Pac-12 Showdown: Utah At Arizona Preview
By Andrew Kahn
Arizona beat Colorado last night in its final game before Saturday’s home showdown with Utah. Coach Sean Miller told his players in the locker room after the game, “Utah is the best team in the Pac-12. They’re the deepest, most experienced, and they execute on both sides of the ball. We’re going to have to upset them here in McKale.” The oddsmakers will disagree, but his point in well taken. Utah, ranked No. 8 in the country, is 14-2 and unbeaten in league play. Following their win at Arizona State last night, their margins in conference have been 24, 32, 25, and 17. In conference games, Utah ranks first in offensive and defensive efficiency; Arizona is second.
With the Wildcats ranked No. 8, Saturday’s game will be the first top-10 match-up in the Pac-12 since March 6, 2008. Arizona will put its 31-game home winning streak on the line at 4:00 p.m. PT. Here are the keys to the game.
Second chance points
Rebounding is a key to any game, but it’s especially important for this match-up. On the season, the Wildcats grab 31 percent of their own misses. Their only two losses have also been their two worst performances on the offensive glass (less than 20 percent). They are best in the Pac-12 at keeping their opponents off the offensive backboard; Utah is first at hitting the offensive glass. Open looks might be hard to come by in this game, making scoring off misses even more valuable.
Transition for Utah
Says Washington assistant T.J. Otzelberger, “It’s hard to prepare for how physical, athletic, and overwhelming Arizona can be defensively. He believes the game will be determined by whether Utah can score in transition before Arizona sets its defense. The Runnin’ Utes, ironically, are not known for running, but they have a point guard who can get out and push the ball if need be. That would be 6’5” senior Delon Wright, a top candidate for national Player of the Year. “He’s a big-time playmaker off the dribble,” says Oregon State assistant Greg Gottlieb. “You can’t help too much on him because he’s an excellent passer off penetration. But he finishes himself if you don’t help at all.” Arizona’s T.J. McConnell is a pesky defender, even against elite guards, which is why transition opportunities will be critical.
Outside shooting for UA
Gabe York, Arizona’s best three-point shooter, missed last night’s game due to a sprained ankle. His status for Saturday’s contest is unknown. Elliot Pitts stepped up, converting 4 of 6 from downtown. He’s hitting 47 percent this year from three. McConnell won’t look for his own shot, but he’s got to be confident when he’s left open. He showed that much of last year but his outside percentage has dipped under 30 percent this season. The Wildcats have to hit enough outside shots to free up Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski in the paint and Stanley Johnson to slash.
Utah hasn’t beaten Arizona since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. In fact, the Utes have lost 10 straight in the match-up, last beating the Wildcats in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. So despite what Miller says, Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak knows it’s his team that has more to prove: “I’m sure Sean is taking full advantage of it to play the underdog role. But don’t believe a word he says.”
Andrew Kahn is a regular contributor to CBS Local who also writes for Newsday and The Wall Street Journal. He writes about college basketball and other sports at AndrewJKahn.com. Email him at andrewjkahn@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @AndrewKahn.