Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Pac-12 is the only Division I conference that doesn't lie about the number of teams it has in its name. There's also little confusion about who the league's best team is, either.

But in case you were uncertain about that leader of the pack, Arizona made sure to reassert itself as the standard-bearer out West. And the Wildcats did so at the expense of one of the hottest teams in the country, one that had a higher ranking and was trying to make a case that it was deserving of top billing.

Tenth-ranked Arizona rolled to a 69-51 win over No. 8 Utah on Saturday night, turning the Utes into the 32nd straight victim the Wildcats have slayed at McKale Center. It also improved to 8-0 against Utah since it joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. WildcatAuthority.com's Jason Scheer described Arizona's win as a "statement":

This is a statement.

— stunna (@stunnaIo) January 18, 2015

On paper it will look like Arizona was just clearly the better team, but that's not giving Utah its due. A better description of what happened in Tucson on Saturday was that the Wildcats continued their season-long trend of showing up best on the big stage. There have been some sluggish outings, but it's not when the matchup called for maximum effort.

And certainly not when Arizona was considered by some to be the second-best team on the court.

Utah (14-3, 4-1) had come in on a roll, ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since 1999 and with four Pac-12 wins by an average of 24 points. Three of those had been in Salt Lake City, but then the Utes easily won at Arizona State at Thursday in their first road game in nearly a month.

The Utes, who hadn't beat Arizona since 1998, carried over some of that road momentum early on, led by floor leader Delon Wright.

The 6'6" senior guard has been one of the most complete players in the country this season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 rebounds coming in, but after he scored seven points in the first 4:07, it was like he disappeared from the court, ending up with his lowest point total (10) against a Division I team since mid-November.

The same could be said about the entire Utah team or at least the one that came in shooting 50.3 percent from the field and holding opponents to 36.6 percent from the field. Credit Arizona for turning those stats on their head, with Utah shooting 38.1 percent and Arizona making 49.1 percent of its shots, despite the Wildcats using an unorthodox approach to make it happen.

One of the best defensive teams in the country, Arizona (16-2, 4-1) has been enigmatic on offense this season. That continued Saturday, but it was in a surprisingly positive manner.

Pass-first point guard T.J. McConnell, who came in averaging 8.7 points per game, had 12 of his 16 points in the first half to throw off Utah's defensive game plan, which had been geared toward limiting the touches and production inside from a sizable front line.

That approach neutralized Arizona's most athletic player, freshman Stanley Johnson, but only for one half. After being scoreless (and with no stats other than two fouls) in the first half, Johnson erupted in the final 20 minutes to finish with game highs of 18 points and nine rebounds. Coach Sean Miller said Johnson's second half was "sensational," via Anthony Gimino of FoxSportsArizona.com:

The word Sean Miller uses to describe Stanley Johnson's second half: 'Sensational.'

— Anthony Gimino (@AGWildcatReport) January 18, 2015

Johnson had one fewer field goal than Utah's entire team did in the second half. And beyond the scoring woes, the Utes also were destroyed on the boards, turning most of their possessions into one-and-done tries, while allowing Arizona to pull down offensive rebounds almost at will.

"It was a bit of an eye-opener for us," Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak told Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune. "We'll have our guys full attention on Monday when we talk about playing more physical."

One game doesn't make a season, for either team, but it does point to some trends.

Utah's losses have all come in hostile environments, getting shut down at San Diego State and running out of gas against Kansas (in a psuedo-home game played in Kansas City) before this decisive loss.

Arizona, on the other hand, continues to ascribe to the "play to the level of competition" approach, with its best efforts coming in the biggest games—against SDSU in Hawaii, in overtime at home against Gonzaga and here—while dropping road games at a hot-and-cold UNLV team and last Sunday at unheralded Oregon State.

Yet, Arizona is big when it matters most. It improved to 19-4 in conference games the past two seasons, and it's had a target on its back for nearly every matchup during that span.

"The guys have been the hunted for two years now, and with that it can be a burden," Arizona coach Sean Miller told reporters afterward, via Javier Morales of AllSportsTucson.com. "It's not only about the win and result."

More than just the final score and the addition to the win column, it's been about maintaining Arizona's hold on the keys to the Pac-12 Corvette.

Arizona's win forges a logjam atop the Pac-12 standings after three weekends, with the Wildcats, Utah and Stanford all tied at 4-1. There are plenty of remaining matchups between the three leaders, most notably when Arizona makes the return visit to Utah on Feb. 28, but for the time being, one thing is very clear.

The Pac-12 is Arizona's to lose, and it has no plans to give up that crown without a fight.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

The No. 8 Arizona Wildcats open conference play Sunday at the McKale Center against their biggest rival, Arizona State. 

Sunday night's game comes after an extended holiday break for the Wildcats, who lost to UNLV in their last contest on December 23. 

The Sun Devils enter the rivalry clash with an 8-5 record and a two-game winning streak. Thanks to wins over Detroit and Harvard in its final nonconference games, Arizona State carries a bit of momentum into one of its biggest games of the season. 

Below we will preview the matchup and provide a few key things to watch during Sunday's showdown in the Grand Canyon State.  

How the Wildcats Handle the Long Break

It is not uncommon to see teams go a week without playing a game during December due to finals and the holidays. But the 12-day gap in between games for Arizona is abnormally long. 

The first thing to watch in regard to the play of the Wildcats is their intensity. If Sean Miller has prepared his team the right way, which he should, Arizona will not lack any fight from start to finish. 

Despite not playing a competitive game in close to two weeks, the Wildcats have been able to practice during their break to sharpen up their skills for the conference season. 

One thing to keep in mind when talking about Arizona's extended rest is the last game it played. With the four-point loss to UNLV still on their minds, the Wildcats will be looking to prove a point that the loss has not affected them one bit. 

If they do come out of the locker room with a fire lit under them, the Wildcats could make quick work of their rival from Tempe. 

Arizona State's New Look 

Three of the five starters from Arizona State's double-overtime conquest of the Wildcats last season are no longer in the lineup. Eric Jacobsen and Shaquielle McKissic are back this season, and they have key roles in the squad. But losing Jahii Carson, Jermaine Marshall and Jordan Bachynski has certainly hurt Arizona State's upset chances. 

Only four of the eight Arizona State players who participated in the 69-66 home victory are still with the program, which means some of the new faces may face a culture shock when they enter Tucson for the first time. 

Those four players combined to score 10 points in last season's win over Arizona, which was dominated by the three stars of the 2013-14 season. 

The good news for Arizona State is Jacobsen and McKissic have developed into key contributors during nonconference play. Their experience from playing against the Wildcats last season will help the pair of Gerry Blakes and Savon Goodman adjust to the volatile setting. 

If the Sun Devils can settle into the game without any major concerns, it will be because of the leadership exuded by Jacobsen and McKissic. 

Arizona's Backcourt Defense 

While we're on the topic of Arizona State's starters, it is worth noting they will have to go up against one of the stingiest defenses in the nation Sunday night. 

Gabe York and T.J. McConnell cause plenty of offensive nightmares with their play in the backcourt, while Kaleb Tarczewski, Stanley Johnson and Brandon Ashley form a formidable group down low. Scoring on the Wildcats will not be an easy task, as the unit as a whole has improved with each game.

While the frontcourt does deserve a decent amount of credit for the Wildcats' defensive success, the play of York and McConnell defines the team's defensive identity. 

York and McConnell will be asked to halt the progress of Blakes and McKissic, who as a duo have combined to average 22.9 points per game through the first 13 contests of the season. Although they have put up strong numbers for most of the season, Arizona State's guard duo has failed to impress in some of the team's biggest games. 

In the Sun Devils' most recent loss to Lehigh on December 13, the guard duo combined for only 15 points. In the losses to Maryland and Alabama, Blakes scored 14 and 21 points, but McKissic was nowhere to be found. 

With that in mind, York and McConnell might only have to shut down one of the two Arizona State playmakers. But don't expect them to stop there, as they will look to find a way to silence both Blakes and McKissic.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's Play off the Bench 

The true X-factor during the final three months of the season for Arizona will be the play of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. 

The sophomore forward embraced his role as the sixth man during nonconference play, as he found his way into double digits in all but four of Arizona's games. 

Despite the promise he has shown off the pine, three of the four games in which he has scored fewer than 10 points came against quality opposition. 

Hollis-Jefferson scored six points in 30 minutes against Kansas State in the Maui Invitational, put up eight in the overtime win over Gonzaga and totaled a combined nine points against UTEP and UNLV. 

To be fair to Hollis-Jefferson, he did score 14 points in the Maui Invitational title game against San Diego State. But for Arizona to be confident about its national championship hopes, the forward needs to deliver more performances like the one he had against the Aztecs. 

Arizona State may not be the most difficult opponent Arizona will face during conference action, but a positive showing from Hollis-Jefferson is needed after his two straight stinkers to finish off the nonconference slate. 

Prediction

If everything goes Arizona's way, this will be a one-sided affair just like last season's matchup at the McKale Center. The Sun Devils have the potential to make this an interesting game, but they need perfect nights from all of their stars to pull off an upset. 

Arizona 78, Arizona State 64

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

All statistics obtained from ESPN.com. 

While the entire world talks about Kentucky's quest for 40-0, there's another Wildcats team that at least has a snowball's chance in Arizona of running the table, too.

There are still nine undefeated teams across the country, but let's go ahead and rule seven of them out.

Duke, Louisville and Virginia are outstanding teams, but there's no way anyone is going 18-0 through that ACC gauntlet. Likewise, Villanova is bound to lose at least one game in a Big East conference that is drastically better than last season. TCU won't last a week into its Big 12 schedule before suffering a loss. Washington is going to lose as soon as it runs into a team with a competent big man that can handle Robert Upshaw.

Colorado State is the wild card, because the Rams undeniably have the easiest remaining schedule of the undefeateds. However, we can't take them too seriously until they win a game against San Diego State.

That leaves the Arizona Wildcats and the Kentucky Wildcats as our top candidates for perfection.

Since late April, I've been championing Kentucky as a potential 40-0 team. KenPom.com (subscription required) gives Kentucky a 6.2 percent chance of finishing the regular season without a loss—though, that doesn't include the SEC tournament or NCAA tournament. Factor those nine games in and it likely drops to less than one percent.

Regardless of what the math suggests, Kentucky is phenomenal. Even with Alex Poythress out for the rest of the year, these Wildcats remain very deep and talented. Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson will each get serious consideration for National Player of the Year, and there's no good reason the Harrison twins won't also get some votes.

Simply put, there's a reason Kentucky has been the unanimous No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 for the past two weeks and there's a reason this is one of the most discussed rosters in college basketball history.

I've done a handful of interviews for sports radio shows already this season. Whether they're calling from California, Kentucky, North Carolina or Texas—I've even done interviews for stations in Canada—it's a foregone conclusion that they're going to want to spend a couple minutes talking about the Kentucky Wildcats.

"Why are they having trouble getting going against drastically inferior teams?"

"Will they maintain the platoon system?"

"Can they go undefeated?"

And so on and so forth.

However, no one ever seems to ask about Arizona.

Even if you Google "Could Arizona go 40-0?" it just returns a bunch of articles about Kentucky.

Maybe it's East Coast analysts' bias. Maybe it's deliberate ignorance. But the Wildcats from the Grand Canyon State are every bit as good as the Wildcats from the Bluegrass State, and it's about time that people start recognizing it.

Remember, it was only five weeks ago that the entire world was torn on whether Arizona or Kentucky would actually be the best team in the country.

The four experts at NBCSports.com were split right down the middle. Two had Arizona winning it all and two had Kentucky winning it all. They differed wildly on their other Final Four teams, but all four had both Arizona and Kentucky reaching the national semifinals.

The six college hoops experts for B/R were also quite split—two picked Arizona to win it all, two picked Kentucky and two picked Wisconsin.

ESPN asked its 22 experts for their Final Four teams and national champions. Arizona was in 20 of the 22 Final Fours including eight picks for national champion. Kentucky was picked as champ nine times, but appeared in "only" 19 of 22 Final Fours.

Pardon my French, but what the heck happened?

It's almost as if the national media treated Kentucky's 32-point destruction of Kansas as a loss for Arizona.

In a recent exchange between Jay Bilas and Jeff Goodman (ESPN Insider subscription required), ESPN's gurus asked and answered how high Arizona's ceiling is.

Goodman's synopsis: "I like this team a lot, especially from a defensive and toughness standpoint, but I'm just not sold it can win the national title this season."

Bilas' response: "I think Arizona is in the top tier of teams this season, but I still have the Wildcats behind Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin. After that, I would put Arizona up with Louisville, Villanova and Virginia as the next best teams."

(Um, Jay, do you know how tiers work? You can't say Arizona is in the top tier and then put the Wildcats behind three other teams.)

Arizona is 11-0 with quality wins over Gonzaga, San Diego State, Michigan and Kansas State. The Wildcats have had fewer shots blocked than any other team in the country and currently rank fourth in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage, both according to KenPom.com (subscription required).

Whether Arizona is a legitimate threat to beat Kentucky is a discussion for another day, but the West Coast Wildcats are one of the toughest teams in the country to defeat.

Arizona doesn't allow second-chance opportunities and there's not much of anything you can do to stop its players from putting the ball in the hoop.

T.J. McConnell is the only player on the roster that has attempted at least eight two-point field-goal shots without making at least 55 percent of them. Kaleb Tarczewski is shooting 63.8 percent from the field. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has made 62.5 percent of his shots from inside the arc. Stanley Johnson and Brandon Ashley are each constantly getting to the rim and shooting 56 percent from two-point range.

Arizona is also one of the top teams in the country when it comes to drawing fouls. The Wildcats don't play at an outrageously fast tempo—they currently rank 60th in the country in that category, according to KenPom.com—but they still rank 10th in free-throw attempts per game.

In a word, they are relentless.

They aren't a great three-point shooting team and they know it, but they drive to the hoop over and over again, knowing that your only hope of stopping them is to foul.

Michigan will to struggle in the paint against a lot of teams this season, but the Wolverines had no answer last weekend as Arizona made 26-of-38 (68.4 percent) of its two-point field-goal attempts.

Even UC Irvine and 7'6" Mamadou N'Diaye had trouble containing Arizona in the paint, as the Anteaters finished the night with one blocked shot and 24 fouls that led to 34 Arizona free throws.

As is the case with Kentucky, your best chance of beating Arizona is probably to pack the lane, deny entry passes and simply hope that Stanley Johnson, Gabe York and Elliott Pitts don't make too many uncontested three-pointers.

Also, you'd better make every one of your shots count, because you won't be getting very many of those rebounds back.

Oh, and don't count on scoring more than 68 points, because no team has done that against Arizona yet this season.

Now that we've re-established Arizona as one of the toughest teams in the country to beat, there's the minor issue of the remaining schedule.

On the one hand, there isn't a single game that Arizona is projected to lose, according to KenPom.com. Even mighty Kentucky is given a 51 percent chance of losing to Louisville next weekend.

However, Arizona will play a substantially more difficult conference schedule than Kentucky.

The Wildcats from Lexington are given at least an 81 percent chance of winning each SEC game except for the road game against Florida—where Kentucky still has a 68 percent chance of prevailing. The Wildcats from Tucson are given a 71 or less percent chance of winning seven different Pac-12 games—not to mention this Friday's road game against UTEP.

KenPom gives Arizona a 1.3 percent chance of going undefeated in Pac-12 play, but it gives Kentucky a 14.1 percent chance of going undefeated in SEC play.

By a factor of 10, Kentucky is more likely to go 18-0 in-conference than Arizona, but you have to think things would be a lot different if these Wildcats swapped conferences. It's kind of a funny-but-true point to make, because who would have thought three years ago—when the Pac-12 regular-season champion couldn't even earn an at-large bid—that the Pac-12 would be this much better than the SEC?

Arizona's odds of running the table may be less than one percent, but they're greater than zero percent. That's better than all other non-Kentucky teams can claim.

Eventually, someone has to win the lottery.

Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.

Scoring against Arizona this season is going to be tougher than watching SEC basketball.

Michigan found that out the hard way, as the Wildcats smothered the opposition to the tune of an 80-53 win. After some close calls earlier in the year, everything was clicking for the home team to earn a dominant victory against a talented opponent.

Wolverines coach John Beilein was pretty impressed with what he saw, via Zack Rosenblatt of the Arizona Daily Star:

Beilein: "You hear about the other teams that are really good, and this team (Arizona) showed today they really have it all."

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 14, 2014

While everything seemed to go Arizona's way in this game, it was all started by the excellent defense. This team is a favorite to win the Pac-12 and is a top contender to bring home a national title this year, thanks to its ability to keep teams off the scoreboard.

The amazing thing is there isn't just one reason this defense is so great. Multiple factors work together to help make this one of the best units in the nation. Here is a breakdown of what allows the entire system to work.

On-Ball Pressure

There are many keys to success in a man defense, but no one can survive without first being able to guard the person in front of you. Arizona goes above and beyond in this category by pressuring the ball at every step.

This all starts with T.J. McConnell, who is often referred to as little more than just a veteran game manager, but the truth is he is so much more. He especially excels at going after an opponent's point guard and forcing him into mistakes throughout a game.

He currently leads the Pac-12 with 2.4 steals per game, a mark that is likely to remain throughout the year.

Meanwhile, Arizona has a not-so-secret weapon in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whom head coach Sean Miller recently called "one of the nation’s great defenders."

The 6'7" wing can guard almost any position on the floor, impressing ESPN's Seth Greenberg during the win over Gonzaga:

Beilein: "You hear about the other teams that are really good, and this team (Arizona) showed today they really have it all."

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 14, 2014

With the willingness from these players and others to play aggressive defense, opponents are forced into mistakes or, at the most, very difficult shot attempts. This means it shouldn't have been a surprise when Michigan could make only 35.2 percent of field goals Saturday.

Length and Athleticism

Some things you simply can't teach, but you certainly can recruit.

No matter where you are trying to shoot against Arizona, there will likely be a long arm in your face closing quickly. The most common lineup for the Wildcats features the 6'6" Stanley Johnson at shooting guard, 6'7" Hollis-Jefferson at small forward, 6'8" Brandon Ashley at power forward and 7'0" Kaleb Tarczewski at center.

Even when Tarczewski comes out, fellow seven-footer Dusan Ristic comes in to help defend the rim.

Although none of these players can be considered true shot-blockers, they can alter shots by just getting their hands in the air. Scoring inside is especially difficult, and it requires either a lot of toughness or some serious body control to get around the towers in the paint.

At the same time, the Wildcats use their athleticism on the perimeter to close quickly in rotations. Even when an opposing player sees a little bit of daylight, it disappears in a hurry.

Miller has scouted and recruited the perfect players to put into his system, and it seems to be working so far.

One-and-Done

This doesn't refer to Johnson's likely plans for college life before going into the NBA. Instead, this is about what opposing offenses have to deal with every time down the court.

Some of the easiest points you will get in basketball come on a putback when the defense doesn't box out. A missed shot often leads to a wide-open layup or dunk when you crash hard on the weak-side glass.

While Arizona is weaker on the offensive glass this season, it has done an excellent job at securing defensive rebounds. According to TeamRankings.com, the Wildcats lead the nation by grabbing 82 percent of opportunities on opponent's missed shots.

This incredible number was actually bested in the win over Michigan. Arizona had 31 defensive rebounds compared to just six offensive boards for the Wolverines. This means that after one (probably bad) shot, Michigan was done for the possession and had to go back on defense.

Stanford, Utah, UCLA and others will attempt to cause problems in the Pac-12 with the ability to get offensive rebounds and get second-chance points. However, the Wildcats can virtually shut down these offenses by limiting each possession to one shot.

Continuity

The team came into the year having to make up for the losses of Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson, two extremely talented players who were valuable on both ends of the court. However, the majority of the rotation returned this season, and it gave the team a decent amount of experience.

To make things even better, Arizona has a short rotation that actually works to its favor. Six players have represented the team's core, as McConnell, Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson, Ashley and Tarczewski account for 80.5 percent of the team's minutes this season.

All except for Johnson have been playing together in Miller's system for over a year.

Ristic, Elliott Pitts and Parker Jackson-Cartwright have played in every game this year, but none of them average more than 15 minutes per game.

What this does is create plenty of continuity defensively to help create an even more fluid system. The players know where everyone is going to be on the floor and how to play off each other. A perimeter defender can be more aggressive going for a steal because he trusts his teammate to have his back if needed.

Everyone on the team works together to help create the No. 9 most efficient defense in the nation, according to KenPom. Based on the way the squad is playing, it wouldn't be surprising to see this number move even higher by the end of the year.

Offense might sell tickets, but this defense is what's going to keep Arizona in the national title discussion all year long.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

Stanley Johnson's NBA sales pitch just continues to strengthen.

He's been making it for a few years now, and it only seems to get more convincing by the month, from April's 24-point showing at the Jordan Brand Classic, to the summer's FIBA Americas, which he was named MVP of, to the LeBron James Skills Academy in August, where he generated all sorts of positive buzz.  

"If you've watched Stanley as a ninth- and 10th-grader like we did, he was a far cry from where he is today. That's a true testament to his work ethic," coach Sean Miller told Bleacher Report's C.J. Moore.

But Johnson's case for top-10 NBA draft consideration got even stronger late Saturday afternoon, following Arizona's 80-53 beatdown on Michigan, when he went for 17 points, seven boards, three assists, a pick-six steal and a big-time block.

It was Johnson's signature performance so far on the season, despite having already entered the game as Arizona's leading scorer:

FG Percentage	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	3PT Percentage
.505	14.1	6.5	1.6	1.8	.407

Against Michigan, Johnson ultimately flashed the entire two-way package that fueled the hype and his potential in the first place. 

Stanley Johnson looking part of lottery pick today. Struggled in preseason and last week against Zags, but making better decisions today.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 13, 2014

He only missed two shots. There was just no answer for him in any aspect of the game, a good reminder of the mismatch his physical tools create at the wing position. 

Except for a spot-up three-pointer, which highlighted his current 40.7 percent long-range stroke and shooting potential, his seven other buckets came off drives, cuts or transition opportunities. 

Johnson is a train out there—fast, strong and explosive. While contact bothers most 18-year-olds, Johnson plows right through it.

Early in the first half, he converted an and-1 in the paint on a one-hander. Later, he finished a lefty layup off a baseline drive after taking a bump in the air and remaining balanced.

With that diesel 245-pound frame, Johnson is as physical of a small forward as any out there. And that's comforting from an NBA standpoint, given the size of today's pro wings. Just to put it in perspective, he plays the same position as Andrew Wiggins, 2014's No. 1 pick, and weighs 45 pounds more.

Against Michigan, Johnson's other five buckets came in the open floor, either in transition or the secondary break. He had a number of pretty highlights, but none looked prettier than his one-handed alley-oop that showcased his next-level athleticism and body control. 

Offensively, he flashed everything but a one-on-one attack—the drive-and-slash game, potency on the break, outside touch. But much of the appeal tied to Johnson stems from his two-way capability—not just his offensive upside—and that was never more evident than it was against the helpless Wolverines.

He didn't guard him exclusively, but Johnson certainly contributed to Caris LeVert's 2-of-9 showing—another wing projected to trigger lottery consideration. 

While having a 45-pound advantage obviously helps, Johnson also displayed some crazy quickness for a guy his size. On one play, Johnson forced LeVert into a travel after beating him to the spot and keeping him from turning the corner. 

Johnson was just as effective off the ball. He jumped in a passing lane and took an interception the distance for one of three slams on the afternoon:

And on the first possession of the second half, he rotated down for a monster block on Michigan's big man.

In terms of defensive tools, you won't find many better sets than Johnson's. The fact that he plays with such intensity and energy only enhances its effectiveness and his overall likability. 

Through three weeks, he's made some mistakes, whether it's been getting caught up on screens or fouling a three-point shooter, which he did against Michigan. But you just can't teach this blend of strength, foot speed and motor. 

And that plays to the safety he offers as a 2015 NBA draft prospect. Even if his offensive game eventually plateaus, Johnson's defensive versatility and competitive edge are sure to translate and hold some value. 

As we get closer to conference play in January, the Ron Artest and Kawhi Leonard comparisons are starting to look even more on point.  

Johnson has emerged as one of the best bets in June's projected draft field, given the immediate impact he's had for one of the top teams in America and the lack of questions or red flags surrounding his outlook.

Following his hot start at Arizona, it's safe to permanently cement Johnson's name into the top-10 conversation. It's not leaving there.