Arizona center Chase Jeter won't play Thursday against Utah, with the school saying he has suffered back spasms, prompting the Wildcats' first starting lineup change of the season.
Stone Gettings will replace Jeter in the starting lineup, likely to play power forward while Zeke Nnaji moves to center.
UA coach Sean Miller has hinted he was considering a lineup change over the past week. Asked about the possibility last Saturday, before the Wildcats lost at Oregon State, Miller told the Star then that he wasn't ready to make a move yet but then spoke without prompting about Gettings.
"No, but that doesn't mean that that that may not be in our best interest moving forward but right now I think we have a pretty solid rotation," Miller said Saturday, then immediately added: "You know, I really like Stone Getting's his play for us.
"He's the one outlier because he missed so much time and having him with us is especially as his role increases that gives us, I think a different look, gives us more firepower."
With Gettings in the lineup, the Wildcats have a combination that could be a more difficult matchup for the Utah defense, with Nnaji being an efficient scorer inside and Gettings having the ability to stretch defenses with his 3-point shooting ability.
Miller has expressed displeasure with Jeter lately and did not play him at all for the final 18 minutes of UA's loss at Oregon last week. Jeter had just one rebound each in the Wildcats' losses to Oregon and Oregon State.
Miller made no mention of Jeter having back spasms after the Oregon games nor during his pregame news conference on Wednesday. UA said Jeter's status is "day-to-day." The Wildcats have lost five of their past seven games.
Since returning Jan. 4 from a concussion and facial fracture he suffered on Nov. 29, Gettings has averaged 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists over three games.
