When Parker Jackson-Cartwright somehow jumped and snagged a rebound away from Oregon’s Dylan Ennis in the Pac-12 title game, it was significant in more ways than one.
Arizona was clinging to a four-point lead with less than a minute remaining, and UA coach Sean Miller called it the biggest defensive rebound of the game.
It may have been the most surprising one, too. Jackson-Cartwright is listed at 5 feet 11 inches, though he’s probably closer to 5-8. Ennis is listed at 6-2.
The rebound was a rare flashy moment for Jackson-Cartwright, Arizona’s steadying force at point guard. The Los Angeles native has spent much of his junior season coming off the bench. When he plays, he rarely turns the ball over or misses from 3-point range.
Jackson-Cartwright is a distributor, a pass-first player who scores within the flow of the offense.
Fellow point guard Kadeem Allen is a 6-5 attacker and UA’s go-to defender.
The two are keys to Arizona’s NCAA chances. In Arizona’s 32 NCAA Tournament appearances from 1976 to 2016, point guard play has been the key to success. When the guards struggle, Arizona loses. In the UA’s 31 NCAA Tournament losses since 1976, the point guards have averaged just 10.9 points and 3.6 assists per game.
Jackson-Cartwright’s numbers — he averages 5.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game — don’t jump off the page. Deeper metrics, however, show just how valuable he has become. Jackson-Cartwright has the eighth-best assist percentage (28.8) among NCAA Tournament guards who have played in more than 20 games.
Jackson-Cartwright also has the third-highest offensive plus/minus rating (4.2) on Arizona’s roster, behind Lauri Markkanen (7.8) and Allonzo Trier (6.9).
“Parker is playing the best basketball of his career,” coach Sean Miller says.
Added center Dusan Ristic: “When he’s in the game, our ball movement is great. He’s a pass-first player who cares about other players more than himself.”
Allen was voted to both the Pac-12’s All-Conference and All-Defensive teams by the conference’s coaches, and his 5.9 defensive plus/minus ranking is the best mark in the West Region for all guards who play more than 20 minutes per game.
About Allen, Miller said: “He’s a winner. There’s no coincidence that we’ve won both the regular season title and the conference tournament title in his senior year. He’s got a lot to do with it.”
Jackson-Cartwright is well aware of Arizona’s rich history at point guard. It’s not called Point Guard U for nothing, right?
“It’s big shoes to fill,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “I’m not trying to be anybody else but myself. I can’t be Mike Bibby, I can’t be Jason Gardner, I just try to be myself. I’m unique in different ways than them, and I try to bring that every day.”
It’s true — Allen and Jackson-Cartwright, together or separate, will never make any all-time lists when it comes to Arizona’s history at point guard. If history proves anything, though, they might make — or break — Arizona’s chances.
“We have to be locked in. Maybe even more locked in all the time than everyone else because we have the biggest responsibility,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “We both bring different things, but it’s the same goal when we’re leading out there. I’m trying to do a great job.”
