When the Arizona Wildcats held a running vertical leap test Thursday, athletic freshman Kobi Simmons literally lived up to his reputation.
He cleared 45 inches, just shy of Nick Johnson’s 47-inch Miller-era record.
“I hadn’t done it in a while but I think some of the team knew,” Simmons said.
“When it was my time to go, everyone crowded around with video recorders. Everyone knew (what I could do) and they were just, you know, blown away.”
That wasn’t the only victory in the competition. The other was that Ray Smith hit 40 inches, the same height he reached a year ago before he blew out his second ACL.
Smith said he felt his athleticism has returned to “100 percent” while noting his vertical leap result and said “it’s only going to get better as time goes on.”
Smith also said putting muscle on has added stability.
“It’s how quick I move and get to different places without pushing,” he said.
Smith has already joined the Wildcats for five-on-five drills and said he was leaving tonight for Las Vegas, where his hometown doctor will examine him. If the result is satisfactory, Smith will join the Wildcats fully when official practices begin Sunday.
We had a longer look at Smith, and what he's learned during his two rehabs, in this story.
Arizona is loaded with wings and has plenty of upside up front. But who's gonna be the point guard?
Miller said again Thursday that Kadeem Allen has been moved primarily off the ball, leaving Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Simmons to battle for the job.
They could also share it, or even play together when Simmons moves to the two.
“It’s not an either-or relationship, meaning one is in when the other comes out,” Miller said. “Those guys will play a lot together. For me and our staff the challenge always is to put your best team, your deepest group out there.”
Miller said Jackson-Cartwright is “Exhibit A” of the guys who came back hungrier after the first-round loss to Wichita State and has experience that could help.
“There’s nothing like experience in coming back for your third year,” Miller said. “I think that some of the things that Parker has learned as a freshman and sophomore he’ll implement this year. I’m really excited about watching him play.”
Simmons said he’s been getting used to the UA system and focusing on defense, and was unsure at which guard spot he expects to play the most.
“Wherever coach wants me to play, what he thinks will get us the win,” Simmons said.
One of the buzzwords used by several UA players Thursday was going “positionless,” considering the number of versatile players they have on the wings and in the post.
Freshman Rawle Alkins appears to have potential to be just that, with the athleticism and strength to play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward, though Miller said he wasn’t sure if Alkins would play power forward right away.
“That may be something we learn as we get into real practice here,” Miller said. “Rawle is a small forward. He’s a tremendous offensive rebounder. Physically strong.
“He has done everything that we’ve asked him to do. He’s done a good job in the classroom. Has done a good job in the weight room. And has had the attitude you want to see with an incoming freshman. He doesn’t come to you with all the answers. He really comes to learn and work hard. He loves the game.
“In our practices you can start to see a few things but him being able to make plays at the basket and being an unselfish passer, is something that really stands out watching him early on.”
Arizona's five-star freshmen (Alkins, Simmons and Lauri Markkanen) have allowed juco transfer Keanu Pinder to fly under the publicity radar so far.
But since UA is now without the 19 combined rebounds that Kaleb Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson averaged last season, Pinder may work his way into the rotation.
“Keanu sometimes is the forgotten man because he came from Hutchinson (Kan.) junior college," Miller said. "But one thing that stands out about Keanu is he has a gift (for rebounding) – an explosion to the ball and a hunger to go get it.
"He doesn’t do it because he’s 6-11. He does it because he’s tough-minded and very, very physical. He also has incredible quickness defensively. So when you talk about depth, about players competing, he’s somebody who’s in the mix because he gives us what we really lost from last year’s team.”
Over the summer, Miller found a silver lining in all the buzz over the sweat-soaked shirt he wore during UA’s loss to Wichita State in last season’s NCAA tournament.
“It used to be the Johnny Carson show,” Miller said, referring to his childhood appearance on the Tonight Show as a ball-trick prodigy (video attached), which he dislikes rehashing. “The good news is they don’t talk to me about that anymore. It’s some sort of sweat joke or whatever.”
Miller kidded that “we’re gonna launch a huge advertising” campaign about the T-shirt company he will endorse – he did, seriously, receive a ton of freebies – and said he “learned his lesson” after trying a new lightweight shirt he hadn’t worn before.
“Where I erred is I tried out a new shirt that I’d never worn before,” Miller said. “I wasn’t sick. It wasn’t like I sweated any more than I usually do. It’s just when there’s less material, it was a disaster. … I can’t take that one back.”
