Arizona Wildcats Exposed In Loss, Magnifies Importance Of Recruiting Class

The loss to Mississippi State on Friday evening was frustrating for multiple reasons. While losing a tournament championship game is never fun, it was the way the Arizona Wildcats lost that brought concern for the immediate future. UA was undersized and overmatched in the paint against the Bulldogs and they allowed their bigs to dominate on both ends of the floor.

Jesse Perry is not the problem. A senior, he has done everything to prepare himself both mentally and physically for the season. Solomon Hill has done a nice job rebounding in recent weeks, but his natural position is on the wing and is unable to defend some of the larger post players.

Other than these two, there isn't much to work with. Kyryl Natyazhko is slowly showing signs of improvements, but the junior is still miles away from where he has the potential to be. Angelo Chol has shown flashes of brilliance, but for a player who did not start playing basketball until the age of 14, he will need more time to adjust to the college game. And while Sidiki Johnson may be a good player one day, he has a long way to go before seeing much playing time.

Arizona has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class for 2012 and three of their four committed players -- Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and Grant Jerrett -- all project to be post players of some sort in college. The significance of the size and strength they will bring with them to Tucson cannot be overstated; the program is desperate for talented big men and the three will put an end to the Wildcats being dominated by larger teams.

In the meantime, Sean Miller and the coaching staff are going to have to figure out a new plan whenever the Wildcats face a team with talented post players. Simply running different bodies at the opposition did not work well last night and likely won't work in a majority of the games. Does Arizona go small and attempt to outdo their opponents with athleticism? Do they move into a zone on occasion? We'll likely know the answers to these questions soon. 

Arizona Falls Apart In Second Half Against Mississippi State As Team Falls 67-57

The Arizona Wildcats hung in with the Mississippi State Bulldogs for 30 minutes of play. UA was finding open shots, rebounding relatively well and avoided the silly turnovers that had plagued them throughout most of the year. And despite never claiming a lead, you still had the sense the team was going to rally.

Then the final ten minutes of the game happened. Arizona fell apart, while Mississippi State took off.

With 10:01 left to play, Kevin Parrom hit a 3 from the corner to make the score 52-48. After that shot, the Wildcats went 2-for-11 from the field the rest of the way. They turned the ball over four times, while the Bulldogs started hitting shots, attacking the boards and running down the clock.

After hitting 14 threes on Thursday, Arizona made six this evening. After making 19 free throws against St. John's, they made five against the Bulldogs.

Solomon Hill (12 points, nine rebounds) and Jesse Perry (11 points, 10 rebounds) did their part, but a majority of the guards and wings did not find their shot against a stout MSST defense. Jordin Mayes hit a few shots early, but foul trouble kept him off the court for most of the second half.

Mississippi State was led by power forward Arnett Moultrie. The big man could not be stopped in the paint and ended with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs used a balanced scoring attack to their advantage, having seven players score six or more points.

This is a tough loss for the Wildcats, but they will continue to improve. Tonight the team learned that living and dying from behind the arc is not a recipe for success. Sean Miller and the coaching staff will make adjustments. We'll be fine.

Arizona vs. Mississippi State Score Update: Wildcats Battle Back Late, Trail By One At Half

The Arizona Wildcats and Mississippi State Bulldogs are locked in a good battle this evening from Madison Square Garden. WIth the 2K Sports Classic championship on the line, the Bulldogs lead by a score of 35-34.

Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry have led the way for Arizona. Hill leads UA with eight points and hauled in five rebounds, while Perry has seven and seven. Kyle Fogg has six points at the break and freshman Nick Johnson has hit two 3's.

Mississippi State was dominating early, but foul trouble has kept them from pulling away. Big man Arnett Moultrie scored nine points and brought in five boards in about seven minutes of play, but two fouls kept him out of action. Renardo Sidney has been a load in the paint, though he appeared to injure his right hand while going for a rebound. Lanky point-forward Rodney Hood scored seven points in the first half.

This is shaping up to be a heck of a game from New York City. The game is being televised on ESPN2.

Arizona vs. Mississippi State: Wildcats Face 'Biggest' Challenge Yet In 2K Sports Classic Finale

The Arizona Wildcats and Mississippi State Bulldogs will square off in Madison Square Garden on Friday evening to play for the 2K Sports Classic championship game. UA battled and made the finale by knocking off St. John's, while Mississippi State dominated Texas A&M.

We'll get to the breakdown of the players and matchups in a moment, but there is one aspect of the game that has to be very concerning for both coaches: conditioning. Each side will be less then 24 hours removed from their last game and fatigue could become an issue.

While both programs like to use depth to their advantage, the season is still very young and none of the players are in shape like they will be once conference play rolls around. If it's a closely contested slugfest throughout the game, expect sloppy play and a lot of turnovers.

The Bulldogs' leading scorer is Dee Bost. The senior guard has reached double-digits in points in each of their first four games and has eclipsed the 20-point mark twice. For being undersized, he has done a solid job rebounding the ball and pushing tempo for MSST. In addition, freshman point-forward Rodney Hood has played very well thus far and could create matchup problems for Arizona.

Mississippi State's biggest advantage on Friday evening will be their size. The Wildcats lack a true presence in the paint and MSST features two of the better post players in the SEC. 6'11, 230 pound power forward Arnett Moultrie is averaging a double-double and is one of the more athletic big men in the nation. His play has been inconsistent at times, but he could dominate UA.

Rinardo Sidney is the other big man for the Bulldogs. Despite dropping 30 pounds in the offseason, Sidney still clocks in at an intimidating 275 pounds. He's a big boy, folks. Because of his level on conditioning he has been unable to put up any eye-popping stats, though he can be a load in the paint. 

With the potential matchup problems looming for Arizona, expect to see a lot of Kyryl Natyazhko, Angelo Chol and Sidiki Johnson this evening. After seldom playing against St. John's, these three will play a big role if the Wildcats hope to win.

Matchup To Watch: Kyle Fogg vs. Dee Bost

TV Coverage: The game is set for tipoff at 6:30 in Madison Square Garden, which is 4:30 in Tucson. ESPN2 will carry the game live.

Starting Lineup: Arizona will likely start the way they have started their past three games: Jordin Mayes, Kyle Fogg, Solomon Hill, Jesse Perry and Kyryl Natyazhko.

Final Predictions: I think the Wildcats fall for the first time today. The Bulldogs have an intimidating post presence and they will dominate the rebounding game with their size and athleticism. Arizona will hang in throughout most of the game, but in the end, our lack of quality big men do us in. Mississippi State wins 68-62.

Arizona vs. St John's Final Score: Wildcats Win Thriller 81-72 Over Red Storm

The Arizona Wildcats stepped up when it mattered most on Thursday night and used 14 three-pointers as they won 81-72 over the St. John's Red Storm.

In what was one of the more entertaining games in recent history, Arizona saw five players score double-digits and played a total of 11 on the night. Solomon Hill led the way 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Jesse Perry came up a rebound short of a double-double.

Kyle Fogg and Nick Johnson each hit three 3's and Josiah Turner played his best game as a Wildcat. Playing just a few minutes away from his childhood home -- and the area he sustained a gunshot wound just two months ago -- Kevin Parrom chipped in for six points, four rebounds and three assists against the Johnnies.

St. John's took an eight point lead with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. Instead of crumbling under the bright lights, Arizona dug in on defense and refused to lose. They converted all six of their free throws in the closing minutes.

The Red Storm battled for most of the game, but their inexperience and a lack of depth would eventually cost them the game. Steve Lavin played just seven players, and leading scorer Nurideen Lindsey fouled out late in the contest. D'angelo Harrison chipped in for 16 points, while Phil Greene and Moe Harkless combined for 25 off the bench.

In our game preview, we said whichever team gets better play out of their power forward would win. Jesse Perry scored 11 points -- seven in the second half -- hauled in nine rebounds and had three blocks. God'sgift Achiuwa scored four points and brought down only four rebounds. Perry won the battle and his team won because of it.

UA will face Mississippi State on Friday night in the 2K Sports Classic championship game. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. in New York, which is 4:30 in Tucson. The game will be shown on ESPN2.

Arizona vs. St John's Score Update: Wildcats Setting Nets On Fire In 2K Sports Classic

The Arizona Wildcats are playing the St. John's Red Storm in Madison Square Garden for the 2K Sports Classic and those watching were treated to an incredible first half of play. At the break, Arizona leads 44-41.

The Wildcats have been on fire from behind the arc and have hit nine 3's thus far. Solomon Hill leads the team with nine points, while Jordin Mayes and Kyle Fogg have chipped in for seven apiece. Kevin Parrom, playing just miles from his childhood home in the Bronx, has six points, three rebounds, two assists and has drawn two charges against the Red Storm.

Arizona played 11 players in the first half. Nick Johnson and Mayes each have three fouls, while Hill, Parrom and Angelo Chol picked up two fouls of their own.

St. John's started slowly, but their athleticism has kept them in the game. D'Angelo Harrison and Nurideen Lindsey lead the Johnnies in scoring and have combined for 22 points, though both picked up three fouls in the first half. Point-forward Moe Harkless is on his way to a double-double with seven points and seven rebounds.

The second half is about to begin and the game is being aired live on ESPN2.

Arizona vs. St John's: Wildcats Preparing For Big Test In Madison Square Garden

Arizona will be challenged by St. John's this evening. We have a breakdown of the game, TV coverage, a few predictions and more...