Game info

What: No. 9 Arizona (19-4, 9-1) at Washington (16-6, 6-3)

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle 

When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday

Watch: Pac-12 Arizona

Listen: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Follow: @TheWildcaster on Twitter / TheWildcaster on Facebook

Probable starters: Arizona

Probable starters: Washington

How they match up

Series history

The Wildcats have beaten the Huskies eight straight times, though three of their last four games in Seattle were decided by eight points or less. The UA won 77-66 last season at McKale Center, when Allonzo Trier had 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists in his third game back from a 19-game suspension. The Wildcats also won 76-68 on Feb. 18 in Seattle despite not having Kadeem Allen and Dusan Ristic because of injuries. Lauri Markkanen had 26 points and 13 rebounds to lead the UA in that game.

Washington overview

The Huskies are the surprise of conference play so far, having stuffed their length and athleticism into the 2-3 zone defense favored by new coach Mike Hopkins. Not only did they beat Kansas in the nonconference season, but UW also beat USC in Los Angeles and knocked off ASU on Thursday while holding the Sun Devils to just 26.3 percent shooting from 3-point territory and getting 21 points and 16 rebounds from Noah Dickerson.

The Huskies are the Pac-12’s most efficient defense, having converted Lorenzo Romar’s pressure man-to-man defense into a zone featuring length and athleticism. They put long wing Matisse Thybulle and point guard David Crisp at the top while Dickerson either plays in the middle or, if the 6-11 Sam Timmons is in the game, moves to one of the corners.

In Pac-12 games, the Huskies allow opponents to make only 27 percent of their 3-pointers, by far the smallest mark in conference play, and are tied with UCLA in allowing the lowest overall field goal shooting (42.2 percent). They also allow the fewest points scored against (67.4) in Pac-12 games, while Arizona and Washington are tied with the most average blocked shots in conference games (4.7). Individually, Thybulle leads the Pac-12 in steals per conference game (3.0)

He said it

“Thybulle obviously is a game-changer with his steals and his blocked shots. It’s a perfect style of defense for his talents but it’s not just him. It’s everybody. I think those guys have really bought in to what Mike (Hopkins) and his staff have wanted to bring. I’ll give them credit. That’s not easy to do." — UA coach Sean Miller

Key player: Matisse Thybulle

The long, athletic wing is a perfect fit along the top of the Huskies’ 2-3 zone, disrupting passes and shots so well that his coach refers to him as “Spider-Man.” Thybulle broke Washington’s single-season steals record on Thursday against ASU and the Huskies still could play at least a dozen more games.

Key player: Allonzo Trier

The Wildcats’ Seattle native had 21 points last season at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, and that was less than a month after his season began after a 19-game suspension. Now he’s on a tear, hitting 15 of 17 shots in his last two games.

Alkins likely to start

Rawle Alkins may be back in the Arizona Wildcats’ lineup for good, even as the team treats him cautiously after he experienced renewed soreness in his previously broken right foot.

UA coach Sean Miller said Alkins will likely start on Saturday at Washington after playing 16 minutes at Washington State on Wednesday.

Alkins missed three of the UA’s previous four games with continued soreness in his previously broken right foot, and he also sat out practice Thursday after the WSU game. Miller said Alkins may also sit out some Monday practices during normal game weeks, though Miller said he practiced fully on Friday and does not have a minute restriction on him in Saturday’s game.

“Against Washington State, because he took so much time, we just wanted to make sure and check with him during the game and after the game. But he’s doing fine,” Miller said. “We’re gonna err on the side of caution and not put him at risk. He knows that.

“And in his case it’s just a matter of him being honest in how he feels and we kind of react to that. But we really anticipate him being with us from now until the end.”

Dawg lover

Washington’s oft-rowdy Dawg Pack section of student fans may be matched in enthusiasm and animation by new head coach Mike Hopkins.

This was how Hopkins described the student fans’ support as they helped Washington hang on to a two-point lead entering the final two minutes Thursday against ASU:

“You feel it. When you’re sitting down there and I start getting goose bumps and I’m supposed to be coaching? That’s when you know it’s really, really good. That Dawg Pack, everybody starts standing up at the end, when we needed to get those stops.”

Hopkins went on, gesturing wildly.

“That’s what it’s all about. That’s a great college basketball environment. That’s what gets you wins in close games. That was awesome. I was blown away. Bottom line? Simple. Crisp and clean and no caffeine. Boom. Bunt the runner to third. Boom, sacrifice fly. C’mon in. It was awesome.”

Romar’s return

But the Hec Ed crowd may take it easy on UA associate head coach Lorenzo Romar, who will be returning to the same building where he spent 15 seasons as head coach before he was fired last spring.

At least that’s what UA guard Allonzo Trier figures.

“I’m sure he’ll get a warm welcome for everything he accomplished there and how much he meant to that program,” said Trier, a native of Seattle.

Among those who will provide a welcome: Washington forward Noah Dickerson, who spent two seasons under Romar and still exchanges text messages with him occasionally.

Dickerson said it will “of course” seem strange to see Romar on the visitor’s bench, but at least he’ll be around.

“He’s a great guy, a great man,” Dickerson said. “It will be nice to see him again.”

Numbers game

2

Pac-10/12 schools to go 6-3 in the first half of league play after having no more than two wins all of the previous season (Washington this season and Stanford in 1993-94).

3

Straight Washington wins in Pac-12 play, the most the Huskies have strung together since the beginning of the 2015-16 league season.

41

Shots blocked by Deandre Ayton so far this season, already the most by a UA player since Jordan Hill swatted away 58 in 2008-09.