Arizona Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Wildcats
By Brian Rauf
Starting lineup
Nico Mannion
The Phoenix native is the kind of do-it-all point guard every team wishes they could have. Mannion has tremendous size at 6-3 with a versatile offensive game. He can score at all three levels but, more importantly, is a very willing and able playmaker who always seems to make the right play.
Max Hazzard
A grad transfer who keyed UC Irvine’s upset win over Kansas State in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Hazzard will provide some needed experience to this young starting lineup. He’s a reliable shooter that rarely turns the ball over.
Josh Green
Another projected lottery pick, Green is a lethal scorer. At 6-6 and 190 pounds with elite athleticism, Green is a phenomenal slasher who can do whatever he wants around the rim. He has become a reliable three-point shooter, too, giving Arizona a legitimate go-to scorer. If he fully applies himself on the defensive end – something he’ll have to do under Miller – Green’s athleticism gives him immense potential on that end.
Zeke Nnaji
Nnaji is the third highest-rated prospect in Arizona’s recruiting class but may play as big of a role as any because of how thin this team’s frontcourt is. His skill set is also the perfect complement to the faster pace these guards will want to play at. The 6-11 big man is very quick and athletic and uses those skills to run the court better than most his size. He’s not a rim protector but can stretch the floor with his jumper, though it’s inconsistent from three-point range.
Chase Jeter
Arizona really needed Jeter’s breakout year last year, though the term “breakout” is mostly used in comparison to his lackluster two seasons at Duke before transferring. In a bigger role for the Wildcats, Jeter averaged 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while showing an improved understanding of what was going on around him. But he’s probably best in a secondary role where his weaknesses won’t be as obvious, and his role with this group will play to his stronger points as a rebounder and shot-blocker.