The Arizona Wildcats may have been largely behind closed doors so far this preseason, but they’ve already played six “games.”
Counting their Sept. 27 Red-Blue Game, an Oct. 19 closed scrimmage in Phoenix against Saint Mary’s and four private intrasquad scrimmages, the revamped Wildcats have played more times under game-like conditions and with professional referees than UA coach Sean Miller says they ever have at this point.
“I think with eight new players and especially a number of guys adjusting from high school to being with us, it’s sometimes the best way to learn,” Miller said Sunday after the Wildcats held a scrimmage at Richard Jefferson Gym. “We’re getting better as a team. I thought today was a good day.”
Over a 15-minute interview with the Star, Miller discussed his team’s latest developments, including:
• Freshman wing Josh Green earned the gold jersey, given to the player with the most overall practice production, after capping a strong week with a standout performance in Sunday’s scrimmage.
“It happens all the time with freshmen who are talented — they have the biggest ceiling because everything’s so new, but if they work hard, which he is” they can improve rapidly, Miller said. “I think he may be, if not the most improved player, certainly one of them and it’s good to see because he’s worked hard, he’s learned. If I would have judged him two weeks ago versus today, he’s made a big jump in a positive direction, and that’s really to his credit.”
Green has improved in “almost all areas, one of which is just knowing what to do. It’s much easier for him to play basketball right now because he’s learning our system and we’re asking him to learn two positions (shooting guard and small forward), which isn’t easy. But he’s done a really good job.”
• Sophomore Devonaire Doutrive and freshman forward Zeke Nnaji earned the gold jersey for two weeks each earlier in the preseason, and Nnaji continues to make a strong push for a starting spot at power forward, showing assertiveness and strength inside.
“The thing that’s striking about Zeke, for a freshman, is just his physicality,” Miller said. “He’s explosive, he’s strong and plays the game really hard, with a lot of energy. That gap between high school and college a lot of times is just strength and size, and there’s not as big of a gap for Zeke because he’s physically strong. He’s having a really good fall with us.”
• Doutrive is emerging as the backup point guard behind Nico Mannion, unless Jemarl Baker’s waiver request to play immediately is granted. (Miller says there’s still no word yet, and that Baker has been sitting out lately with a pulled hip muscle anyway). Doutrive is also battling Max Hazzard for the starting spot at shooting guard, if Green plays small forward.
“If (Baker) were a part of things, he potentially could be the backup point guard but Devonaire, we’ve played him there the most, and he seems the most comfortable,” Miller said. “Devonaire has had a very good fall as well. When you talk about improvement, it’s really fun to watch him because a year ago versus today it’s like he’s an entirely different player. He’s really grown up, and he’s doing a good job.
“The starting part of it, I really don’t know at this point. It could go a lot of different ways. But we have a lot of guys competing.”
• While Miller said there wasn’t one player who really stood out against Saint Mary’s, Nnaji and Mannion both had some notable numbers.
“Zeke got to the foul line 14 times, which I think says a lot about him,” Miller said. “Nico had seven rebounds, which is really good for him. Every time that Nico plays — and it’s no different than Christian (Koloko), Zeke and Josh — he’s going to get better and he’s had a really good fall.
“The one thing that’s unique about him is he can really shoot the ball. Having a point guard who can really shoot it, it’s a luxury on offense, it really is, and he’s been consistent. It’s almost like how you feel about a really good two guard shooting the ball — with Nico, as a one, he doesn’t take a backseat anybody shooting.”
• Two concerns in the Wildcats’ scrimmage against Saint Mary’s in Phoenix were not huge surprises: Saint Mary’s standout guard Jordan Ford scored about 26 points, many of which came in transition, and the Wildcats turned the ball over 18 times (neither team released the score nor complete stats).
“Obviously we always want to take care of the ball but when it means something on the stat sheet, or when you’re playing against another team, I think that’s when you can really get your guys’ undivided attention,” Miller said. “So we’re looking to build on that. On Friday … my hope is that we can make that number more towards a single digit.”
