Dusan Ristic found out Thursday morning his grandfather passed away, and he also knew there wasn’t much he could do about it.
“Unlike a lot of kids on our team, it’s not like he’s gonna be able to go home,” UA coach Sean Miller said. “He knew that and to watch him handle that, he’s a special guy. He played great tonight.”
With the help of his teammates, Ristic instead honored his grandfather in UA’s 66-56 win over Utah on Thursday. Ristic was available for comment only before Miller noted his grandfather’s death, and Ristic made no mention of it himself, but Ristic tweeted later that he wanted to dedicate the win to him.
As it turned out, Ristic was the offensive star of the game, for the third straight game. He had 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and one assist that Miller said was even better than any of the nine that Parker Jackson-Cartwright had – a skip-pass out of a trap to Rawle Alkins.
“Dusan -- he’s really good on offense right now,” Miller said. “I mean, you get him the ball and good things are happening. … To watch his development is fun because there isn’t a better kid playing college basketball than him. He’s worked hard.
Ristic also added 4-for-5 free throw shooting to bump his average to 78.0 from the line, which is second on the UA roster only to Lauri Markkanen and his 84.1 percent mark.
Even though Chance Comanche played only 13 minutes – Ristic played 26, and Lauri Markkanen 36 – Miller said all three of Comanche's field goals (on six tries) were big. Among others, Comanche had a dunk off a pass from Jackson-Cartwright midway through the second half that gave UA a 18-15 lead.
“We have a one-two punch there,” Miller said. “When Dusan’s out, Chance is in and a lot of good things are happening. Chance can play some four. He didn’t do that as much because Utah’s four man (Kyle Kuzma) is more mobile but that’s really in the cards, having Chance play really, really well with Dusan, I think that’s when our team’s at its best.
Jackson-Cartwright logged a post-injury high of 27 minutes, but said he still is not fully healed yet.
“Close,” he said. “There’s some things I can’t do offensively and defensively where my foot is limiting me. But I feel great when I get going and adrenaline is pumping.”
PJC said cutting side to side, and other little movements are the most troublesome.
While Jackson-Cartwright is 3 for 12 from the field since returning from his high ankle sprain on Dec. 30 at Cal, Miller said his shooting is the last part that will come around.
“He’s a much better shooter than he shows and it’s up to us as a coaching staff to help him get his confidence back from the 3-point line because when he does that, now he’s really playing great,” Miller said.
Utah entered the game shooting just 32.9 percent from 3-point territory and it’s safe to say the Wildcats were pretty aware of that number.
The Utes took several open threes while UA backed off them -- though not always intentionally -- yet were just 4 for 21 from long range.
“I do know they missed a few open threes but a part of our game plan is looking at the percentage they shot from three,” Miller said. “You never want to give them a wide-open one but that was something we were well aware of. They have some shooters that, maybe their percentage will rise, but they’re not necessarily shooting a great percentage right now. And tonight they didn’t.”
Miller described having Bill Raftery call the game for FS1 as something of a treat. Of course, Miller and Bill Raftery have had a pretty strong connection ever since that “Send It In, Jerome” moment, but Miller indicated his admiration came even before that point.
“I really miss him,” Miller said. “I usually see him in March. When you grow up in the East, (with) the Big East, then we saw him once a week and you get to know him and over the years, I have really a lot of admiration for him.
“In a world and a game where ego is so big, I don’t know if anybody has done a better job of representing college basketball and having no ego than Bill Raftery. If you talk to 100 college coaches, all 100 of them would say the same thing. Being out in the West, you don't see him as much, so it was great to have him here today. He’s a special, special guy. Does things right. I wish we could have him here more.”
Jackson-Cartwright said he hasn’t really watched the “At All Costs” documentary on club basketball that stars him (with a Nike club) and former UA guard Gabe York (Adidas) “because it’s hard to watch myself on TV.”
But PJC said he thought it was put together well and was glad that people have had a chance to see it. Among other things, the movie shows PJC in a string of endless camps, tournaments and workouts – while also showcasing the passionate involvement of his father, Ramon.
Asked about his dad’s role in the movie, PJC smiled and said, “I get snapchats from people (about him)… My dad is a big star in that movie. So it’s pretty cool.”
Miller said he didn’t have a comment because he hadn’t seen it.
“I think my wife might have seen it on an airplane,” he said. “Is that possible?”
Miller, however, asked “who got paid for making it? That would be my concern. Who’s making money on these guys?”
Xavier Johnson was ejected in Colorado's loss at ASU but he will not be suspended for Saturday's game at McKale Center.
A Pac-12 spokesman told the Star on Thursday that Johnson and ASU's Jethro Tshisumpa were cited for flagrant 2 fouls because of excessive contact but were deemed not to have participated in a fight, which results in an additional next-game suspension.
