Arizona basketball: On 2018 home games, Dusan Ristic's workout and Sean Miller's recruiting trail

Wildcats round out nonconference hoops schedule with UTEP, two others

The Arizona Wildcats have nearly completed a nonconference schedule that could help ease their considerable transition ahead.

Arizona added home games against UTEP (Nov. 14), Texas Southern (Nov. 28) and Utah Valley (Dec. 6), giving them seven early McKale Center contests against mostly mid-major opponents while they replace their entire starting lineup.

The only nonconference game left to fill is the season opener on Nov. 8 or 9, an add-on home game to the Maui Invitational that will be assigned by the tournament.

Ryan Reynolds, who handles scheduling as Arizona’s director of basketball operations, said Tuesday that the team aimed for the home scheduling because of its heavy personnel losses, but noted that Montana, UC Davis and Texas Southern could win their respective conferences.

In addition, one of the Wildcats’ home games is the first of a home-and-away series with Baylor, projected as a fringe NCAA Tournament team.

The Wildcats also will have to cross six time zones while playing a much tougher schedule away from home.

The UA will play in the Nov. 19-21 Maui Invitational against a typically loaded field that includes Duke, Gonzaga, Xavier and San Diego State.

The Wildcats also have games at UConn on Dec. 2 and at Alabama on Dec. 9. However, Reynolds said those are both likely to be played on Sunday afternoons, allowing the Wildcats to return via charter that night.

Dusan Ristic works out for Suns

Deandre Ayton’s considerable shadow followed Dusan Ristic into a workout with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

And Ayton wasn’t even there.

During his post-workout interview, Ristic was asked a few questions about himself, his workout and what he could bring to the NBA.

Then he was asked about Ayton, repeatedly.

“I don’t think there is anything I can say that you guys don’t know,” Ristic said, according to audio provided by the Suns. “Obviously, he’s an amazing player. He’s one of a kind. I think he’s the best player in this draft and if he goes No. 1, that’s not gonna be a surprise to me.”

Naturally, the affable Serbian didn’t appear to mind talking about Ayton. When asked how it was to play against Ayton in practice, Ristic said it was a great experience.

“He made me a better player,” Ristic said. “I had a chance to play against him in practice every day and it was super cool. My experience at Arizona was amazing as well. I had probably the best four years of my life there.”

Ristic says he’s emphasizing his team-oriented attitude and an improving game this spring. He’s been working out in South Carolina in between five team auditions so far.

“I’m just trying to prove I can play on the next level,” Ristic said. “I’m actually not trying to do something I didn’t do in college … just to extend my range (of skills) a little bit and show I’m a team player. I care about winning. I want to be a great team player, a great guy in the locker room and do what coach asks me to do.”

While Ristic isn’t expected to be selected in the June 21 draft, the Suns hold the second-to-last pick and could be considering Ristic or the player he faced Tuesday, fellow seven-footer Tryggvi Hlinason of Iceland.

Suns assistant GM Pat Connelly noted that Ristic’s Serbian passport gives him an extra option should he decide to head to Europe — where he likely would not count against a team’s imports — while he could also play in the NBA’s G League.

“He’s a talented kid,” Connelly said. “He had a really good career at Arizona. He was a big part of what they did this past year and the prior years.”

Top 2019 guard Josh Green visiting UA again

Five-star 2019 guard Josh Green is scheduled to take another unofficial visit to Arizona on Wednesday, his travel team tweeted Tuesday night.

2019 5⭐️ 6’6 G Josh Green is taking an unofficial visit to the University of Arizona tomorrow! @josh_green6 #WCE #ALLIN

— West Coast Elite (@wceua) June 13, 2018

Green, a 6-6 Australian who spent 2016-17 playing with Deandre Ayton at Phoenix Hillcrest Prep, also visited the Wildcats for the Red-Blue Game before last season along with West Coast Elite teammate Nico Mannion, another major UA target.

Green’s latest unofficial visit will take on more significance because it’s just before the final stretch of his travel-ball career next month and before the commitment season really heats up for 2019 players in August.

Now playing for Florida’s IMG Academy, Green is considering the Wildcats along with Oregon, Villanova, UCLA, Kansas and several other schools.

Wildcats, Ducks still chasing Fresno State transfer

Arizona has been pursuing Fresno State forward Bryson Williams, along with Oregon and UTEP, despite the best efforts of new Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson to keep him around.

Williams visited UTEP on May 26, Oregon on June 1, and Hutson told Fresno television station KSEE that Williams may have also visited Arizona.

“I believe he also took a trip to Arizona. That’s about all I know,” Hutson told KSEE. “Our job now is to work and let him know we want him back. He’s taken three trips so far and we’re working diligently to make sure he knows he can come back.”

Williams was a third-team All-Mountain West pick last season in Fresno, averaging 13.8 points and 6.1 rebounds. He will have to sit out the 2018-19 season if he decides to transfer.

Arizona offers five-star forward from Wisconsin

The Wildcats offered a scholarship to five-star class of 2020 forward Jalen Johnson of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

“Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Arizona!! #BearDown,” Johnson tweeted last week.

Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Arizona!!🙏🏽 #Beardown🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/j9l8bcKG6J

— Jalen Johnson (@Jalen_J23) June 9, 2018

Johnson already has a pretty big collection of offers. He picked up his first from Wisconsin in May 2017 and now already has 11 scholarship offers, according to Rivals.

All six analyst predictions on 247Sports have Johnson picking Wisconsin, which is what his high school fans are hoping.

“Whenever I go to a different high school game … I’ve got a bunch of little kids and adults telling me to come to Wisconsin,” Johnson told Land of 10 last season. “Of course you don’t even really know what to say at the time because I’m not even sure where I want to go at this point. I’ve just got to give them the same answer. ‘We’ll see.’”