all

projected starters

ARIZONA

G Parker Jackson-Cartwright (5-10 junior)

G Allonzo Trier (6-3 junior)

G Emmanuel Akot (6-7 freshman)

F Deandre Ayton (7-1 freshman)

C Dusan Ristic (7-0 senior)

NORTHERN ARIZONA

G Gino Littles (6-1 senior)

G Malcolm Butler (6-3 senior)

F JoJo Anderson (6-3 sophomore)

F Isaiah Thomas (6-9 junior)

C Ruben Fuamba (6-9 senior)

HOW THEY MATCH UP

The series: Arizona has won 31 straight games against its in-state cousins from Flagstaff, though its 2007 win was later vacated because of NCAA sanctions. Since NAU gave the Elite Eight-bound Wildcats a tough time in 2010-11, losing just 63-58, the near-annual series has not been competitive. UA won by 14 in 2011-12, by 43 in 2012-13, by 33 in 2013-14 and by 55 in 2015-16. The teams were originally scheduled to meet again last season but the game was postponed by a year.

Northern Arizona overview: A former UA aide under Lute Olson, NAU coach Jack Murphy turned to grad transfer and juco pipelines to infuse the Lumberjacks with experience after playing freshmen heavily over the past two seasons, and struggling to over-300 RPIs each time. The backcourt received a boost with grad transfers Malcolm Allen (Stanford) and Gino Littles (UTSA), while wing Karl Harris and big man Ruben Fuamba are among the significant juco transfers. Fuamba is Congo native who averaged 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds last season at Nebraska’s Central Community College, Allen was a role player with defensive skills at Stanford and Littles grew as a combo guard in Texas. There should be enough talent to move the Lumberjacks back in the right direction, but chemistry and role definition will be a challenge, especially early on while the new roster takes shape.

KEY PLAYERS

NAU: Gino Littles

Originally a walk-on at UTSA out of Phoenix Desert Mountain High School, Littles returns to his home state as a grad transfer. He’s a quick combo guard who averaged 6.7 points and shot 39 percent from 3-point range last season with the Roadrunners.

UA: Parker Jackson-Cartwright

The Wildcats made a big leap in their second exhibition game last Sunday, in part because their senior floor general came back to provide the kind of offensive glue he’ll be needed for this season.

SIDELINES

Ready, set...

So here the Wildcats are, beginning a season that is widely expected to end in the Final Four at San Antonio.

That’s pressure. But it’s pressure even the new Wildcats don’t have a problem with.

“I do think it’s a fair expectation,” freshman forward Emmanuel Akot said. “We have a very talented team. We all know our roles and what we have to do to win a national championship and that’s what we’re striving for.”

Added fellow freshman Ira Lee: “We all came here for a reason. Coach recruited us for a reason We’re all winners. So, yeah, Final Four is a fair expectation. Were all doing what we’ve gotta do.”

Signing period suspense

While the Wildcats’ present begins Friday, their future could also begin to play out. Committed guard Brandon Williams is scheduled to sign non-binding scholarship papers for Arizona on Friday, allowing him an out in case the Wildcats run into NCAA sanctions as a result of the federal investigation into college basketball.

It isn’t known if Arizona’s other remaining commit, forward Shareef O’Neal, will sign this week or in the spring. O’Neal and those around him have remained quiet, though Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Sondheimer tweeted earlier this week that Williams told him that neither he nor O’Neal would sign this fall — apparently before Williams changed his mind by planning to sign non-binding papers instead of the binding national letter of intent.

Arizona could have anywhere from four to eight scholarship openings next spring, and UA coach Sean Miller said he expected the spring signing period will be busy.

Three Cats on Naismith list

The Naismith Award watch list that was released Thursday was consistent with the expectations both Arizona and USC face this season: Each team had three players named to the list of consideration for one of college basketball’s major player of the year awards.

Allonzo Trier, Deandre Ayton and Rawle Alkins represented Arizona on the list while USC had guard Jordan McLaughlin and forwards Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright. Also from the Pac-12 were UCLA’s Aaron Holiday and Stanford’s Reid Travis.

Arizona was picked to win the Pac-12 in the conference’s annual preseason media poll while both the Wildcats and Trojans are considered Final Four contenders. UA is ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 while USC is No. 10.

Numbers game

40 Straight home nonconference wins for Arizona, which will tie the school record — set between 1972-78 — with a win Friday. The Wildcats have won by an average of 22.4 points over that streak.

100 Games Parker Jackson-Cartwright will have played in as an Arizona Wildcat after Friday. He’s played in 1,823 minutes over three previous seasons.

124 UA wins over the past four seasons, trailing only Villanova (129), Gonzaga (129) and Kentucky (126).

— Bruce Pascoe