Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats' star center Kaleb Tarczewski suffered a foot injury on Dec. 1 that has kept him sidelined, but he could be nearing a return to the court.

Continue for updates. 

Latest on Tarczewski's Playing Status

Friday, Jan. 1

Head coach Sean Miller told reporters Tarczewski will likely play on Sunday against Arizona State, per Anthony Gimino of the Tuscon News.

Tarczewski Crucial to Wildcat Frontcourt 

Tarczewski is in his senior year with Arizona and has been one of the team's best players during his four years. The 7-footer leads the team with a field-goal percentage of 57.7 and ranks second with 7.2 rebounds per game.    

The fourth-year star was injured in the second half of Arizona's game against Santa Clara on Nov. 26. He was hampered by an ankle injury before the season that kept him out of the Red-Blue Game in October, so the Wildcats should be extra careful with the big man to have him healthy for the tournament run. 

A small silver lining for the Wildcats is head coach Sean Miller has done a good job recruiting size. Ryan Anderson (6'9") is currently averaging a double-double, and backup center Dusan Ristic (7'0") is averaging 5.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. 

With Tarczewski on the bench, Ristic will be elevated to a more prominent position in Miller's rotation. Freshman Chance Comanche, who averages less than four minutes per game, will also take on increased minutes for the time being. 

Arizona is off to a strong start this season, but the absence of its starting center for at least one month will increase the need for scoring from the likes of Anderson, Gabe York and Allonzo Trier. 

Arizona Wildcats freshman forward Ray Smith suffered a knee injury in practice, which will force the prized recruit from Las Vegas to miss his first season with the Wildcats.

Continue for updates.

Smith to Miss Freshman Season

Saturday, Oct. 24

Smith will miss his freshman season after suffering a torn right ACL, the program announced Saturday, per ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman. This is the second time in two years that Smith has torn an ACL. He tore the ACL in his left knee during his senior year at Las Vegas High School.

The 6'8" freshman was the No. 29-ranked recruit in the 2015 class, per Goodman, and was expected to start for head coach Sean Miller's Wildcats after the departure of Stanley Johnson to the NBA.

Miller said the following in a statement provided by the university, per Goodman:

Ray Smith is one of the most talented young players that has ever entered our program. The news of his injury is incredibly disappointing on several levels. However, the togetherness of our program is one of our strengths. Our great fans, former and current players, our medical and coaching staffs along with Ray's family look forward to the challenges of helping him reach all of his goals and dreams.

His journey in getting to the top of the mountain might be different, but I have tremendous belief that he will get there with this type of support, his amazing determination to succeed and the love of the game of basketball that he possesses. Today, Ray Smith remains one of the most talented young players we have ever had at Arizona and that has not changed.

This is a huge blow to an Arizona team that is looking to improve upon its impressive season from a year ago. The Wildcats made it all the way to the Elite Eight before running into Wisconsin. Arizona lost its four top scorers to the NBA, however, meaning Kaleb Tarczewski (9.3 points per game) is the program's returning leading scorer.

The University of Arizona's men's basketball team took a major hit Saturday, as it was announced that freshman forward Ray Smith will miss the entire 2015-16 season, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.

Continue for updates.

Smith Out for Season with Torn ACL

Saturday, Oct. 24

Arizona officially revealed Smith's status Saturday, and head coach Sean Miller had this to say about the supremely talented wingman, per Anthony Gimino of TucsonNewsNow.com:

According to 247Sports, Smith is a 5-star prospect from Las Vegas who ranks as the No. 19 overall player in his class and the No. 4 small forward.

Per Evan Daniels of Scout, early returns for Smith were great, as he figured to play a big role for a Wildcats team that lost Stanley Johnson to the NBA.

Arizona knew it was taking a risk to some degree when it brought him in after he tore his ACL last year in high school, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Smith must now work his way back to full health once again, and Arizona teammate Allonzo Trier is among those who feel for him:

There is no question that being without Smith will severely damage the Wildcats' chances in 2015-16. It also creates an interesting situation moving forward.

He could opt to return next season, but he was a potential one-and-done player anyway. That means entering the NBA draft rather than risking another injury is a possibility as well.

Both Smith and the Wildcats are in a tough spot, and there will be plenty for both sides to consider as it relates to Smith's future with the team.

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Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Sean Miller has maintained the program's status among the nation’s elite, and he will reportedly be rewarded for his efforts.

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star noted Friday that Miller is due for an extension and a subsequent raise on his contract:

This should come as no surprise considering Arizona is the two-time defending Pac-12 regular-season champion and a mainstay among the Top 10 in the polls nearly every year. Arizona earned a No. 2 seed in this season's NCAA tournament under Miller, where it eventually reached the Elite Eight before losing a heartbreaker to Wisconsin.

It was the second consecutive year Miller’s Wildcats lost to the Badgers in the Elite Eight in devastating fashion.

Miller started his Division I head coaching career with the Xavier Musketeers and took the Arizona job after five seasons. Since then, the Wildcats have won at least 30 games in three of Miller’s six campaigns in Tucson and will likely continue their extended dominance well into the future with this latest extension.

In fact, Miller stakes claim to the No. 4 recruiting class in the country for the 2015 cycle and the No. 8 class in the country for the 2016 cycle (as of Friday), per 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Consistency in the coaching ranks is critical for success on the court and on the recruiting trail. Considering recruiting is the lifeblood of sustained excellence at the college level, keeping Miller for even longer is ideal for an Arizona squad that has been on the verge of the Final Four the past two seasons.

With Miller at the helm and his talented recruiting classes on the way, the Wildcats will likely be the power of the Pac-12 for years to come.  

As if the sting of watching yet another Elite Eight exit at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers weren't enough, Arizona Wildcats fans now have to deal with Stanley Johnson's departure. The freshman forward announced Thursday that he'll be heading to the NBA. 

Pac-12 Networks passed along word of the announcement:

Johnson also took to Twitter to speak on his decision:

Many wondered throughout this past season whether Johnson was a one-and-done for the Wildcats, and the speculation really heated up after the Badgers knocked Arizona out of the NCAA tournament.

However, he didn't tip his hand immediately following the defeat to Wisconsin, per Joey Kaufman of The Orange County Register:

The news comes as little surprise because many eyed Johnson as a surefire lottery pick in the 2015 draft. Johnson's shooting needs improvement, but he's a fantastic athlete and a strong defender. He's also a very good rebounder for being just 6'7".

"He's a man-child," said one NBA scout of Johnson, per Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. "He's 6'6" or 6'7", 245 pounds, and he's built like a linebacker. But here's the deal: He's got a lot of skills. He can shoot it, and he can handle the ball. He rebounds. If he comes out, he’s going to be a top lottery pick."

Plenty of teams would line up to add a player with his skill set.

Although Johnson didn't earn a bunch of individual honors during his freshman season, his talent was clear to see. He averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

He made a noticeable impact on both ends of the floor, with his defense arguably standing out the most, helping Arizona become one of the best defensive teams in the country.

ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello noted how Arizona could have a lot of turnover in the offseason with so many star players boasting NBA potential. Johnson was just one of a small handful of underclassmen head coach Sean Miller might have to replace:

The good news is that the Wildcats are welcoming in one of the best recruiting classes in the country, a group that boasts two 5-star talents in Allonzo Trier and Ray Smith. That young talent will need time to adjust to the college level, but Arizona shouldn't be lacking in playmakers next season.

Another year in Tucson might have helped improve Johnson's draft position, but it almost certainly wouldn't have taken a massive jump. The risk of suffering a major injury far outweighed the benefits of moving up a spot or two.

Despite Johnson only spending a short time at Arizona, he made his time count.

Recruit star ratings courtesy of 247Sports.

Right away, Stanley Johnson has a presence. Standing at 6'7" and weighing in at 245 pounds, the Arizona forward looks nothing like your typical 18-year-old kid. He looks almost Ron Artestian in his presence, a child blessed with a grown man's body, able to out-leap you with his legs and out-muscle you with his arms.

Then you watch him play basketball and things immediately click together. The Artestian features don't just show up in street clothes. They're there when he's playing defense, bullying smaller wings and holding his own against bigs two and three inches taller. It's apparent in the way he barrels into the lane—at times a little too enthusiastically—and the way his greatness can come and go.

Arizona's NCAA tournament run has already seen the best and worst sides of Johnson. In the round of 64, the surefire lottery pick scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and knocked down four shots from beyond the arc to help the Wildcats thrash 15th-seeded Texas Southern. By Saturday he'd devolved into an active minus, shooting 1-of-12 from the floor, missing all four of his threes and combining with D'Angelo Russell for perhaps the worst head-to-head matchup of lottery picks this calendar year.

The Wildcats managed to advance despite their star, with vets T.J. McConnell and Gabe York each turning in a team-high 19 points. But what was impressive about Johnson's performance is the way he continued working despite his offensive failures. His motor never stopped churning defensively, adding 10 rebounds and two steals, all while having the confidence to continue creating shots offensively. That wouldn't have happened early in the season, when Johnson would take himself out of the offensive plan entirely at times.

"We wouldn't be here without Stanley," McConnell said, per Fox Sports Arizona's Steve Rivera. "I thought it was tough chemistry-wise (early in the year). (But) we've done a complete (turnaround). Our chemistry is just as good, if not better than it was last year."

Entering the tournament's second weekend, there is perhaps no player with a better opportunity to boost his draft stock than Johnson. Depending on how you rank the players, as many as 10 and as few as six lottery picks will be in action over the next four days.

Some, like Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns, have done enough to solidify top-five status regardless of how they fare the rest of the way. Others, like Justise Winslow and the cabal of pro-ready Wildcats playing with Towns, aren't the stars on their own team and/or have to split the workload in too many ways. UCLA's Kevon Looney is raw and can often be the fifth wheel on his own team. Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky is a perfect collegiate alpha dog, but we have so much film on him there is no way opinions can shift about him much over the next couple of weeks.

Johnson? Things could go one of a few ways.

There is a legitimate chance by the time nets are being cut down that he's overtaken Winslow and Croatian Mario Hezonja as the top small forward in this class. Play two-way basketball similar to his opening-game brilliance and topple Kentucky on the way to a national championship, and it's not only possible; it's also likely.

Johnson isn't the locker room leader at Arizona—that distinction would go to McConnell—but he's viewed as by far the best potential pro. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is the only other potential first-rounder listed on Chad Ford's big board. We've also seen time and again how much NBA scouts can become infatuated with tournament stars even when the regular-season game film tells them otherwise.

Johnson's regular-season film is impeccable. He's been consistently solid all season, shooting a far better three-point percentage (37.3) than anyone could have hoped while flashing some nifty dribble-drive moves. Couple that with an insatiable motor, NBA body and excellent athleticism, and it's not that hard to talk yourself into Johnson as a ready-made pro product. 

“He’s a man-child,’’ an NBA scout told Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. “He’s 6-6 or 6-7, 245 pounds, and he’s built like a linebacker. But here’s the deal: He’s got a lot of skills. He can shoot it and he can handle the ball. He rebounds. If he comes out, he’s going to be a top lottery pick.”

There's also the flip side to that argument. Poking holes in Johnson's game isn't all that difficult, either. It is a surprise to see him shoot a solid percentage from three because his jumper isn't fluid or exactly beautiful; it's functional. He also has a propensity to barrel his head into the lane with no real plan, fumbling the ball away or hoisting an ill-advised shot; last Saturday was filled with such instances.

One could also call into question whether Johnson's quite tall enough to play an NBA small forward position. He's listed at 6'7", near the bottom of the professional threshold at that position. An elimination at the hands of Xavier, a measurement slightly below that 6'7" figure at the combine and...you can see where this is headed.

Winslow has a more obvious NBA game. Hezonja is beloved by international scouts. NBA teams get a little hesitant about the guy with the shaky jumper, and suddenly Johnson is battling to stay in the back half of the lottery. As a frame of reference, the difference between being the fifth pick and the 12th is roughly $4 million over the first three years of an NBA contract.

No pressure or anything.

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The Xavier Musketeers continue to be a great NCAA tournament bet, because with two wins and covers last week, Xavier is now 20-3-1 against the spread over its last 24 NCAA tournament games. The sixth-seeded Musketeers will shoot for the straight-out upset when they challenge the second-seeded Arizona Wildcats in a West Region bout Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Opening spread

The Wildcats opened as nine-point favorites. (Compare lines and consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report.)

Why pick Xavier to cover the spread

The Musketeers are back in the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the last eight seasons after holding off upstart Georgia State Saturday 75-67. Xavier led most of the way, let the Panthers tie the game with about 15 minutes to go, then used a 7-0 run to re-assume control.

The Musketeers shot a blazing 68 percent from the floor, made seven of 13 from beyond the arc and hit 22 of 25 free throws, icing the cover as six-point favorites. Xavier has won five of its last six games, with four covers, and it's now 10-7 SU and 9-6-1 ATS this season against teams that made the NCAA tournament.

The Musketeers spread the ball around; they've got six guys averaging between 8.5 and 12 points per game. If they can avoid the turnovers and hit enough shots to snuff out any big Arizona runs, they'll have a chance to keep this one interesting.

Why pick Arizona to cover the spread

The Wildcats are back in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season after disposing of Ohio State Saturday 73-58. Arizona let the Buckeyes hang around for a half, then took control, leading by 15 at one point in the second half, covering the spread at minus-10. The Wildcats only shot 37 percent from the floor Saturday, but they hit 20 of 24 free throws and out-rebounded OSU 43-26.

So Arizona carries a 13-game winning streak into Thursday, with 11 of those victories coming by double digits. The Wildcats are also now 15-4 ATS over their last 19 games, and 12-0 SU and 7-5 ATS this season against teams that made the Big Dance.

Arizona is a dangerous outfit, almost toying with the Buckeyes Saturday, just to keep things interesting. On the season, the Wildcats are shooting 49 percent from the floor, holding foes to 39 percent field-goal shooting, and they're dominating on the boards to the tune of plus-nine rebounds per game.

Smart betting pick

Arizona has covered some big numbers this season, so the spread on this game almost seems like a bargain. Xavier might keep this one close for a while, but the Wildcats will likely wear the Musketeers down, like they did to Ohio State and many others before. The smart money here resides with Arizona.

Power rankings (per Odds Shark power ranks)

Xavier Musketeers: No. 119

Arizona Wildcats: No. 1

March Madness betting trends

Xavier is 20-3-1 ATS in its past 24 March Madness games.

Xavier is 5-0 ATS in the Sweet Sixteen.

Xavier is 12-1 ATS as a March Madness underdog since 2003.

Arizona is 11-3 ATS in its past 14 games as a double-digit favorite.

Note: All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark. Download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

The second-seeded Arizona Wildcats begin their quest for a Final Four berth in Portland on Thursday against the Texas Southern Tigers after their attempt to win the West region as the top seed a year ago fell two points short in a 63-62 loss to the second-seeded Wisconsin Badgers in the Elite Eight.

The Wildcats are riding an 11-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament—going 9-2 against the spread down the stretch—and could have easily been a No. 1 seed again. They are picked by the Odds Shark computer to cover this big spread.

Opening Spread

The Wildcats opened as 22.5-point favorites.

Why to Pick Texas Southern to Cover the Spread

Like Arizona, the Tigers have won 11 games in a row heading into the Big Dance, but they have done so with a lot less fanfare playing in the small Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Just eight of their games were on the betting board this season, as they went 4-4 against the spread, including a 2-1 mark in the SWAC tournament.

Texas Southern appeared in the NCAA tournament last year, playing in the First Four and falling to Cal Poly 81-69 as a 3.5-point underdog. Though disappointing, that loss can only help this team better prepare for a tough task against the Wildcats this time.

The Tigers also got the opportunity to play four tourney teams early in the season, going 1-3 but highlighted by an upset of the Michigan State Spartans as 24.5-point road underdogs in a 71-64 overtime victory last December 20.

Why to Pick Arizona to Cover the Spread

Arizona is likely playing with a chip on its shoulder and feels like it has some unfinished business in the West region since Wisconsin had the same exact record this year but got the better seed.

The Wildcats are hoping to eventually turn the tables on the Badgers down the road, but until then, they need to be focused on taking care of business early on against Texas Southern.

Last year, they did not cover the 20-point spread in a 68-59 win over the 16th-seeded Weber State Wildcats in the round of 64 and also failed to beat the number as 7.5-point favorites in a 70-64 victory against the fourth-seeded San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16.

Arizona did not mess around in easily winning the Pac-12 tournament, routing the second-seeded Oregon Ducks 80-52 as 12.5-point favorites in the championship game.

It just needs to continue playing with that intensity.

Smart Betting Pick

There is a reason many oddsmakers are favoring the Wildcats to make it to the Final Four this season as the second seed over top seed Wisconsin. They look to be an improved team this year, and bettors will see that right away when they play Texas Southern here.

Arizona has gone 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games as a favorite, covering four straight when favored by 20 or more points. The Tigers will be facing a motivated Wildcats team that will make it five in a row here.

Odds Shark Power Rankings

Texas Southern Tigers: No. 247

Arizona Wildcats: No. 1

March Madness Betting Trends

• Arizona ended the season on a 11-0 straight up and 9-2 ATS run.
• Texas Southern won 11 straight games to end the season.
• Arizona is 13-3 ATS in its past 16 games as a favorite.
• Arizona has covered four in a row when favored by 20 or more points.

All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark. Download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

It is hard to imagine any universe in which Bill Walton and Joe Lunardi are on the same wavelength, but they were recently about Arizona.

The Wildcats were on ESPN at Colorado when the 6’11’’ walking non sequitur made a direct point with which ESPN’s punctual tournament data cruncher wholly agreed. It came during Thursday’s action cutaway.

The Wildcats didn’t really do much in their nonconference schedule, Walton said, to warrant being considered for a No. 1 seed.

Did that teepee of his pick up Saturday night’s ugly yet resilient 63-57 rebuttal in Salt Lake City? It wasn’t nonconference, but it was big time.

Lousy offense. Miserable from inside three feet. Benching a starter in the latter stages because he couldn’t pay attention. And Arizona actually did something special to dispel its doubters, winning at Utah in a raucous environment.

“There’s something to be said for going on the road and winning,” Arizona coach Sean Miller told ESPN’s Holly Rowe shortly after the final horn.

Arizona improved to 26-3 and clinched no worse than a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title. That's mighty impressive and seemingly worthy of some top-seed talk. But it hasn't really been that way, and not just by America's best basketball friends, Bill and Joe.

UA won the Maui Invitational right before Thanksgiving by defeating a bad team (Missouri), a bubble team (Kansas State) and a solid-but-unspectacular San Diego State team.

It needed overtime at home to oust Gonzaga. Needing that much work to beat a non-major is never going to get any credit, even if that team is 29-2.

Miller’s team didn’t exactly catch bad breaks in non-league road games. It just caught unimpressive teams: UTEP and UNLV, and yet it lost to the latter two days before Christmas.

Arizona has turned into a team a lot of the country has pushed aside. It hasn’t been to a Final Four since 2001. Miller has been to a couple of Elite Eights in his first five years, but that Bill Self-ian level of “so close” can only woo people so much.

Arizona is just a little different on the eyes this year because its defense is more valuable than its offense, by any metric or eye test.

By KenPom’s measure, it’s the No. 1 team in the country in offensive rebound percentage. Teams that chuck-and-chase don’t tend to get a lot of love.

Arizona can muddy the game and likes it that way—and those are Miller’s Pittsburgh scrappy roots coming into play in the desert. Its most flash and swagger comes when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson steps to the foul line and does that smooth shimmy.

Basically, there wasn’t much reason to believe in the Pac-12’s best team. And then came a trip to Salt Lake City. Unless you’re skiing or trying to stalk Ty Burrell, it’s the last place most would think of looking. But it was a big-time atmosphere that UA handled with just enough gusto to prove itself a viable March contender.

It forced the Utes to miss 13 of their first 16 shots.

So much for the students who were camped out for three days, after being continually praised by their beloved head coach.

Don’t chuckle, America. Utah’s home court is rocking like it did in the Rick Majerus days. Wichita State lost a 35-game regular-season winning streak there in December.

It’s a really good Utes program which has everything—stud point guard, really nice inside presence, one of the best coaches in America in Larry Krystkowiak—to make a deep NCAA run of its own.

And Arizona was just a little better, even during a miserable start to the second half against a team that was 16-0 at home.

Miller’s group found some resolve. It found little ways that will go a long way.

Kaleb Tarczewski is amid the best hoops stretch of his college career. He averages nine points a game but has averaged nearly 13 in the past five, making 23 of his 32 shots. He is jump-shooting, posting up, defending and generally being a veteran menace that winners have—and require.

Gabe York (all 6’3’’ of him) has made 80 percent of his free throws, but he had the instinct to go after his late miss and turn it into an unconventional three-point play with 1:39 left to give Arizona the lead. 

Miller benched ultra-talented freshman Stanley Johnson, who lost focus on defense in the closing minutes.

The group can go back to Tucson knowing it wasn't clicking, it wasn't making point-blank shots—and yet it still beat a high-caliber team.

The Wildcats are further along than they were in November, December and their legion of critics would give them credit for.

Johnson has to catch up. He seemed to be lost in the fog of a 3-of-19 shooting night. 

He’ll get his head on. He’ll have to. It looks like there’s a lot of season left.