Just 76 seconds into No. 1-ranked Arizonaβs 98-73 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, Pelle Larsson knew his shooting wouldnβt be a problem.
After Oumar Ballo pulled down a rebound from Caleb Loveβs missed free throw, Ballo threw it to guard Kylan Boswell, who dished to Larsson on the left perimeter, where the senior wing spotted up just behind the 3-point line.
Good.
But that was the easy part, and Larsson already knew it by then.
βI actually made a joke to one of our managers that my shot felt good after one shot and I should stop and not even warm up,β Larsson said.
The really important moments arrived about a minute later, when Larsson picked up his first foul, and about six minutes after that, when he committed a second foul.
Larsson hit a second 3 between those two fouls but it wasnβt certain which way his shot, and his aggressiveness, might go from there.
After all, one reason Larsson signed off on a move out of the Wildcatsβ starting lineup midway through last season was to avoid the chance of picking up two quick fouls, potentially affecting his aggressiveness and availability on a depth-challenged team the rest of a game.
The move was also made to benefit then-reserve Cedric Henderson by putting him in a starting role he had been more comfortable in as a three-year starter for low-major Campbell.
The lineup swap worked, with both Larssonβs and Hendersonβs productivity improving in the second half of last season. But this season was different. Larsson is now a senior leader for the Wildcats, who need him to set the tone with his versatility, aggressiveness and selflessness.
Larsson has to be on the floor early, and stay on it most of the game.
But he still has to deal with fouls, maybe more than ever. UA coach Tommy Lloyd said an officiating emphasis this season is not making things any easier, citing how Larsson picked up two fouls as a secondary defender trying to take a charge against Michigan State on Nov. 23, when Larsson fouled out with 4:37 to go.
βPelle is a proficient charge-taker, and with the way theyβre calling the block/charge now on secondary defenders, thereβs just not going to be as many opportunities,β Lloyd said. βPelle has got to adjust to the rules. Pelle is really smart, and heβs made those adjustments but heβs an aggressive player. Heβs gonna foul some. Heβs tough. Heβs physical and itβs part of the deal.β
It helps, Lloyd said, that he can go deeper in his lineup this season if Larsson or others run into foul trouble. The Wildcats whittled down to just seven players toward the end of last season, but this year Lloyd has been running mostly an eight-man rotation that sometimes incorporates a ninth and 10th with freshman forward Paulius Murauskas and sophomore wing Filip Borovicanin.
So, on Saturday, Larsson kept going. He sat out for about four minutes after that second foul and then rejoined the Wildcats just in time to jump into their game-changing 20-2 run midway through the first half.
Larssonβs third 3 turned out to be one of four the Wildcats threw in during their run, turning a 23-23 tie into a 43-25 lead with 3:29 to go before halftime. The game was never the same from there, the Badgersβ defense having been permanently stretched too thin.
βWhen Larsson makes 3s, that changes what you can do defensively,β Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said, βbecause Ballo is such a load inside and itβs hard to keep help in the paint around him.β
Larsson hasnβt always been that guy so far this season β heβd only taken 11 3s over UAβs previous seven games, and hit five of them β but that didnβt mean he wasnβt doing any number of other things.
βPelle is one of these guys whoβs gonna give you what it takes to win, and heβs a really good player whoβs coming into his own,β Lloyd said. βI know how talented he is. I think heβs one of the better wings in the country without dispute and I think people are going to start to see that now over the course of this season.β
So with Larsson, maybe itβs picking up charges and getting to the line, where heβs made 32 of 34 free throws so far this season. Maybe itβs other intangible defensive contributions or maybe, as it was Saturday, it was 4-for-4 3-point shooting and a career-high 21 points.
Same guy, same overall production, but in different ways.
βI donβt know,β Larsson said, referring to his pregame joke with a UA manager. βI felt the same as always. I just honestly got open catch and shoot. It was fun.β