Sean Miller has a "problem" nobody expected he would have had three months ago.
By scrambling to assemble a widely praised five-man 2009 recruiting class, the new Arizona coach suddenly has depth on the wings and possibly even some hard personnel decisions to make in the upcoming season.
With his incoming freshmen alone, Miller has three new wing players (Kevin Parrom, Solomon Hill and Derrick Williams) to mix in with returnees such as Kyle Fogg, Garland Judkins and Brendon Lavender, as well as bigger forwards Jamelle Horne and D.J. Shumpert. He also has a new combo guard, Lamont "MoMo" Jones, to work in with starting point guard Nic Wise.
Where will Miller stick the new guys, all of whom are Top 150 players with the ability to contribute immediately?
"It will be interesting to see what he does," said Jerry Meyer of Rivals.com. "On the positive side, especially with the way college basketball is going, you can't have enough versatile wing players and the beauty of these guys is they can all play different positions. On the flip side, Arizona does have three (wing) players who are all very similar."
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Still, Meyer said Miller did a "pretty impressive job" in assembling the late class, taking advantage of Tim Floyd's wavering and subsequent departure from USC to help land Hill, Jones and Williams.
Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop, who ranks UA's class No. 7 overall, likens the job Miller did to that of Miller's good buddy, Kentucky's John Calipari. "Both have rebuilt in record time," he said.
But Scout.com's Dave Telep, who has UA's class ranked No. 12, said there's a bigger picture in mind than worrying about positions guys will play.
"This is not about pigeonholing," Telep said. "This is about acquiring talent. I don't know if you could have expected them to do what they have. It's about rebuilding the foundation."
Here's a breakdown of the five new foundation pieces, all of whom are expected to enroll in summer school classes on Monday:
The scoring point
• Name: Lamont "MoMo" Jones
• Position: SG/PG
• Height, weight: 5-11, 170
• From: New York
• Recruiting rankings: 68 (Rivals.com), NR (Scout.com), NR (ESPN.com)
• Where he fits: Known as a scorer out of Rice High School, Jones opened eyes by playing solidly as a scoring point guard at Oak Hill Academy last season. He'll likely play a combination role at UA, alongside or behind Nic Wise.
• Analyst says: "He had a great finish to his season. He's a scoring point, which really makes me feel he'll play the two. If he can make the transition (to point guard) he'll make me look bad because he's better than his ranking." — Van Coleman, Hoopmasters.com
The versatile wing
• Name: Solomon Hill
• Position: SF
• Height, weight: 6-6, 195
• From: Los Angeles
• Recruiting rankings: 27 (Rivals), 58 (Scout), 54 (ESPN)
• Where he fits: The most skilled of UA's newcomers, Hill can handle the ball, pass and score from several different spots. He'll be on the floor often; it's just a matter of where.
• Analyst says: "Hill is tremendous with the basketball; he's got point guard type skills and feel for the game. He does an amazing job of penetrating and kicking the ball out to shooters. He's also a lockdown defender and rebounds really well." — Jerry Meyer, Rivals.com
The physical wing
• Name: Kevin Parrom
• Position: SF
• Height, weight: 6-6, 200
• From: Bronx, N.Y.
• Recruiting rankings: 122 (Rivals), 88 (Scout), 86 (ESPN)
• Where he fits: With the size and shooting ability to play at off-guard, Parrom is also comfortable mixing it up with much bigger players inside.
• Analyst says: "Parrom is your rugged three-man and Hill is your versatile three. Parrom brings the toughness." — Dave Telep, Scout.com
The unfinished forward
• Name: Derrick Williams
• Position: PF
• Height, weight: 6-8, 210
• From: La Mirada, Calif.
• Recruiting rankings: NR (Rivals), 94 (Scout), 72 (ESPN)
• Where he fits: A late bloomer who is intriguing because of his size and athleticism, Williams is a solid inside player who rebounds well. He will likely begin as a power forward.
• Analyst says: "His body is on the upswing. I think Parrom is a little more of a finished product, a solid player, but he probably doesn't have the upside Williams does." — Jerry Meyer, Rivals.com
The big man
• Name: Kyryl Natyazhko
• Position: C
• Height, weight: 6-10, 250
• From: Ukraine
• Recruiting rankings: 81 (Rivals), 48 (Scout), 39 (ESPN)
• Where he fits: He'll be needed at center, probably for as many minutes as he can stay productive. Natyazhko can play with his back to the basket, but he can also hit the open jumper.
• Analyst says: "He's very, very skilled. Can play high and low post. A strong, physical kid. He gives them a guy who's very versatile and can also defend the block." — Van Coleman, Hoopmasters.com
NOTE: Rivals.com ranks 150 players; Scout.com and ESPNU.com rank 100.
COMING SUNDAY
The Star examines Arizona's 2010 hoops recruiting class.
