‘Tis the season

Since the University of Arizona finished the fall semester earlier this week, the Zona Zoo will not be active for the rest of the nonconference schedule and the first pair of games in Pac-12 play against Colorado on Jan. 3, and Utah on Jan. 5. With the student section absent, McKale Center will sell tickets for fans that want to attend the games over the holiday break. Fans also have the option to purchase a holiday pack of tickets to Arizona’s games against Montana (Dec.19), UC Davis (Dec. 22), Colorado (Jan. 3) and Utah (Jan. 5).

Walton returns

He’s here, folks. pic.twitter.com/gtpsPUf8YE

— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) December 16, 2018

Before Saturday’s game, Arizona forward Ira Lee warmed up by taking a few jump shots, and then basketball icon Bill Walton walked out of UA’s tunnel. Wearing a black sweater vest and holding a Grateful Dead tote bag, Walton walked over to Lee and had a five-minute conversation with the sophomore forward. Who knows what the two were discussing, but it was a busy weekend for Walton’s first trip to Tucson this season. Walton, who called two of Arizona’s games at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii, was an analyst on the ESPN2 broadcast Saturday with play-by-play announcer Roxy Bernstein.

Walton took time to visit the UA campus and tested out the new sleep pods on campus, in which students can take a nap after class or a study session. He also took a tour of the Cole and Jeannie Davis Indoor Sports Center, which is still under construction across the street from McKale Center and Arizona Stadium. The facility is expected to be finished in less than a month.

You thought he was finished there? Walton stopped by the Lute Olson statue outside of the Hall of Champions and bowed down in front of it. Olson coached Walton’s son, Luke, at Arizona from 1999-2003, when they went to two Elite Eights and one Final Four in 2001, the year UA lost to Duke in the national championship game.

Walton’s award

Bill Walton was awarded the Dick Enberg Award from the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA) for promoting education and athletics. pic.twitter.com/ar8rf4rO2w

— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) December 16, 2018

At halftime, Walton was honored for winning the Dick Enberg Award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for his work in promoting education and athletics. He had been honored in June but was unable to collect the award in person until Saturday.

Before he died a year ago, Enberg himself nominated Walton for the award. The two broadcasters were close San Diego-area friends, but Walton’s honor had more to do with the work he has done as a broadcaster to promote academics and sports.

Doug Vance, a former Kansas SID and now Tucson-based executive director of CoSIDA, said the award has been given out annually since 1988 to a national sports figure who has a commitment to education and academics.

The way Vance and UA publicist Matt Ensor described it, giving Walton the award was a no-brainer.

“He has a very strong academic focus,” Ensor said. “From an SID perspective, he’s awesome.”

Alkins gets his call

The Chicago Bulls expect guard Zach LaVine to miss the next two games with an ankle injury, and with Jabari Parker likely out of the rotation as trade rumors circulate, former Arizona Wildcat Rawle Alkins will reportedly get called up from the G League, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

The undrafted Alkins signed a two-way contract with the Bulls after getting released by the Toronto Raptors following the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Alkins had been playing for Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

Alkins has averaged 15.5 points, six rebounds and 3.1 assists through 18 games in the G League. Now, he again gets the chance to be teammates with former Wildcat Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 13.8 points per game since returning in November from his elbow injury that kept him out for two months.

Alkins didn’t suit up Saturday night against the San Antonio Spurs, but he could make his NBA debut Monday night on the road versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Alkins was one of two former Wildcats to go undrafted in last June’s NBA Draft along with Allonzo Trier, who just signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the New York Knicks.

The big number

21

Number of years since Arizona and Baylor played against each other. The Wildcats and Bears met during the 1997-98 season with the UA winning 83-68. Fresh off a national championship run, that Arizona team featured Jason Terry, Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson, A.J. Bramlett, Bennett Davison, Eugene Edgerson and sophomore Mike Bibby. Former UA quarterback Ortege Jenkins was a freshman guard.

D-Will earns EuroLeague MVP honors

Amazing performace by @DWXXIII earned him his first ever @EuroLeague MVP of the Week. Congrats Derrick! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #elplayers pic.twitter.com/PVc2z6Dyo5

— EuroLeague Players Association (@the_ELPA) December 15, 2018

Former Arizona Wildcat Derrick Williams took his talents overseas prior to this season after seven years in the NBA, and is currently playing in Germany’s EuroLeague. The No. 2 pick from the 2011 NBA Draft led Bayern Munich to an 88-84 win over Lithuania’s Zalgiris with 27 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Williams’ performance earned him EuroLeague MVP of the week honors.

Another big number

92.3

Brandon Randolph’s free throw percentage before Saturday night, which led the Pac-12. He has the highest free throw percentage for UA through 10 games since Nic Wise during the 2009-10 season.

Just another number

52

Arizona's nonconference win streak at McKale Center before Baylor snapped it Saturday night. The Wildcats hadn't lost at home in nonconference play since Nov. 23, 2011, when it lost to San Diego State.