Bleacher Report's Report Card for AZ.
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 3:53 pm
Record: 6-1
Two Best Wins: vs. Boise State (x2)
Loss: vs. Providence
Grade: F+
We decided in advance to not give any outright failing grades, but Arizona almost led to a change of heart.
Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson has been sensational for the Wildcats, averaging a double-double. However, he's about the only thing going right for this team. Arizona lost stud freshman Ray Smith to a torn ACL before the season began, and its only returning starter from last season (Kaleb Tarczewski) has missed the past two games and will be out for the next four to six weeks with multiple foot injuries.
As a result of those missing pieces, Arizona's offense has been quite anemic, failing to even reach one point per possession in any of its past four games.
Gabe York started hot, but he has made just three of his last 18 three-point attempts. And without him, the Wildcats have no perimeter game whatsoever. The rest of the team is a combined 18-of-77 (23.4 percent) from downtown on the season. Through seven games, York is the only player on the roster with more than five made triples.
Here is a really telling statistic for how this team has been playing: Arizona ranks second in the nation in offensive steal percentage, allowing a steal on just 4.7 percent of possessions, but is 245th in offensive turnover percentage, committing a turnover on 20.1 percent of possessions. It's great that the Wildcats have only committed 23 live-ball turnovers, but they have committed 75 other turnovers due to some combination of traveling, offensive fouls, shot-clock violations, straight up throwing the ball out of bounds, etc.
Saturday's game at Gonzaga might be exactly what they need to get on the right track, but it also might be an absolute disaster that leads to a few articles questioning whether Arizona will even make the tournament this year.
Two Best Wins: vs. Boise State (x2)
Loss: vs. Providence
Grade: F+
We decided in advance to not give any outright failing grades, but Arizona almost led to a change of heart.
Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson has been sensational for the Wildcats, averaging a double-double. However, he's about the only thing going right for this team. Arizona lost stud freshman Ray Smith to a torn ACL before the season began, and its only returning starter from last season (Kaleb Tarczewski) has missed the past two games and will be out for the next four to six weeks with multiple foot injuries.
As a result of those missing pieces, Arizona's offense has been quite anemic, failing to even reach one point per possession in any of its past four games.
Gabe York started hot, but he has made just three of his last 18 three-point attempts. And without him, the Wildcats have no perimeter game whatsoever. The rest of the team is a combined 18-of-77 (23.4 percent) from downtown on the season. Through seven games, York is the only player on the roster with more than five made triples.
Here is a really telling statistic for how this team has been playing: Arizona ranks second in the nation in offensive steal percentage, allowing a steal on just 4.7 percent of possessions, but is 245th in offensive turnover percentage, committing a turnover on 20.1 percent of possessions. It's great that the Wildcats have only committed 23 live-ball turnovers, but they have committed 75 other turnovers due to some combination of traveling, offensive fouls, shot-clock violations, straight up throwing the ball out of bounds, etc.
Saturday's game at Gonzaga might be exactly what they need to get on the right track, but it also might be an absolute disaster that leads to a few articles questioning whether Arizona will even make the tournament this year.
