No team west of the Central time zone has won a national championship since Arizona in 1997 and next year, the Wildcats will be the biggest threat to change that. Sure, they lose three of their top four scorers from a year ago, but Nick Johnson, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski all return to give Sean MIller a still-loaded team and a likely Pac-12 favorite. Throw in a transfer and a couple big-name recruits, and Arizona can realistically set a goal to end the season in Dallas at the Final Four.
Arizona basketball team capsule: Wildcats with a chance to bring the trophy back west
The Wildcats are loaded with enough potential to make them a significant Final Four threat, but with that potential also comes question marks.
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Here's all you need to know about the 2013-14 Arizona Wildcats:
Arizona Wildcats:
2013 Record: 27-8, 12-6 Pac-12
2013 Postseason: Lost to Ohio State in the Sweet 16
Key Returnees: Nick Johnson, Jr., G, (11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Brandon Ashley, So., F, (7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Kaleb Tarczewski, So., C, (6.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Key Losses: Mark Lyons, (15.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), Solomon Hill (13.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Kevin Parrom (8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Grant Jerrett (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Key Additions: Aaron Gordon (F), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (F), T.J. McConnell (G, transfer from Duquesne)
Season Outlook:
Usually when a team loses three of its top four scorers, you could expect a rebuilding year. Or at least one where the team isn’t expected to be just as competitive as the season prior.
Not the case next year in Tucson. Sean Miller returns several key pieces that turned it on late last year and welcomes two high-profile recruits and a transfer to round out an Arizona team that has a reasonable shot at a Final Four run, or at least a Pac-12 Championship.
The days of Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill terrorizing opponents are gone, but teams out west will still have to figure out Nick Johnson. He’s the lone returner who averaged double figures last season and will need to rely on improvements from Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski. Both played well as freshmen, though they struggled in the Wildcats’ season-ending loss to Ohio State.
But if Johnson, Ashley and Tarczewski aren’t enough to carry Arizona, the Wildcats also have one of the best freshmen in the country coming in. Aaron Gordon is a power forward out of San Jose who already possesses a strong interior game. He can dominate on both ends of the court and will likely make an immediate impact in college. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson joins Gordon in Miller’s recruiting class. He is an athletic slasher who could finish at the rim.
Transfer T.J. McConnell from Duquesne will also be eligible for Arizona next year. He was a complete player for the Dukes, averaging 11.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 2011-12. McConnell also shot 43 percent from three.
One of the keys next year might be how the rising junior Johnson adapts to his new leadership role, no longer being overshadowed by the stars of the team. Thankfully for the Wildcats, who will not have a senior playing serious minutes, they'll be able to sort out those issues in a still-weak Pac-12. UCLA figures to be the only team that will be able to challenge them, but the Bruins will also have to deal with losing Shabazz Muhammad and Larry Drew. An early-season showdown with Duke looms, however, for Arizona should the Wildcats and Blue Devils meet in the NIT Season Tip-Off in November.
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