Arizona Wildcats can learn a lot about themselves in season opener

It’s also a state of mind.

While spending three days on one of the world’s most famous beaches in advance of their regular-season opener Friday, the Wildcats were surrounded by both the ideal location and the ideal people to help put their miserable preseason behind them.

Foremost among those people, of course, were members of the U.S. military. Friday’s Armed Forces Classic doubleheader, intentionally scheduled for Veterans Day, is an ESPN Events production designed not only to provide compelling television content but also honor the military.

So the four involved teams spent the week touring a Naval submarine and battleship, playing ball with military children and breathing in the powerful emotion of the USS Arizona Memorial.

Many of the players chatted informally with Navy and Air Force service members as they toured facilities, getting a glimpse of life for those who protect their country.

“Being here is a blessing,” UA guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright said, standing on a destroyer ship deck this week.

Meanwhile, there was also perspective to be gained on the court. Because in Michigan State, the Wildcats can see nearly a mirror image of themselves, in adversity if not in physical similarity.

So Arizona’s top returning scorer (Allonzo Trier) appears to be ineligible and is not expected to play in the regular-season opener? Its valuable combo forward (Ray Smith) had to retire after a third torn ACL? Its bench was depleted even before the preseason when Talbott Denny tore his ACL, too?

And before all that happened, the Wildcats lost four seniors and a suspended junior in Elliott Pitts?

Tough things, all, yes. But meet the Spartans.

After losing star guard Denzel Valentine and two other starters at the end of last season, Michigan State had a surprise early NBA departure last spring in power forward Dayonta Davis, who became a high second-round NBA draft pick.

Then, this fall, forwards Gavin Schilling and Ben Carter both suffered major knee injuries, further crippling the Spartans’ frontcourt. Ironically, Carter was recruited by Arizona both out of high school and also as a UNLV grad transfer.

The net result of all this adversity: Both rosters are damaged, yet with polar opposite compositions.

“They’ve had some things they have gone through, but they have a little more balance of size,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “In fact, I think that’s their strength right now, their size. So we’re similar in what we’ve gone through, but completely different in how our teams look.”

In essence, the Spartans don’t have big bodies up front, and the Wildcats are thin in the backcourt.

But the Spartans reloaded with talented freshmen such as forward Miles Bridges, guard Josh Langford and big man Nick Ward. Bridges and Langford played with UA guard Kobi Simmons in the McDonald’s All American Game last spring.

Arizona “is playing against a team in Michigan State that’s a little bit different,” says ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, who is working the Armed Forces Classic. “They’ve got some freshmen who are outstanding. Nick Ward is much better than people think, and Miles Bridges scored 33 points in his first exhibition game. You don’t see many guys do that in their first game in a college uniform.”

Arizona will counter with three five-star-caliber freshmen of its own, in 7-footer Lauri Markkanen, power guard Rawle Alkins and athletic guard Kobi Simmons, plus juco forward Keanu Pinder and its remaining four returnees, now that sophomore center Chance Comanche is expected to play following an academic suspension.

“We’re counting a lot on our freshmen, and they’re counting on their freshmen, too,” UA coach Sean Miller said. “I really like all of their freshmen. They all have bright futures.”

The question is how the Wildcats will deploy all those tools in such a weird matchup.

Does UA attack the Spartans by deploying a bigger lineup and potentially crushing them on the rebounding glass, with Markkanen taking smaller MSU defenders outside? Or do the Wildcats try to keep pace with athletic Michigan State by putting Markkanen in the middle and Pinder or even Alkins at power forward?

Who knows? Asked twice about the matchup, Miller mostly responded by just noting that it’s Michigan State, a perennial power that is never easy to match up against.

“When you undertake Michigan State, you’re not only playing against a great team but a great program,” Miller said. “Everybody who’s a part of their organization has played in big games before, they’ve played in Final Fours and the postseason, and they have one of the great coaches in our game.

“We’re up against excellence, and a lot of times when you do that, it brings out the best in your team. You learn a lot about yourself.”