UA-Chico postgame: On Comanche's return, Markkanen's growth and Smith's new role

Chance Comanche’s indefinite academic suspension probably will cost him only two exhibition games.

After UA held off Chico State 78-70 in its second exhibition game on Sunday, UA coach Sean Miller said he expected the sophomore big man will make the team’s trip to Honolulu and play against Michigan State on Friday.

Asked if Comanche turned a corner in his academic situation, Miller said:

“I’m anticipating Chance making the trip to Hawaii,” Miller said, “and as long as everything holds steady through tonight and tomorrow, I see him being able to play against Michigan State.”

Miller said every game was going to be hard for Arizona this season – the Wildcats will max out at eight players unless Allonzo Trier becomes active -- but that having Comanche makes a big difference.

“With Chance, we’re a much different team,” Miller said. “You can’t underestimate six-foot-11, offensive rebounder, defensive rebounder, the ability to give us great size and depth up front and somebody who can score as well.

“Playing without him, any team would miss that. But we’re anxious to get him back and I think against Michigan State, as long as everything checks out in the next couple of days, he should be back with us.”

Arizona will fly to Honolulu on Tuesday to spend time with military and prepare for an Armed Forces Classic game with Michigan State on Friday.

Arizona may have had questions about leadership entering the season, but Miller doesn’t hear any now. Not after Kadeem Allen’s effort and play in two exhibition games.

Allen had 15 points with two rebounds and four assists to one turnover, plus a block and 7-for-8 free-throw shooting, in 33 minutes against Chico State.

“Kadeem’s awesome,” Miller said. “At a time when everybody cares about leaving Arizona as fast as you can, leaving college basketball as fast as you can, he’s the example of the young guy who has just bought in, has worked, has sacrificed and become a really good player.

“He’s our heart and soul in many ways and certainly the leader of the team and he’s earned it. He works hard at what he does every day, plays both ends. Is he perfect. No. But he’s a guard that any college coach would love to have. His experience, his leadership, his toughness, those are all things that are going to help his teammates through our long journey.”

You might say Lauri Markkanen made a pretty big leap between the first and second games he’s played for Arizona. Even between the first and second halves of Sunday’s game, too.

Markkanen had 10 rebounds and eight points on 4-for-8 shooting against the undermanned College of Idaho, then came through with 21 points while making 3 of 4 three-pointers, making all eight free-throws he took and grabbing seven rebounds in 34 minutes against much better competition from Chico State.

Markkanen collected all of seven rebounds Sunday in the second half.

“Some of it is just for him to go through this,” Miller said. “This is his second game in the United States. He was very, very tentative in the first half, especially rebounding the ball. That’s to be expected. But in the second half, he really put it together. Twenty one points, 8-8 free-throw shooting, and seven rebounds considering he had zero at the half? That’s what I’m really excited about. He’s obviously a very talented player.”

Miller said he wanted the Wildcats to make sure to take advantage of his size by getting him the ball in and around the rim, while also making sure Markkanen doesn’t get too unselfish when he’s out on the perimeter.

“In the first half, you saw he made the extra pass yet he was wide open and at halftime, it was like, `Hey, look, if you get an open opportunity there’s nobody here who has a better chance to make that three-point shot. So take it.'

“He’s very unselfish, and he’s young, so every time that he goes out there, every day that we work he’s going to be that much better.”

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UA allowed Chico to shoot 48.2 percent and was outrebounded 30-28 overall despite improvement on the glass in the second half, but Miller saw through some of those transgressions.

For one thing, he said Chico threw out a mix of defenses that was confusing for younger players this early in the season – saying they particularly weren’t ready for Chico’s matchup zone – but Miller took some heart in knowing what kind of inexperience his current team has.

“That’s the thing -- we played this team a year ago and there were some things we didn’t do real well, especially defensively,” Miller said, “but we had a lot of older guys so I don’t know how much upside we had.”

As it turned out, last year’s Wildcats slipped considerably on defense from the teams that were among the nation’s best in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

While Miller won’t say what’s up with Allonzo Trier or if Trier has been practicing, he said the Wildcats enjoy a much more complete roster in practices.

The only guy for sure the Wildcats have had additionally in practices is redshirt guard Dylan Smith, so maybe there’s something to be read between these lines:

“The guys who can’t play in the game can practice,” Miller said. “We’re a different team in practice than we are in the game because we have several guys who are good players, guys we’re really counting on that are with us but not really in the structure of the game.”

Another bummer for Ray Smith: He won’t get to travel to Hawaii this week while he prepares for surgery.

But Miller, in elaborating considerably on his feelings for the now-retired forward, said Smith will be a big part of his team the rest of the season (and maybe beyond that).

“Ray is a phenomenal kid and he’s somebody wer’e gonna miss on the court,” Miller said. “He may leave us on the court but he’s forever part of our program and the team. He’s obviously an incredibly intelligent young man.”

Smith’s third ACL tear and subsequent retirement last week was “One of the saddest things I’ve seen,” Miller said. “It’s almost like he’s finishing up his career as a fifth-year senior and we’re gonna wave goodbye to him. Ray’s just starting. He’s 19. But he’s got a big future. Obviously, you can learn a lot about someone when you see how well you can handle such a tough circumstance and he’s handled it as well as you can ever expect.

“Let me say this: in my opinion... I think he had a really good chance to be picked in the first round. His athletic talent, 6-8, he has the size. He’s your prototypical NBA small forward. He’s not just a college player who lost his way or the rest of his career. He’s somebody who lost a career way beyond Arizona. It’s a tough hit for him and his family and for all of us. But for us, it’s keeping him with us and making sure he gets to the finish line.”

Of Smith’s future role, Miller said. “When we get back (from Hawaii) we’re gonna really iron out some concrete things that he can do on an everyday basis, (including) certainly on game day. He’s gonna travel with us and be a part of our season and everything that we do.”

Finally, Miller said of Smith’s career trajectory:

“He’s a late bloomer. He came on in ninth, 10th grades. He became one of the best as as a junior in high school. A lot happened to him quickly and a lot was taken away from him quickly.”

The PDF box score, game story and game notes have been attached to this post.