Arizona Basketball: Wildcats season review
By John Sill
Earning an NCAA Tournament bid is an expectation for the Arizona basketball program, but a first round upset to a mid-major program has left the Wildcats looking towards next season.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of articles to summarize this past season for every team in the Pac-12 conference. The series will start at the bottom of the conference with Washington State and we will work our way to top of the final standings with Oregon.
Related Story: California Golden Bears season review
Beyond a final summary, I will attempt to provide some insights on each team as they approach the offseason in hopes of an improved 2016-2017 season.
2015-2016 Season
Overall Record: 25-9
Conference Record: 12-6
Final Conference Standing: three out of 12
Conference Awards: Ryan Anderson (Pac-12 All-Conference: First Team), Kaleb Tarczewski (Pac-12 All-Conference: Second Team, Pac-12 All-Defensive Team), Gabe York (Pac-12 All-Conference: Second Team), Allonzo Trier (Pac-12 All-Freshman Team)
Summary: This season was just another successful season in the storied Arizona basketball program. The team got off to a strong start by only losing one game during non-conference play.
However, a few lulls in their conference play would drop them in the standings. While the Wildcats did not secure a conference title this season, they did earn a NCAA Tournament bid for the fifth time in head coach Sean Miller’s seven year tenure.
As a six seed, Arizona was slated to play the winner of the tournament play-in game that featured Wichita State and Vanderbilt. Most viewers would expect Arizona to overpower either team, but this Wichita State team featured experienced guards with a recent Final Four run under their belt.
The Wildcats ended up losing the first round game by ten and would start preparing early for 2016.
2016-2017 Season
Leaving: Gabe York (senior), Ryan Anderson (senior), Mark Tollefsen (senior), Kaleb Tarczewski (senior), Jacob Hazzard (senior)
New Faces: Lauri Markkanen (PF, 5-star recruit), Terrance Ferguson (#2 SG, 5-star recruit), Kobi Simmons (#5 PG, 5-star recruit), Rawle Alkins (#5 SF, 5-star recruit)
Outlook: While Arizona is losing a lot of experience, they are fully expected to reload with an impressive recruiting class that ESPN ranks as the third best overall. Trier is also staying in Tucson for at least one more season, so the Wildcats backcourt will be loaded.
Markkanen, a 6’11” big man from Finland, is a very versatile player for his height. He has a great handle and can play inside and out. He should be able to serve as a rim protector against much smaller college opponents.
Ferguson initially committed to Alabama, but made the switch to Arizona in mid-April 2016. With his height, athleticism and range, the Wildcats are getting a special player that should not have a problem dominating at the college level. Ferguson can fly, is an impact defender and is lethal in transition.
Simmons could be the floor general for this young crew as one of the top freshman point guards in the nation. York is leaving, but Kadeem Allen will return for his senior season. That means Simmons will have to beat out Allen for the starting role.
Finally, Brooklyn native, Alkins, is also expected to land a starting spot. Alkins is a two-way player with the body to guard taller opponents. He is strong and is capable of attacking off the dribble. He must develop a more consistent jump shot, but his toughness and swagger is evident.