Adversity is something that happens to all teams throughout the long college basketball season, even to teams with championship aspirations.
No. 2 Arizona (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) has gone through its fair share of challenges this season with forward Dwayne Aristode missing three games due to an undisclosed illness and star freshman Koa Peat dealing with a muscle strain to his lower leg with no set timetable for return.
Despite missing two players this past week, Arizona was able to go an impressive 2-0 with wins over then-No. 23 BYU and on the road against then-No. 2 Houston. The Wildcats were able to pull off the 73-66 win Saturday over the Cougars snapping a three-game losing streak against Houston.
It was a massive week for Arizona and one that not many saw coming. The wins put the Wildcats in the Big 12 regular season title driver seat with games against Baylor, No. 14 Kansas, No. 4 Iowa State and Colorado still remaining on the schedule.
Right now, the Wildcats have a game lead over Houston and two games over Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech.
As we are coming down to the final four games of the regular season, we at All Sports Tucson have come up with three things we’ve learned about the Wildcats from the past week.
The Importance of Koa Peat
Look, Arizona had a great week and was able to shock people with an impressive win over Houston and the road. However, there were several moments throughout the game where the offense went cold and the team struggled to get in its groove for long periods of time.
What Peat brings to the table is another offensive weapon for Tommy Lloyd to use and needed depth in the frontcourt.
Against the Cougars, Arizona saw big men Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas foul out of the game, which forced Lloyd to go with new lineups.
Now, Arizona was able to overcome the foul issues and win but that might not be the case in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats need the depth and the talent of Peat to be a serious contender for a championship.
Free Throw Issues
Over the last several weeks, we have constantly talked about Arizona’s free throw problems and have pointed out that numbers need to improve for the Wildcats to avoid any issues during the Big Dance.
Against Houston, Arizona went 20 of 31 from the line with the team going 10 of 12 in the last 1:10 of the game.
However, there was a point in the game where the Wildcats missed five straight free throws, which included three front ends of a 1-and-1 opportunity. So, overall, Arizona not only missed five in a row but missed in three more chances at the line.
Over the last 10 years the national championship winning team has shot a combined average of 73.6% from the free throw line. Right now, the Wildcats are shooting 72.6% on the season, which is right around the average.
The lowest free throw percentage for a national title winning team over the last 10 years was the 2014-15 Duke Blue Devils, which shot 69% from the line.
However, that Duke team shot 39% from the 3-point line. In comparison, Arizona is shooting 35% from deep, meaning the Blue Devils had a little more room for error given the 3-point shooting.
Arizona is in a solid position from the foul line but will need to improve a few percentage points to give itself some room for error.
Anthony Dell’Orso is back
Last season at the start of the Big 12 conference schedule, guard Anthony Dell’Orso really struggled to find confidence in his shot and his game suffered for it. Arizona really didn’t have the ability to fully trust him in meaningful games, which shortened the margin for error.
Despite adding a reported 25 pounds of muscle during the offseason, it looked like Dell’Orso hit another wall and was struggling by scoring 4.6 points a game while shooting 36% from the field.
However, against BYU and Houston last week, Dell’Orso stepped up with his team down two key players and delivered two 22-point performances and recorded five steals to make an impact on the defensive side of the court.
In the two games, he shot an impressive 55% from the field and knocked down six 3-point buckets. Dell’Orso was the main reason why the Wildcats were able to go 2-0 and jump to No. 2 in the rankings.
Dell’Orso is listed as questionable for the Baylor game because of sprained ankle he suffered late in Saturday’s win at Houston.
Now, there are still four games left and Arizona will need to be at full strength to potentially win the Big 12 and be a serious national championship contender, but it seems like the Wildcats have gotten back on track.
Recommended for you
