Scouting report: No. 4 Arizona Wildcats vs. Washington Huskies

The Star's Bruce Pascoe breaks down the starting lineups, storylines and stats as the No. 4-ranked Arizona Wildcats visit the Washington Huskies on Saturday in Seattle. 

What: No. 4 Arizona (21-2, 11-1) at Washington (13-9, 8-4)

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

TV: Pac-12 Arizona

Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Social media: @TheWildcaster on Twitter / TheWildcaster on Facebook

Probable starters: Arizona

G Kerr Kriisa (6-3 sophomore)

G Dalen Terry (6-6 sophomore)

F Bennedict Mathurin (6-6 sophomore)

F Azuolas Tubelis (6-11 sophomore)

C Christian Koloko (7-0 junior)

Probable starters: Washington

G Terrell Brown (6-3 senior)

G Daejon Davis (6-3 senior) or PJ Fuller (6-4 junior)

F Jamal Bey (6-6 senior)

F Emmitt Matthews Jr. (6-7 senior)

C Nate Roberts (6-10 junior)

How they match up

The last time: Arizona had three players score more than 20 points for the first time since 2008-09 — Bennedict Mathurin (27), Christian Koloko (21) and Kerr Kriisa (21) — while rolling to a 95-79 win at McKale Center on Jan. 3. In addition, guard Dalen Terry recorded his first-ever double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds plus a career-high eight assists. All that gave the Wildcats enough to easily overcome a big outing by former UA guard Terrell Brown, who had 28 points, six assists and five steals for Washington in his return to McKale Center.

The last time at Seattle: Just two days after Arizona announced its self-imposed 2020-21 postseason ban as a result of its still-pending NCAA infractions case, the Wildcats appeared to have taken any frustrations out on the Huskies in an 80-53 win on New Year’s Eve afternoon in Seattle last season. The Wildcats held Washington to just 31.3% shooting while Jordan Brown (12 points, seven rebounds) and Bennedict Mathurin (13 points, six rebounds) led Arizona.

Series history: Arizona has won the past four straight and the last two games against the Huskies in Seattle. The Wildcats haven't lost in Seattle since 2017-18, when Deandre Ayton sent a blocked shot virtually into the hands of Dominic Green, who picked it up and hit a game-winning 3-pointer to give UW a 78-73 win. Arizona leads the all-time series 55-31.

What’s new with the Huskies: Washington has won eight of 11 games since losing at Arizona on Jan 3. Washington has won five straight at Hec Edmundson Pavilion and hasn’t lost there since it lost to Utah Valley before its COVID-19 pause.

The Huskies have become a much better shooting team as conference play has progressed. Before it played Arizona on Jan. 3, Washington ranked 312th nationally in two-point shooting at 44.0% but is now hitting 46.6% in conference play. From 3-point range, Washington was making only 28.5% (the 322nd best) from 3-point range in all games before Jan. 3 but has improved to 34.4% in conference games at this point.

Frequently used via isolation plays, guard Terrell Brown is averaging 48.3% from two-point range and he draws 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes, the 30th highest mark nationally, though he is not a 3-point threat (23.7% on 1.7 attempts per game). Guards Emmitt Matthews (34.1%) and PJ Fuller (32.1%) are the Huskies’ biggest 3-point threats, with Matthews becoming the Pac-12’s 16th leading scorer (11.6) in conference games.

With its characteristic 2-3 zone, the Huskies’ defense has improved but is still giving up 97.5 points per 100 possessions (ranking 77th nationally) and 101.0 in Pac-12 games (ranking seventh among conference teams).

He said it: “I don’t think they’ve changed anything but their guys have just been able to make plays and are having success with what they’re doing. They’r playing better, shooting the ball more consistent. They’ve just found the way they wanted to play.

"It’s taken them time to understand their defense and they have been buying into the defensive end of the floor. They’re turning people over and and they can certainly put the ball in the hole. Brown is going to be a problem for everyone in the league. He’s not a guy who knocking down all 3s but gets a lot of three-point plays (while picking up fouls).

"They’re just making those shots that they were missing earlier in the year. They’re being more consistent. I think as the year goes on teams get better or worse, and this is a team that’s gotten better.” — UA assistant coach Steve Robinson, who scouted the Huskies.

Key players

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WASHINGTON — Terrell Brown

After leading the WAC in scoring (20.7) before playing a much more limited role at Arizona last season (averaging just 7.3 points), Brown is not only leading the Pac-12 in scoring but also making a push for conference player of the year if he can keep the Huskies on the ascent. He’s scored at least 19 points in eight of UW’s last nine games, including 30-point efforts against Stanford and Utah, though Oregon held him to 14 points with 3-for-14 field goal shooting on Jan. 23.

ARIZONA — Christian Koloko

Even when Terrell Brown and the Huskies are successful breaking through the Arizona perimeter, they still have to meet Arizona’s 7-foot Cameroonian rim protector. Koloko had 22 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks against the Huskies on Jan. 3. In addition, his defense means he can be a big factor even when his offense isn’t there. Koloko had just six points on Thursday at WSU but collected nine rebounds and four blocks.

Sidelines

Zag Fam

Even with both Arizona and Gonzaga preparing for Thursday night games, that didn’t stop staffers of both programs from gathering on Wednesday night in a private dining room in Spokane.

That’s what happens when UA coach Tommy Lloyd comes to the city where he spent 22 years as a Gonzaga staffer.

“We had a good time,” Lloyd said. “It was really the first time I’ve been back, so it was great to see a bunch of friends. We met up with a bunch of people and had a really good night.”

The next time they all meet, circumstances could be a bit more tense. Because UA and Gonzaga are both playing so well that they could wind up facing each other in the West Region final or even the Final Four if current projections hold up.

While Lloyd said he doesn’t pay attention to fans’ speculation about such an event, he admitted that the coaches did bring the subject up. Then a Spokane reporter brought it up again after UA beat WSU in Pullman on Thursday, asking Lloyd how he’d feel about an Arizona-Gonzaga tourney matchup.

“I’d guess this year, if we had to play, we probably both be pretty happy to still be alive” at that point of the tournament, Lloyd said. “It would obviously be great.

“I don't know exactly how it would feel but I think once the ball went up, I would do the best job I could for my group and the University of Arizona and try to win the game. It wouldn't be much more complicated than that.”

Huskies making a move

Even without guard Daejon Davis, who remains questionable for Saturday with a shoulder injury, Washington rolled to its seventh win over its past nine games by beating ASU 87-64 on Thursday.

At 8-4, Washington is in a loss-column tie with USC (9-4) and WSU (7-4) for fourth place in the Pac-12 behind Arizona, UCLA and Oregon.

The Huskies shot 48.3% overall against ASU on Thursday while hitting 9 of 21 3s – and kept ASU to 39.4% shooting (5 of 22 from 3) on the other end with its improving 2-3 zone.

“Tonight with Daejon not playing, other guys stepped up and played a huge role,” Washington coach Mike Hopkins said after Thursday’s game, according to the Seattle Times. “When you lose a guy like Daejon for a game you wonder how are these guys going to respond? I was really proud of them. They shared it. We played good solid defense. … They’re showing a lot of growth.” 

UA coach Tommy Lloyd has not been surprised to see the change.

“They have talent,” Lloyd said. “Obviously, they got off to a little bit of a slow start, but they fixed it.”

Etienne arraignment set

Having been arrested for spitting at heckling McKale Center fans after the Wildcats’ 76-66 win over UCLA on Feb. 3, UCLA basketball player Mac Etienne has been scheduled for March 31 arraignment in Pima County Justice Court while he is also undergoing counseling.

UA police cited Etienne with a misdemeanor assault charge after he was both caught on video spitting at the crowd and by a UA police officer as he walked off the court. UAPD cited Etienne for “Assault with Intent to Injure, Insult, or Provoke,” a Class 3 misdemeanor, and released him.

Etienne returned to the Bruins that night but did not attend their game against ASU two days later. UCLA coach Mick Cronin said earlier this week that Etienne has been in counseling.

“Look, it’s easy to just sit there and say obviously how disappointed I was,” Cronin said, according to the Los Angeles Times, “but at the same time, it’s my job to care about him and love him.

Cronin added: “I take seriously our program’s need to be a shining light for our university. When people look at the four letters and when they’re looking through the lens of men’s basketball, I want it to all be positive, so that hurt.

“Right now, that’s what I’m trying to do with him and by the time he’s back on our bench, he’ll full know the responsibility that goes with that, that goes with being on our team, being a part of it, the way you gotta represent our university.”

Numbers game

2: Washington’s rank in adjusted tempo in the Pac-12, behind only Arizona.

20.3: Percent of the time Arizona's possession end in a turnover in Pac-12 games, the third-worst offensive turnover percentage in the conference.

23.1: Percent of the time possessions by Washington’s Pac-12 opponents end in a turnover, the highest defensive turnover percentage in the conference.