Incoming Allonzo could become Cats three-er
When the analytics people finish with the Final Four, they will find one telling number from the Arizona-Wisconsin Elite Eight series: In two fascinating games, the Wildcats shot 46.5 percent and the Badgers 46.2 percent.
Almost everything was equal: turnovers 17-17; free-throw attempts, 47-43 in favor of UA; rebounds 61-59 in favor of UA.
Basketball forensics don’t lie. The only true difference was that Wisconsin made 18 of 35 three-pointers and Arizona just 7 of 18. Thus, the Badgers reached two Final Fours and Arizona, sadly, none.
Don’t look for the 2014 national junior college player of the year Kadeem Allen to make up that difference next year. Allen made just 36 three-pointers in 33 games at Hutchinson Junior College during the 2013-14 season.
Redshirt forward Ryan Anderson was a terrific player at Boston College a year ago, but he’s not a “stretch 4” as many have suggested. He made just four three-pointers as a BC junior.
Combo guard recruit Justin Simon of Brewster Academy is a lot of positive things, but shooting — especially distance shooting — is not one of them.
It will fall on freshman guard Allonzo Trier to improve Arizona’s three-point shooting capacity. Trier attempted 6.4 threes per game this year at Las Vegas’ Findlay Prep. Arizona’s top three-point shooter, Gabe York, attempted 4.5.
But to get those open three-pointers that Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, among others, made to bury Arizona, it won’t be simply Trier casting away (often without getting open) as he did in three ESPN telecasts last week.
As Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said after beating Arizona at Staples Center “most times it was the pass before the pass (to Dekker) that gave us an open look.”
That’s a coach’s code for saying that before Trier bails Arizona out of its three-point shooting deficit, someone has to replace T.J. McConnell at point guard.
