In a time of need, Arizona basketball's role players take advantage of opportunities

For much of the season, off to the side of his team’s historic 23-0 start, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was constantly dishing patience to some of his players.

At least in his public explanations, Lloyd offered plenty of encouragement to Anthony Dell’Orso, that his shooting would come around when the Wildcats need it. 

Lloyd told high-potential but long-term prospect Sidi Gueye in December, after using him only sparingly, to start getting ready for a big-game appearance in about four weeks. (It actually took a little over eight weeks, but more on that later).

And Lloyd apologized to grad transfer guard Evan Nelson, saying earlier this season he had to sit him while he developed his freshmen instead.

The player-coach talks were quite a bit different this week.

Before the No. 4 Wildcats beat No. 23 BYU 75-68 at McKale Center on Wednesday, Lloyd had meetings with his team and individuals. Some of the words may have been obvious: Help was needed, ASAP, with starting forward Koa Peat out with a lower-leg strain, reserve forward Dwayne Aristode out for what Lloyd called a "short while" with an unspecified illness and starting guard Brayden Burries trying to play through some other sort of illness.

But there was also something of urgency to get across: Roles needed to be discussed, accepted, and excelled in — if the Wildcats were to avoid heading into a first-place showdown with Houston on Saturday on a three-game losing streak.

Typically, Lloyd described it all in measured tones.

“We had conversations, for sure, but it wasn't anything … you know, the house wasn't on fire,” he said. “We met because obviously we had to get our collective thoughts together to figure out what we wanted to do, if we wanted to play different lineups, have a different rotation, look at some different actions at both ends of the floor. We wanted to make sure we were efficient.

“We weren't just spraying darts.”

The result was visible immediately Wednesday. While sixth man Tobe Awaka predictably moved into Peat’s starting role, Gueye was in the game after less than four minutes, making a highly unusual prime time appearance.

Gueye first came in to replace center Motiejus Krivas after the first three minutes, while Nelson hit the floor just over two minutes later to play alongside Jaden Bradley on the perimeter.

Meanwhile, Dell’Orso appeared with Gueye and hit his first 3-pointer just 32 seconds after that. Dell'Orso finished with a season-high 22 points and hit half of his eight 3-pointers, his best overall 3-point shooting effort since he went 4 for 7 from 3 and scored 20 points in UA’s 69-65 win over UCLA on Nov. 14.

Maybe it looked like the sense of urgency, the moment, was exactly the sort of push Dell’Orso needed to break out of the shooting slump he’s had most of the Big 12 season.

But, as always, expressing confidence in his straightaway style, Dell’Orso said that really wasn’t the case.

“Nah, really, no,” Dell’Orso said. “I mean, I could say some brought-on answer, but I go out every game like I can do it every game.”

Lloyd pretty much has said as much about Dell’Orso, defending his Aussie wing consistently during some rough stretches. While Dell’Orso scored in double-figures regularly and shot 33.3% from 3-point range during nonconference play, he entered Wednesday’s game shooting only 23.5% from beyond the arc (8 of 34).

He had shown signs of a breakout coming, hitting 3 of 8 3-pointers over UA’s previous three games after making just 5 of 27 3s in nine Big 12 games before that.

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But on Wednesday, Dell'Orso not only hit 4 of 8 3-pointers but went to the basket aggressively on several occasions, including a game-sealing dunk with 32 seconds left off a feed from Bradley.

“I kept telling you guys, I'm no panic” about Dell’Orso, Lloyd said Wednesday. “I think Delly is gonna be ready to deliver when we need him most. Obviously, I couldn't have predicted it two or three weeks ago, but today, there was a significant need, and he stepped up.”

Dell’Orso’s shooting helped the Wildcats hit 9 of 21 3s against BYU, the fifth-most shots they have taken beyond the arc all season, having become known for preferring to pound the ball inside and make more free throws than their opponents attempt.

On Wednesday, BYU (13 of 16) made more free throws than UA took (8 of 12), and the Cougars also outscored the Wildcats in the paint 30-26.

It was a different game. The Wildcats were a different team.

“I felt that we needed to shoot a few 3s,” Lloyd said. “I know you guys think I'm anti-3, and that's fine. I'll wear that. But I felt like we got some good looks, especially in the first half. I thought in the second half we should have taken a few more.

“It's hard for me when I look at the number and I see more 3-point attempts than free throw attempts. But that's what the game called for, and luckily, we knocked down nine of them.”

Dell’Orso said afterward that it “feels great,” but said that was true for everyone, with so many others also playing well in a time of particular need.

“It's good to get a win like that at home, after the week we went through,” he said.

The Wildcats' other key contributors included different ones and regular ones who were different. Ivan Kharchenkov, the often-demonstrative starting wing from Germany, slipped in 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds, maybe before anybody knew it.

“Ivan has a quiet 18, is really efficient and plays some great defense,” Lloyd said. “Big-time effort by him.”

Gueye played just 10 minutes, but his presence was unusual and impossible to ignore. The lanky freshman from Senegal had four points, four rebounds and a steal — but three fouls — in 10 minutes.

He drew wild applause during a second-half sequence in which he threw in an alley-oop dunk off a feed from Bradley and then put in a basket on his offensive rebound.

The four-week wait had turned into eight weeks, but it was a big game that Gueye was finally a big part of.

“An opportunity arose... and Sidi did a great job," Lloyd said. "Our guys practice with him every day. They know how he can impact the game around the rim and how he can catch lobs. So I was really happy for Sidi. That was really kind of a shot in the arm for the crowd and for our team.”

Nelson didn’t get quite as noticeable a reaction, and didn’t get to play at all in the second half. But he did hold his own during four first-half minutes, with a rebound and a steal.

“Evan played great,” Lloyd said. “He probably could have gotten another run. It's just how we were managing the game in the second half that he didn't get one.

"I think he's going to get a few more opportunities here in the next week or so, and I'm sure he'll take advantage of them.”