Scouting report: No. 19 Arizona Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies
- Updated
Prepare for Arizona's game against Texas A&M on Saturday morning with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report. Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Matchup:Β No. 19 Arizona (9-2) vs. Texas A&M (7-2)Β
Location:Β Toyota Center, HoustonΒ
Time:Β 10 a.m.Β
TV:Β ESPN2
Radio:Β 1290-AM, 107.5-FMΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The series: Arizona hasnβt played Texas A&M since the old Big 12/Pac-12 Hardwood Series forced them to play two games during the Wildcatsβ interim coaching years. The Wildcats (coached by Kevin OβNeill) beat the Aggies 78-67 in McKale Center in 2007-08 and (under Russ Pennell) lost 67-66 in 2008-09 in College Station where Chase Budinger missed a would-be game-winning fallaway jumper as time ran out.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Aggies are in much the same spot as Arizona, reloading with talented youth and size after four starters departed from a Sweet 16 team last season. They run much of their offense through center Tyler Davis, their lone returning starter, while another 6-10 big man, Tonny Trocha-Morelos, brings a three-point touch and some ballhandling to the power forward position. D.J. Hogg and Admon Gilder are the Aggiesβ top 3-point threats, though Texas A&M hits only 29.9 percent from long range overall. The Aggies recruited a grad transfer from Lipscomb, J.C. Hampton, to help distribute the ball and bring more experience. Texas A&M usually goes with an eight-man rotation and has five players averaging in double figures. Defensively, Texas A&Mβs size can be intimidating for opposing drivers. The Aggies block 17.2 percent of their opponentsβ two-point shots, the ninth-best mark in the country, and as a result opponents average just 39 percent shooting from inside the arc against them.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Dallas-area big man, once a recruiting target of Arizonaβs, was a preseason first-team all-SEC pick, and he picked up the conferenceβs player of the week award this week after averaging 18 points in three games last week.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
If the Aggiesβ size and strength suggests a rough game inside, the Wildcatsβ rugged small forward is probably OK with that. Alkins has been effective both inside and out so far this season, though his 3-pointer left him against Grand Canyon.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
One reason the Lipscomb Bisons are 4-9 so far this season might be directly attributable to the benches at the Toyota Center on Saturday.
Texas A&Mβs roster includes point guard J.C. Hampton, who was named second team all-Atlantic Sun last season while leading Lipscomb in scoring with an average of 15.9 points. Arizonaβs bench includes forward Talbott Denny, who was an Atlantic Sun Tournament all-tournament pick in 2014-15 before injuries sidelined him last season and this season.
The two are scheduled to make a reunion Saturday, but it wonβt be on the court because Denny tore his ACL in August and is sitting out.
βTalbottβs my guy,β Hampton said this week by phone from College Station. βWeβve basically been on the phone talking every day since we left (Lipscomb). I wish he was playing. I felt really bad when he got hurt.β
Denny was one reason Hampton says he looks back positively on his Lipscomb days.
βMy teammates made it the best experience,β Hampton said. βFor my four years, we were really close as a unit. I donβt think Iβve ever been on a team as close as we were. Definitely, those people will be at my wedding. Weβll stay connected.β
Hampton said it was βbittersweetβ feeling to leave Lipscomb but heβs now playing on a higher level in the SEC, on a team that needed veteran playmaking experience.
βMy role this year has been more of leader, being an extension of the coach on the floor,β Hampton said. βIt hasnβt been an issue at all, switching fromn being a scoring point guard to letting the game come to me.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When a reporter asked Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy this week if now might be a good time to play Arizona, considering the Wildcatsβ injuries and Allonzo Trierβs NCAA eligibility issue, Kennedy disagreed.
βI donβt know if thereβs ever a good time when youβre playing against McDonalds All-Americans,β Kennedy said. βThey still have great talent.β
Technically, he was a little off there. Unless Trier is cleared to play Saturday, the Wildcats will actually only have one McDonalds All-American on the floor β guard Kobi Simmons β though Rawle Alkins and Lauri Markkanen are on that talent level. Alkins wasnβt eligible as a fifth-year high school senior while Markkanen isnβt, well, American.
Markkanen was, however, named to the all-tournament team at the U20 European Championships, and Kennedy was one of many who flew to Finland to try to land him.
βHeβs one of the more talented players Iβve ever recruited,β Kennedy said. βHeβs about as close to Dirk (Nowitzki) as Iβve ever seen in college.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Wildcats enter the weekend free of schoolwork, with the fall semester having finished, though that was never much of a problem for Markkanen.
Markkanen said his first full semester was a lot of work but βI donβt think itβs been too hard,β having already been through a Finnish school system that is considered among the worldβs best.
In Finlandβs system, kids donβt start school until age seven and have minimal homework, but itβs a system Markkanen finds efficient.
βWhen we go to school, we learn everything there,β Markkanen said. βWe actually use that time when we are in school. And then (weβre) free.βΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
35:Β Percent of Arizonaβs regular-season games that Allonzo Trier has already missed with his ongoing NCAA eligibility issue.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
48:Β Arizonaβs winning percentage against opponents currently in the SEC.
The series: Arizona hasnβt played Texas A&M since the old Big 12/Pac-12 Hardwood Series forced them to play two games during the Wildcatsβ interim coaching years. The Wildcats (coached by Kevin OβNeill) beat the Aggies 78-67 in McKale Center in 2007-08 and (under Russ Pennell) lost 67-66 in 2008-09 in College Station where Chase Budinger missed a would-be game-winning fallaway jumper as time ran out.Β
The Aggies are in much the same spot as Arizona, reloading with talented youth and size after four starters departed from a Sweet 16 team last season. They run much of their offense through center Tyler Davis, their lone returning starter, while another 6-10 big man, Tonny Trocha-Morelos, brings a three-point touch and some ballhandling to the power forward position. D.J. Hogg and Admon Gilder are the Aggiesβ top 3-point threats, though Texas A&M hits only 29.9 percent from long range overall. The Aggies recruited a grad transfer from Lipscomb, J.C. Hampton, to help distribute the ball and bring more experience. Texas A&M usually goes with an eight-man rotation and has five players averaging in double figures. Defensively, Texas A&Mβs size can be intimidating for opposing drivers. The Aggies block 17.2 percent of their opponentsβ two-point shots, the ninth-best mark in the country, and as a result opponents average just 39 percent shooting from inside the arc against them.Β
The Dallas-area big man, once a recruiting target of Arizonaβs, was a preseason first-team all-SEC pick, and he picked up the conferenceβs player of the week award this week after averaging 18 points in three games last week.Β
If the Aggiesβ size and strength suggests a rough game inside, the Wildcatsβ rugged small forward is probably OK with that. Alkins has been effective both inside and out so far this season, though his 3-pointer left him against Grand Canyon.Β
One reason the Lipscomb Bisons are 4-9 so far this season might be directly attributable to the benches at the Toyota Center on Saturday.
Texas A&Mβs roster includes point guard J.C. Hampton, who was named second team all-Atlantic Sun last season while leading Lipscomb in scoring with an average of 15.9 points. Arizonaβs bench includes forward Talbott Denny, who was an Atlantic Sun Tournament all-tournament pick in 2014-15 before injuries sidelined him last season and this season.
The two are scheduled to make a reunion Saturday, but it wonβt be on the court because Denny tore his ACL in August and is sitting out.
βTalbottβs my guy,β Hampton said this week by phone from College Station. βWeβve basically been on the phone talking every day since we left (Lipscomb). I wish he was playing. I felt really bad when he got hurt.β
Denny was one reason Hampton says he looks back positively on his Lipscomb days.
βMy teammates made it the best experience,β Hampton said. βFor my four years, we were really close as a unit. I donβt think Iβve ever been on a team as close as we were. Definitely, those people will be at my wedding. Weβll stay connected.β
Hampton said it was βbittersweetβ feeling to leave Lipscomb but heβs now playing on a higher level in the SEC, on a team that needed veteran playmaking experience.
βMy role this year has been more of leader, being an extension of the coach on the floor,β Hampton said. βIt hasnβt been an issue at all, switching fromn being a scoring point guard to letting the game come to me.βΒ
When a reporter asked Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy this week if now might be a good time to play Arizona, considering the Wildcatsβ injuries and Allonzo Trierβs NCAA eligibility issue, Kennedy disagreed.
βI donβt know if thereβs ever a good time when youβre playing against McDonalds All-Americans,β Kennedy said. βThey still have great talent.β
Technically, he was a little off there. Unless Trier is cleared to play Saturday, the Wildcats will actually only have one McDonalds All-American on the floor β guard Kobi Simmons β though Rawle Alkins and Lauri Markkanen are on that talent level. Alkins wasnβt eligible as a fifth-year high school senior while Markkanen isnβt, well, American.
Markkanen was, however, named to the all-tournament team at the U20 European Championships, and Kennedy was one of many who flew to Finland to try to land him.
βHeβs one of the more talented players Iβve ever recruited,β Kennedy said. βHeβs about as close to Dirk (Nowitzki) as Iβve ever seen in college.βΒ
The Wildcats enter the weekend free of schoolwork, with the fall semester having finished, though that was never much of a problem for Markkanen.
Markkanen said his first full semester was a lot of work but βI donβt think itβs been too hard,β having already been through a Finnish school system that is considered among the worldβs best.
In Finlandβs system, kids donβt start school until age seven and have minimal homework, but itβs a system Markkanen finds efficient.
βWhen we go to school, we learn everything there,β Markkanen said. βWe actually use that time when we are in school. And then (weβre) free.βΒ
6.3: Average blocks per game by Texas A&M this season.Β
35:Β Percent of Arizonaβs regular-season games that Allonzo Trier has already missed with his ongoing NCAA eligibility issue.Β
48:Β Arizonaβs winning percentage against opponents currently in the SEC.
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