While the extent of Ray Smith’s apparent knee injury remained unknown Wednesday, Arizona coach Sean Miller is already bracing for life without him.
And maybe without Allonzo Trier. And maybe without Chance Comanche.
Maybe, that is, with as few as seven available scholarship players for UA’s exhibition game Sunday against Division II power Chico State and for its Nov. 11 regular-season opener against Michigan State.
“We’re gonna play our walk-ons, and they have to get ready,” Miller said after UA beat the College of Idaho 86-35 on Tuesday. “We’re gonna have to play three guards a lot. We’re gonna have to teach Lauri (Markkanen) some small forward, and we’re gonna have to take it one day at a time and be better at doing the things we can control than ever before.
“When we play at McKale, we’re gonna have to rely on our crowd and our efficiency, playing together with great effort and take it one day at a time and see where that leads us.”
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Smith’s loss during the second half of Tuesday’s game left UA with another big question mark just 10 days before the start of the season. Arizona lost forward Talbott Denny to an ACL tear in August and has faced questions about Trier’s eligibility status since mid-October.
Then, on Tuesday, Comanche showed up in street clothes just a day after Miller said he “might be our team’s most improved player,” noting that the 6-foot-11-inch forward is up to 220 pounds after arriving at 187 in June 2015.
“He’s much stronger, and experience is everything,” Miller said during a news conference Monday. “The practices he went through a year ago going against Kaleb (Tarczewski) and Ryan Anderson … at the end of the year he started to come on, and I played him more, and he’s just picked right up where he left off.
“He makes us depth-wise even bigger and stronger, and we’re really counting on him to be a much improved player from last year.”
On Tuesday, though, Miller said in a statement announcing Comanche’s indefinite suspension that “it is not an option to compete and be held accountable on the court but not in the classroom.”
So what now? Here are a few players who could be impacted the most if UA’s current absences continue:
Rawle Alkins. The rugged freshman from New York will be really the Wildcats’ only full-time wing player left if Smith and Trier are out for an extended period, meaning he’ll be needed for heavy minutes at small forward while he adjusts to the college game.
Alkins had 11 points in 29 minutes Tuesday, but he also had four fouls and four turnovers, finding out when he can and can’t muscle his way inside.
“There were times where, no question, young players were learning the difference between high school and college, where you have to stop, pull up, shoot,” Miller said. “You saw Rawle run over a couple of people. Lauri did it in the first half. Good teams rotate and take the charge, but they’re not as used to that as freshmen. But I think they’ll get better.”
Parker Jackson-Cartwright. Miller says the junior has emerged at point guard, but now he may have to be exceptionally durable.
The more Jackson-Cartwright can play at the point, the more UA can keep Kadeem Allen off the ball, which will help the Wildcats’ defense as well as its perimeter depth. Miller has yet to play freshman Kobi Simmons at point guard.
Jackson-Cartwright had 11 points, five assists to three turnovers and three steals against the Yotes — more evidence of what Miller says is a continually improving player.
“I’ll tell you this: At some point this year or next year, he could emerge as one of the best who plays the position because a lot of things he does in passing the ball, not a lot of guards can do,” Miller said. “I would say that the (NCAA Tournament loss to) Wichita State was a moment of truth for him.
“We challenged each other. I challenged him, and I asked him to really buy in, not give up on him or us but do the opposite — get in the gym, the weight room and come back bigger, stronger and better. And he did that. Because (of) that, it’s great to see the success I think he’ll have this year.”
Keanu Pinder. Guaranteed nothing better than the 10th spot in a 11-man rotation when he signed on with the Wildcats as a juco transfer last spring, Pinder is suddenly a critical sixth man. Not only because of the athleticism and intensity he has shown in practice, but also now because of Comanche’s indefinite suspension.
In addition, if Miller really does want Markkanen at small forward for a few minutes without Smith around, having Pinder available inside will also be critical.
Pinder played 22 minutes in the post with Comanche sidelined Tuesday, managing a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
“He’s active,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “He’s always active. That’s how he plays in practice. Getting second shots, doing all the dirty work, all the little things. It was good to see him out there playing hard.”
Rim shots
- Smith tweeted out thanks to fans for their support late Tuesday night, but said he has been a “blessed man,” noting that a friend in his Las Vegas hometown was recently murdered. “I’m thankful for what God has given me,” Smith also tweeted. “End of discussion. Thank you but save the sorrows.”
- Five-star 2017 guard Hamidou Diallo included Arizona on his list of six finalists, along with Kentucky, Kansas, Connecticut, Syracuse and Indiana. His “Crystal Ball” on 24/7 Sports quotes 67 percent of analysts saying he will pick Kentucky.
- Oregon’s Dillon Brooks and Cal’s Ivan Rabb made The Associated Press’ five-man preseason All-America team, and Washington’s Markelle Fultz was the seventh-leading vote-getter. No UA players received a vote.
- UA commits DeAndre Ayton and Alex Barcello will play in separate games during the Hoophall West showcase on Dec. 9 at Scottsdale Chaparral High School. Tickets are $10, and the games will be streamed on FloHoops.com.
