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Arizona Basketball: Arizona Wildcats 2015-16 Season Preview

By Alex Furrier

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Arizona Wildcats

2014-2015 Record: 34-4 (16-2 PAC-12)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament – Elite Eight Loss to Wisconsin 85-78

Seasons change, empires rise and fall. Dick Vitale’s terrible announcing remains the sole constant in this life. Things change, a lot.

This is a year of change for Arizona Wildcats’ basketball. After two consecutive seasons of 30-plus wins, Arizona has lost 80% of its starting lineup.

Arizona must replace the NBA talents of Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Brandon Ashley along with Sean Miller’s spiritual son TJ McConnell.

It will not be an easy task. Arizona is short on experience, but not talent. This year will come down to how well Miller can cook his team of fresh ingredients.

Newcomers

F – Ryan Anderson – Transfer – Boston College
F – Mark Tollefsen – Graduate Transfer – San Francisco
F – Ray Smith – Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas High School
G – Allonzo Trier – Las Vegas, NV – Findlay Prep
G – Justin Simon – Temecula, CA – Brewster Academy
C – Chance Comanche – Beverly Hills, CA – Beverly Hills High School

Who’s That Guy?

Everyone not named Kaleb Tarczewski

Poor Zeus ‘Zeus” ZeusZeuski (nickname expansion courtesy of Mark Titus). I have a feeling this is what most coaches will game plan against Arizona:

Until the mystery of this year’s Arizona team reveals itself, there is only one known variable: Kaleb Tarczewski is good. This is the year where no one stands in his way to take up the mantle of “Big Man on Campus”. 2015: Year of the Zeus.

Unfortunately, everyone knows this. Coaches are going to gameplan on stopping Zeus first and foremost, which means the rest of this Zona’ squad will have to step up and assert themselves.

What’s that sound?

Play by Play announcers repeatedly giving exsposition dumps on every player besides Zeus  

Be prepared for a whole lot of info dumps on the new Zonaplayers this year. About three games in you will know every fun fact that there is about Ryan Anderson, Mark Tollefsen, Allonzo Trier, Ray Smith, Justin Simon, Chance Comanche.

Replace midichlorians with ‘New Arizona Player XYZ’, and you’ve got the same egregious exposition dumps about the Transfer Duo (Anderson + Tollefsen), Ray Smith’s torn ACL, and Chance Comanche’s desperate need to gain weight.

Unless it’s Bill Walton, in which case he will most likely take those moments to talk about his dog Cortez (which I prefer honestly).

Mid Preview Sean Miller Ridiculous Picture Break

Miller Misses McConnell

Circle the Date

Dec. 5th: @ Gonzaga

Gonzaga fans rejoice. Finally a top team is willing to make the trip to McCarthy Center. Last year’s OT battle took place down in the desert, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to infer that a neutral court could have tipped the game to the Zags. This game will mark the first big test for this new Arizona team, and it’s a trial by fire at that.

Jan 23rd: @ Cal

The season has yet to start, and already bad blood is boiling between the Bears and Wildcats. Arizona was picked to win the Pac-12 over Cal, and you have to think most chose Arizona in large part due to their track record.

No one knows how this Arizona team will shape up, but the media isn’t afraid to give Sean Miller the benefit of the doubt.

This has drawn the ire of many Cal fans, as their team looks mighty fearsome with All-American studs Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.

Local product Rabb chose Cal over Arizona, and we all know if there is one thing that fans are levelheaded and rational about it is the decision of 18-year-old players on where to play.

Between the Rabb decision and the battle between The Establishment (Arizona) and the Young Guns (Cal), fans have plenty to argue about on the internet until January 23rd. This game could determine the Pac-12 champion.

Season Outlook

Best Case

Sean Miller uses his point guard powers on Parker Jackson-Cartwright, and he seamlessly takes over for McConnell. The 3-headed monster of SGs York, Trier, and Allen light up the scoreboard, Tollefsen and Anderson provide that transfer power boost, and Zeus survives the onslaught of opposing teams to win the Pac-12 Player of the Year.

The Wildcats finish the season in the Top 10, and avoid playing Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament before winning in the Elite Eight for the first time in 15 years.

Worst Case

This team turns out to be less than the sum of its parts. Trier doesn’t get enough court time with upperclassmen York and Allen dominating the ball, prompting a midseason transfer.

The offense stalls whenever the ball is not in the hands of York, Allen, or Tarczewski. Losses to Gonzaga and Cal curtail the potential of this season, and the Wildcats finish 4th in the Pac-12.

The Wildcats draw Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA tournament, warranting a riot in Tucson on both Selection Sunday and after a loss to the Badgers for the third year in a row.

Realistic Outcome

The Wildcats stumble out of the gate but pull things together after a tough loss to Gonzaga. PJC can’t physically match up with PAC-12 PGs prompting Miller to run a three guard offense with combo guards York, Trier, and Allen.

This change jumpstarts the offense, and the Zeus led Wildcats win the PAC-12 for the 3rd year in a row clinched by a win at home against Cal in the penultimate PAC-12 conference game. The season ends in another trip to the Elite Eight (as is tradition).

Next: Colorado State Rams 2015-16 Season Preview

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