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November 3rd,
2006
By Joel Welser
jwelser@collegehoops.net
Broadcast Basketball
Arizona
Wildcats
Overall Rank:
#8
Conference
Rank:
#2 Pac-10
2005-06:
20-13, 11-7, 4th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 With
22 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament,
Arizona’s run isn’t expected to end here. Coach Lute Olson
and company have settled into a routine of picking up great
recruits and dominating the Pac-10. That won’t end any time
soon either.
Who’s Out:
The
loss of Hassan Adams and Chris Rodgers creates an even greater
need to find some consistent outside shooting. Not that either
were prolific long range shooters, but they were at least two of
the few options to take a shot from beyond the arc. Isaiah Fox
has run out of eligibility after seeing limited minutes in 19
games as a senior.
Who’s In:
Chase
Budinger has the range to diminish the outside shooting woes.
The 6-7 forward has a lot more than that. His versatility
allows Budinger to play anywhere from the one to four spot. He
can start draining shots when he’s open, but needs to continue
working on shooting in traffic. In any event, Budinger is a
superb athlete who will be difficult to keep off the court. Nic
Wise won’t dethrone any starting point guards as a freshman, but
his long range shooting skills could provide a spark off the
bench. Jawann McClellan is the best pure scorer on the team.
After missing nearly all of last year with injuries and academic
issues, the sophomore will battle with Budinger for a starting
spot on the wing. Jordan Hill, a 6-9 power forward, is a solid
shot blocker and will provide some depth up front.
Who to Watch:
Mustafa Shakur hasn’t lived up to the hype coming out of high
school, but with a successful NCAA tournament, expectations are
high on Shakur once again. The 6-3 point guard still can run
the show and play decent defense and the 11.2 points and 4.7
assists per game shouldn’t be disappointing. The battle for
minutes on the wings will be fierce. Along with Budinger and
McClellan, Marcus Williams, J.P. Prince and Daniel Dillon are
all capable players. Williams averaged 13.0 points and 4.7
rebounds as a freshman and should improve as a sophomore.
Prince and Dillon will likely be relegated to the bench once
again, but both have explosive scoring streaks waiting to be
unleashed.
Final
Projection:
The frontcourt
lacks the depth of the backcourt. Ivan Radenovic is the only
proven option after averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds
during the 2005-2006 campaign. Kirk Walters added 6.1 points
and 3.5 rebounds in 26 starts as a junior, but needs to be more
effective during his senior campaign. Radenovic could spend
some time at the five if Coach Olson wants to move Walters to
the bench and utilize all the talent on the wings. Mohamed
Tangara saw limited minutes as a freshman, yet the Mali native
is a tenacious rebounder and will do the dirty work off the
bench. This is a talented squad with enough firepower to win
the Pac-10 and reach the Final Four. The major concern is the
long range shooting. Arizona lacked that last year and will
again this time around.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Mustafa Shakur,
Senior, Guard, 11.2 points per game
Marcus Williams,
Sophomore, Forward, 13.0 points per game
Chase Budinger,
Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Ivan Radenovic,
Senior, Forward, 12.1 points per game
Kirk Walters,
Senior, Center, 6.1 points per game
Also:
Complete
Pac-10 Preview & Ranking
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