Arizona Basketball: Nico Mannion has become Wildcats bonafide leader
By Jack Bennett
Arizona Basketball freshman Nico Mannion is the go-to guy in Tucson, but what about the crafty guard makes him so special?
Anyone who watches an Arizona Basketball game this season will surely see the amount of talent that is displayed. For most though, one player sticks out more than others.
That honor belongs to freshman Nico Mannion.
Coming out of high school, the 6’3 guard had offers from just about any school one could want. He could’ve gone to Lawrence to play for Bill Self and the Jayhawks. He could’ve taken his talents to Villanova and Jay Wright. He even could’ve gone to play for Coach K at Duke, but he chose to stay close to home and play for Arizona.
"After the in-home visit, it just felt like home. I was already close with the coaching staff, so it felt like a good fit. – Nico Mannion via ABC 15 Phoenix"
For Sean Miller and the rest of ‘Cats nation, they’re glad he chose to stay home.
Mannion, the team’s second-leading scorer, has been arguably the most important part to the Wildcats’ early-season success. Even among other highly rated recruits such as Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji, Mannion’s skill set and basketball IQ stand out.
One of his most impressive moves in this skill set is his floater. His ability to drive into the lane, stop halfway through and arch his shot over a shot-blocking big man is one of the most impressive moves I have seen. Pair that with a consistent three-point shot and his mastery of the pick-and-roll, and it’s easy to see why Mannion has become the centerpiece in the Arizona offense.
Don’t think that Nico is just a shooter though, just watch this clip from Arizona’s game against South Dakota State.
https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1197730023140200448
In their latest game, a loss to #18 Baylor on Saturday, Mannion was just 3-14 from the field yet he was still able to score 15 points and dish out five assists as he was 8-8 from the free-throw line. Even when struggling in one area, he is still able to find a way to help the team.
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Overall, Nico Mannion will be a main factor in whether or not Arizona will be able to continue to play the way they have moving forward. If the ‘Cats make a deep run come March, don’t be surprised if Mannion is one of the biggest reasons why they are there.