A year ago, nearly to the day, there was no national debate about whether or Kentucky could finish the season undefeated and there were no platoon systems. In fact, Big Blue Nation wasn’t even in the discussion when it came to the top teams in the country.
Rather, it was Arizona that was headlining college basketball with a 21-0 start to the season. Sean Miller’s Wildcats had an explosive freshmen duo of Aaron Gordon (now of the Orlando Magic) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who wowed crowds with their athleticism and defensive ability. Matched alongside Pac-12 Player of the Year Nick Johnson, it made Arizona defensive juggernaut. Then, they traveled to Berkeley.
In the opening minutes, just a few miles north of his hometown Oakland, Brandon Ashley went down with a season-ending foot injury for Arizona. The team would enter the half trailing 30-29, but fight back to force a 58-58 tie before watching Justin Cobbs sink a step back jumper for the win, and an upset of the nation’s No. 1 team.
All was not lost, as they’d go on to finish conference play with a 28-3 record–though they’d fall to UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship, despite MGM Arena looking more like McKale Arena than anything else.
Then came a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a heartbreaking overtime loss to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Gordon and Johnson were off to the NBA, and Sean Miller turned his attention towards welcoming Southern California prep star Stanley Johnson to campus, and how to develop Hollis-Jefferson into an all-around threat.
Despite running off 12 wins in a row to start this year’s campaign, many around the country were wondering if this Arizona team was legitimate. Even with Ashley, Hollis-Jefferson, Kaleb Tarczewski, Gabe York and T.J. McConnell back in Tucson, something didn’t feel quite the same with this group. There weren’t as many alley-oops, not as many run outs on the fast break and certainly not as many stifling defensive appearances. Johnson was playing well, but not spectacularly.
Arizona then lost two of their next four games, to UNLV and Oregon State. Their conference had taken a huge step back from a year ago when UA, Arizona State, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and Colorado were all NCAA Tournament teams, and both Cal and Utah were close. Unlike a year ago, the Wildcats didn’t have the benefit of the doubt when it came to the public’s belief in them.
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So it begs the question, have we actually underrated the No. 6 team in the nation?
I’ve been cautious about Arizona all year, even going as far as predicting Utah to win the Pac-12 title. I’ve questioned their offense, particularly their inability to consistently break defenses down off of the dribble and make plays from the perimeter. But the numbers tell me a story of a team that I should certainly be taking seriously as a Final Four threat.
How about this resume: fourth in overall RPI, 14th nationally in adjusted offense, fourth nationally in adjusted defense, 11-1 against the RPI Top 100, top 50 nationally in scoring, top 10 in field goal percentage, top 20 in points allowed.
The keys to the engine are in both Johnson and McConnell’s hands, and for good reason. Johnson is putting up 14.5 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 47.9-percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc; he also averages six free throws per game, where he’s right around 73 percent on the year. McConnell gives the team nine points, four rebounds and six assists per game, and is clearly the emotional leader of a team filled with eager, but perhaps not as dominant personalities. A senior and a freshman.
Now, there are certainly still things this team must improve upon.
Hollis-Jefferson, who started the year off in a blistering way offensively with nearly 16 points per game and six rebounds per game, has yet to record 15 points in Pac-12 play. He’s been held to single-digit scoring three times already. His overall offensive numbers are better, but he’s still a liability from outside the key when asked to score. Gabe York needs to continue to seize opportunities and find a way to positively affect the game on the defensive end. Tarczewski has been held under double digit scoring in five Pac-12 games, and has grabbed more than five rebounds only once in conference play.
Nonetheless, for as high profile of a program as Arizona is, it’s astounding that they’ve managed to fly under the radar as much as they have. We’re all guilty of it, and while they still have a trip to the snowy peaks of Salt Lake City to deal with, it’s time we all make the proper amends.
