On the traditional eve of the Arizona basketball season Sunday, Sean Miller was forced to stretch 10 key guys into a five-on-five scrimmage for 24 minutes.
This season, the Arizona coach has only two veteran inside players, a bunch of wings who could be but aren鈥檛 yet standouts, and a highly regarded freshman combo guard who is going to have to do it all, right now.
During Sunday鈥檚 Red-Blue Game, which the Red team won 39-33 despite nine points and 14 rebounds from Blue center Chase Jeter, Miller also went without a freshman whose UA future might already be in doubt, too. Belgian forward Omar Theielmans wasn鈥檛 present Sunday and Miller said he鈥檚 also missed recent practices.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a longer-term thing,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淗e missed today because of personal reasons and I think we鈥檒l expound on that as we move through this week.鈥
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So there were plenty of things Miller did not have. But there was also one thing that he does have, and that may matter the most on and off the court this season: Support, from his own bosses and from fans that sold out and once again nearly filled McKale Center for its preseason celebration.
During his pregame address to the crowd, Miller said Arizona fans were the best in the country, thanking them along with UA president Robert Robbins and athletic director Dave Heeke while alluding to the off-court issues he and his program have faced.
鈥淲hen certain things aren鈥檛 going as expected, it really is amazing how you learn who is in your corner and who isn鈥檛,鈥 Miller told the crowd.
After the game, while Miller said he appreciated that 14,500 vocal fans show up regularly no matter who the Wildcats play, he also recognized that Sunday鈥檚 crowd was somewhat different. Because the Red-Blue Game is not on UA鈥檚 season-ticket package, it mixes in regular fans with many non-regulars who bring a noticeable appreciation.
鈥淚t confused me for one time,鈥 Miller said. But once 鈥渨e all figured out who鈥檚 in the building, it鈥檚 just amazing to see their passion for our program. To have them with us, it鈥檚 very meaningful 鈥 because in many cases this is their one shot to see this year鈥檚 team.
鈥淲e add a great thanks to them, to anybody who attends today鈥檚 game. It鈥檚 12 noon. It鈥檚 Sunday. They don鈥檛 have to do that. And, by the way, it鈥檚 on TV. So for them to come out means a lot.鈥
The crowd also may have helped Arizona鈥檚 recruiting efforts, with UA commits Nico Mannion and Josh Green sitting in the front row of McKale Center鈥檚 west side along with five-star targets Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Zeke Nnaji and their families.
Mannion was interested enough that he even whipped out his phone to record the UA鈥檚 pregame dunk contest, which sophomore wing Brandon Randolph won for the second straight season in part by taking a ball off the side of the backboard and whipping in a windmill dunk.
Among the dunk judges was former UA guard Jerryd Bayless, who joined Deandre Ayton in being added to Ring of Honor. Ayton gave a video address and promised to be at McKale later this season.
Brandon Williams, a talented freshman combo guard, can explain what the Red-Blue atmosphere means. He sat in the stands the past two years, last year as a committed recruit.
鈥淚t was actually a dream come true. A dream come true,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淚 was committed last year at the time and I was like 鈥榳ow.鈥 It was an honor and I鈥檓 glad to be a part of it.鈥
With that passion, of course, comes some pressure to do well. Williams had six points, but had three turnovers to his two assists for a Blue team that led 21-18 at halftime but was outscored by nine in the second half.
鈥淚 gotta be better with the ball,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淎nd as a team, we gotta be better overall.鈥
While Williams will be counted on to play both point guard and shooting guard 鈥 moving off the ball whenever he鈥檚 in the game with grad transfer Justin Coleman 鈥 the Wildcats also displayed an intriguing hint of the future from their other active freshman, Devonaire Doutrive.
With just 175 pounds on his athletic 6-foot-5 frame, Doutrive was a human pogo stick not only in the pregame dunk contest but also in the game. He went 4 for 5 from the field for nine points while recording two steals, and three turnovers to his three assists.
鈥淭he best is yet to come for Devonaire,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 judge him at all on today. Physically, he鈥檒l get bigger and stronger and more accustomed to playing at this level. But he鈥檚 a great kid, and hasn鈥檛 missed one thing since he鈥檚 been here. His consistent effort is something we鈥檙e really excited about.鈥
But despite that future promise, Sunday鈥檚 scrimmage also indicated this: The Wildcats could be largely powered by their veterans.
Not veterans of dozens of McKale Center games, but veterans of college basketball: Jeter played two seasons at Duke, Luther played parts of four seasons at Pitt, Coleman spent two years at Alabama and one at Samford.
On Sunday, Jeter led both teams in rebounding while Luther had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal while hitting a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left that put the game away for the Red team.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to help the team out in any way I can, just be myself,鈥 Luther said. 鈥淥bviously we have a lot of new guys but a big sophomore class and some good young guys.鈥
From that sophomore class, Lee led the way with 12 points and three rebounds, while Emmanuel Akot and Randolph had eight points each and Alex Barcello had three points and an assist.
But stats don鈥檛 tend to mean much in the Red-Blue Game. The Wildcats are still over two weeks away from their first exhibition game, against Western New Mexico on Oct. 30, when box scores start taking on more meaning.
鈥淭his game is really to just get some insight,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淟ike coach said, he鈥檚 not even gonna watch this game. It鈥檚 really just to show the fans what we鈥檙e about and what to expect in the long run.鈥
And for the fans to show the players what they鈥檙e about, too.
