Much was expected of senior JaLea Bennett this season, and she has come through to an extent. Bennett has more than doubled last years' season average of 6.9 points per game to 16.5. She also averages 5.5 rebounds per game which is third on the team. One area Bennett will need to improve heading into conference play will be her ability to score big baskets down the stretch of games, an area the entire team has struggled with, losing leads in the second half on several occasions this season. As much as she has tried to shoulder the load, more will be asked of her moving forward when the competition takes a significant step up.
Sam Thomas is the leading rebounder in the Pac-12 at nine per game and has been arguably the most consistent player on the team regardless of being a freshman. Through the first 10 games of her career she ranks just behind Shawntinice Polk for most blocks in a 10-game span with 21. She is also the only player besides guard Lucia Alonso to have a positive assist-to-turnover differential. Thomas takes care of the ball, makes good decisions and is the Wildcats best defender.
No player has shown more courage to take shots in any situation more than Marlee Kyles. She is second on the team in shot attempts and points per game at 10.6. Courage is one thing, coming through is another as she is fifth out of six players, who have logged at least 300 minutes on the season, in field goal percentage. She can get to where she needs to, but in order for Arizona to improve converting those attempts will be crucial.
Sammy Fatkin hasn't played a tremendous amount. Considering the Wildcats lack of depth, that has been a surprise as head coach Adia Barnes has opted to play walk-on Lindsey Malecha instead of the freshman from time to time. Fatkin has been slow to adjust but has shown glimpses such as against San Diego State when she scored a season-high 11 points in 17 minutes of action. Her length on the defensive end and shooting on the offensive should give her more minutes as the season wears on.
Where Do They Go From Here?
Arizona's prospects don't look promising after the non-conference schedule. The Wildcats beat four teams who currently have a combined record of just eight wins on the season. In fact, the total wins by teams thus far is 46, an average of just over four wins per team. Its' schedule was void of any power-five school outside of TCU from the Big 12 and did little to prepare them for the gauntlet of the Pac-12 which will feature four ranked teams (No.10 Oregon, No.11 UCLA, No.17 Oregon State and No.20 Cal) with two, Stanford and ASU, sitting just outside with the most votes in the AP top 25.
In their seven losses, Arizona was competitive in most. Their inconsistency can best be displayed in two games, TCU and Long Beach State. Against a 9-2 TCU team, the Wildcats were tough and resilient, able to fight back in the fourth quarter from 16 points down despite losing in the end 68-59. One week later, against a lowly Long Beach State team who had only won one game on the year, Arizona found itself watching three after three go in as the 49ers won their second game of the season 80-72. The ups and downs of a young inexperienced team will continue, but learning and improving is a focus of Barnes and her staff.
The conference schedule doesn't start out easy, Arizona begins Pac-12 play on the road against two nine win teams in Utah and Colorado, each one of them leading the league in rebounding, the Utes on the defensive boards and Buffaloes on the offensive. With no player over 6'3 on the roster, the Wildcats will have a tough time getting boards consistently. Arizona will be tested right off the bat in that respect, facing Utah's Emily Potter who averages 13.5 ppg and 8 rpg as well as Colorado's Annika Jank who is at 13.7 and 8. It doesn't get easier after that either when the Wildcats take on Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Oregon, all four teams that were in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
The Wildcats have very little room for error, which can make it difficult for such a young team. However, the prognosis for this season was never a great one, instead the focus was on the development of the current players as they move toward next year where they will be accompanied by the nations No. 4 recruiting class and joined by a host of power five conference transfers. In the meantime, players like Alonso, Bennett, Destiny Graham and Kat Wright will need to take it up a notch in order to remain competitive in one of the toughest leagues in the country.
Credits:
Photos by Simon Asher and Ian Green