Steve Rivera Ventures

Observations from the Arizona-Rice game and trying to remember if I’ve ever cover the Owls in a sporting event in my 20-year plus career…. Nope. … And still not sure if I have.

The Owls look bad. They’ve missed their first seven shots — and still played UA close. Ugh!

***

Only because I have to tell you the score early in this blog: Arizona won 66-49 to move to 2-0, but wasn’t all that good in victory. It took a late-game resurgence for the Cats to get out of a mid-game funk to pull away. UA can thank junior Jamelle Horne because he came on late for four points in the final minutes. He finished with 13 points.

That said, here’s the quote of the day, sort of: “We’re not a very good team right now,” UA coach Sean Miller said. “I think we’re a team that can get a lot better. We gave a great effort on defense at times and that’s a starting point. It’s a new season and we have a lot of different guys working through things.”

And, Rice was 1 for 10 from the 3-point line after hitting its first one with just more than 16 minutes left in the game. Rice is now down, 37-27, with 16:07 left.

Now, it doesn’t look so good for — Arizona. What? Rice just hit its second 3-pointer of the game (2-for-12) and is down only 43-36 with 13:19 left in the game. Coach Miller has just asked for a 30-second timeout. Good move.

“We weren’t playing particularly well on offense throughout the game,” Miller said of the moment. “We took some bad shots. There were some turnovers. It wasn’t a fast-paced game to have 17 turnovers. It’s tough to score when you can’t get a shot.

“And in conjunction we didn’t play great defense. There were two forces working against us. And the lead shrunk.”

Miller did applaud his team for getting the win and returning to form late in the game.

***

So here we are and the Zona Zoo has come up with something new for the first time in, well, forever. Apparently, Miller met with the Zoo members and spoke about his excitement in them being part of something special. He let a few hundred into practice and then had a basketball session with the group.

“Watching them show up in full force with the football having an incredibly big weekend (Oregon) with a football game and it being two games from that, I’d like to personally thank them,” Miller said. “One of the things that helped our start defensively was how ferocious our start was. Anyone in the building understood our students were like another defender”

And truer words have never been spoken: “There has never been an Arizona that needs McKale to be at the heightened environment more than this team because of the certain challenges. I thought they helped us get off to a very good start.”

Every time a Rice player either dribbled or passed they say something. When the Owls pass it says pass and when it dribbles it says “boing.’’ And when it shoots it says, “Brick.’’ Must have worked. The Owls missed their first seven shots and by the time the first media timeout occurred was down, 9-0, as UA hit 4 of 7 shots. This could get ugly for the Owls. … The antics didn’t last long. The Zoo has stopped already and there is still more than seven minutes left in the half.

***

The Owls just scored a basket  — six minutes into the game. But UA came back quickly and hit a shot to take a 12-4 lead. Rice hit two free throws with 14:40 on the clock. Rice is now 1-12 from the floor. Looks like Ben Braun hasn’t changed much as a coach. He still can’t win in McKale Center. He didn’t while a head coach at California and it won’t happen on Thursday night.

***

Now in the game for the Wildcats is …. sophomore Alex Jacobson. It’s his first time on the court this season. My guess he’ll play about 10 minutes tonight and average about four or five during the season. He played about a minute and then was replaced. That doesn’t bode well for him. I might have to revise my four or five minute prediction. Miller made it quite clear Jacobson needs to “perform better on a daily basis.”

Good luck, Alex.

***

Let me just say that Rice is HORRIBLE. It has gone 2 for 20 to start the game. It doesn’t even look like a basketball team.

***

Scratch that. All of a sudden Rice has found a rhythm and Arizon has gone south. The Owls have closed the gap to eight, 28-20, with under 2 minutes left. Arizona has now gone up 30-20 behind two Brendon Lavender free throws. …

***

Sophomore Kyle Fogg hits a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer with three seconds left in the half to give Arizona a comfortable 33-20 lead at the half. It hasn’t been good basketball.

***

The more you watch Solomon Hill the more you have to love him. He just did a nice spin move around the basket, making it look easy. What I like about him is that he doesn’t come off as as jerk. … And in this line of work, that’s a good thing.

***

It looks like the little things are bogging down UA. Bad passes and missed opportunities on rebounds. UA should be up by 20 but has let the Owls hang around with not-so-great play. And this is what the game has come to: the Ooh Ahh man has jsut come out with 7:57 left in the game and UA up 52-42. When would you have seen the Ooh Ahh Man come out for a game as insignificant as this one? Boy, times have changed. By the way, good to see teh Ooh Ahh Man is still alive and well, and crazy enough to disrobe in front of 14,000 fans.

“It’s not our offense that lets teams back in – it’s our defense,” said Nic Wise, who finished with 15 points. “We had a four minute stretch where they a couple of layups and their leading scorers got going. We just got to keep our intensity up for 40 minutes.”

***

Sophomore guard Garland Judkins didn’t play. Miller said he can’t play everybody “and maybe he’ll get in the next game.” Miller said Judkins, who went through a couple of discipline problems last season under interim coach Russ Pennell, didn’t play because of discipline problems or anything else. Miller said its his job to put the 10 best out there.

If there is an obvious improvement needed, Arizona coach Sean Miller said, it’s on the defensive end. His young bunch needs help. And quickly.

Blowout victories don’t usually show that, but that was the observation from first-year Arizona coach Sean Miller. And that was the case in UA’s 87-70 victory over Northern Arizona on Sunday.

Miller said his team looked like it was falling down when it played against Northern Arizona. He hopes to have his team “better than that’’ against visiting Rice (3-0) on Thursday night. Tip off is at 8:30 p.m.

Miller’s thoughts on his team’s defense? Out of sync and out of service. But that’s to be expected from a young team still trying to get its footing. Expect it to happen plenty. “We don’t want to beat ourselves on defense and we had too many missed assignments against NAU,’’ Miller said.

That said, Miller knows his team will struggle. If Thursday’s game were in Houston, UA could struggle and lose. It won’t in McKale Center. Despite its youth and inexperience, Arizona still has better athletes and basketball players. Will it be tough? No doubt. Miller knows that.

“We all acknowledge youthful teams in November and December sometimes struggle more than they will when they get more experienced,’’ Miller said.

Right now, Miller will have to deal with his team being inexperienced. It might be the case all season. Growing up on the basketball court isn’t an easy thing to do. Being at home helps, but UA won’t be at home after Thursday’s game – having to travel to Maui for the annual Maui Classic.

Expect improvement.

Outcome? UA by 10.

Solomon Hill is sneaky. Or, maybe a better word is deceptive.

First, he doesn’t look 6-foot-6. He looks like he’s 6-8 or bigger and a bit like former University of Arizona power forward Michael Wright.

Second, he doesn’t look like a guy who can go end-to-end in a matter of seconds. Don’t get me wrong he’s athletic (he’s no Khalid Reeves) and all but one end to the other in a matter of seconds?

“I do a little bit of everything,’’ said Hill, who led UA with 17 points and eight rebounds in its 87-70 win against Northern Arizona at McKale Center. “If I can hit the open shot I take it. If I can blow past them I’ll blow past them. … I like it because if you play me one way I can take it another way. It’s fun for me.’’

Sunday must have been a blast. He didn’t show it though in the postgame interview. But it was – again – a bit surprising to see this guy (this big guy) dribble from one end of the court to the other with relative ease and score on a lay-up. Heck, he said, it was common practice in high school.

Mr. Versatile.

“That’s why I talked to coach (about) coming here,’’ he said of Arizona. “… just grabbing the ball and going before everyone gets back.’’

Get it and go. You wouldn’t think that of Hill. Mr. Deceptive.

But Miller gives him enough wiggle room to make a decision on the get-it-and-go play. Miller said he gives a number of players that right to make a decision to go end to end.

“He’s one of our best ball handlers,’’ Miller said. “And he’s one of our best passers. He’s a fun guy to coach. He can pick things up.’’

Perhaps so that he’s not criticized later. After the game, he kind of joked that he played well and wanted to “do everything right’’ because “I didn’t want them (UA coaches) to say anything bad when we watch films. I just went out and played.’’

And was impressive in the process.

These are the times Nic Wise has lived for – being a star on a highly thought of Division I program.

The Arizona men’s basketball program, in recent years under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, has long awarded seniors. They get a little more leeway; a little more slack. It doesn’t appear anything will change under new coach Sean Miller.

Welcome to Wise’s last hurrah.

He’s Big Man on Campus. OK, he’s only 5-foot-10 or so, but permit me to use some poetic license.

He’s king of the thrill. Or at least hopes to be

It all begins Sunday afternoon against Northern Arizona. UA faces the Lumberjacks at 3 p.m. to officially tip-off the Miller era.

“I just have to step up and take that leadership role,’’ said Wise, in preparation for the season. “I don’t have two other guys like Chase (Budinger) and Jordan (Hill). As a point guard you hope to be the leader on the court.’’

Even Miller is a bit giddy about Wise’s potential. And Miller, being a former star point guard, has every reason to believe Wise is going to be huge this season. One because he has to be; and two, because he sees his potential.

“He’s ready to have a terrific senior season,’’ Miller said. “He’s so important to what we do.’’

Miller says Wise is ready for the game and has terrific game preparation skills. He’s very focused and “very serious about having a good performance.’’

The Wildcats will need it to happen game in and game out. The Wildcats will need 20-points-plus and six or seven assists every game.

That’s EVERY GAME.

That’s just for Arizona to have a chance this season to reach 20 victories. I believe he can do that. If last season, former coach Russ Pennell said Chase Budinger would be about 40 percent of UA’s offense, Wise could likely be more than that. As he should in that he’ll have the ball in his hands nearly every possession.

Because of his potential numbers – up from last year’s 15.7 points, 4.6 assists – he’ll likely stay in the hunt for the John R. Wooden Award. The odds are against him winning it, but he’s long defied the odds. Short guy in a big man’s game – et al.

His journey to this point has been well-chronicled. Miller is his eighth coach in eight years, having gone through four coaches in high school, one that included his father, Greg. Then there was Lute Olson, Kevin O’Neill and Russ Pennell. Under Olson, Wise spent time under academic suspension and on the bench, never really making an impact. Under O’Neill, Wise blossomed, gaining confidence while losing weight. Under Pennell, Wise was part of a troika that eventually helped UA get to its 25^th consecutive NCAA tournament. Can Wise help UA pull it off again?

We’ll see. But his coach is more than confident in his pint-size point guard.

“Nic has demonstrated that he’s clearly one of the premier players in our conference and one of the better point guards in the country,’’ Miller said. “He still has to prove that he can be a great leader of this team. He has his hands full when you look at all the things that have been thrown at him.’’

Teammate Jamelle Horne says Wise will do fine in his role even though he’s “a lead by example guy.’’

His examples could be huge. Arizona will need them to be.

Steve Rivera can be reached at steve.rivera95@gmail.com. Visit SteveRiveraventures.com.

Observations from Arizona’s final dress rehearsal before it opens the season against Northern Arizona on Sunday.

We know one thing: Arizona can handle a Div. II team pretty easily. It did on Tuesday night when it destroyed Western New Mexico, 96-55, at McKale Center.

Did anyone expect anything else but a blowout?

There were some breakdowns – sloppy play at times but Arizona did look good for about 30-plus minutes give or take a play or two.

“I thought tonight was about our team developing and getting better,’’ UA coach Sean Miller said. “I thought our team took a step forward. We were better and well organized (than in previous outings). We’re moving in more of a positive direction.’’

That said, Miller said he’s not all that ready for the first game to be soon. “I’m just being honest with you,’’ Miller said.

His concern is not having enough players who are ready to have their first Division I game. “Are they ready? Are they nervous?’ he said. “It’s our job as a staff to make sure they are ready. We’re going to work hard. We’ve talked a lot about being 0-0 at this time. We have a team hungry to be good but experience isn’t in our favor.’’

Miller the progress is very evident. He added that “we don’t have an attitude problem on our team,’’ he said. “Our team comes to work every day and are willing to learn. We’re going to make mistakes with as many new faces. I’m very confident we will get better but I am aware tough times are ahead.’’

***

It was first observed by new Fox broadcaster Corey Williams and it took me a second to either acknowledge it or believe it. He said UA freshman Derrick Williams reminds him of –wait, wait, wait – former UA star Andre Iguodala. The more I see Williams play the more I believe Corey. Williams is more raw. And, actually a lot more raw than Iguodala was at the same stage but you can see Williams’ potential at least on the athletic side. He attacks the basket and glides through the air. Of course, there will be plenty of naysayers but those who have patience will see shades of Iggy now and again.

“ Derrick is blessed with athletic talent,’’ Miller said. “Baskets per minute he’s got to be leading the nation at this point.’’

Williams hit 6 of 7 shots and finished with 12 points. He went 5 of 6 and had 14 points against Augustana.  “He’s very talented physically but has a lot to learn about the game,’’ Miller said. “He will continue to learn. It’s tough to judge him because he surprisingly came back to practice (this week).’’

***

If Arizona Nic Wise can stay healthy, he’s going to be unbelievable this season. And I mean unbelievable in terms of numbers. I won’t be surprised if he averages better numbers than Jason Terry did more than a decade ago when he led UA and was eventually named college basketball player of the year. Wise always has been a scorer and now that he’s a bona fide leader he’s going to have a monster year. His only problem will come when opponents decide to place a 6-foot-3 or 6-4 guard on him, which would make it difficult for him to get his shot off. He could lead the Pac-10 in steals and points.  Terry led the team in points at 21.9 and steals at 2.8.

Wise had 21 points, hitting 8 of 10 shots. He was 5 of 6 from the 3-point line.

“I’m excited about Nic Wise,’’ Miller said. “I think he’s ready to have an exciting senior year. He’s so important to what we do. I love his preparation. He’s very focused. He’s serious about having a good performance.’’

One scary thing: Wise isn’t 100 percent healthy from his sprained ankle he suffered more than a week ago and his knee is bothering him a bit. “Those are things you need to push through to be successful,’’ he said.

***

UA sophomore Kyle Fogg was back in the lineup, coming off the bench after missing about a week of practice after suffering from the flu. He didn’t even come to the game last week against Augustana. “It sucked,’’ he said. “I had to watch (the game)on the Internet and my Internet is kind of slow, too.’’ He finished with nine points.

***

You can tell how versatile freshman Solomon Hill is. He brought the ball down on the break and never hesitated when he had the ball. How many big men – he’s 6-6 but looks and plays bigger – can bring the ball down the court like that?

***

Freshman forward Kevin Parrom suffered what Miller described as a “mid-foot sprain’’ but it’s not clear how serious it is. Miller isn’t sure either. But he was cautious in not playing Parrom too much, giving him 15 minutes of work before pulling him from the game. Parrom also left the bench in the second half. “You worry about it when a guy talks about a pain in his foot; I hope that is all it is,’’ said Miller. “We’ll figure it out.’’ Miller said it may have occurred at shoot-around practice on Tuesday. Miller said Parrom will have the foot x-rayed.

***

Freshman guard Lamont “MoMo’’ Jones didn’t score a point but had six assists and five rebounds. Part of Jones’ problems is that he’s trying to learn two positions: the point guard and off guard spots. “The point guard is the hardest link to learn and we’re bouncing him back and forth,’’ Miller said. “To me he’s more comfortable at the two, primarily because he’s played at the two more at practice than at the one. He’s getting better, but he’s unselfish.’’

***

Former Canyon del Oro star Eli Crevelone, a 6-4 forward for Western, had a team-high 15 points and added nine rebounds in his return to Tucson. Crevelone is a sophomore. … Former Palo Verde player Daryl Littleton had six points and six rebounds. And former Ironwood Ridge player Chad Carter had no points and one rebound.

Steve Rivera can be reached at steve.rivera95@gmail.com. Visit SteveRiveraventures.com.

Arizona freshman forward Solomon Hill is home – again.

How can you be home when you’ve never actually spent time there? Well, Hill has. When he committed to Arizona more than a year ago, there was no other place he would have rather been but at the University of Arizona and in an Arizona uniform. He loved Arizona when he committed to attend. Deep down that love never changed even though it  got a bit chaotic – that’s an understatement but go with me – when Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson decided to retire at the 11^th hour and a week into the season and just two weeks before national letter of intent day.

Hill decided to head to Southern California because of it. But nothing was signed to make anything official. Then, Sean Miller was named head coach at UA, and bam, Hill is once again a Wildcat.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a hard road to get here,’’ Hill said, “but it was taking it day by day and waiting for things to (get sorted).’’

They did – for all involved except for USC, a team that lost its head coach (Tim Floyd) to a resignation and a recruiting class to Arizona. LaMont “MoMo’’ Jones followed Hill to UA as did Derrick Williams.

Now, Hill, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound freshman from Los Angeles, is ready for the season to start. He and the others will get their final dress rehearsal when Western New Mexico visits on Tuesday night in UA’s final exhibition game. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Arizona opens the regular season on Sunday against Northern Arizona.

In UA’s first exhibition game – a 92-76 win over Augustana College – Hill had five points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.

It’s helping him settle into a routine as the season is about to start. Hill admitted because of his weight issues he’s about a month behind his fellow freshmen. It’s about catching up now and trying to compete at both the center spot and forward spot.

“I just didn’t close every door (when he made his decision to go to USC),’’ he said. “You never know who coach is going to bring in or who he wants to let go. It was an option, just in case Arizona didn’t work out. USC was a school I liked but it was a case where I was waiting for something to happen at Arizona. And something did happen.’’

In Hill’s mind, things happen for a reason. Now, he’s likely in the mix to be part of Miller’s playing rotation.

It didn’t come without some hard work – after some loafing in the offseason. He came in about 30 pounds too heavy but once summer school started he started to work out and lost 20 pounds before official practices started. He has 10 more pounds to go.

“I did need to gain some muscle,’’ he said. “But now, it’s about losing the fat and gaining the muscle.’’

He feels good about his game now. He’s “bouncier’’ and will likely have more of an impact in a roster full of freshmen. His ability and knowledge of the game will help. He has nice savvy on the court and a head for the game. His ability to pass for a big man helps, but his defense must improve.

“He’s clearly a very intelligent player,’’ Miller said. “Some of the passes that didn’t work (in the last game) but he sees the floor and can think the game. That’s almost a gift for him. It’s clearly (one of the things) he does best. He has a ways to go but that’s expected.’’

Steve Rivera can be reached at Steve.Rivera95@gmail.com. Visit SteveRiveraventures.com

What do you do when you have the best 2-year-old thoroughbred in the world? Take him to the Breeder’s Cup and cross your fingers.

That’s what local car dealers and horse owners Karl Watson (Watson Chevrolet) and Paul Weitman (Royal Buick) have done with Lookin at Lucky, the sensational juvenile who is the morning-line favorite (8-5) for Saturday’s $2 million Juvenile Stakes set for Santa Anita Race Track. Mike Pegram is also a co-owner.

Lookin at Lucky has gone 4-0 in his short career, recently winning the Del Mar Classic and the $300,000 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita, the home of this weekend’s Breeder’s Cup.

“Everything looks good but you still have to run the race,’’ said Watson. “Bobby (Baffert) likes the way he’s training and he’s handled himself well, but you can’t count your chicks before they hatch.’’

Baffert, a University of Arizona graduate and a recent inductee into horse racing’s Hall of Fame, has said Lookin at Lucky is his best 2-year-old in the last five years. Baffert has also called Lookin at Lucky “a franchise horse’’ much like Midnight Lute was. Midnight Lute, named after former UA Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, was also owned by Weitman and Watson. Midnight Lute gave the duo two of the owner’s biggest wins after winning the Breeder’s Cup Sprint the last two years.

“This is pretty special to be doing this three years in a row and have a live shot (at another win),’’ Watson said. “It’s something everyone wants to do. If we’re lucky we’ll get it done.’’

Steve Rivera can be reached at steve.rivera95@gmail.com.

Observations from Arizona’s game versus Augustana College at McKale Center

Arizona defeated Div. II Augustana 92-76 at McKale Center in what was a mixed bag of good and bad play for the Wildcats.

UA had a comfortable lead at halftime 50-34 at halftime but wasn’t able to outscore Augustana in the second half. UA had 42 points as did Augustana.

UA’s Jamelle Horne led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“He’s among our best players tonight,” said UA coach Sean Miller. “You can make the point he was the best player on the court tonight. He played like he’s practiced. He’s really explosive and at times he’s really explosive. I have high hopes for Jamelle. I love the way he played.”

• So, last season’s biggest surprise – Kyle Fogg – found himself not starting in Wednesday’s game. In fact, he’s not even on UA’s bench.  Fogg was said to have the flu and has been out for at least two days. “We missed him,’’ UA coach Sean Miller said. “He’s another body. He’s done an excellent job in practice. With him, we certainly become better on defense and deeper.’’
• Instead, sophomore Brendon Lavender, said to be the team’s best shooter, got the start. But if Lavender is the team’s best shooter, why didn’t he take his first shot (from the perimeter) until 28 minutes into the game. He hit his first shot with 6:04 left in the game. It was a 3-pointer.
• Also, senior point guard Nic Wise made his first official game appearance after nursing a sore ankle last week. He sat out the annual Red-Blue game. Wise played 19 minutes or about the amount he thought he would. He said he was about 70 percent healthy but should be back at full speed by UA’s next exhibition game on Nov. 10.

“You can sense Nic’s impact on the other four players,’’ Miller said. “He can make individual plays and has a great way of running a team. With or without him is night and day.’’

• Was he even injured? Not that I’m questioning those in charge of injuries but Wise has looked as health as a player can get. He’s driven to the lane for an impressive in-traffic lay in and had a no-look, fancy pass on another break away. He also hit a 3-pointer to help lead UA to a 17-8 lead six minutes into the game. Wise said his left ankle is a little sore after suffering an injury last week. “Sometimes the adrenaline takes over,’’ he said. “
• It looks like UA coach Sean Miller will have a place for freshman guard Kevin Parrom, who seems to have good range with his shot and is athletic. He looks to have similar qualities as former UA player Jawann McClellan before McClellan suffered knee problems. Miller will need another perimeter shooter in addition to Wise and Lavender.
• For the last two weeks, Miller has raved about Derrick Williams, who will play some center and power forward this season. One can see why Miller has been so high on the 6-foot-8 freshman, an athletic sort who is mobile around the basket.

To make his point – or get his points – Williams had back-to-back slams off alley-oop passes to give UA a 59-44 lead with 15 minutes left.  He, however, limped off the court with just under seven minutes left and UA up 80-62. He didn’t return to the game. Miller said Williams suffered a sprained ankle and “hopefully he’ll be fine,’’ Miller said.

• Freshman MoMo Jones has just hit his second deep jumper in the last couple of minutes. Not only will he be a force with the ball – penetrating and dishing – but he, too, apparently will be a factor from the floor.

• And yes, that was former UA coach Lute Olson sitting four rows behind the team bench. He made his second consecutive appearance this season. It would not be a surprise to see Olson at most of the games this season.

Steve Rivera can be contacted at steve.rivera95@gmail.com.

If there was one University of Arizona men’s basketball player who couldn’t turn the page fast enough on last season it was Jamelle Horne.

He almost laughs when he thinks about it. He’ll use this season – and Wednesday’s first exhibition game (Augustana College) of the Sean Miller era – to get started.

Arguably though, last season was a disaster, save for a game or two where he looked unbelievable, like his 19 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas.

Still, how can anyone who followed the UA program forget 2008-09?

There was that intentional foul against Alabama Birmingham in the quarterfinals of the preseason NIT that cost UA a victory. There was another late-game foul against Southern California that cost another game. And, how about that apology he had to make after saying he made a bet with some San Diego State players (for a dinner) because the NCAA forbids players wagering?

Could the season have been over fast enough? Well, UA reaching the NCAA tournament for the 25^th consecutive time helped. “To get that opportunity to be in the Sweet 16 it was great,’’ he said. “And personally, that Cleveland State game (in the NCAA second round) was like a monkey off my back.’’

Fifteen points and five rebounds does that to a player. He had that against Cleveland State. If Horne, now a junior, could manage to average those types of numbers this season, UA might take it. Then again, Horne has much more potential than that.

Yet, potential is a word used when one hasn’t reached it yet. Maybe this year; maybe not. But Arizona fans are looking forward to possibly seeing the top 25 recruit (No. 21 overall) and a player who was often compared to former UA star Richard Jefferson. And there have been times he shows Jefferson-type moves, crashing the boards for unbelievable put-backs and dunks. And then – sometimes – you get brain-freeze moves like he’s shown he’s capable of.

Yet – through his “clean-slate’’ attitude – new head coach Sean Miller sees a tremendous player in Horne. He went as far as calling Horne out in the preseason press conference.

In fact, Miller said, Horne had a very good fall in preparation for the season. Consistency, talent and work ethic were all part of Miller’s comments. Consistency may be the biggest surprise. Horne, throughout his career, has been as up and down as the recent Tucson weather.

As one of the older players on the team, Miller said, he needs Horne to be less up and down, and show more stability.

“Everything that I’ve asked of him he’s done,’’ Miller said. “My hope is that Jamelle will be a better as a junior than he was a sophomore. That’s the progression I think he’s following.’’

Maturity may play a factor. Also realizing his place may be another. Horne said he was told by the coaching staff they were surprised he hadn’t had a season to match his ability. It got him fired up to hear that. At least it motivated him.

“I guess it’s part of going to college and learning your role,’’ Horne said. “You wait your time. … it gave me flashbacks to high school being in the top 25 (as a player). It made me realize I have to have a big year this year. It’s about that time. The team needs a guy to step up instead of (senior guard Nic) Wise, so, …’’

So, he’s prepared. He spent some of the summer working on his ball-handling and shooting, and spent some of it on the east coast, working out with former Memphis star Tyreke Evans, now with the Sacramento Kings.

“He taught me about toughness,’’ Horne said, “(and) about being a dog and not letting (an opponent) breath – and taking your heart. That’s the type of player Tyreke is.’’

We’ll continue to see what type of player Horne is or will be. In the annual Red-Blue game on Sunday, he appeared to be the most talented player on the court (as he should be) but he also appeared to be less boisterous and showy than in years past. Yet, he says that hasn’t changed. He’ll be vocal because he’s expected to be a team leader, and, in part, that’s who he is.

“I’ve got to be a guy who gets us in the huddles and gets us in timeouts,’’ he said. “When we’re down by 10 I have to be that guy this year.’’

Miller said he’s looking for Horne to be a more “well-rounded player.

“You’re going to see Jamelle improve as the season goes on,’’ Miller said.

Part of that will be Horne realizing “every play matters,’’ Miller said. “He can add value to every single play.’’

Steve Rivera can be reached at steve.rivera95@gmail.com. Visit SteveRiveraventures.com.

Observations from an Arizona Red-Blue game at McKale Center.

“For our first up and down I feel like some guys felt more comfortable than others,’’ UA junior Jamelle Horne said. “For our first go at it I was impressed. But there is still a lot to work on.’’

Because the teams were mixed and matched throughout the game individual stats are a bit skewed. Horne led with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Red that lost to the Blue, 69-68.

• Arizona senior Nic Wise did not start presumably after missing most of the week’s practice with a slightly injured ankle injury. Miller said he wanted to err on the side of caution and if Wise can play on Wednesday in UA’s exhibition against Augustana College he will but it’s not a certainty.
• Not sure why but sophomore guard Garland Judkins looks smaller than last season. Perhaps he’s lost some of that freshman weight. The difference may also be that we haven’t seen him play or get on the court for a game since he was suspended from the team in February. He said in a post game interview that he’s still the same weight he was last season (195 pounds) and wondered why he looked thinner to people. “It was good to be out there and playing,’’ he said. “It’s been almost a year since I’ve played in front of a substantial crowd.’’
• Through the first six minutes, Kryryl Natyazhko has looked impressive. He uses simple moves but is effective around the basket. He had a nice lay in early, a nice put back and a short jumper. He’ll be more than serviceable this season.
• You can tell it’s very early in the practice process because there are sloppy passes on the perimeter, allowing for defenders to intercept and go in for easy lay ups. It’s happened about three times with just as many passes being picked off to being tipped away.

Horne said the coaches want the team to run and run and run.

“That’s their emphasis,’’ he said. “Get the ball out of the basket and run. A miss is a Phoenix Suns break and a make is a North Carolina break. They’d rather have us get the ball out as fast as we can and turn it over instead of not pushing the ball uptempo.’’

Most impressive player in the first quarter? Natyazhko.

• Freshman Solomon Hill has some range. After missing a 15-footer (and getting his own rebound after no one went after the miss), Solomon picked up the ball and hit a 3-pointer.
• Arizona senior Wise warmed up but did not play in the first half. It’s not clear if he’ll play in the second half.
• UA junior Jamelle Horne had five rebounds and five points in a subdued first half. The noticeable difference is that he’s less vocal and showy as in previous years. It may be just because this is an exhibition game. We’ll see.

• Sophomore Kyle Fogg has looked steady, much like he did all season last year. He remains confident. He’ll have to carry the load alongside Wise when the season starts.

Most impressive player of the second quarter? Lamont Jones, who had 12 points in the half. He’ll be able to fill in for Wise. You can see he’s a confident, aggressive player.

“MoMo has great confidence and a strong body,’’ Miller said of Jones. “He scores but also does some things you’d expect a freshman to do.’’

Miller said Jones need to continue to learn how to run a team and organize the other players.

Hey, isn’t that, well, yes it is. It’s Lute Olson, who made an appearance to start the second half. He got a standing ovation when he entered behind the team’s bench. He sat just a row behind the team, giving a thank you wave to the crowd.

• Here’s wondering if this will be a good perimeter-shooting team. Outside of Wise hitting threes who is going to be the guy to help with the outside shot? Early indications are that I’m not quite sure.  Miller said Arizona’s poor shooting was a reflection of bad shots. “They just aren’t shots you’re going to make,’’ he said. “Sometimes that happens.’’

Miller said Wise will solve many problems on the perimeter.

“That’s the one thing about today’s (scrimmage) there is a silver lining in Nic’s injury; he’ll come back from that,’’ Miller said. “It’s really forced the rest of the team to do more without him. In a small way it’s brought out the best in some and has allowed our younger players to improve more.’’

Miller said Fogg and Brendon Lavender have been impressive on the perimeter, calling him the team’s best shooter.

• Natyazhko hit a last second shot to give Red a 19-16 lead for the third quarter only (stats were restarted at the half). When he hit the shot after picking up an easy rebound it was like he didn’t know what to do, looking at the crowd like: “what just happened?”
• Best player on the court in the third quarter was Derrick Williams, the talented forward who went in for an alley-oop dunk midway through the quarter. In time, he’s going to be an

incredible player. I’m still not sure who he plays like.

Arizona recruit Ray McCallum was just a few rows from the Arizona bench as he observed the intrasquad game. The 6-foot-1 guard is a major target of Arizona’s. He visited with his father, Ray McCallum, Sr., who is the current coach of University of Detroit Mercy.

All of a sudden the team is hitting outside shots. Does it get Internet on the sideline? They must have seen the post on who is going to step up and shoot. Fogg just hit a 3-pointer.

In a classy, nice gesture the team finished its glorified scrimmaged and applauded the crowd for being here. Natyazhko did a “raise the roof’’ motion. Pretty soon, he’ll be starting the wave. Must be news in the Ukraine it’s out of style … I kid because I care. … By the way, he’s going to be a nice addition to the rotation.

Best player of the fourth quarter?

Williams. Versatile.

Arizona officials estimated the crowd to be about 8,100 but it looked more like 6,000 and there was ample parking. Miller was gracious to the fans that showed up. He called it a “great, electric crowd.’’

He said McKale Center presents an “incredible atmosphere’’ and is such an “amazingly unique place.’’  He thanked the crowd who did show up.

“Blue-Red in the future is going to be a big weekend for us for a lot of reasons,’’ he said. “Be it recruiting or a start of a new season.’’

Miller liked what he saw two-plus weeks into the practice season. He said the team is getting better and had the scrimmage been done last week “I don’t think the quality of play in certain aspects would have been as high,’’ he said. “As the season grows we have a tremendous opportunity to grow and get better.’’

Steve Rivera can be reached at steve.rivera95@gmail.com