Scouting report: UTEP at Arizona

The Star's Bruce Pascoe previews all of the game day essentials, from projected starting lineups to storylines and series history, ahead of Saturday's showdown with UTEP.

 Game info

Who: UTEP (2-1) at Arizona (4-0)

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: McKale Center

TV: Pac-12 Arizona

Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Probable starters

ARIZONA

G James Akinjo (6-0 junior)

G Jemarl Baker (6-5 junior)

F Dalen Terry (6-7 freshman)

F Jordan Brown (6-11 sophomore)

C Christian Koloko (7-0 sophomore)

UTEP

G Jamal Bieniemy (6-5 junior)

G Souley Boum (6-3 senior)

F Keonte Kennedy (6-5 sophomore)

F Bryson Williams (6-8 senior)

C Tydus Verhoeven (6-9 junior)

How they match up

The series: Arizona leads its old Border Conference and WAC rival 62-30, but has only played the Miners three times over the past quarter-century. Arizona won all three games, including a 2014-15 game in El Paso, and last beat the Miners 79-46 on Nov. 14, 2018 at McKale Center. In that game, Brandon Randolph and Brandon Williams each scored 21 points.

Game agreement: UTEP was originally scheduled as a replacement for a Nov. 29 game between Arizona and Sam Houston State. The Miners had to pull out of that game because of COVID-19 issues. But when New Mexico State had to pull out of Saturday’s game at McKale, the Miners were plugged back in. The game is still technically part of the Southwest Classic fixed bracket event, which also included UA’s season opener against Grambling State.

UTEP overview: In his third season at UTEP, Rodney Terry brings in a much improved team over the one that was blown out at McKale Center in 2018-19. The Miners won only eight games that season, but picked up 17 last season and have a strong core of former transfers that are returning this season, led by prolific scoring guard Souley Boum (San Francisco) and forward Bryson Williams (Fresno State), a first-team all Conference USA pick last season who is averaging nearly a double-double and also blocks an average one shot per game. Point guard Jamal Bienemy, a transfer from Oklahoma, has 13 assists to no turnovers for a sure-handed team that averages only 10.3 turnovers a game. Wing Kennedy Keonte is the Miners’ third double-digit scorer, though he’s only 1 of 9 from 3-point range. Inside, Tydrus Verhoeven is a defensive factor around the rim.

The Miners have played only one Division I game so far, losing at Saint Mary’s 71-63. They shot only 38.3% from two-point range in that game but had only eight turnovers. UTEP also has home wins over Division II Texas-Permian Basin and Division III Sul Ross State.

Key players

UTEP

Bryson Williams

Following Terry from Fresno State in 2018-19 has paid off for both Williams and the Miners. After sitting out the required redshirt year in 2018-19, Williams became an all-Conference USA pick last season and he’s averaging nearly a double-double so far this season, sprinkling in two 3-pointers to his dominant post game against Saint Mary’s.

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Arizona

Jemarl Baker

The Wildcats’ hottest shooter over the past two games has another challenge this time: Stay out of foul trouble while helping the Wildcats disrupt a Miners backcourt that features turnover-free point guard Bienemy and perimeter scorer Boum, who has hit 21 of 23 free throws and 55.0% of his 3-point shots.

Sidelines

The new normal

Arizona added more cardboard cutouts to the west side of McKale Center before its game against Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday, giving the Wildcats nearly 360 degrees of “fans” to see in the stands all the way around the floor.

But of course it’s not the same as having five figures of live bodies rooting for you.

“It is really unique playing in McKale without our fans,” UA coach Sean Miller said after UA beat Bakersfield on Wednesday. “I don’t have to say it. I think everybody feels that we really miss having our fans. … We’re at the point now when we watch clips from a year ago, it looks strange to see a packed house. But we look forward to that day down the road.”

Terry, whose Miners lost in front of 13,651 fans in 2018-19 at McKale Center, probably won’t miss them much.

“I’ve had a chance to coach on the West Coast for a number of years at Fresno State, and had a chance to go to all the different venues in that part of the country,” Terry said. “McKale Center was arguably the best environment when fans are there. San Diego State’s a very difficult place to play, and people don’t talk about San Diego State as much.

“But it takes away from fan bases like Arizona, even our fan base here at UTEP. Not having fans that takes away an advantage from you in terms of in terms of the home court.”

Kory Jones joins Brooklyn ‘Wildcats’

Arizona’s three NBA Draft picks weren’t the only ones off Arizona’s 2019-20 roster who are headed to the league this season: Former walk-on guard Kory Jones parlayed his UA experience into a job as a basketball operations assistant for the Brooklyn Nets.

Jones, a product of Virginia who graduated in May, had a year of eligibility remaining because he sat out the 2017-18 season after suffering a torn ACL in the Wildcats’ August 2017 lone exhibition game in Spain.

Jones said last spring he was looking into a graduate assistant position elsewhere in college basketball but has always had a goal of being an NBA general manager, so the Nets’ job could get him on that track even faster.

Jones said he will start by mostly handling scouting duties with the Nets, under GM Sean Marks, the former Cal and NBA player from New Zealand.

Meanwhile, former UA forward Bret Brielmaier has reportedly been named the head coach of the Nets’ G League team on Long Island, his next step up the NBA coaching ladder. Brielmaier started his career with the Spurs as a player development coach and has been an assistant for the Cavaliers and Nets.

Waiver beneficiaries

A high-level point guard matchup Saturday between Akinjo and Bieniemy comes courtesy the NCAA, which approved waivers for both players to be able to play immediately this season.

As a midyear transfer from Georgetown, Akinjo was initially not eligible until fall semester grades were posted, meaning he probably wouldn’t have been able to play until sometime next week. But he received a waiver to play at the start of the season, while Bieniemy learned in September that he’d be able to play all season after transferring from Oklahoma after last season.

“I got the transfer process out the way relatively quickly,” Bieniemy said. “It felt good to get it out of the way, knowing that I’ll be able to play with my teammates this year, working on gaining the trust of those guys and being a leader every day.”

Numbers game

6

Boum’s national rank in scoring average (26.0), including 21 against the Miners’ only Division I opponent, Saint Mary’s.

9

Arizona’s national rank in average height (weighed by minutes played), according to Kenpom.com

16

Of 19 free throws made by Bennedict Mathurin, who is drawing an average of 7.0 fouls per 40 minutes played.

— Bruce Pascoe