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WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY RATING?:
PP: Productivity Points (Points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocked shots, FGs made, FTs made added together and then subtracted by missed FGs, missed FTs, personal fouls and turnovers)
MIN: Minutes played overall
PR: Productivity rating per minute played (Productivity points divided by minutes played)
RED 53, BLUE 46
PRODUCTIVITY RATING
* — STARTERS
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Dusan Ristic had an impressive McKale Center debut in the Red-Blue Game
It was the Red-Blue Game after all, not a February afternoon matchup at McKale Center against UCLA, but the buzz coming out of yesterday’s experience was the play of freshmen frontcourt players Dusan Ristic and Craig Victor.
Note to high-profile Class of 2015 frontcourt players Stephen Zimmerman and Ivan Rabb who are still considering Arizona: It’s too early to draw conclusions from yesterday’s glorified scrimmage at McKale Center. Some fans may believe Ristic and Victor are destined for greatness this year — who can blame them? — but much is left to be determined as to their place in Arizona’s rotation.
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PROJECTED PAC-12 STARTING
CENTERS AND POWER FORWARDS
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What a shot of @ristic_dusan taking the floor for the #RedBlueGame! #APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/DvpVFnW0gd
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) October 19, 2014
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“No one has to remind any of us that Oct. 18 is football season,” sixth-year Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “We’re just beginning.”
Are Ristic and Victor guaranteed starters next year after Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley perhaps jump to the NBA? Nobody knows. Miller and his staff will address that issue when they have to, especially if Zimmerman and/or Rabb sign with the Wildcats.
We live in a generation of what-can-you-do-for-me-next-year with the wildly increased infatuation with recruiting. Arizona’s players, viable national title contenders, should be all about what’s happening now. And that includes having not only one of the most impressive frontcourts (including depth) in the Pac-12 but in the nation.
In researching the starting frontcourts at the 11 other Pac-12 schools, Ristic and Victor could start for most with the exception of Cal, Colorado and UCLA.
The Golden Bears have All-Pac-12 candidate David Kravish, a senior who is bullish on the boards. The Buffaloes return Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate Josh Scott, a junior, at the post. The Bruins have a frontcourt consisting of veteran junior center Tony Parker with McDonald’s All-American power forward Kevin Looney.
The rest of the schools have unproven players with limited minutes in the past, freshmen or junior college transfers.
Ristic, who Miller said played better in the Red-Blue Game than he has in practice, led the Wildcats in this site’s productivity rating in yesterday’s scrimmage with a score of 1.167.
“Dusan is a great basketball player,” Tarczewski told the Arizona Daily Wildcat. “He really brings a different type of post play, a European style. He’s a big dude, he’s got long arms and he’s really skilled, so it’s really nice to be able to play against him every day.”
That last line — “Play against him every day” — is significant because Tarczewski will not face much better in the conference. Furthermore, graduate assistant Joseph Blair, one of the most fundamental-yet-powerful centers in the Lute Olson era, works every day with the frontcourt players. You can’t put a price tag on that.
Victor was third in productivity rating in the Red-Blue Game at 1.056 and Tarczewski was fourth at 1.000. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who will play power forward on occasion when Miller goes smaller with his lineup, was second with a 1.158.
Ashley, who is working his way back from last year’s season-ending foot injury, had only a .250. But again, it’s early.
Arizona’s guard play might be a concern. The backcourt struggled other than freshman Stanley Johnson (.833) and senior captain T.J. McConnell (.652).
But again, Dick Vitale’s voice is not even hoarse yet.
Not a lot of words needed with this picture #RedBlueGame #BearDown pic.twitter.com/6QOtStSGHI
— Sean Miller (@UACoachMiller) October 19, 2014
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2013-14 ARIZONA OVERALL
PRODUCTIVITY RATING
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ARIZONA PAC-10/12
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR:
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2013-14 ARIZONA SCHEDULE/PRODUCTIVITY RESULTS
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
