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Arizona freshman Ray Smith is lost for the season with a torn ACL (YouTube video capture)
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First of all, the well-being of freshman Ray Smith should be the No. 1 thought on everybody’s mind.
What his reported loss for the season with a right torn ACL means to Arizona’s fortunes this year is secondary but one that must be explored with the season only 20 days away.
This is a difficult time for Smith, who did not play his senior season in high school last year because of a left torn ACL. Reports out of Tucson tonight suggest the youngster from Las Vegas suffered the injury in practice this week. He reportedly is out for the season.
Arizona freshman forward Ray Smith will miss this season with a torn ACL. It is on a different knee than the previous tear.
— Jason Scheer (@JasonScheer) October 24, 2015
Two significant knee injuries in two years can be tough for a veteran to take, let alone somebody who has yet to play a college game.
Smith came back strong from last year’s knee injury and reportedly impressed Arizona’s coaches in preseason workouts before today’s injury. Working with Arizona’s medical team and strength and conditioning staff all year, Smith should come back stronger next season.
As for the Wildcats this year? The loss of Smith is very tough to swallow inasmuch as he is the only true wing player on Arizona’s roster. Some possible moves by Arizona coach Sean Miller to alleviate that concern:
— Have a senior-laden starting frontcourt with Mark Tollefsen starting at wing with Ryan Anderson at power forward and Kaleb Tarczewski at center. Tollefsen has stated one of his priorities is working on his ball-handling and scoring off the dribble. He was a good stationary perimeter shooter and was also effective around the basket in halfcourt sets at San Francisco. As a wing, however, he must do what Stanley Johnson and other wings do — create off the dribble.
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More on Ray Smith's injury https://t.co/3Vf6rABPag
— Jason Scheer (@JasonScheer) October 24, 2015
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— Employ a three-guard lineup often, especially when Miller needs to go small. Smith’s loss will impact the minutes of players like freshmen Allonzo Trier and Justin Simon, junior Elliott Pitts and junior shooting guard Kadeem Allen. Everybody knows Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Gabe York will get their minutes as the likely starting backcourt. To Miller’s advantage is the fact that he is stocked with perimeter players that he can certainly use on the wing, most notably Trier, Pitts and Simon. The danger there is they will give up size to opposing wing players who are 6’7″ or 6’8″.
— Anderson can also play on the wing if necessary if Tollefsen happens to get in foul trouble. It will be interesting to see if Miller ever uses Tarczewski and Dusan Ristic together at the same time with Anderson at the wing. That’s an especially big lineup, which can be good or bad depending on how it matches up to the athleticism of the opponent on the frontcourt.
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The loss of Smith also trickles down to next season’s lineup and Miller’s recruiting focus. Will this development affect the staff’s ability to sign a high-profile wing player such as Josh Jackson with the thought of Smith coming back from injury? If Smith was healthy this season he could have played his way into the possibility of going pro. WildcatAuthority.com is reporting an NBA scout recently said he projected Smith to go in the NBA lottery after one year of college if practice was any indication.
Nevertheless, Smith being an important part of Arizona’s basketball team should be paramount. It’s time for his coaches, teammates and fans to rally around him.
You have to just feel horrible for Ray Smith who tore the ACL on his other knee … kid is a special talent who has run into terrible luck
— Matt Moreno (@MattGOAZCATS) October 24, 2015
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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