The Star's Bruce Pascoe previews all of the game day essentials, from projected starting lineups to storylines and series history, ahead of the Arizona Wildcats' home contest against Utah.Β
Game info
Who: Utah (10-5, 1-2) at Arizona (11-5, 1-2)Β
Where: McKale Center
When: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Arizona
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:Β @TheWildcasterΒ on Twitter /Β TheWildcasterΒ on Facebook
Probable starters: Arizona
G Nico Mannion (6-3 freshman)
G Dylan Smith (6-5 senior)
F Josh Green (6-6 freshman)
F Zeke Nnaji (6-11 freshman)
C Chase Jeter (6-10 senior)
Probable starters: Utah
G Rylan Jones (6-1 freshman)
G Both Gach (6-6 sophomore)
F Timmy Allen (6-6 sophomore)
F Riley Battin (6-9 sophomore)
C Lahat Thioune (6-10 freshman)
How they match up
The series: The Utes havenβt beaten Arizona at McKale Center in sevenΒ Tucson matchups since joining the Pac-12 in 2011-12, but the last two games have been decided by one possession. Last season, the Wildcats won 84-81 in overtime when standout Utah guard Sedrick Barefield fouled out with 1:41 left in regulation after scoring 26 points, then Parker Van Dyke missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left before the Utes fouled and Brandon Randolph hit two free throws for the final score. In 2017-18, Dusan Ristic scored a career-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting β including a surprise 3-pointer β to help Arizona hang on for a 74-73 win.
This season: Arizona will not make the Utah-Colorado trip this season, so Thursdayβs game will be their only matchup unless the Wildcats and Utes meet in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Utah overview: Think Arizonaβs annual roster turnover seems high? Check out Utah. The Utes lost seven total players to transfers last spring and now have 10 true freshmen plus redshirt freshman center Lahat Thioune on this seasonβs roster. Not surprisingly, they rank No. 351 out of 353 Division I teams in Kenpomβs experience calculation.
Utah starts three sophomores and two freshmen, but two of those sophomores, wings Timmy Allen and Both Gach, are among the Pac-12βs most productive players. Both have already recorded triple-doubles while Allen leads the Pac-12 in scoring (20.2 points per game) and is seventh in rebounding (7.7), while Gach is 15th in 3-pointers made (1.7) and 14th in assists (2.93). Allen isnβt a 3-point threat but excels in driving to the laneΒ for shotsΒ and picking up fouls. He draws an average of 7.3 fouls per 40 minutes, the 10th highest fouls-drawn rateΒ in Division I, and takes advantage of an average of nearly eight trips to the line every game by hitting free throws at a 77.1% rate.
Gach is a long, intriguing shooter and ballhandler on the wing. He starts at shooting guard but will slide over to the point when Rylan Jones is out. Just a 6-0 freshman, Jones already has proven a crafty and smart passer whose 3-point shot (48.4%) demands defensesβ attention.
Inside, the Utes have a stretch-four presence in Riley Battin, their other sophomore returnee, while they have mixed in 7-footer Branden Carlson with slender the 6-10 Thioune and 6-8 Finn Mikeal Jantunen.
Defensively, Utah is always tough to figure, switching their scheme as matchups dictate. The Utes might throw out three-quarter-court pressure, slip back into half-court defense and their 2-3 zone can morph into a man-to-man sometimes in the same possession.
He said it
βTimmy Allen is one of our conferenceβs best players. I really felt that last year he was one of our conferenceβs best players. He really has a unique skillΒ set of scoring close to the basket even though heβs a wing player. He just plays his style and his game, regardless of who the opponent is.β
Gach βcan really get it going from 3, and is also very clever using the middle ball screens. He makes other people better. I love their freshman point guard (Jones) β heβs very, very smart. He can shoot the basketball, and he makes his teammates better. They have some young big guys very similar to how we feel about Christian Koloko, and theyβre very well coached team as always. They beat Kentucky. Theyβve had some great moments and I think the best is yet to come for them because theyβre so young. You could tell theyβre building something special with that freshman class because those guys are going to grow and get older together. I think at some point, when theyβreΒ when theyβreΒ veterans theyβre going to be an excellent basketball team. Theyβre a very good team right now.β
Key player (Arizona): Chase Jeter
If the Wildcats are going to rebound better, the starting point just might be their starting center (or former starting center, since UA coach Sean Miller has hinted changes might hit at some point). Jeter had just one rebound each at Oregon and Oregon State last weekend, and he was benched for the final 18 minutes of action against Oregon.
Key player (Utah): Timmy Allen
You can call the Mesa Red Mountain grad a wing, but Allen does most of his damage driving inside the arc, creating and exploiting mismatches along the way. If he doesnβt get the shot off, thereβs also a good chance heβll draw a foul: A total of 54.9% of his shots are free throws, the 96th highest free-throw rate in Division I.
Sidelines
Binge watcher
Arizona forward Stone Gettings describes the facial fracture injury he suffered against Penn in the Wooden Legacy, which sidelined him for over a month. pic.twitter.com/eNfQjkDnxo
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) January 15, 2020
Because heβs a grad student who loaded up with classes last spring, summer and fall, forward Stone Gettings didnβt have to go back to class with the rest of his teammates when the spring semester started Wednesday. Heβs only taking one class this spring and it doesnβt start until March.
βItβs smooth sailing,β he said.
Thatβs given Gettings the extra time to schedule workouts with UA associate head coach Jack Murphy, to study film and keep up with the stock market after having worked with a hedge fund manager two summers ago.
Thatβs the good kind of free time. Last month, after suffering a concussion against Penn on Nov. 29, Gettings had more time than he wanted. In fact, for the initial first few days, Gettings could do little of anything.
βIt wasnβt that dramatic with keeping the lights out and everything,β Gettings said. βBut my eyes swelled up pretty significantly and I was experiencing concussion symptoms. I was trying to just push through it but itβs one of those things that you canβt really push through. Itβs not like a sprained ankle.β
Gettings couldnβt even watch TV or read initially, having to get extensions from some of his instructors to finish up fall semester work. However, he eventually made his way to Netflix to chew up some idle time.
βIβve been a big fan of βYouβ and βMessiah,β β Gettings said of the Netflix thrillers. βThose areΒ my two right now. Although now theyβre done, so I need another one if you have any suggestions.ββ
A big ask?
Sean Miller on Arizonaβs rebounding woes: pic.twitter.com/FZQVBMjlQY
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) January 15, 2020
Among UA coach Sean Millerβs call to help on the glass includes blocking out on the free-throw line when opponents shoot free throws and miss.
βItβs something you can really control,β Miller says. βIf a guy isnβt able to block out on the free-throw line, do you want to trade him to another Pac 12 team? Of course, but youβre not able to do that. You canβt cut him.
βYou just have to kind of look and say βHey look, we just need you to do a better job of doing what weβre asking you to do. I know itβs not fun. I know thereβs not going to be an article written after the game about your free-throw block out. But if you donβt mind, weβd really appreciate if you could put your hands up and step across that guy so he doesnβt get the ball, if they miss it.ββ
Magic brothers
Of all the friends and family scheduled to watch Mesa product Timmy Allen at McKale Center on Thursday, the one the Utah forward calls βmy little brotherβ wonβt be on hand.
Thatβs probably a good thing for the Utes. Because the βbrotherβ is UA signee Dalen Terry, a former teammate of Allen with the Compton Magic travel club.
Terry is busy playing for Hillcrest Prep this week but, when asked if Terry has said anything about Thursdayβs game, Allen said Terry βis always making little jokes.β
Numbers game
0
Arizona losses to Utah at McKale Center in seven meetings since the Utes joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12.
18
Nico Mannionβs national rank in assists per game (6.3)
29.2
Percentage of Arizona field goal attempts in Pac-12 games that have been 3-pointers, the third-lowest mark in the conference. Arizona has made 3s over its three league games at a 32.7% rate.