Scouting report: Arizona Wildcats vs. UC Davis Aggies
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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' nonconference finale against the Aggies of UC Davis.
Game info
UpdatedWho:ย Arizona Wildcats (8-4) vs. UC Davis Aggies (3-7)
Where:ย McKale Center, Tucson
When:ย 5 p.m. Saturday
Watch:ย Pac-12 Arizona
Listen:ย 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:ย @TheWildcasterย on Twitter /ย TheWildcasterย on Facebook
Probable starters: Arizona
UpdatedG Justin Coleman (5-10 senior)
G Brandon Williams (6-2 freshman)
F Brandon Randolph (6-6 sophomore)
F Emmanuel Akot (6-7 sophomore)
C Chase Jeter (6-10 junior)
Probable starters: UC Davis
UpdatedG TJ Shorts (5-9 senior)
G Siler Schneider (6-3 senior)
F Caleb Fuller (6-5 freshman)
F Garrison Goode (6-7 senior)
C AJ John (6-8 senior)
How they match up
UpdatedSeries history
The Wildcats have played the Aggies once, and that was before they moved from Division II to Division I in 2004-05. The UA beat UC Davis 84-58 on Dec. 4, 1974, at McKale Center.
Game contract
Arizona is paying UC Davis $95,000 to make a one-time appearance at McKale Center.
UC Davis overview
With four starters back from a Big West regular-season champion team last season, the Aggies entered the season with high expectations. Theyโre just 2-7 against Division I competition so far. But they lost at home to strong mid-major teams in San Francisco and San Diego to start the season and have played six of eight games away from home since then.
The Aggiesโ motor is dynamic 5-9 guard TJ Shorts, while shooting guard Siler Schneider was a second-team all-conference pick who can score in bunches. English freshman Caleb Fuller has started seven of 10 games on the wing while making a quick adjustment from international to college basketball.
Inside, the Aggies have versatility in forward Garrison Goode and stretch-four shooting from AJ John, who can create more space for the Aggiesโ guards to drive.
UC Davis has a patient offense that looks for good shots, taking 45.1 percent of them from 3-point range โ the 45th highest rate in Division I. The Aggies havenโt been hitting them very often, shooting just 29.3 percent from 3-point range and 45.2 from inside the arc. Theyโve also hit only 68.3 percent from the line, making the Aggies the 25th-least efficient offensive team in college basketball.
He said it
UpdatedโTheyโre very organized offensively in terms of their ball-screen motion and how they do things. Their frontcourt guys do an amazing job of sprinting and then changing angles at the last minute. They had our guards really confused at times in terms of being able to get over a screen, or be able to contain the dribble. โฆ They haveย a great point guard (Shorts). Heโs really, really quick and they get to the paint and open the floor up.โ
โ Indiana coach Archie Miller, after the Hoosiers came back to beat UC Davis 76-62 on Nov. 23 at Bloomington, Indiana.
Key player: TJ Shorts
UpdatedUC DAVIS
The junior college transfer burst on the Big West scene last season, earning both the conferenceโs newcomer and player of the year awards. He has a knack for making clutch plays, knows how to make teammates better, and his 5-foot-9-inch height belies a fierce competitiveness.
Key player: Alex Barcello
UpdatedARIZONA
If Sean Miller is going to play Devonaire Doutrive more, he has to take minutes away from somebody on the wings โ and that wonโt likely be the Brandons or Dylan Smith. Saturdayโs game is the last audition for Barcello, and everyone, really, for a spot in the rotation heading into Pac-12 play.
Head games
UpdatedSince making 6 of 15 3-pointers to start the season, UA forward Ryan Luther suffered a finger injury and has been bounced from the starting lineup in favor of Emmanuel Akot.
In December so far, Luther has made just 2 of 10 3-pointers while averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds, though he pulled down six rebounds, with four on the offensive end, against Montana on Wednesday.
โRyan has to play with a belief and a confidence,โ Miller said after the Wildcats beat Montana on Wednesday. โHe rebounded well. But heโs one of the teamโs best shooters and at times heโs scored around the basket. I know he can do it. He has a situation in his hand which, with every day that goes by, I think that will be gone.
โBut heโs in his own head right now and the only thing that solves that is hard work and just making it happen in the game. When he plays with confidence and plays well, thatโs when weโve been at our best.โ
Growing pains
UpdatedSince transitioning to Division I six years after winning the Division II NCAA title in 1998, UC Davis has had to relearn what it takes to win.
For the past four seasons, the Aggies have nailed it down pretty well. They won Big West titles in 2015 and 2018, while winning the Big West Tournament in 2017, before winning an NCAA First Four game over N.C. Central and then losing 100-62 to Kansas in the 2017 NCAA Tournament
This year, more of the same appeared likely. The Aggies returned four starters from their Big West champs, including player of the year Shorts โฆ and then lost six of their first seven games. Part of the problem, UC Davis coach Jim Les indicated, is that everyone else knows theyโre good now โ and prepare accordingly.
โWhen you have success, itโs kind of a different mindset,โ Les said. โWeโre not sneaking up on people anymore. Weโre going through a little bit of these growing pains, and it starts with our senior leadership. Weโre putting some responsibilities on their shoulders and asking them to step up and lead us on both ends of the floor.โ
The Aggiesโ mentality could help them recover soon. Shorts and many of his teammates were under-recruited players who aim to show what they can do, Les said.
โWeโve got really quality young men who work hard and have excellent character,โ Les said. โThey really build into the culture of our program and really have a chip on their shoulder because a lot of these guys werenโt highly recruited. We value that. We accept that.โ
Theyโre the Millers
UpdatedUC Davisโ record isnโt likely to fool Miller. Not if his brother provided the scouting report, that is.
Indiana coach Archie Miller spoke glowingly about UC Davisโ intricate and well-coached offense on Nov. 23, when the Hoosiers beat the Aggies 76-62 in Bloomington. UC Davis led Indiana 54-48 with 8:33 left in the game.
But if Sean Miller has a scouting advantage, so does Les: The UC Davis coach can scout and prepare for some of the same things with Arizona that he did with Indiana because the Miller brothers share some philosophies. Archie Miller was his brotherโs associate head coach during Sean Millerโs first two seasons at the UA.
โNo question,โ Les said. โFirst of all, both teams are underrated defensively, in my opinion. Theyโre both very physical defensive teams and they try to take you out of your comfort zone in what you want to run offensively.
โBut weโve had a number of games, similar to Indiana, where weโve gotten to the 30-minute mark and given ourselves an opportunity to win and we havenโt played down the stretch.โ
Numbers game
Updated1
UC Davisโ international ranking in veterinary science, agricultural economics and policy, plant and animal programs, according to U.S. News and World Report. The Wall Street Journal ranked UC Davis the No. 5 public university in the nation.
13.1
Additional average points Brandon Randolph is scoring this season (16.8) compared with last season (3.7).
23
Arizonaโs rank in adjusted defensive efficiency (93.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) according to Kenpom.
Tags
More information
- Sean Miller still has a confident โ and improving โ Devonaire Doutrive in his back pocket
- Ira Lee takes DUI plea agreement, will spend night in Pima County jail
- The Wildcast, Episode 161: Sean Miller rounding out rotation ahead of Pac-12 play
- Former Arizona Wildcat Omar Thielemans transferring to Wright State
- College basketball scoreboard: Arizona vs. UC Davis
- Justin Coleman's late 3-pointer gives Arizona Wildcats 70-68 win over UC Davis
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