Arizona women's basketball scouting report: Seattle at UA, 2 p.m. Sunday

Seattle (1-9) at Arizona (8-4)

McKale Center | 2 p.m. Sunday | arizonawildcats.com/live | 1400-AM

She said it

Arizona coach Adia Barnes on the Wildcats' final nonconference game: “Seattle has a lot of different presses. They're gonna play sagging man. We're going to expect a lot of zone presses to zone. … I think it's going to be good for us to apply some things and get ready for the Pac-12 (season). But they're a good team. We can't overlook them because we've learned our lesson from a couple other mid-major teams. And those (teams) are hard they're really good but when we first had the loss, no one thought UNLV was that good. Then they go and they beat Oklahoma. So, everybody's good and anybody can win on any given night. With our limited numbers, our personnel, we can't overlook anybody, anytime and it's such a different situation than from a couple years ago.”

On the Sidelines

Seattle connections: Seattle and Arizona are two schools that current basketball analyst and former coach Joan Bonvicini knows very well. Bonvicini was at the helm of both schools, finishing as the winningest UA coach with 287 in 17 years and claiming win No. 700 at Seattle.

There is also another UA-Seattle connection as Barnes knows Seattle coach Skylar Young from his days as a player development coach/equipment manager for the Storm, when Barnes was a player.

Injury watch: The newest member of UA's team, Erin Tack, is still out. The latest is that on Friday morning Tack’s knee “shifted out,” Barnes said. Tack will most likely will be out a little longer than anticipated and will now have a scope of her knee to try to determine what’s going on.

The good news comes from Montaya Dew. The freshman forward, who had knee surgery in August and is sitting out this season, is a little ahead of schedule. Barnes said that Dew would probably be ready to play for maybe the last month of the season but won’t hit the court until next season. Barnes doesn’t think it’s worth wasting a year of eligibility for a month — even with a short bench this season.

Dew is already jogging with her teammates and doing some light contact drills. Barnes said Dew’s shot has improved, and she is getting stronger. 

When the Star talked to Dew a few months ago, she said that she wanted to be fully recovered faster than most with an ACL injury. 

Football's success is everyone's success: Barnes said that as a head coach she is the biggest UA football fan, noting, "Football needs to do well."

"The better football does, it's better for every sport here; the better men's basketball does, it's better for every sport," Barnes said. "It just helps the department, especially in a time where there are deficits, and there's a transition to another conference. It is the best time for football to have success and momentum."

The UA football team finished 10-3 this year, with a win over No. 12 Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday night.

Barnes added that she feels the momentum from what UA men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd has done and that coach Jedd Fisch, "has just made history; I think everybody is shocked with what he's been able to do."

"Keeping coach Fisch here and keeping coach Lloyd here is very important for the success (of UA Athletics) and very important for Tucson," Barnes said.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

New rule: The transfer rules look like they are changing yet again. Since COVID-19, the NCAA has allowed players to transfer once without sitting out a year as Aari McDonald, Shaina Pellington, Dominique McBryde and Tee Tee Starks did.

However, anyone who transfers two or more times has to ask the NCAA for a waiver to play immediately. That rule seems to be on its way out — at least for this year.

A few weeks ago, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order on this rule. Then, at the end of last week, the NCAA decided to allow anyone transferring through the end of the spring sports season to play right away at their next school.

Barnes said that the old rule will most likely go away for good.

“You thought there were a lot of transfers the last couple years, just wait and see. I think there's going to be even more,” Barnes said. “… I bet you're going to see more coaches getting out of this business. Because nowadays, with all the changes and continuing to have to recruit your whole roster, go on the transfer portal, lose your freshman, gain some more. I think it's just going to be outside of people's comfort zones. For me, it is what it is. ... You have to adjust and adapt."

While it’s just the college sports landscape these days, Barnes added that it can’t be easy for players. There are a lot of things that never get talked about, especially on the academic side. Does the new school have your major? Will the new school except your credits, or do you have to take more classes or even repeat some? Will you have to go to school longer to actually graduate?

“People transfer for great reasons; get in better situations for both parties. Sometimes it's better. But I think it’s also hard.” Barnes said. “If I put myself in the student-athlete’s shoes, to have to go to one school, then go to another and then maybe go to another one. That's a lot of change. I think it’s really hard.

“But will NIL be a really big factor in that? Probably. So, the rich are going to get richer and the poor are getting poorer. If you have money, you’re probably going to be able to buy a lot of players. College athletics is changing. I don't love that. But if you're a player and you have a chance to make money in college, you probably should because you're not going to make a whole lot after.”

By the numbers

9: Former UA point guard Lucia Alonso, Barnes’ first recruit, dished nine assists the last — and only — time Seattle and Arizona played. The Wildcats won that one, 84-54, behind a 25-piece from Aari McDonald in 2018.

3: Three Redhawks forwards — Mya Moore, Lisa Michaelsen and Irena Korolenko — have basketball in their genes. Moore’s dad, Elbert “Tree” Gordon, played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Michaelsen's mom, Trine Tims, played professionally in Europe. Korolenko’s mom, Lana, also played professionally in Russia.

4: UA's Kailyn Gilbert only needs four steals to best her mark in her freshman year for the entire season of 22. She currently has 19, and there are 18 games left in the regular season. Gilbert is averaging 1.6 steals per game.

— PJ Brown

Photos: Arizona roughed up in second half, falls to Gonzaga 81-69 in Colangelo Hall of Fame Series