Arizona Basketball Preview: No. 7 Wildcats hosts Cougars in McKale

After sweeping the LA schools and earning a top 10 ranking, the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats (18-2, 7-0) look to stay undefeated in conference play as they host the Washington State Cougars (10-9, 3-4).

The Arizona Basketball team has endured a number of ups and downs this season, yet they currently find themselves as the No. 7 team in the nation with only 11 regular season games remaining. Part of their success has come with their talented roster that now finally boasts a Pac-12 Player of the Week in Lauri Markkanen, but also from their experience of dealing with adversity.

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To echo Fox Sports radio personality Jody Oehler, this team has developed a knack for battling through difficult times, which has helped them become one of the more fearless Wildcats teams in recent memory. For example, the Cats used this mindset to roll with the punches (some literal punches) as they battled with then No. 3 UCLA in what felt like a heavyweight boxing match before finally coming out on top with a 96-85 win.

Part of their exceptional grittiness that helped them win this past Saturday came from dealing with sophomore guard Allonzo Trier‘s season-long absence up until that game. After seeing how Trier contributed to this tougher Arizona team during their LA trip, I don’t see a slip-up coming anytime soon.

The Cats have great positive momentum and they will look to maintain their stride as they welcome the Washington schools this week. First up: the Washington State Cougars.

The Cougars haven’t had a winning season since 2012 when Ken Bone coached them to a 19-18 season. The Cougs have since fired Bone and currently have former Oregon head coach Ernie Kent at the helm. Kent hasn’t been blessed with the most talented of basketball players in Pullman, but he is certainly getting the most out of his current squad as they currently sit in 7th in the Pac-12 standings, even though they were projected in the preseason to finish well within the bottom few.

Jan 1, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars forward Josh Hawkinson (24) celebrates after collecting a rebound against the Washington Huskies late in the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Washington State defeated Washington, 79-74. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

The Cougs run of relative success this season can be attributed to the play of the most underrated Pac-12 basketball player Josh Hawkinson and the Cougs’ freshman phenom Malachi Flynn. Hawkinson, a senior forward from Shoreline, WA, has come a long way from being a lightly recruited big man in high school as he now averages a double-double per game (15.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg).

After racking up conference honors such as Most Improved Player of the year (2014-15) and twice All Pac-12 honorable mention (2014-15, 2015-16), the Cats should not be surprised by Hawkinson’s offensive prowess. With his ability to score in many ways (.324% 3-point shooting) and nose for a rebound, expect the Cats to counter his play with bigger or more athletic big men.

As for the other Cougar to keep an eye out for, freshman point guard Malachi Flynn is arguably Kent’s best WSU recruit to date as he was named Washington State 4-A Basketball Player of the Year after his final year at Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, WA). He’s a player who has already demonstrated a capability of stepping up in big games as he helped the Cougs beat the Dawgs earlier this season in Seattle. Expect him to take his fair share of shots from the perimeter as he is by far the Cougars’ best shooter from deep (.435% 3-point shooting).

While these two players are the ones worth highlighting, there are a few other Cougars of note. Although the Cats are probably aware of senior guard Charles Callison‘s career-high 30-point performance against the Colorado Buffaloes this past week, I feel like they shouldn’t worry too much about him.

Jan 7, 2017; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) shoots the ball in front of Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona won 82-73. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Rather, I feel as though the only Coug who could find success against Arizona’s Pac-12-best defense is senior guard Ike Iroegbu. Often forgotten in the fold of Pac-12 talent due to WSU’s level of irrelevance in basketball, Iroegbu was recruited from national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy and has the best chance of keeping up with Arizona’s superior athletes in my opinion. Keep an eye out for him.

Apart from Hawkinson, Flynn and Iroegbu, I don’t feel as though the Cats have much to worry about when it comes to playing Wazzu. The Arizona-Washington State head-to-head series has been lopsided from the beginning (66-16, Arizona) and I expect the Cats to extend their current series-winning streak to 11 games.

Prediction: 87-54 Arizona Wins

Given the second-life of Trier’s return, the Cats will impose their will on the glass early and often to dominate an undermanned Washington State team.

I think this one will get ugly quick. The Cougs simply do not match up well against Arizona’s size and perimeter defense. Expect some walk-ons to score a few points for the McKale faithful that stays for the duration of this bloodbath.

Here’s more information on where you can watch the game:

Date: Thursday, January 26th

Time: 6:30pm PST, 7:30pm MST

Location: McKale Memorial Center (14,545)

Line: Arizona -23

Television: PAC12 Network

Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network Arizona Wildcats (Try TuneIn Radio)

Team Records:

Arizona Starting Lineup (Probable):

6th man Allonzo Trier

Series Record: Arizona leads 66-16 all-time, with the Wildcats winning the last matchup 79-64 in Pullman, WA.

At ZonaZealots, we’re excited to see what the future holds for these Cats now that they have returned to the top 10 and returned an eligible Allonzo Trier. We’ll get a glimpse of what to expect moving forward on Thursday night. Bear Down!