(Picture credit score: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Photographs)
When No. 4 Arizona performs at No. 2 Houston on Saturday afternoon, the sport will pit the highest two groups within the Massive 12 standings and can function contrasting kinds.
Arizona’s high-scoring transition offense will go in opposition to Houston’s suffocating protection.
As of Wednesday’s video games, the Wildcats (24-2, 11-2) ranked thirteenth nationally in scoring offense at a mean of 88.2 factors a recreation, whereas the Cougars (23-3, 11-2) had been No. 2 in scoring protection at 61.6 factors allowed per recreation.
‘You do not get to go up in opposition to Houston, particularly if it will get a set protection, and decide and select your shot you need immediately,’ Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned. ‘They’re clearly an important defensive staff, and also you simply should have just a little extra wherewithal on offense.’
Arizona is coming off a 75-68 win Wednesday at dwelling in opposition to No. 23 BYU, ending the Wildcats’ two-game skid after attaining a program-record 23-0 begin.
Arizona performed with out beginning freshman ahead Koa Peat, who will miss Saturday’s recreation due to a lower-leg harm. Peat, who picked Arizona over Houston and different groups throughout the recruiting course of, additionally didn’t play within the second half of final Saturday’s 78-75 additional time loss at dwelling in opposition to then-No. 16 Texas Tech.
Dwayne Aristode, a freshman reserve guard with Arizona, has missed the previous two video games due to an undisclosed sickness. His standing for Saturday’s recreation is undetermined.
Brayden Burries, who had 11 factors within the win over BYU, performed via an sickness. He obtained an IV therapy after the sport.
Reserve guard Anthony Dell’Orso scored 22 factors, probably the most in his two-season Arizona profession after transferring from Campbell.
‘Clearly, we’re going via accidents proper now, and it is simply that time of the season the place generally you hit just a little battle,’ Lloyd mentioned. ‘When you do not embrace it, you are not constructed for it. Our guys have completed job embracing it, and I assumed there was good wherewithal and simply discovering a approach (in opposition to BYU).’
Houston, in the meantime, had its six-game successful streak snapped with Monday’s 70-67 loss at No. 6 Iowa State.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings, a projected NBA lottery decide by some draft analysts, scored 22 factors within the defeat and is averaging 16.6 factors, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per recreation this season.
Emanuel Sharp (16.5 ppg) and Milos Uzan (11.2) present veteran management on the perimeter, and Chris Cenac Jr. and Joseph Tugler mix to common 13 rebounds per recreation.
Arizona will counter with the perimeter trio of Jaden Bradley (13.3 factors and 4.7 assists per recreation), Burries (main scorer at 15.5 ppg) and Ivan Kharchenkov (10 ppg), together with the within energy of Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka (mixed 18.3 rebounds a recreation).
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson gained an appreciation of Arizona’s program from his days teaching Washington State from 1987-94, when the colleges had been a part of the Pac-10 Convention.
‘I’ve simply all the time revered Arizona as a result of they had been the highest program after I began out teaching,’ Sampson mentioned. ‘They had been our Duke. They had been our North Carolina. They had been our Kentucky. … UCLA had the identify, however Arizona had this system.’
Sampson additionally has lauded Lloyd’s efficiency in his first 5 seasons main Arizona’s program.
‘Coaches that do not perceive easy methods to construct a tradition normally do not final lengthy on this enterprise,’ Sampson mentioned. ‘Tommy’s all the time been an important recruiter, however he is aware of easy methods to coach, is aware of easy methods to construct.’
–Subject Stage Media
