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Arizona Red-Blue Game recap: Mark Lyons, Grant Jerrett shine in preseason scrimmage

The Arizona Wildcats played their annual Red-Blue Game in front of a capacity crowd at the McKale Center on Sunday afternoon. With the team ranked No. 11 to begin the season, all eyes would be on the 'Cats as the fan base got to see their team in action for the first time in the 2012-13 season. Let's take a look at what stood out most.

  • Mark Lyons is the real deal. For a guy no one expected to be at Arizona this time six months ago, he might just end up being the best player on the court each night. Lyons is incredibly quick and did a nice job setting up his teammates all game long.
  • Of all the freshmen, Grant Jerrett was the most impressive. He displayed his ability to stretch the floor while hitting multiple shots from outside of the paint, and was attacking the rim on both ends. He also led both teams with eight rebounds and displayed soft hands when on the receiving end of a couple fast break passes.
  • Kaleb Tarczewski is a horse. For a team that had no size last season, 'Zeus' will command a ton of attention in the paint. He remains a work in progress as he continues adjusting to the added muscle he put on during the offseason, but the potential is there. It was also impressive how well the guards fed him the ball around the basket.
  • Kevin Parrom looked healthy and backed up the reports of his jumper being the best on the team. Regardless of whether he starts or is the sixth man off the bench, Parrom might just be the key to how far this team goes this season.
  • Other than Lyons, Nick Johnson was the most impressive player on the offensive end of the court. He led both teams with 17 shot attempts, making eight of them. He was 4-for-8 behind the arc.
  • Gabe York might not see a ton of playing time in his freshman year, but he could be a huge asset off the bench as an instant-scoring threat with his 3-point shot and gaudy athleticism. York also won the dunk contest.
  • It's scary to think how good this team can be. When watching on Sunday, there really wasn't an area where I saw a real weakness. The defense will need to improve a bit, but that's the case at this point every year. It's going to be a fun season in Tucson.

For more UA news and analysis, follow me on Twitter: @ScottColeman_UA