2012/2013 Arizona Wildcat Men's Basketball Roster

[TheCatMan]

97-

Are you like me and still believe that Nick might get SOME minutes at PG here and the next season? Or do you think that he'll ride it out as a SG for the rest of his career at Arizona (with McConnell being PG going forward) and just give it his best at trying to be a PG in the league if/when the time comes ?

[97cats]

TCM,

i think a few different players will get time at the PG spot this yr including Johnson. if you look at Miller's offense (and i know people have) multiple players can and will man the PG spot.

because there isnt a dominant true PG on the roster who can play this yr, all the guards will be asked to potentially slide between spots if necessary.

Lyons is not a true PG, but understands the system as its almost identical to what hes been playing in for the last 4 yrs at Xavier.

i think he is capable of playing more PG at Arizona and expect he will. he should fit nicely with the other guards playing off the ball too, he has a nose for the goal.

imo, where Lyons will add a big punch is scoring and defending. hes tough and has a winning attitude. Sean Miller likes players who hate losing as much as Lyons does, and hes a 5th yr player with Sweet 16 experience.

Jordin Mayes is an interesting player because of his ability to play both guard spots as well. if he can regain his form i think his shooting next to Johnson and Lyons could be key.

Mayes will be entering his 3rd yr and i think will get his legs back. his fitness was down and he was just off last yr. if he can regain his form, the three ball could be a weapon from Mayes....he will get open looks if he buys in.

i think McConnell will make all three players (Mayes, Johnson, & Lyons) better PG's/players because of his willingness to work and be a leader. its worth noting that they get a full season to practice together w/out the worry of TJ earning/taking minutes. it pushes everyone in a really good non-threatening way. its an underrated factor to me.

because of this, i think the players will really cut it loose in practice. it should benefit everybody but mostly Lyons & McConnell who will battle it out daily.

McConnell is coming to AZ for a very specific reason, to gain an advanced degree in basketball.

for NJ i see an ideal situation coming into his second yr. he got loads of PT as a freshman with some success. he should really benefit from a full off-season to re-charge the battery and mature. his attitude and infectious energy will only improve as he gets a older.

the team is stacked and Johnson has good mentors around him. i expect him to get his majority of minutes at shooting guard and to play the point in spots/stretches.

Nick hit perfect timing to be apart of Arizona Basketball.

Go Cats!!

[Puerco]

Got some more thoughts on Chol, but just quickly:

Originally Posted by JMarkJohns

If by the end of the season Chol was nearer 220, then he's making significant strides.

But people don't seem to understand that there's a difference between having strength and knowing how to properly use it, especially on offense, on rebounds and down low on defense. Again, it's not just how muscular you look. Dwight Howard is a freakin' Adonis and he struggles to gain, assert post position, whereas Tim Duncan was never that big or muscular and could use his shifting weight to his advantage. It's a combination on offense. Also, it's fundamentals, it's core/trunk strength to hold his own when boxing out or defending the post.

Let me be on record saying that if Chol only approaches Dwight Howard levels of impact that I will be a very happy UA fan!

[HiCat]

We're talking about practice..


McConnell, a sophomore this season, and Lyons, a junior, were All-Atlantic 10 third-team selections. McConnell was selected to the conference’s All-Defensive team. Lyons is also a solid defender, but he prides himself on his playmaking and scoring ability. He averaged 15.1 points a game for the Musketeers. He also led Xavier in three-point shooting percentage (39.2) and attempts from beyond the arc (148, making a team-high 58).

Lyons will be immediately eligible for his senior season with the Wildcats because he is expected to fulfill his undergraduate requirements at Xavier this semester. He will enroll this summer in a master’s program at Arizona that Xavier does not offer. Although McConnell is unable to play in 2012-13, he is allowed to practice. That is a significant bonus for Miller and his coaching staff.


Lyons vs. McConnell is one of a few matchups in practice that Miller and his staff are anticipating.

Others likely include sophomore Nick Johnson going against junior Jordin Mayes and/or freshman Gabe York. Hill may be matched against Parrom, unless he and Parrom both start at the small forward and power forward positions. Chol, a sophomore, will battle at the power forward and post positions against newcomers Grant Jarrett, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski.

The Lyons-McConnell matchup remains to be seen whether it can reach the Bibby-Terry and Stoudamire-Geary magnitude — those pairs ultimately reached the Final Four. Steve Kerr pitted against Kenny Lofton in practice in 1987-88 also produced positive results as the UA reached its first Final Four that season.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/wildaboutaz...ith-mcconnell/

[JMarkJohns]

Originally Posted by Lynx Rufus

All the people you listed have not played for Miller and his system, no where did I mention basketball as a whole. Maybe you can point me in the right direction but can you name a Freshman that really shined as a starter for Miller? If you bring up NJ, than this whole point is mute because NJ was not very productive. Until a freshman really does well than I will have to hold back my enthusiasm.

As mentioned already, Derrick Williams. Also, I will note that Miller has never had this much skilled talent at his disposal within one class. We all loved last years, but most expected Nick, Angelo and Sidiki to be solid role players with Turner shining. I will argue that Turner's skillset for his position is nowhere near the level of the skillsets for Ashley and Jerrett, and, arguably Tarczewski.

Again, nothing happens within a vacuum. I don't expect all three to come in and dominate ala Davis or Durant or even Terrence Jones, but how many top-10 big men fail to make any meaningful impact as freshmen when they are given plenty of opportunity? Very few.

I'm saying I expect one of the three to step up and the other two to be solid, and with Lyons, Hill and Parrom, plus Mayes, Johnson and Chol, that's an amazing 9-man rotation.

[splitsecond]

Originally Posted by HiCat

We're talking about practice..


McConnell, a sophomore this season, and Lyons, a junior, were All-Atlantic 10 third-team selections. McConnell was selected to the conference’s All-Defensive team. Lyons is also a solid defender, but he prides himself on his playmaking and scoring ability. He averaged 15.1 points a game for the Musketeers. He also led Xavier in three-point shooting percentage (39.2) and attempts from beyond the arc (148, making a team-high 58).

Lyons will be immediately eligible for his senior season with the Wildcats because he is expected to fulfill his undergraduate requirements at Xavier this semester. He will enroll this summer in a master’s program at Arizona that Xavier does not offer. Although McConnell is unable to play in 2012-13, he is allowed to practice. That is a significant bonus for Miller and his coaching staff.


Lyons vs. McConnell is one of a few matchups in practice that Miller and his staff are anticipating.

Others likely include sophomore Nick Johnson going against junior Jordin Mayes and/or freshman Gabe York. Hill may be matched against Parrom, unless he and Parrom both start at the small forward and power forward positions. Chol, a sophomore, will battle at the power forward and post positions against newcomers Grant Jarrett, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski.

The Lyons-McConnell matchup remains to be seen whether it can reach the Bibby-Terry and Stoudamire-Geary magnitude — those pairs ultimately reached the Final Four. Steve Kerr pitted against Kenny Lofton in practice in 1987-88 also produced positive results as the UA reached its first Final Four that season.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/wildaboutaz...ith-mcconnell/

Screw the games, I want to watch practice!

[KaibabKat]

From 1984 through 2009 we always had at least one McDonald's All American on the team.

The last three years we had none.

Now we have two.

Things may be getting back to normal around here.

[Flipper]

Originally Posted by 97cats

TCM,

i think a few different players will get time at the PG spot this yr including Johnson. if you look at Miller's offense (and i know people have) multiple players can and will man the PG spot.

because there isnt a dominant true PG on the roster who can play this yr, all the guards will be asked to potentially slide between spots if necessary.

Lyons is not a true PG, but understands the system as its almost identical to what hes been playing in for the last 4 yrs at Xavier.

i think he is capable of playing more PG at Arizona and expect he will. he should fit nicely with the other guards playing off the ball too, he has a nose for the goal.

imo, where Lyons will add a big punch is scoring and defending. hes tough and has a winning attitude. Sean Miller likes players who hate losing as much as Lyons does, and hes a 5th yr player with Sweet 16 experience.

Jordin Mayes is an interesting player because of his ability to play both guard spots as well. if he can regain his form i think his shooting next to Johnson and Lyons could be key.

Mayes will be entering his 3rd yr and i think will get his legs back. his fitness was down and he was just off last yr. if he can regain his form, the three ball could be a weapon from Mayes....he will get open looks if he buys in.

i think McConnell will make all three players (Mayes, Johnson, & Lyons) better PG's/players because of his willingness to work and be a leader. its worth noting that they get a full season to practice together w/out the worry of TJ earning/taking minutes. it pushes everyone in a really good non-threatening way. its an underrated factor to me.

because of this, i think the players will really cut it loose in practice. it should benefit everybody but mostly Lyons & McConnell who will battle it out daily.

McConnell is coming to AZ for a very specific reason, to gain an advanced degree in basketball.

for NJ i see an ideal situation coming into his second yr. he got loads of PT as a freshman with some success. he should really benefit from a full off-season to re-charge the battery and mature. his attitude and infectious energy will only improve as he gets a older.

the team is stacked and Johnson has good mentors around him. i expect him to get his majority of minutes at shooting guard and to play the point in spots/stretches.

Nick hit perfect timing to be apart of Arizona Basketball.

Go Cats!!

Damn, with all these, nothing short of a NATIONAL TITLE.....

[HiCat]

Originally Posted by splitsecond

Screw the games, I want to watch practice!

What are we talking about man..
we talking bout practice man, not a game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

[GlobalCat]

Ha, based off of the past three years' results, the last thing I want to hear about is a practice player that is performing beyond expectation for their class.

[97cats]

wht didnt you like about 2010/2011 if ya dont mind me asking?

[Olsondogg]

This is Solo's year to shine. He will have a stellar season, candidate for PAC POY

[Olsondogg]

From ESPN, titled "Not Enough Hype": (for what it's worth, uCla was under "Too Much Hype"



Myron Medcalf: Arizona

Where’s the love for Arizona?

If we’re going to hype Kentucky and UCLA based on their impressive fleets of incoming freshmen, then we should boost Arizona, too.

The Wildcats will depend on highly touted freshmen next season. Just like Kentucky. Just like UCLA.

But Sean Miller’s program hasn’t received a comparable slice of buzz, even though he had the top-ranked recruiting class in 2012 prior to signing day. And the Wildcats could end up with the Pac-12 crown next season.

Yes, Josiah Turner is gone. But Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson are back. A healthy Kevin Parrom should help, too.

But the veterans will be the backstory for next season’s talented bunch.

Miller has brought in the No. 3 recruiting class in America, according to ESPN.com. He has three five-star post players that could make an immediate impact -- not to mention recent transfer Mark Lyons, who is available to play right away after graduating from Xavier. He averaged 15.1 ppg last season and can be a major contributor if he keeps his head on straight.

As for the freshmen, Kaleb Tarczewski, a skilled 7-footer, and power forward Grant Jerrett are top-10 prospects. Brandon Ashley is a 6-8 forward with finesse. He’s top-20.

I watched Ashley ball on the summer circuit last year. Hard to imagine he’s the third-rated prospect in any class. Gabe York is also a talented young wing.

The Bruins’ youngsters will snatch the preseason headlines that precede the 2012-13 campaign. But by the end of the year, we’ll be talking about Arizona’s freshman leaders, too.

I just think Zona is a stacked young team, and that obviously carries weight following Kentucky’s run to the national title.

The greatest concern for a UA squad that imploded last season will be chemistry. Will the first-year guys blend with the veterans? That will be the most crucial component of the 2012-13 season for the Wildcats.

But again, John Calipari and Ben Howland will have the same challenge next season.

They’re all going to rely on skilled freshmen.

And if that’s the formula, then the Wildcats deserve far more buzz for their potential to disrupt the national scene next year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...ot-enough-hype

[HiCat]

Arizona Wildcats Roster Shaping Up Nicely Following Mark Lyons' Commitment

Lyons and Solomon Hill will lead the most talented team to enter McKale Center in years.

May 9, 2012 - The Arizona Wildcats appear to have a set roster for the upcoming 2012-2013 season, one that has many thinking of deep runs in the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournament. Not only will this be Sean Miller's most talented team at UA, but also his most experienced team with potentially three senior starters in the lineup on any given night.

Combine this experience and talent with sheer size the Wildcats will bring with them whenever taking the court and it's easy to see why so many experts love Arizona.

There is always a chance of a last-minute transfer, but it looks like there will be no more turnover on the roster in Tucson. Here is a look at how everything will likely break down next season.

http://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-...ns-sean-miller

[97cats]

official first day of practice/full workouts is Oct 12th.

the team on paper looks the same as it did back in the beginning of May, but feels a lot stronger.

a fairly uneventful 5 months news wise -- other than lots of practice and a trip to The Atlantis -- was just what the Dr. ordered.

all the freshman are in-line, and the 3 transfers are admitted and enrolled in fall classes.

Arizona may be starring a Top-10 ranking right in the face, and with that comes expectation and pressure.

there was some interesting opinion in this thread, looking back im curious where the majority of the fans stand today?

for me; im curious, excited, and confident about the season. it cant get here soon enough.

more pumped for this yr than any of the last 8 that i can remember???

Florida at home is a big game.

Go Cats!!!