STF Super Awesome Team Preview: #21 Arizona Wildcats

#21 Arizona Wildcats



Team: Arizona Wildcats

Conference: Pac 10

2006 Record and Ending: 20-11 Lost to Purdue in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Key Players Returning: Superstar in the making Chase Budinger is back in the desert, but this more about who is not returning. Mostly, moody troublemaker Marucs Williams is gone and so is the "ultra-average for a cool sounding name" Mustafa Shakur. At the very least, look for this be a more cohesive unit in Tucson.

What's to Love: The return of Budinger is enormous. He's as athletic a big man as you are going to find with a nice stroke. Throw in super freshmen point guard Jerryd Bayless, veteran post players Kirk Walters and Jordan Hill, plus tough guy Jawaan McClellan and the Wildcats have all of the necessary parts to make a run at the Pac 10 title.

What's not to Love: The reason that Arizona has become a prominent fixture in the 8-9 games over the past few season isn't talent, it's been a lack of discipline. Players seemed to be playing with their own agendas and there was no sense of leadership on the floor, this includes Lute Olsen. Have all the bad apples left, or will this problems crop up again?

Key Player: Chase Budinger. He's as athletic a big man as you are going to find with a nice stroke. Altought he's pretty well know around the country, Budinger could become a superstar this season if he can lead a Wildcat revival. What needs to happen for both the Wildcats and Budinger to thrive is for him to take over as the unquestioned team leader.


Best Case: Budinger becomes a superstar, Bayless is the best UA point guard since Mike Bibby, Hill and Walters provide a viable post presence. UA is top three in the Pac 10.

Worst Case:No one can score outside of Budinger, who fails to develop into a team leader, an undisciplined team unravels midseaosn once again leading to a 3rd straight disappointing season in the desert.

STF Prediction: 4th to 6th in the Pac 10, Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.