How you can Watch (and guess)

Date: Thursday, 1/1/23

Tip-Off Time: 8:00 pm PT

TV: FS1

Streaming: Foxsportsgo.com

Location: Tucson, Arizona

DraftKings Betting Line: Washington Huskies +18

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#5 Arizona Wildcats 2022-23 Statistics:

Document: 13-1 (2-1)

Factors For per Recreation: 88.7 (2nd)

Factors In opposition to per Recreation: 72.8 (229th)

Adjusted Offensive Effectivity: 119.8 (1st)

Adjusted Defensive Effectivity: 95.4 (59th)

Power of Schedule: forty ninth

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Arizona’s Key Gamers:

G- Kerr Kriisa, Jr. 6’3, 190: 11.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 6.0 apg, 41.4% FG, 39.8% 3pt, 86.1% FT

The play of Kerr Kriisa will remind Seahawk followers of getting Richard Sherman. When he’s on in your crew you like him and his shenanigans are cheeky and enjoyable. When he’s not in your crew he’s essentially the most hated participant by each fan. On offense Kriisa is a gunner and about 1 of each 5 or 6 video games he’ll do his finest to shoot Arizona out of the sport when he doesn’t have it. The Wildcats have solely misplaced 5 video games in Tommy Lloyd’s tenure and in these video games Kriisa’s 3-pt capturing was: 3/10, 0/9, 1/6, 1/7, and 0/5. If you wish to beat Arizona you want Kriisa to have an off evening capturing.

G- Courtney Ramey, Sr. 6’3, 185: 11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 42.2% FG, 43.1% 3pt, 53.3% FT

After starring for Texas early in his profession Ramey struggled enjoying below Chris Beard with an all-star crew of transfers. Underneath Tommy Lloyd he’s having his best season but primarily enjoying off the ball as a shooter. He’s capturing a profession finest on 3’s whereas taking nearly 2/3rds of his pictures from past the arc (extra like 40% for many of his profession).

G- Pelle Larsson, Jr. 6’5, 215: 10.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 41.9% FG, 27.3% 3pt, 82.6% FT

One way or the other Larsson’s 3-point capturing percentages have fallen by about 10% per yr since he was a real freshman at Utah and made 46%. It appears extra seemingly that he’s simply in a little bit of a hunch and can get again as much as 35% so hopefully he doesn’t escape of it tonight. He’s nonetheless an elite free throw shooter and surprisingly is nineteenth within the nation in free throw fee and is absolutely adept at attending to the road.

F- Azuolas Tubelis, Jr. 6’11, 245: 20.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 60.5% FG, 43.8% 3pt, 79.7% FT

Tubelis has been capable of shake off a horrible NCAA event run and is on the brief checklist of contenders for nationwide participant of the yr to date. He’s scored not less than 12 factors in each recreation this season and surpassed 20 factors in each convention recreation to date. He doesn’t take many 3’s however is making them at a profession fee whereas additionally hitting profession highs in 2-point and free throw capturing percentages. He’s additionally within the top-200 in each offensive and defensive rebounding fee whereas slicing down on his turnovers. Anticipate Tubelis to destroy the Huskies in the course of the zone.

C- Oumar Ballo, Jr. 7’0, 260: 17.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 71.9% FG, 59.0% FT

When Ballo dedicated to Gonzaga it was clear he was a bodily freak who seemed like a child Shaq however was extraordinarily uncooked. As a junior he has taken his recreation to the following degree whereas nearly doubling his minutes regardless of earlier conditioning issues. He’s ninth within the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes and partly due to that’s sixth within the nation in efficient area aim share. The battle between him and Meah goes to be essentially the most intriguing matchup of the sport.

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The Outlook

Washington is aware of what it’s prefer to have a coach are available in and have fast success with the gamers which were left behind. Mike Hopkins received back-to-back Pac-12 coach of the yr awards in his first 2 seasons in Seattle. In fact Arizona was twenty ninth at KenPom the yr earlier than Tommy Lloyd arrived after which jumped to fifth and has saved it up as they’re at the moment eighth regardless of having misplaced 3 NBA draft picks which makes it really feel fairly a bit extra sustainable.

From the second Lloyd arrived in Tucson the Wildcats have been one of many elite offenses within the sport and it’s robust to seek out any weak point there. Arizona has solely scored 80 or fewer factors 3 instances this season, all away from dwelling. Of their lone loss towards Utah they shot simply 4/28 (14%) on 3-pointers which is drastically under their season common of 36%. The Zona guards additionally went 2/11 on 2-point pictures in that recreation. So principally in the event you can in some way get Arizona’s 3-gaurd lineup to shoot 5/28 from the ground then they’re beatable. Appears straightforward sufficient.

It’s nonetheless potential for Arizona to cube you up although even when they’ve an off evening capturing the ball from outdoors. They lead the nation capturing 61.6% on 2-point pictures partly as a result of they’re eighth within the share of their baskets that come off of assists. Each Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo can dominate across the rim and the Arizona guards are adept at getting them the ball in straightforward scoring positions. Nice ball motion is the demise of a zone and similar to Lloyd’s former crew, Gonzaga, the Wildcats all the time discover the higher shot.

This isn’t practically pretty much as good of a protection because the Huskies simply confronted with UCLA. Arizona is completely satisfied to play an up-tempo recreation the place they don’t thoughts in the event you rating as a result of it means they get the ball again with an opportunity to attain on you but once more. They don’t drive a whole lot of turnovers and regardless of having 3 completely different 6’11+ gamers within the rotation, none of them are really premier shot blockers. There’s an opportunity for Braxton Meah and Keion Brooks Jr. to have the ability to discover success driving to the basket towards Arizona.

In fact there’s no likelihood for Washington to maintain up with Arizona until their 3-point capturing dramatically improves from the abysmal 8% we noticed on Sunday evening. Some regression to the imply needs to be coming in that regard and UCLA’s perimeter protection is significantly better than Arizona’s. It’s nonetheless robust to think about that Washington can hold tempo until we see the precise reverse the place in some way the Dawgs shoot 50%+ from deep and simply occur to have a number of gamers going via out of physique expertise sort scorching streaks.

There won’t be a more durable place to play within the Pac-12 than in Tucson. Noah Williams is again for Washington however has been a horrible 3/19 from the ground which we’ll be beneficiant and say is as a result of he nonetheless isn’t fairly 100%. P.J Fuller sat out UW’s final recreation and Keyon Menifield Jr. left and didn’t return. We’ll see if both/each can be found tonight however between the guards being shaken up and the absence of Franck Kepnang it’s robust to see UW having anyplace near sufficient firepower.

A win could be a miracle. Protecting it inside single digits could be like successful the lottery. Unsurprisingly I don’t see that occuring. Washington drops their 4th straight by double digits and it’s the worst one but.

Prediction

Max’s Document this Yr: 11-4 Straight Up, 9-5-1 In opposition to The Unfold

Washington Huskies– 64, Arizona Wildcats- 92