PULLMAN, Wash. β In a weird way, Parker Jackson-Cartwright can probably credit his practice jersey for pushing him into the best game of his season.
Jackson-Cartwright was trying to screen out Allen during a 4-on-4 drill during Tuesdayβs practice, when he brushed by Allen and caught his right pinky in his jersey.
βIβm literally trying to pass him on a cut and his hand just got stuck in my jersey and the next thing you knowβ¦β Jackson-Cartwright said. "It was crazy.β
It was painful. For Allen to receive. And for everyone else to watch.
βI think he had seven stitches and a lot of blood," UA coach Sean Miller said. "I think he scared everyone, including himself and so as long as heβs safe in terms of infection every day that goes by is a big, big day.β
Allen wound up suffering a dislocated right pinky, and Miller said he was surprised it did not involve a fracture.
βThatβs the remarkable part," Miller said. "Justin (Kokoskie, UA athletic trainer) said thereβs usually a break. It was a not a break at all. It was a dislocation. It popped (back) in and everythingβs stable. He actually has range of motion. Obviously, itβs sore and its on his shooting hand.
"Heβll get better over the weekend; itβs just a matter of Saturday.β
Yes, Saturday. Thatβs the game against Washington, when the Wildcats obviously could use Allen to defend Markelle Fultz. But UA described Allenβs injury as βday-to-day,β and Miller sounded like Saturday's game was a lot iffier than UA's games against USC and UCLA next week.
βI think he couldβ play against Washington, Miller said. βHe certainly could not.β
Sounds like Dusan Ristic has a better chance of playing Saturday, though Miller said he was concerned because it was the first time Ristic had sprained his left ankle. Ristic is in the questionable category, too, at least until UA sees how he responds overnight.
Miller knew Jackson-Cartwright let the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting percentage in conference games, and could run the team.
But 20 points on 5-for-7 shooting, plus three assists and four steals in 35 minutes on Thursday against WSU? Even that appeared beyond Millerβs expectation.
βHe played great,β Miller said. βYou look a kid in the eye and say, `Hey youβre gonna start. We need you to step upβ -- and he responds with a career high. Heβs a big reason we won the game.β
While Lauri Markkanen didnβt quite break out of his perimeter shooting slump, he created more offense in precisely the way Miller had planned: By posting up and converting offensive rebounds into second shots.
Markkanen was 1 for 4 from 3-point range but 6 of 9 everywhere else.
βWeβve worked with him on that and talked to him a lot about that,β Miller said. βWeβve changed a few things with our scheme but he has to help himself.
"Having the game that he had -- six offensive rebounds, six twos -- he used his size tonight in big way and thatβs a great sign for both him and our team because everybody knows that he can shoot the 3, and itβs a matter of can he punish smaller people and big guys around the basket. Weβve seen him get better in that area and tonight he put it all together.β
Markkanen said heβs been trying to expand his game after watching defenses more often switch ball screens and make it harder for him to find open looks.
βIβm trying to focus on different things, rebounding the ball, playing defense,β Markkanen said. βIβm not worried about (shooting), just trying to help the team win."
Miller said he hasnβt coached a guard who pulled down 12 defensive rebounds in a game the way Allonzo Trier did at WSU, though Trier was just 3 of 13 shooting from the field.
βHeβs still finding his way,β Miller said. βSometimes he forces the issue, trying to get a comfort level on finding a shot but heβs an efficient type of guy. He doesnβt need to do that. Thatβs part of what we have to continue to work with him on.β
The Spokesman-Review game story discussed how WSU coach Ernie Kent called out his guys after the game.
Our game story, photo gallery and seen-and-heard notes are attached to this post, as are the box score and stats in PDF form.Β
