DJ Khaled is a hot trend on social media for his notoriously comical Snapchat stories. Whether it’s Khaled asking his chef about the menu or dishing out motivational speeches, he always provides the “keys to success.” As big fans of DJ Khaled, the Wildcat sports desk will provide its own weekly spin of “keys to success.”
Here are Arizona’s men’s basketball’s keys to beating Stanford on Thursday:
Feed the bigs
One could make the argument that Kaleb Tarczewski is playing his basketball best right now, but don’t forget about the complimentary pieces around him in the frontcourt.
Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson nearly outrebounded Washington just by themselves, as the duo compiled 22 rebounds compared to the Huskies’ 26.
And with Dusan Ristic improving and finally striding after taking over the starting role for a month, his new and improved touch on his shot adds another dimension to Arizona’s offense.
Ristic’s eight points against Washington and 10 points against Washington State are exactly what the Wildcats need in terms of bench production in the front court.
Stanford, meanwhile, gets the majority of their production from perimeter players like Marcus Allen, who has scored in double-figures four out of the last five games.
Stanford’s frontcourt threat is 6-foot-9 senior Rosco Allen who posted 17 points in the Cardinal’s overtime thriller against Utah.
Play poised
Last time the Wildcats were on the road, there were way too many distractions around them during the game.
Against UCLA, the entire Oklahoma City Thunder team was in attendance including Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Maybe playing in front of players that are considered idols could have taken the Wildcats’ focus off the game.
Even at USC, numerous NBA scouts and Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak were in Galen Center watching the Wildcats.
This weekend, there’s the possibility that more big names might show up to watch the Wildcats play. The pressure of playing in front of big names can sometimes be nerve-wracking, especially for a young team like the Wildcats.
If the Wildcats find themselves playing in another tight game against Stanford, staying calm can make the difference between celebrating or being disappointed for yet another conference road loss.
If Arizona follows these keys to success, then the Wildcats should be able to top the Cardinal and pick up a quality road win.
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