Stanley Johnson drops 26
NBA preseason games are underway, with many Wildcats highlighting the stats thus far in the preseason.
Not surprisingly, Detroit Pistons shooting guard Stanley Johnson shined in his debut, scoring a team-high 26 points in the 115-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
“He’s got a long way to go and a lot to learn, but there’s definitely something there that gives him a chance to be a really, really good player,” said Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy to CBSSports. “He’s got extreme confidence and an extreme competitiveness.”
Many predicted Johnson’s transition to the NBA would be an easier one than his college transition. With the Wildcats, Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
The Pistons starting lineup is predicted to be point guard Reggie Jackson, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, small forward Johnson, power forward Ersan Ilyasova and center Andre Drummond. Look for Drummond and Johnson to take the reigns of a young and inexperienced Pistons team for the 2015-2016 season.
If Johnson can perform at this high of a level throughout the season and avoid injuries such as former Wildcat Aaron Gordon, look for Johnson to be racking up votes as the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Anu practices for first time since concussion
Arizona football has struggled the past two games without its offensive leader in quarterback Anu Solomon at the helm. Solomon was injured with a concussion during the Wildcats’ loss to UCLA.
At Monday’s press conference, Arizona football head coach Rich Rodriguez mentioned that Solomon remains day-to-day.
Solomon’s backup, Jerrard Randall, simply struggles to maintain control of the offense, as the Wildcats have been shut out of games and appeared lost on the offensive side of the ball.
“Anu did some practice today, which is encouraging,” Rodriguez said on his weekly radio show with Brian Jeffries.“He did most of the work, and then he’ll probably do a lot of it tomorrow, and then he’ll get tested again on Thursday. If everything is okay on Thursday, then we’re optimistic he can play on Saturday.”
Key word for Wildcat fans is optimistic. If Rodriguez is optimistic Solomon will play against Oregon State on Saturday, fans should be hopeful. Rodriguez is rarely one to share injury updates, and the fact that he has should read as a good sign. Simply put, until Solomon returns as the quarterback, these Arizona Wildcats don’t stand a good chance.
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