Scouting report: No. 10 Arizona Wildcats vs. Sacred Heart Pioneers
- Updated
Prepare for Arizona's home game against Sacred Heart on Friday with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report.
Matchup: Sacred Heart (1-1) at No. 10 Arizona (2-0)
Event: Las Vegas Invitational (unbracketed game)
Location: McKale Center
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
G Parker Jackson-Cartwright (5-10 junior)
G Kobi Simmons (6-5 freshman)
G Rawle Alkins (6-5 freshman)
F Lauri Markkanen (7-0 freshman)
C Dusan Ristic (7-0 junior)
G Charles Tucker Jr. (6-1 junior)
G Sean Hoehn (6-2 sophomore)
F Quincy McKnight (6-3 sophomore)
F De’von Barnett (6-4 junior)
C Joseph Lopez (6-7 junior)
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The series: Arizona has never played Sacred Heart, but the Wildcats have had an easy time of it lately against opponents from the Northeast Conference where the Pioneers play. UA beat Bryant 100-60 in 2011-12, Fairleigh Dickenson 100-50 in 2013-14 and Mount St. Mary’s 78-55 in 2014-15.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Pioneers lost prolific scoring guard Cane Broome to an up-transfer to Cincinnati last spring, but still have a fearless scorer in small forward Quincy McKnight. They are bolstered by juco transfers Charles Tucker (at point guard) and Joseph Lopez (at center), while also getting De’von Barnett back from a medical redshirt and forward Mario Matasovic eligible after he sat out last season following a transfer from Western Michigan. Tucker is a solid facilitator who played at Tennessee State before going the juco route, while guard Sean Hoehn and reserve Matej Buovac are strong three-point shooters. Like Arizona’s first two opponents, the Pioneers are undersized up front, creating a drastic matchup difference. They are a good offensive rebounding team, however, a concern for Arizona after the Wildcats allowed Cal State Bakersfield 10 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second-chance points. Lopez, a Miami product who attended Winthrop before playing at Broward (Fla.) College last season, is strong but will be facing a five-inch deficit against Arizona’s 7-footers inside. Barnett was one of the most efficient scorers in the Northeast Conference before missing last season with a torn labrum, while Matasovic is an athletic Croatian who can shoot it with range. Defensively, the Pioneers have been strictly man-to-man so far this season.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Connecticut-based Pioneers have a new honors candidate in their homegrown sophomore, who has averaged 26.5 points over two games so far. His game is largely based on drives to the basket, but he has a respectable jump shot.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In his second game as a freshman, the Finnish big man scored 26 points, collected eight rebounds, hit all nine free throws he took and played three positions against a smaller club. That just doesn’t happen very often.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“They’re a transition team. They average 76 (points) a game so they’re trying to play with pace and tempo, and McKnight is really aggressive. He’s efficient and he’s not afraid of the moment. He can play anywhere in the country. He’s a really strong right-hand driver but he can do it all. If you’re not honest with him, he’ll hit the (jump) shot. Tucker’s not a three-point shooter but he’s a facilitator. Hoehn has good range and can stretch defenses. Lopez is productive because he offensive rebounds the ball. He’s had eight in two games. Matasovic is really skilled, has a mature game. Barnett is really athletic. He’s undersized (at power forward), but he can pick it.” and drive. He’s an offensive rebounder as well.” — UA assistant coach Book Richardson, who scouted the Pioneers
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Back in the fall of 2003, a Serbian big man named Ivan Radenovic stayed largely under the recruiting radar — until he signed up for the spring semester at UA and put on a Wildcat uniform for the rest of the 2003-04 season.
With only seven healthy scholarship guys as of earlier this week, UA coach Sean Miller might be tempted to make a similar move when the fall semester ends next month. But Miller said doing so would be tough because it would mean inserting a new player in with those who have had 50 practices and a full nonconference season under their belt already.
“That’s a hard one,” Miller said. “I’m not saying ‘no’ because you never know, but we’re not really looking at that. If we were to add a transfer it would probably be somebody sitting out like Dylan (Smith, a transfer from UNC Asheville) is doing for us right now.”
And even though there was a small chance 2017 signee Ira Lee could graduate in time to enroll this spring — either to play for the Wildcats or to continue his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury at UA — Miller said Lee would finish his senior season at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. Lee is expected to be fully cleared soon, Miller said, and begin playing for Crossroads.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona wing Rawle Alkins and injured guard Kadeem Allen should have been ejected for leaving the bench during a scuffle late in UA’s game with Cal State Bakersfield, a Pac-12 spokesman said Thursday after receiving clarification following a request from the Star.
However, the players were not subject to a technical foul or ejection because they weren’t cited for fighting. NCAA rules say bench players called for fighting are to be given flagrant 2 fouls and suspended for the next game.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The most famous athletic figure at Sacred Heart probably isn’t a football or basketball coach, or a player of any sort. It’s the AD.
Bobby Valentine is the same outspoken guy who played 10 years in the major leagues and managed the Rangers, Mets and Red Sox. He’s also the same guy who still owns two “Bobby V” restaurants, one in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, and the other in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Yet his role as what the school calls its “executive director of athletics” is not ceremonial by any means. Valentine regularly does the 30-minute commute from Stamford to the Sacred Heart campus in Fairfield, Connecticut, where the school says he has spearheaded efforts to add a conditioning staff and make numerous facility upgrades.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
For Sacred Heart, the Las Vegas Invitational is about much more than Las Vegas. It’s a 10-day road trip throughout the Western United States.
The Pioneers arrived in Tucson on Wednesday night, will play UA on Friday, then travel Saturday to San Francisco in advance of a Monday game with Santa Clara.
Both the UA and Santa Clara games are unbracketed games in the Las Vegas Invitational multi-team event, while Sacred Heart will also fly from the Bay area to Las Vegas on Tuesday and spend two days preparing for bracketed tournament games on Nov. 24 and 25.
Even though it’s a long trip, Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina said he’s fond of the format. Like many multi-team events, it creates four games for the “price” of three against the NCAA scheduling maximum, and for Sacred Heart, it allows a high-major matchup but also two neutral-site games in Las Vegas against comparable teams.
“It’s a good little tournament for us,” Latina said. “It’s a good trip, a good chance to bond for the guys and a good opportunity to play. You can test yourself at Arizona and then go to Vegas to play teams at our level.”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
1: Field goal Hofstra had over the final 4:05 Monday while Sacred Heart erased a nine-point deficit to win 90-86.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
8: Sacred Heart’s projected finish in the Northeast Conference, as voted on by the league’s coaches. The Pioneers were picked seventh last season but finished in a tie for second place.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
34: Straight home nonconference games Arizona has won. The Wildcats had an overall 49-game home-court streak broken last season in a loss to Oregon.
G Parker Jackson-Cartwright (5-10 junior)
G Kobi Simmons (6-5 freshman)
G Rawle Alkins (6-5 freshman)
F Lauri Markkanen (7-0 freshman)
C Dusan Ristic (7-0 junior)
G Charles Tucker Jr. (6-1 junior)
G Sean Hoehn (6-2 sophomore)
F Quincy McKnight (6-3 sophomore)
F De’von Barnett (6-4 junior)
C Joseph Lopez (6-7 junior)
The series: Arizona has never played Sacred Heart, but the Wildcats have had an easy time of it lately against opponents from the Northeast Conference where the Pioneers play. UA beat Bryant 100-60 in 2011-12, Fairleigh Dickenson 100-50 in 2013-14 and Mount St. Mary’s 78-55 in 2014-15.
The Pioneers lost prolific scoring guard Cane Broome to an up-transfer to Cincinnati last spring, but still have a fearless scorer in small forward Quincy McKnight. They are bolstered by juco transfers Charles Tucker (at point guard) and Joseph Lopez (at center), while also getting De’von Barnett back from a medical redshirt and forward Mario Matasovic eligible after he sat out last season following a transfer from Western Michigan. Tucker is a solid facilitator who played at Tennessee State before going the juco route, while guard Sean Hoehn and reserve Matej Buovac are strong three-point shooters. Like Arizona’s first two opponents, the Pioneers are undersized up front, creating a drastic matchup difference. They are a good offensive rebounding team, however, a concern for Arizona after the Wildcats allowed Cal State Bakersfield 10 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second-chance points. Lopez, a Miami product who attended Winthrop before playing at Broward (Fla.) College last season, is strong but will be facing a five-inch deficit against Arizona’s 7-footers inside. Barnett was one of the most efficient scorers in the Northeast Conference before missing last season with a torn labrum, while Matasovic is an athletic Croatian who can shoot it with range. Defensively, the Pioneers have been strictly man-to-man so far this season.
The Connecticut-based Pioneers have a new honors candidate in their homegrown sophomore, who has averaged 26.5 points over two games so far. His game is largely based on drives to the basket, but he has a respectable jump shot.
In his second game as a freshman, the Finnish big man scored 26 points, collected eight rebounds, hit all nine free throws he took and played three positions against a smaller club. That just doesn’t happen very often.
“They’re a transition team. They average 76 (points) a game so they’re trying to play with pace and tempo, and McKnight is really aggressive. He’s efficient and he’s not afraid of the moment. He can play anywhere in the country. He’s a really strong right-hand driver but he can do it all. If you’re not honest with him, he’ll hit the (jump) shot. Tucker’s not a three-point shooter but he’s a facilitator. Hoehn has good range and can stretch defenses. Lopez is productive because he offensive rebounds the ball. He’s had eight in two games. Matasovic is really skilled, has a mature game. Barnett is really athletic. He’s undersized (at power forward), but he can pick it.” and drive. He’s an offensive rebounder as well.” — UA assistant coach Book Richardson, who scouted the Pioneers
Back in the fall of 2003, a Serbian big man named Ivan Radenovic stayed largely under the recruiting radar — until he signed up for the spring semester at UA and put on a Wildcat uniform for the rest of the 2003-04 season.
With only seven healthy scholarship guys as of earlier this week, UA coach Sean Miller might be tempted to make a similar move when the fall semester ends next month. But Miller said doing so would be tough because it would mean inserting a new player in with those who have had 50 practices and a full nonconference season under their belt already.
“That’s a hard one,” Miller said. “I’m not saying ‘no’ because you never know, but we’re not really looking at that. If we were to add a transfer it would probably be somebody sitting out like Dylan (Smith, a transfer from UNC Asheville) is doing for us right now.”
And even though there was a small chance 2017 signee Ira Lee could graduate in time to enroll this spring — either to play for the Wildcats or to continue his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury at UA — Miller said Lee would finish his senior season at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. Lee is expected to be fully cleared soon, Miller said, and begin playing for Crossroads.
Arizona wing Rawle Alkins and injured guard Kadeem Allen should have been ejected for leaving the bench during a scuffle late in UA’s game with Cal State Bakersfield, a Pac-12 spokesman said Thursday after receiving clarification following a request from the Star.
However, the players were not subject to a technical foul or ejection because they weren’t cited for fighting. NCAA rules say bench players called for fighting are to be given flagrant 2 fouls and suspended for the next game.
The most famous athletic figure at Sacred Heart probably isn’t a football or basketball coach, or a player of any sort. It’s the AD.
Bobby Valentine is the same outspoken guy who played 10 years in the major leagues and managed the Rangers, Mets and Red Sox. He’s also the same guy who still owns two “Bobby V” restaurants, one in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, and the other in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Yet his role as what the school calls its “executive director of athletics” is not ceremonial by any means. Valentine regularly does the 30-minute commute from Stamford to the Sacred Heart campus in Fairfield, Connecticut, where the school says he has spearheaded efforts to add a conditioning staff and make numerous facility upgrades.
For Sacred Heart, the Las Vegas Invitational is about much more than Las Vegas. It’s a 10-day road trip throughout the Western United States.
The Pioneers arrived in Tucson on Wednesday night, will play UA on Friday, then travel Saturday to San Francisco in advance of a Monday game with Santa Clara.
Both the UA and Santa Clara games are unbracketed games in the Las Vegas Invitational multi-team event, while Sacred Heart will also fly from the Bay area to Las Vegas on Tuesday and spend two days preparing for bracketed tournament games on Nov. 24 and 25.
Even though it’s a long trip, Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina said he’s fond of the format. Like many multi-team events, it creates four games for the “price” of three against the NCAA scheduling maximum, and for Sacred Heart, it allows a high-major matchup but also two neutral-site games in Las Vegas against comparable teams.
“It’s a good little tournament for us,” Latina said. “It’s a good trip, a good chance to bond for the guys and a good opportunity to play. You can test yourself at Arizona and then go to Vegas to play teams at our level.”
1: Field goal Hofstra had over the final 4:05 Monday while Sacred Heart erased a nine-point deficit to win 90-86.
8: Sacred Heart’s projected finish in the Northeast Conference, as voted on by the league’s coaches. The Pioneers were picked seventh last season but finished in a tie for second place.
34: Straight home nonconference games Arizona has won. The Wildcats had an overall 49-game home-court streak broken last season in a loss to Oregon.
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