2017–18 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team

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Associate head coach	Lorenzo Romar

2017–18 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 12 Arizona †	14	–	4		.778			27	–	8		.771
USC	12	–	6		.667			24	–	12		.667
UCLA	11	–	7		.611			21	–	12		.636
Utah	11	–	7		.611			23	–	12		.657
Stanford	11	–	7		.611			19	–	16		.543
Oregon	10	–	8		.556			23	–	13		.639
Washington	10	–	8		.556			21	–	13		.618
Colorado	8	–	10		.444			17	–	15		.531
Arizona State	8	–	10		.444			20	–	12		.625
Oregon State	7	–	11		.389			16	–	16		.500
Washington State	4	–	14		.222			12	–	19		.387
California	2	–	16		.111			8	–	24		.250
† Pac-12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

The 2017–18 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team will represent the University of Arizona during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by ninth-year head coach Sean Miller, and will play their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members in the Pac-12 Conference.

Previous season

Main article: 2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team

Arizona has been ranked in 78-consecutive AP polls & 81-straight coaches polls. The 97-consecutive weeks in the AP poll is currently the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kansas at 161 weeks. They have been ranked every week in the 2016-2017 season, bringing those totals to 97 weeks for the AP & 100 weeks for the coaches poll. Arizona won its first 10 conference games, the best start since the '97-'98 season when they started 16-0. They finished the season with at record of 32–5, tied at 16–2 with Oregon in Pac-12 play for first place to win their fifteen Pac-12 regular season championship title. During the season, Arizona was invited and participated in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu. Arizona defeated Michigan State. Arizona also defeated Texas A&M in the Lone Star Shootout in Houston. Arizona also defeated Sacred Heart, Northern Colorado and Santa Clara but lost to Butler in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational in Paradise, NV. In the postseason as a 2-seed, Arizona defeated 7-seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, 3-seed UCLA in the semifinals and 1-seed Oregon (avenged from 85–58 loss on February 4 in Eugene, OR) in the championship game of the 2017 Pac-12 Tournament in Paradise, NV. Arizona won their sixth Pac-12 Tournament championship title since 2002. The Wildcats were invited and participated in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, will received as an automatic bid to the 5th straight in the row (32nd NCAA tournament appearances) as an 2-seed in the West regional, where they defeated 15-seed North Dakota 100–82 in the first round and 7-seed Saint Mary's 69–60 in the second round in Salt Lake City, UT but lost to 11-seed Xavier 71–73 in San Jose, CA in the Sweet Sixteen.

Offseason

Departures

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason for Departure
Kadeem Allen	G	6'3"	205	RS Senior	Wilmington, NC	Graduated
Chance Comanche	C	6'11"	215	Sophomore	Beverly Hills, CA	Declared for 2017 NBA draft
Ray Smith	F	6'8"	220	RS Freshman	Las Vegas, NV	Retired from basketball due to multiple injuries
Lauri Markkanen	F	7'0"	230	Freshman	Jyväskylä, FI	Declared for 2017 NBA draft
Kobi Simmons	G	6'5"	175	Freshman	Atlanta, GA	Declared for 2017 NBA draft

Incoming transfers

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Notes
Chase Jeter	F	6'10"	230	Junior	Las Vegas, NV	Transfer from Duke. Will sit out 2017–18 under NCAA transfer rules. Will have 2 years eligibility to play.

2017 recruiting class

Recruits at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

DeAndre Ayton, Arizona

Tempe, Arizona product Alex Barcello was the first commitment in the Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on August 26 at a press conference at his high school. He chose Arizona over Butler, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia. He was a consensus four star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 93 overall player by the four main recruiting services.

DeAndre Ayton, a Bahamian attending school in Phoenix, was the second commitment in the Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on September 6 live on ESPN. He chose Arizona for an upset over Kansas and Kentucky. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 2 overall player by the four main recruiting services.

Brandon Randolph, originally from Yonkers, New York, was the third commitment in the Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on October 12. He was a consensus top fifty player, ranked No. 42 by the four main recruiting services.

Ira Lee, from Los Angeles, was the fourth commitment in the Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on October 20. He was a consensus top-25 player and ranked as a four-star player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports.

Emmanuel Akot from Winnipeg, CA, was the first commitment in the 2018 Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on March 9 at a press conference at his high school. He chose Arizona over Louisville, Oregon, and Utah. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 21 overall player by the four main recruiting services. But he reclassified for 2017.

The Wildcats remain in the hunt for additional top-tier prospect Brian Bowen, and transfers Cameron Johnson.

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Alex Barcello PG	Tempe, AZ	Corona del Sol HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Aug 26, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 83
DeAndre Ayton C	Nassau, Bahamas	Hillcrest Prep Academy (AZ)	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Sep 6, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Brandon Randolph SG	Yonkers, NY	Westtown School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Oct 12, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Ira Lee PF	Los Angeles, CA	Crossroads School	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	217 lb (98 kg)	Oct 20, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 84
Emmanuel Akot F/G	Winnipeg, MB	Wasatch Academy	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Mar 9, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #3   Rivals: #3  247Sports: #3  ESPN: #3
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arizona 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.

Shareef O'Neal, son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, from Santa Monica, CA was the first commitment in the Arizona class. He committed to Arizona on April 19. He chose Arizona over Baylor, California, Georgetown, Kansas State, LSU, UCLA and USC. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 19 overall player by the four main recruiting services.

College recruiting information (2018)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Shareef O'Neal F	Santa Monica, CA	Crossroads School	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Apr 19, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 91
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 9
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arizona 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017. "2018 Arizona Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017. "2018 Arizona Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017. "2018 Arizona 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017.

Personnel

Roster

2017–18 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Parker Jackson-Cartwright 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Sr Sierra Canyon School Los Angeles, CA G 1 Rawle Alkins 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) So Word of God Christian Brooklyn, NY G 3 Dylan Smith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 170 lb (77 kg) RS So UNC Asheville Mobile, AL F/C 4 Chase Jeter  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Jr Duke Las Vegas, NV G 5 Brandon Randolph 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Westtown School Yonkers, NY F 11 Ira Lee 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr Crossroads School Los Angeles, CA C 13 DeAndre Ayton 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Fr Hillcrest Prep Nassau, BS C 14 Dušan Ristić 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Sr Sunrise Christian Academy Novi Sad, RS G 20 Talbott Denny 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) GS Lipscomb Tucson, AZ G 23 Alex Barcello 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Fr Corona del Sol HS Tempe, AZ G/F 24 Emmanuel Akot 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 192 lb (87 kg) Fr Wasatch Academy Winnipeg, MB F 25 Keanu Pinder 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Hutchinson C.C. Perth, AU G 35 Allonzo Trier 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr Findlay Prep Seattle, WA G 50 Tyler Trillo (W) 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) RS Jr Roger Williams Southbury, CT G 51 Paulo Cruz (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr Francis Parker School San Diego, CA G 52 Kory Jones (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) So Westfield HS Herndon, VA F 55 Jake Desjardins (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) So Coronado HS Henderson, NV	Head coach Sean Miller (Pittsburgh) Assistant coach(es) Lorenzo Romar (Washington) Emanuel Richardson (Pitt–Johnstown) Mark Phelps (Old Dominion) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

• Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year at Arizona	Alma Mater (year)
Sean Miller	Head Coach	9th	Pittsburgh (1992)
Lorenzo Romar	Associate Head Coach	1st	Washington (1980)
Emanuel Richardson	Assistant Coach	9th	Pittsburgh-Johnstown (1998)
Mark Phelps	Assistant Coach	3rd	Old Dominion (1996)
Ryan Reynolds	Director of Basketball Operations	9th	Xavier (2007)
Austin Carroll	Assistant Director of Basketball Operations	2nd	American (2014)

Schedule and results

In Arizona's non-conference schedule the team hosted Cal State Bakersfield, Connecticut, Long Beach State, Northern Arizona and UMBC. Arizona had two true road games against New Mexico and UNLV. The Wildcats also played two games in two neutral sites, they played Texas A&M at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ and also played at Imperial Arena as part in the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas, where they face off against teams with the following: (NC State, Northern Iowa, Purdue, SMU, Tennessee, Villanova or Western Kentucky).

In the unbalanced 18-game Pac-12 schedule, the team will not play the Los Angeles teams (UCLA/USC) at home, or the Washington teams (Washington/Washington State) on the road.

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Spain exhibition games
Aug. 10, 2017* TBA		vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders						United Super Markets Arena  Lubbock Texas
Aug. 11, 2017* TBA		vs. U N L V Rebels						V I E J A S Arena  Las Vegas Nevada
Aug. 12, 2017* TBA		vs. Fresno State Bulldogs						M C K A L E Center  Tuscon Arizona
Aug. 13, 2017* TBA		vs. Colorado State Rams						M C K A L E Center  Tuscon Arizona
Aug. 14, 2017* TBA		vs. Long Beach State 49 E R S						Walter Pyramid  Long Beach California
Aug. 15, 2017* TBA		vs. Hawaii Warriors						Stan Sheriff Center  Honolulu Hawaii
Aug. 16, 2017* TBA		vs. U C Davis Aggie"s						The Pavilion  Davis California
Aug. 17, 2017* TBA		vs. U C Irvine Anteaters						B R E N Events Center  Irvine California
Aug. 18, 2017* TBA		vs. U C Highlanders						U C Riverside Student Recreation Center  Riverside California
Aug. 19, 2017* TBA		vs. G O N Z A G A Bulldogs						M C C A R T H E Y Athletic Center  Spokane Washington
Exhibition
Nov. 2017* TBA		Georgia Bulldogs						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Nov. 2017* TBA		Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Non-conference regular season
Nov. 10, 2017* TBA		Northern Arizona						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Nov. 12, 2017* TBA		UMBC Battle 4 Atlantis campus-site game						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Nov. 16, 2017* TBA		Cal State Bakersfield						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Nov. 22, 2017* TBA		vs. Boise State Broncos Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals						Imperial Arena  Nassau, BAH
Nov. 23, 2017* TBA		vs. Utah State Aggie"s Battle 4 Atlantis						Imperial Arena  Nassau, BAH
Nov. 24, 2017* TBA		vs. Utah Utes Battle 4 Atlantis						Imperial Arena  Nassau, BAH
Nov. 29, 2017* TBA		Long Beach State						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Dec. 2, 2017* TBA		at UNLV						Thomas & Mack Center  Paradise, NV
Dec. 5, 2017* TBA		vs. Texas A&M						Talking Stick Resort Arena  Phoenix, AZ
Dec. 9–10, 2017* TBA		Arizona State Sun Devils						Wells Fargo Arena  Tempe Arizona
Dec. 16, 2017* TBA		at New Mexico						The Pit  Albuquerque, NM
Dec. 18, 2017* TBA		North Dakota State						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Dec. 21, 2017* TBA		Connecticut						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Pac-12 regular season
12 / 25 / 17 TBA		Arizona State Rivalry						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
12 / 26 / 17 TBA		at Arizona State Rivalry						Wells Fargo Arena  Tempe, AZ
12 / 27 / 17 TBA		California						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
12 / 28 / 17 TBA		at California						Haas Pavilion  Berkeley, CA
12 / 29 / 17 TBA		Colorado						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
12 / 30 / 17 TBA		at Colorado						Coors Events Center  Boulder, CO
12 / 31 / 17 TBA		Oregon						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
01 / 01 / 18		at Oregon						Matthew Knight Arena  Eugene, OR
01 / 02 / 18 TBA		Oregon State						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
01 / 03 / 18 TBA		at Oregon State						Gill Coliseum  Corvallis, OR
01 / 04 / 17 TBA		Stanford						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
01 / 05 / 18 TBA		at Stanford						Maples Pavilion  Stanford, CA
01 / 06 / 18 TBA		at UCLA Rivalry						Pauley Pavilion  Los Angeles, CA
01 / 07 / 18 TBA		at USC						Galen Center  Los Angeles, CA
01 / 08 / 18 TBA		Utah						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
01 / 09 / 18 TBA		at Utah						Jon M. Huntsman Center  Salt Lake City, UT
01 / 10 / 18 TBA		Washington						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
01 / 11 / 18 TBA		Washington State						McKale Center  Tucson, AZ
Pac-12 Tournament
Mar. 7-10, 2018 TBA		vs. Boise State Broncos						T-Mobile Arena  Paradise, NV
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Mountain Time.

Ranking movement

See also: 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

Ranking movements

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Final
AP
Coaches

*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings

Player statistics

Individual player statistics (Final)

			Minutes		Scoring		Total FGs			3-point FGs			Free-Throws			Rebounds
Player	GP	GS	Tot	Avg	Pts	Avg	FG	FGA	Pct	3FG	3FA	Pct	FT	FTA	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Avg	A	Stl	Blk	TO
Trier, Allonzo
Ristic, Dusan
Jackson-Cartwright, Parker
Smith, Dylan
Talbott, Denny
Pinder, Keanu
Trillo, Tyler
Cruz, Paulo
Jones, Kory
Desjardians, Jake
Lee, Ira
Randolph, Brandon
Barcello, Alex
Ayton, DeAndre
Akot, Emmanuel
Total
Opponents

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	Avg	Average per game
FG	Field-goals made	FGA	Field-goal attempts	Off	Offensive rebounds
Def	Defensive rebounds	A	Assists	TO	Turnovers
Blk	Blocks	Stl	Steals	High	Team high

See also

2017–18 Arizona Wildcats women's basketball team