In his first regular-season game in an Arizona uniform, Chase Jeter had a double-double in less than 20 minutes Wednesday. With more good health, and maybe some more help from his teammates, that sort of production could become common this season.
UA coach Sean Miller said Jeter was playing his best before he was hurt last month and was no doubt relieved to see some of that game resurface Wednesday in UAβs 90-60 win over Houston Baptist.
βWe have to develop (what he can do) and some of it is our team,β Miller said. βItβs just get him the ball in scoring position, get a couple more jump hooks, get a couple more two-point shots, because I think heβll get fouled or I think heβll make them.β
Miller said sophomore forward Brandon Randolph has been wearing the teamβs gold jersey in practice lately, signifying heβs been the best player in overall practice production.
Obviously, heβs also been pretty good in games.
Randolph had 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting Wednesday after averaging 19.5 points on 60 percent shooting in UAβs two exhibition games.
Earning the gold jersey is βalways a good first step in that heβs doing it every day, now not in an exhibition game, and heβs growing,β Miller said. βSometimes that jump from a freshman to a sophomore is significant and Brandonβs always been able to shoot the ball. I think heβs learning the game and heβs more of a complete player. He still is going to keep getting better because itβs the very beginning of his sophomore year, but definitely right now heβs been a bright spot on our team with the way heβs scored.β
Randolph said it helped playing against guys such as Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins last season, and that he took their advice to get stronger.
"I needed to get stronger and I needed to take smart shots," Randolph said. Extra strength "helps me get to the basket, and I can definitely tell the difference this year."
Brandon Williams, meanwhile, was 2 of 11 from the field but had five assists and no turnovers.
βPlaying in a game like that, against that type of pressure, thatβs a job well done,β Miller said. βHe went 8-for-9 on the line and he hasnβt shot the ball very well from the free throw line but heβs an excellent free-throw shooter. Sometimes you have to get that first game under your belt and Iβm sure heβll bounce back on Sunday.β
Miller played freshman guard Devonaire Doutrive for seven minutes in the second half after not playing him in Arizonaβs exhibition game on Sunday aginst Chaminade. Doutrive responded by hitting both shots he took, including a 3-pointer.
βLike you would expect for a talented young player who worked hard, he was disappointed he didnβt get in the last game but his attitude is tremendous,β Miller said. βFrom the day he stepped foot on our campus in June, heβs done everything we asked of him.
βPhysically, heβs like a young colt. Heβs so young. His body, how much he weighs, how strong he is -- the best is yet to come for him and you can almost see that. What weβre trying to do right now is get him better on defense and really try to get him to think about what role he can have. Itβs too early to say this player is going to play and another guyβs not. Heβs one of those guys weβre closely watching. I could certainly see him cracking the rotation, and helping us because he can do a lot of different things.β
Going 1 for 5 from the field, Dylan Smithβs shooting slump appeared to continue from the exhibition season. Smith was 1-of-8 from the field in the Red-Blue game, 3-of-5 against Western New Mexico and 0-for-7 against Chaminade.
But Smith collected nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal that led to a 3-pointer from Alex Barcello. He had 12 rebounds total over UAβs two exhibition games.
βDylanβs really struggling right now and heβs lost his confidence,β Miller said. βI go more on what I see every day and heβs a much better shooter than heβs shown.
"But Iβll tell you this about him -- he rebounds the ball and he gives his heart and soul on defense. Heβs finding ways to help our team and I think heβll settle in eventually here and heβll be able to take good shots, make the ones that he takes and thatβll be a real shot in the arm. Because so far weβve really played without him scoring or shooting.
βHe doesnβt have to score 20 but heβs a much better shooter than heβs shown. Iβm proud of him because in spite of that not working out for him, heβs really found some other things to help our team.β
The Wildcats were playing without suspended forward Ira Lee on Wednesday, and Houston Baptist was creating plenty of offensive rebounding chances with poor shooting, but Miller said it still was a big concern that UA gave up 18 offensive boards to the Huskies.
Miller said of Smith and Jeter that βitβs hard to really argue with their numbers but this year we really have to rebound as a team. We donβt have those couple of bigs in there who are going to get those big rebounds for you. We need our guards to get in there.
"Our room for error when the other team misses -- thatβs a big difference. And we have to block out. When guards donβt block out, you feel it. Tonight, even with our bigs, a couple of times we had one on one opportunities and their big got it and put it back in. Thatβs something weβll take from this game and really to work on and improve as we head into Sunday.β
Asked what the visiting Rondae Hollis-Jefferson offered any wisdom to the players, Miller reverted to the same topic.
βHe talked a lot about how those guys have to block out,β Miller said. βItβs probably much better than they hear it from him.β
Our full game coverage and the box score are attached to this post.