Arizona-Chico State basketball: 5 things we learned
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona completed its last preseason tune-up beating Chico State 90-54 in a home exhibition game Sunday night at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats were somewhat of a mystery coming into the game after losing four starters from last year's team. Sunday's performance shed some light on what to expect from Arizona, but let's not read too much into an exhibition game against a Division II opponent.
Here are five things we learned from Arizona's win against Chico State.
This one should come as no surprise. As long as Sean Miller is at the helm at Arizona he will demand excellence from his players on the defensive.
The frontcourt is loaded with size and muscle, spearheaded by 7-foot senior Kaleb Tarczewski and complimented by 6-9 Ryan Anderson and 6-9 Mark Tollefsen.
The Wildcats made Chico State uncomfortable all night as their guards stifled Chico State with a combination of high ball pressure and traps. Arizona was able to create 18 turnovers, many of which lead to easy fast break points.
Arizona added some rim protection this season as four different players recorded at least one block against Chico State. Anderson finished with a game-high three blocks.
Arizona's defense finished the game with six blocks and six steals and held Chico State to a 35.1 field goal percentage.
Rebounding has been a strength of recent Arizona teams, and that's not likely to change.
Miller believes that rebounding drives the defense and leads to easy opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. The Wildcats had a 39-32 rebounding advantage on Sunday, incuding 30-19 on the defensive glass.
Arizona preaches crashing the glass and that means guards, too. Freshman Allonzo Trier finished with six boards, and senior guard Gabe York added five. Anderson led the team with 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
Projecting Arizona's starting five was something of a guessing game, but here's how the Wildcats started against Chico State:
Point guard: Kadeem Allen
Off guard: Gabe York
Small forward: Mark Tollefsen
Power forward: Ryan Anderson
Center: Kaleb Tarczewski
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the lineup was Kadeem Allen, who got the nod at point guard over sophomore Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who spent last season as T.J. McConnell's backup, in large part due to what he showed on the defensive end in practice.
"Kadeem from a defensive standpoint gives us a different look," Miller said.
Allen and Jackson-Cartwright finished the game with a combined seven assists to just two turnovers. Miller said both guards will play heavy minutes.
"We're still working through it," Miller said. "It's not going to be a situation where we play one point guard 34 minutes and the other guy six. The backup point guard on this year's team is going to play a lot more minutes."
Jackson-Cartwright came off the bench to contribute seven points and three assists against Chico State, 7-footer Dusan Ristic added seven points and six rebounds, and freshman Trier provided some instant offense with 13 points and six rebounds.
All told, Arizona's reserves contributed 37 points, though it should be noted that they saw plenty of playing time in a blowout victory.
Anderson, who sat out last season after transferring from Boston College, did everything in Arizona's win over Chico State. He had several highlights on the defensive end with blocked shots, cleaned up teammate's misses with put-back dunks, led the team in points (19) and rebounds (10) and ran the floor to finish fast breaks. He was also a vocal leader on the floor throughout the contest.
"I've been waiting a long time to play, and I think it showed tonight," Anderson said.
The 6-9 senior averaged 14.3 points a game and 7.3 rebounds earning third-team All-ACC honors for the Eagles in 2013-14 before transferring to Arizona.
"Ryan is like a workhorse," Tarczewski said. "He always has that kind of feel for the ball, he's always around the ball." He is always in the right position at the right time."
Tarczewski says that matched up against other forwards such as Aaron Gordon and Brandon Ashley during his Arizona tenure, and Anderson is "just as good, if not better" than all. "He's going to be a huge part of our team this year," Tarczewski said.
Miller also had nothing but praise for the big man from Lakewood, Calif.
"The one constant for us is Ryan Anderson," Miller said. "He is an unbelievable teammate, he's not absorbed in his own make-believe world of what's to come in his future."
Miller said Anderson's attitude on and off the court reminds him a lot of Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon.
"He is consumed with learning, he is consumed with working hard, and I really believe his humble nature spreads throughout our team and his work ethic speaks for itself," Miller said.
When was asked how Anderson stacks up to other forwards who have passed through Arizona on their way to the NBA, Miller said: "He'll look any of those guys in the eye."
The Arizona teams of the last two years that went to two elite eights had no shortage of players to step up with the game on the line and take charge on both ends of the court. Players like T.J. McConnell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon.
There are plenty of candidates for this season's Wildcats, but it's too soon to say who that player might be. Anderson is one obvious candidate. The others are a bit less of a sure thing.
Tarczewski has been part of the supporting cast on three good teams. He's worked to improve his hands under the basket and showed a smooth jumper against Chico State that could make him more of a go-to offensive force, but he's probably not going to become a high-volume scorer. His maturity, his experience and his ability to get to the foul line could all be factors in expanding his influence.
Allen is another potential x-factor. The 6-3 combo guard was the 2014 National JUCO player of the year before redshirting last season. He showed great athleticism and showed an ability to get to the basket through traffic in Sunday's exhibition.
Freshman Trier has the kind of offensive skills that could see him emerge as a go-to scorer, but we still need to see how he fares against more physical Pac-12 defenses. Eleven of his 13 points against Chico State came in the second half, showing his capability to get hot very fast.
If the first look at Arizona against at outside opponent showed anything, it's that the season will be a work in progress with lots of variables. Talent and effort, however, should not be in short supply.
"This is a different team than we've had in the past," Tarczewski said. "We are really young, and even the older guys that we have haven't really played together that much, so it's definitely going to be a process.
"I have no doubt in my mind based on the guys here with the work ethic and togetherness and our team chemistry, there's going to be a point hopefully in the season that we are as good if not better than the other teams we have had."
