Three Things No. 2 Arizona Must Do vs. Norfolk State
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Fresh off an impressive 71-67 win over then-No. 3 UConn, No. 2 Arizona (6-0) traveled back home to square off against Denver in a late Monday night game looking to keep the train rolling after climbing two spots in the latest AP Poll.
One of the toughest things to do in college basketball when you have a young team with seven freshmen is to stay sharp and ready for these games against lower-level Group of Five teams when coming off the highs of back-to-back wins over highly ranked opponents.
Although Arizona has a lot of youth, the WIldcats have the right mix of veteran leadership and coaching that kept everyone on track against Denver. UA throttled Pioneers 103-73 to lock in the team’s sixth win of the season.
In the last game against UConn, Arizona saw freshman Brayden Burreis struggle with just scoring four points on 2 of 4 shooting from the field.
Against Denver, Burries found his groove again and dropped 20 points while going 7 of 13 from the field and collecting seven rebounds and four assists in his 23 minutes.
It was a game of the freshmen as forward Ivan Kharchenkov recorded a career-high 20 points while going an impressive 9 of 12 from the field. Meanwhile, Kharchenkov dropped two 3-point shots.
Another freshman that was able to have an impact on the game was forward Dwayne Aristode, who scored 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Aristode managed to collect five rebounds for the night.
Now, Arizona will get ready for a 2 p.m. (MST) tip-off against Norfolk State (4-4) with the game being streamed on ESPN+.
As we take a closer look at the game, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have come up with our three keys to the game against Norfolk State.
Three Keys to the Game
Start Strong
- These types of games are easy to let your guard down and just go with the flow, which leads to upsets when facing lower-level mid-major opponents. However, when going up against Utah Tech, NAU and Denver, Arizona has shown the ability to give full effort to put the games away early.
- A lot of that has to do with the veteran leadership the Wildcats have in key positions like point guard with Jaden Bradley, who has been a steadying force for Arizona.
- A strong start to put things away early would be the best thing for Arizona. You would give extended minutes to guys like Dwayne Aristode and also get rest for veterans like Bradley.
Play to your Strengths
- It may sound simple but the best thing Arizona could do for itself is to play to the strength of the size advantage and keep going to that well all-night-long.
- The Spartans don’t have a player above 6-foot-9, which gives Arizona a massive advantage in the low-post with guys like Tobe Awaka, Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas.
- This is the perfect game for Arizona to score 40-plus points in the low-post and dominate the battle of the boards. This is a case where the Wildcats shouldn’t get out of their own skin and just do what they do best against an undersized team.
Protect the Ball
- The one thing you can’t do against low-level opponents like Norfolk State is turning the ball over and giving up easy baskets on the other side of the court. You can’t afford to give life to the Spartans and have them start believing that they can pull off some magic in McKale Center.
- When you play sloppy ball against mid-major teams, it leads to easy buckets and 3-point shots on the other end and then they start believing. It is important to protect the ball and run your sets to help try to put the game away early in the game.
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Troy Hutchison grew up attending Arizona athletic events, which gave him a unique perspective and knowledge of the athletic department's rich history. He attended UA and began covering the Wildcats in 2018. As the Arizona Wildcats Beat Writer on SI, he is set to deliver wall-to-wall coverage to give fans an in-depth perspective.
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