In reaching its first Final Four since 2001, Arizona has regularly used eight players who have each made significant contributions to this historic season. All eight have led the Wildcats in scoring at least once, and seven have topped the 20-point mark.
On any given night, one of those eight could be the key to victory for the UA. But as the games get harder, it’s also necessary for each to play their part if surviving and advancing.
Here’s what each mention of Arizona’s 8-man rotation must do in Saturday’s national semifinal against Michigan in order to reach the NCAA title game:
The Big 12 Player of the Year is averaging 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the NCAA tourney, more or less on part with his regular season numbers. But raw stats weren’t what got him the conference POY award and a spot on both the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and West All-Region Team.
It’s Bradley’s ability to control how Arizona’s offense is run, not make mistakes on defense and, when the Wildcats need a big shot, drain it. Whether it’s the buzzer beater to knock off Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals or a late bucket to hold off a surging opponent, Bradley always manages to come up in the clutch and he made need to do so again.
Burries is averaging 17.8 points per game in the tourney, his 23 against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 one off the school freshman record for an NCAA game (24 by Marcus Williams in 2006). He’s shooting 57.9 percent overall but making 68.4 percent of his 3s and is 14 of 17 from the foul line.
There were some rushed shots in the first half against Purdue, reminiscent of the start of his college career when Burries shot 33.3 percent overall and 29.4 percent from 3 in his first five games. But no one has had more 20-point games than Burries, with 14, and that’s due to his ability to hit from outside, get to the rim and finish and make his foul shots.
Entering the season, Kharchenkov was the biggest unknown among the players expected to see significant minutes. Signed in June out of Germany, where he was playing in the top level of pro basketball (but not that much), just how he would fit into the rotation was anyone’s guess. Then he had a double-double against defending NCAA champ Florida in his collegiate debut.
Kharchenkov has scored in double figures 26 times, including in three of four tourney games, but also has 16 games with at least five rebounds, 14 with three or more assists and 14 with multiple steals. He has defended 1 through 5, never looks rattled, and is most often the Wildcat flexing to the crowd and getting them riled up. The Final Four could produce a WWE-level performance from the freshman.
No one in Arizona’s starting lineup may have a more difficult task against Michigan than the 7-foot-2 Krivas, who depending on the possession could be defending a bigger man inside in 7-3 Aday Mara or chasing after athletic bigs Yaxel Lendeborg or Morez Johnson who could pull him away from the paint.
Krivas has been key to Arizona’s interior defense, which allows only 44.1 percent of 2-point shots to be made. Though he blocks only 1.9 shots per game he alters many more, and at 4.1 fouls committed per 40 minutes he’s been adept at defending without it leading to a whistle. Offensively, making the most of his paint touches and creating foul pressure is also key.
While Burries has been Arizona’s leading scorer in the tourney, Peat is right behind him at 17.5 points per game. That includes back-to-back 20-point efforts, his 20 against Purdue the most by a UA freshman in an Elite Eight game. It’s been reminiscent of his
Peat is shooting 54.2 percent in March Madness, but even more importantly he’s 18 of 25 from the foul line. He will have a physical advantage on whoever the Wolverines put on him, and he has to maximize that both with his scoring and rebounding, as he’s grabbed 18 offensive boards in his last six games after only 54 in his first 29.
Awaka is the best offensive rebounder in the country, grabbing 20.1 percent of Arizona misses when he’s on the court, and he’s 19th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. That, and just enough scoring (usually on putbacks) earned him Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year.
But Awaka is also the most foul-prone member of Arizona’s rotation. He only played 11 minutes against Purdue because of fouls, resulting in just two rebounds with none on the offensive end for the first time this season. Avoiding the fouls that come away from the basket will be most important for keeping Awaka available to replenish Arizona’s frontcourt depth.
Take what’s given to him
Dell’Orso hit only one shot in the Elite Eight, but it was a big one, a 3-pointer in transition that put Arizona up six in the second half and forced a Purdue timeout. He’s scored 26 points in the last five games, but also hasn’t needed to do much with others doing their part.
But Dell’Orso also scored a UA-best 26 against Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals, draining six 3s, and when Peat was injured he had back-to-back 22-point efforts off the bench. He can go off if needed, but if less is asked of him he needs to fill that role as well.
Aristode logged only 84 seconds on the court in the Elite Eight, essentially giving Bradley an extended media timeout in the first half. He’s played 26 minutes in the NCAA tourney, 15 in the first round blowout of Long Island, and since returning from illness has just 18 points in 83 minutes.
The timeouts are longer as the tournament gets deeper, and Aristode may not be needed much if at all. But when he’s on the court he must avoid being a liability first and foremost, while everything else is just gravy.
