Elliott Pitts
The Arizona Wildcats won’t have freshman guard Elliott Pitts tonight at San Diego State because of a wrist injury, missing his third consecutive game of the young season.
Perhaps Pitts won’t be ready for a couple of weeks, or a month, or until the start of conference play.
No matter. Coach Sean Miller says the chances of Pitt redshirting are “very slim.”
Miller often has said the sixth-ranked Wildcats aren’t as deep as it might appears, and that he wants to go about eight-deep in the rotation.
Those eight are clear: Starters T.J. McConnell, Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski, with guard Gabe York, wing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and guard Jordin Mayes off the bench. The Cats can mix-and-match and go big or small with that group.
Miller recently said, for now, reserve big men Matt Korcheck and Zach Peters are ninth and 10th in the rotation, with Peters, recently cleared from concussion problems, having bigger upside as a 3-point shooting big man, as the season goes along.
Pitts, 6-foot-5, is the only other scholarship player on the roster.
Miller said he hopes that Pitts can return in a matter of days from what the coach called a severely sprained left wrist. Having Pitts, noted as a good shooter, available at some point would be a hedge against foul trouble in a particular game or injury/illness to another guard.
“He’s practiced well,” Miller said this week.
“I can see where Elliott can be a real part of this year’s team moving forward. It may take some time because he’s missed a week now and a couple of early games. But around Christmas time, January, December, it wouldn’t surprise me if he can solidify himself as part of what we’re doing.”