Scouting report: No. 17 Arizona Wildcats vs. Colorado Buffaloes
- Updated
Prepare for Arizona's game against Colorado on Saturday with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Matchup: Colorado (10-5, 0-2 Pac-12) at No. 17 Arizona (14-2, 3-0)
Location: McKale Center, Tucson
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The series: Arizona has won seven of its last eight games with Colorado, but the Buffs beat the Wildcats 75-72 in Boulder last season, prompting the student “C-Unit” section to spill on to the floor in front of the UA bench and cause UA coach Sean Miller to warn that legal implications could be next if a player retaliates out of self-defense. Miller’s comments appeared to help lead to the Pac-12’s new court-storming fines implemented for this season. Arizona then beat the Buffaloes two weeks later in the Pac-12 Tournament, charging ahead 37-20 at halftime and holding on for an 82-78 win.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Buffs have shuffled things around a bit without low-post mainstay Josh Scott, but they return nearly everyone else and have wing Xavier Johnson back from an Achilles injury. As a result, they’re back to playing the kind of stubborn, almost Arizona-like man-to-man defense that has been a staple under coach Tad Boyle. The Buffs won’t gamble excessively for steals but they keep opponents under 40-percent field goal shooting and are allowing just 30.6 percent from three-point territory. Overall, they allow 96.8 points per 100 opponent possessions, the 54th best defensive efficiency in Division I. However, those defensive numbers rose after CU allowed ASU to shoot 46.8 percent in the Sun Devils’ 78-77 home win over Colorado on Thursday. Wing George King, who was the Pac-12 most improved player last season, shot just 1for 9 and missed all six three-pointers he took in Tempe. Derrick White, the former Division II star, threw in 35 points for the Buffs, who lost after ASU’s Tra Holder hit two free throws with 1.6 seconds left.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Somehow, White was virtually unrecruited out of a suburban Denver high school. Then he led Division II Colorado-Colorado Springs to two NCAA tournaments, scored a school-record 1,912 points in three seasons, before dazzling on a bigger stage this season as a dynamic scorer, passer and defender for the Buffs.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
So who wants to bet against Ristic after he’s scored 22.3 percent of UA’s total points over the past three games? The Buffs are capable and experienced defensively but they don’t have the size to match UA’s Serbian 7-footer.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“They don't have the same low-post presence that Josh Scott gave them but they now have a bunch of versatile guys around the same size who can create mismatches. It’s not (Wesley) Gordon’s forte to score in the low post but he’s averaging almost three offensive rebounds a game and that’s where he really hurt us last year. And they’re different. Josh Fortune, George King, Xavier Johnson — they’re all in that 6-5, 6-6, 7-6 range with ability to score over you with a three or drive it. That’s what makes them so unique on offense. They have versatility, good length, good range and good overall size and good quickness. Derrick White is as good as anyone in the league. He leads in assists by large margin, he’s second in blocks, second in scoring, he’s money from the free-throw line. He’s won games for them all by himself.” — UA assistant coach Mark Phelps, who scouted the Buffaloes.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Arizona-ASU rivalry won’t be renewed again until Thursday at McKale Center, but ASU coach Bobby Hurley has already heated things up.
In a video of his postgame talk with the Sun Devils after they edged Colorado on Thursday, Hurley is shown telling his players to take care of themselves before facing Utah because “if anyone wants a win here (in Arizona), they gotta go to (bleeping)…”
His players shouted the answer with him.
“Tucson!!!”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
While UA guard Kadeem Allen was seen limping during Thursday’s UA-Utah game, athletic trainer Justin Kokoskie said Friday he suffered only a right knee bruise and is fine.
Colorado forward Xavier Johnson, meanwhile, will play in Saturday’s game despite being tossed at ASU Thursday because of a flagrant 2 foul.
A Pac-12 spokesman told the Star on Friday that Johnson and ASU’s Jethro Tshisumpa were assessed the flagrant 2 fouls and ejected for “extreme contact,” but that neither was deemed to have participated in a fight, which carries an additional next-game suspension.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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.”
Ristic wound up honoring his grandfather by leading the Wildcats to their 66-56 win over Utah on Thursday, collecting 18 points and eight rebounds.
Though Ristic made no mention of it during his postgame interview Thursday, he later tweeted thanks to supporters.
“Thank you to everyone sending their condolences about my grandfather,” he said. “I will miss him greatly. I would like to dedicate this win to him.”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
UA guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright said he hasn’t really watched the “At All Costs” documentary on club basketball that stars him (while playing for a Nike-sponsored club) and former UA guard Gabe York (Adidas) “because it’s hard to watch myself on TV.”
But Jackson-Cartwright said he thought it was put well together and was glad that people have had a chance to see it. Among other things, the movie shows Jackson-Cartwright participating in endless camps, tournaments and workouts – and the passionate involvement of his father, Ramon.
Asked about his dad’s starring role, 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.”
UA coach Sean Miller, meanwhile, 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?”
The one comment Miller had was wondering “who got paid for making it? That would be my concern. Who’s making money on these guys?”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
4: Fifth-year seniors on Colorado’s roster (Wesley Gordon, Xavier Johnson, Josh Fortune and Derrick White).
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
6.3: Number of assists Jackson-Cartwright has had for every turnover since his return from an ankle injury on Dec. 30.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
14: Straight games UA has won at McKale Center since its loss to Oregon on Jan. 28, 2016.
The series: Arizona has won seven of its last eight games with Colorado, but the Buffs beat the Wildcats 75-72 in Boulder last season, prompting the student “C-Unit” section to spill on to the floor in front of the UA bench and cause UA coach Sean Miller to warn that legal implications could be next if a player retaliates out of self-defense. Miller’s comments appeared to help lead to the Pac-12’s new court-storming fines implemented for this season. Arizona then beat the Buffaloes two weeks later in the Pac-12 Tournament, charging ahead 37-20 at halftime and holding on for an 82-78 win.
The Buffs have shuffled things around a bit without low-post mainstay Josh Scott, but they return nearly everyone else and have wing Xavier Johnson back from an Achilles injury. As a result, they’re back to playing the kind of stubborn, almost Arizona-like man-to-man defense that has been a staple under coach Tad Boyle. The Buffs won’t gamble excessively for steals but they keep opponents under 40-percent field goal shooting and are allowing just 30.6 percent from three-point territory. Overall, they allow 96.8 points per 100 opponent possessions, the 54th best defensive efficiency in Division I. However, those defensive numbers rose after CU allowed ASU to shoot 46.8 percent in the Sun Devils’ 78-77 home win over Colorado on Thursday. Wing George King, who was the Pac-12 most improved player last season, shot just 1for 9 and missed all six three-pointers he took in Tempe. Derrick White, the former Division II star, threw in 35 points for the Buffs, who lost after ASU’s Tra Holder hit two free throws with 1.6 seconds left.
Somehow, White was virtually unrecruited out of a suburban Denver high school. Then he led Division II Colorado-Colorado Springs to two NCAA tournaments, scored a school-record 1,912 points in three seasons, before dazzling on a bigger stage this season as a dynamic scorer, passer and defender for the Buffs.
So who wants to bet against Ristic after he’s scored 22.3 percent of UA’s total points over the past three games? The Buffs are capable and experienced defensively but they don’t have the size to match UA’s Serbian 7-footer.
“They don't have the same low-post presence that Josh Scott gave them but they now have a bunch of versatile guys around the same size who can create mismatches. It’s not (Wesley) Gordon’s forte to score in the low post but he’s averaging almost three offensive rebounds a game and that’s where he really hurt us last year. And they’re different. Josh Fortune, George King, Xavier Johnson — they’re all in that 6-5, 6-6, 7-6 range with ability to score over you with a three or drive it. That’s what makes them so unique on offense. They have versatility, good length, good range and good overall size and good quickness. Derrick White is as good as anyone in the league. He leads in assists by large margin, he’s second in blocks, second in scoring, he’s money from the free-throw line. He’s won games for them all by himself.” — UA assistant coach Mark Phelps, who scouted the Buffaloes.
The Arizona-ASU rivalry won’t be renewed again until Thursday at McKale Center, but ASU coach Bobby Hurley has already heated things up.
In a video of his postgame talk with the Sun Devils after they edged Colorado on Thursday, Hurley is shown telling his players to take care of themselves before facing Utah because “if anyone wants a win here (in Arizona), they gotta go to (bleeping)…”
His players shouted the answer with him.
“Tucson!!!”
While UA guard Kadeem Allen was seen limping during Thursday’s UA-Utah game, athletic trainer Justin Kokoskie said Friday he suffered only a right knee bruise and is fine.
Colorado forward Xavier Johnson, meanwhile, will play in Saturday’s game despite being tossed at ASU Thursday because of a flagrant 2 foul.
A Pac-12 spokesman told the Star on Friday that Johnson and ASU’s Jethro Tshisumpa were assessed the flagrant 2 fouls and ejected for “extreme contact,” but that neither was deemed to have participated in a fight, which carries an additional next-game suspension.
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.”
Ristic wound up honoring his grandfather by leading the Wildcats to their 66-56 win over Utah on Thursday, collecting 18 points and eight rebounds.
Though Ristic made no mention of it during his postgame interview Thursday, he later tweeted thanks to supporters.
“Thank you to everyone sending their condolences about my grandfather,” he said. “I will miss him greatly. I would like to dedicate this win to him.”
UA guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright said he hasn’t really watched the “At All Costs” documentary on club basketball that stars him (while playing for a Nike-sponsored club) and former UA guard Gabe York (Adidas) “because it’s hard to watch myself on TV.”
But Jackson-Cartwright said he thought it was put well together and was glad that people have had a chance to see it. Among other things, the movie shows Jackson-Cartwright participating in endless camps, tournaments and workouts – and the passionate involvement of his father, Ramon.
Asked about his dad’s starring role, 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.”
UA coach Sean Miller, meanwhile, 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?”
The one comment Miller had was wondering “who got paid for making it? That would be my concern. Who’s making money on these guys?”
4: Fifth-year seniors on Colorado’s roster (Wesley Gordon, Xavier Johnson, Josh Fortune and Derrick White).
6.3: Number of assists Jackson-Cartwright has had for every turnover since his return from an ankle injury on Dec. 30.
14: Straight games UA has won at McKale Center since its loss to Oregon on Jan. 28, 2016.
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