SANTA MONICA, Calif. — At the same time early Friday afternoon that the Arizona Wildcats might normally board a bus for practice, Chase Jeter and several of his teammates strolled through their beachside hotel on the way back from a dip in the hot tub.
It was exactly the kind of preparation their coach wanted them to have.
While it’s still doubtful that even some jetted warm water will heal Jeter’s stiff back in time to play at UCLA, UA coach Sean Miller said he figured a little rest and off-court preparation were the best ways to get ready for the Saturday night game.
After all, Miller had only eight players who were recruited with scholarships available to play at USC on Thursday — only one of whom was taller than 6-foot-7. So chances were good that the Wildcats’ 80-57 loss was taxing both physically and mentally.
“I just want our guys to have as much energy as possible,” Miller said. “We can prepare through film and some of the walkthroughs, which we’re doing.”
While it’s tempting for Miller or any coach to simply ignore game video and move on from a blowout loss, Miller said his staff broke down the USC game both on offense and defense, then found there were actually some bright spots.
Well, bright spots followed immediately by very dark ones, that is.
“There were three four-on-one plays in the game,” Miller said. “Sometimes you can go a whole season without having a four-on-one.
“We scored or got fouled on zero of them.”
While Miller complained that the Wildcats took some “horrible, challenged, selfish” shots in their 59-54 loss to Oregon on Jan. 17, Miller said he found the Wildcats actually worked to create some pretty good shots this time.
They just didn’t make them.
“We actually moved the ball and had some great penetration,” Miller said. “We created some good opportunities in the middle, around the basket, and didn’t always convert, didn’t hit a lot of those until the end. What we need to be aware of is that we did move the ball and do some good things — and sometimes the ball doesn’t go in.
“(Thursday) night that’s a big part of the story.”
USC’s Kevin Porter Jr., left, fends off Arizona’s Dylan Smith in a battle for a loose ball Thursday. Despite the 80-57 loss, the Wildcats turned the ball over only seven times.
The Wildcats shot a season-worst 27.8 percent from the field and made five of 25 3-pointers against USC, only after hitting three of their last five, long after the game was effectively over.
“Everybody was shaky tonight, even myself,” forward Ira Lee said after Thursday’s game. “We just couldn’t find a rhythm on offense.”
A big part of the problem was Jeter’s absence, forcing the 6-7 Lee and the 6-9 Ryan Luther to deal the most with USC big men Nick Rakocevic and Bennie Boatwright.
The Wildcats will face similar size on Saturday against 7-foot-1 Moses Brown, 6-10 Jalen Hill and 6-9 Cody Riley of UCLA, while Jeter appears unlikely to help, barring a major leap in his condition between Friday afternoon and Saturday night.
Miller said Jeter is “incrementally getting better” but declined to estimate his chances of playing against the Bruins.
“I think he’s better right now than he would have been yesterday afternoon and that’s really all we can bank on,” Miller said Friday afternoon. “I don’t know if he’ll play. Wouldn’t surprise me if he does not play. But it’s too early to tell because the next 12, 16, 20 hours he might feel a lot better.”
Jeter has averaged 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent from the field over six Pac-12 games. He’s been not only the UA’s anchor in the post but also one of its key leaders off the court.
“Playing without Chase is a big deal for us,” Miller said. “He gives us somebody who scores around the basket. He gives us a big physical presence. He allows us to be a little bit deeper so everyone can be in the same role.
“When he’s taken from us, everyone is in a different role and we’re very, very small.”
If there’s any consolation for the Wildcats lately other than the way they took care of the ball Thursday, giving up only seven turnovers, it’s that they’re catching UCLA at a pretty vulnerable time.
Picked to finish second in the Pac-12, the Bruins fired coach Steve Alford at the end of an underachieving nonconference season. They’re now 3-3 in Pac-12 play and on a three-game losing streak after ASU beat them 84-73 on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion.
SCOUTING REPORT: Arizona Wildcats vs. UCLA Bruins
But the Bruins also arguably have the most talented healthy players in the conference, even after losing former UA commit Shareef O’Neal (heart) and point guard Tyger Campbell (ACL) for the season.
“They have a very talented group. They’re just really inexperienced,” Miller said.
Miller knows another team like that, one that’s also a little shorter ... especially when it doesn’t have Jeter.
“Sometimes you look out on the floor,” Miller said, “and not one of the five was even on the court a year ago for UCLA — similar to us.”
