UA basketball notes: On Arizona's newest transfer, Jake DesJardins' injury and recruiting news

Sean Miller is bullish on Cornell grad transfer Stone Gettings

Stone Gettings is stuck in upstate New York for another semester, isn’t scheduled to arrive in Tucson until around Christmas, and won’t play a game for the Arizona Wildcats until 2019-20.

But UA coach Sean Miller is counting on the Cornell grad transfer forward to contribute to the Wildcats’ upcoming Pac-12 season anyway. Behind the scenes, that is, as a skilled, versatile practice player who can push the Wildcats’ thin group up front.

Gettings will be able to travel because he’ll arrive as a graduate transfer who is immediately eligible (even though he will opt to sit out until 2019-20). That means he can practice fully throughout the Pac-12 and postseasons, mimicking upcoming opponents or just giving guys like Chase Jeter, Ryan Luther and Ira Lee a tougher workout.

“He’ll be adding to the practice environment like Chase added last year,” Miller said Wednesday, able to discuss Gettings for the first time since he signed scholarship papers with UA. 

“We’ve had some guys do that – Matt Korcheck really comes to mind – where on a daily basis they really help our team improve and be ready.

“We won’t have (depth) as much this year but Stone will give us that and I think it’ll be good for his development.”

While playing with former UA guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright at Los Angeles Loyola High School, Gettings was lightly recruited at the Division I level. He then proved himself a high-major caliber player at Cornell.

Gettings was named second-team all-Ivy League as a junior last season while averaging 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. His assist rate of 24.2 — defined by Kenpom as assists divided by his teammates’ field goals when he is on the floor — was 228th among Division I players.

“We’re really excited about him because I think he has an offensive repertoire and a skill level that’s unique,” Miller said. “It’s a lot like Lauri (Markkanen) where they can put it on the floor and you can move them around where they’re a very difficult matchup and can play against different types of defenses.

“Stone really gives us that and he also gives us, like Chase and Ryan, an older player, somebody who’s not 18 or 19 but is college graduate from an Ivy League school who loves the game. We worked hard recruiting him and we’re thrilled to have him.”

In return, Gettings will get a chance to prove himself in a high-major conference in 2019-20 and play closer to his Malibu, California, home.

While in Tucson, maybe he can get a burger.

Asked on a Cornell video what his regular fast-food order was, Gettings noted “You have to go to In-N-Out,” he said of the West Coast burger chain that includes multiple locations in Tucson. 

“It’s a double-double animal style with animal fries and a large vanilla shake.”

PJC, Keanu Pinder searching for pro opportunities

Jackson-Cartwright and fellow departing senior Keanu Pinder are both seeking opportunities to play overseas this season, Miller said.

Jackson-Cartwright had to first deal with what Miller called a “unique” leg stress fracture this offseason. Pinder has moved to Europe while attempting to finish up his UA degree remotely.

“He’s gonna take some classes and we’re hoping he graduates at Christmas. That’s our goal,” Miller said. 

“Coming from a junior college and (being at UA) for two years, it’s not as easy to do.”

Jake DesJardins (shoulder) missing summer work

While he was given a scholarship for the upcoming season, junior Jake DesJardins has also been handed some adversity. DesJardins underwent shoulder surgery this summer, and Miller said he won’t likely be cleared fully until October or November.

“He was here for summer II (UA’s second full summer semester) but his charge now is to rehab and get healthy,” Miller said.

The 6-foot-6-inch forward played in three games last season and might be used to help if UA has injury or foul trouble up front.

UA target Dayten Holman transfers to Scottsdale prep school

Dayten Holman, a four-star guard in the class of 2020 from Oklahoma, will play this season at Bella Vista, a Scottsdale prep school.

The 6-5 Holman, now rated No. 73 nationally by 247Sports.com, visited Arizona unofficially last week. He’ll play for Bella Vista’s Kyle Weaver, who coached former UA star Deandre Ayton at Phoenix Hillcrest Prep for two seasons.