, and three turnovers to his three assists.
“The best is yet to come for Devonaire,” Miller said. “You can’t judge him at all on today. Physically, he’ll get bigger and stronger and more accustomed to playing at this level. But he’s a great kid, and hasn’t missed one thing since he’s been here. His consistent effort is something we’re really excited about.”
But despite that future promise, Sunday’s scrimmage also indicated this: The Wildcats could be largely powered by their veterans.
Not veterans of dozens of McKale Center games, but veterans of college basketball: Jeter played two seasons at Duke, Luther played parts of four seasons at Pitt, Coleman spent two years at Alabama and one at Samford.
On Sunday, Jeter led both teams in rebounding while Luther had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal while hitting a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left that put the game away for the Red team.
“I’m just trying to help the team out in any way I can, just be myself,” Luther said. “Obviously we have a lot of new guys but a big sophomore class and some good young guys.”
From that sophomore class, Lee led the way with 12 points and three rebounds, while Emmanuel Akot and Randolph had eight points each and Alex Barcello had three points and an assist.
But stats don’t tend to mean much in the Red-Blue Game. The Wildcats are still over two weeks away from their first exhibition game, against Western New Mexico on Oct. 30, when box scores start taking on more meaning.
“This game is really to just get some insight,” Williams said. “Like coach said, he’s not even gonna watch this game. It’s really just to show the fans what we’re about and what to expect in the long run.”
And for the fans to show the players what they’re about, too.
