The Arizona Wildcats begin their quest to the Final Four with a home game against in-state opponent Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Will this be an easy win for the Wildcats?
TV Schedule: Friday, November 10, 8:00 p.m. ET, PAC-12 Network
Arena: McKale Center, Tucson, AZ
The Arizona Wildcats were one of the most exciting basketball teams in the country last year. Led by Allonzo Trier and Lauri Markkanen, the Wildcats won the Pac-12 Conference Championship and had a great run in the NCAA Tournament before suffering a disappointing loss to Xavier.
Although the Wildcats lose a lot of talent, including Markkanen, Head Coach Sean Miller has put together one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Led by Top 5 recruit DeAndre Ayton, the incoming freshmen make Arizona one of the favorites to compete for the National Championship.
Heading into the 2017-18 season, Arizona is ranked No. 3 in the country and was picked to win the Pac-12 in the preseason poll.
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While this ranking should have Zona fans excited, starting guard Rawle Alkins will not be available until mid-December. This means Arizona’s core group of freshmen will need to step up and replace the production of the Julius Erving Award contender.
The nation will get its first glimpse at Arizona’s new talent in the Wildcats game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
Last season, the Lumberjacks featured a talented frontcourt of Ako Kaluna and Jordyn Martin. The team’s defense and backcourt, however, led to a finish at the bottom of the Big Sky. Without Martin and Kaluna, who both graduated, the Lumberjacks will need to rely on their still unimpressive backcourt to carry the load.
Arizona, on the other hand, has one of the biggest starting frontcourts in the country. Ayton and senior center Dusan Ristic will be an imposing pair in the paint and will make baskets and rebound difficult for any team. Trier leads a backcourt that features both experienced veterans and talented young freshmen that could compete with any team in the country.
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With Arizona’s superior frontcourt and excellent backcourt, this may be a game that only Wildcats fans will want to watch. Even Lumberjack fans may want to skip this game.
Prediction: Arizona 96, Northern Arizona 59