Wildcat Notebook: Getting to know the new-look Wildcats

Prior to every University of Arizona home basketball game, the fans packed the student section to the brim and spent two straight hours screaming their heads off.

McKale Center was always among the toughest places to play in the Pac-10, thanks to the efforts of a remarkably enthusiastic crowd.

One of the section’s most endearing traditions is undergoing a slight overhaul. Moments before each tip-off, the students and the pep band would wave and shout “Hi, Lute!” — a warm and thankful salutation to the man who turned Tucson into an elite basketball town.

The mantra was put on hold last year, when it went through awkward transition phases like “Hi, coach!” during the tumultuous Kevin O’Neill era.

This season, the fans have settled on “Hi, Cats!” — a subtle, but important distinction. This season, no one person defines UA basketball. Instead, the program and its fans have taken on a, “we’re all in this together” sort of approach.

Just before the start of Arizona’s season opener against Florida Atlantic on Monday, the fans took a cautious wait-and-see approach to this new-look squad. There were plenty of polite cheers and customary jeers at the officials, but the decibel level failed to reach that eardrum-shattering level that it used to. Even against so-called lesser opponents, Wildcat fans always brought their A-games.

It wasn’t until the 6:20 mark of the first half when it felt like the season truly began. The Wildcats and the Owls had battled to a 22-all tie through the first 14 minutes, but the small school from the Sun Belt conference actually held the lead through most of the action.

Chase Budinger — the team’s potential All-America candidate, but a player who struggled mightily during two exhibition games — set up on the right wing. He took the ball toward the middle of the lane, crossed back to his right and threw down an emphatic one-hand dunk — the kind of dunk he used to throw down regularly during his Pac-10 Freshman of the Year campaign.

Once that ball ripped through the net, the Wildcat fans jumped to their feet and it felt just like any other game.

Mostly.

This year, the Wildcats will look to Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise to do most of the scoring.

Budinger had an up-and-down sophomore season under O’Neill, but still finished second on the team in scoring with 17.1 points per outing. The junior swingman will be the focal point of the Wildcat offense this season, and it will be up to him not only to score, but facilitate the team’s offense.

Interim head coach Russ Pennell said Budinger might take roughly 30-40 percent of the team’s shots this season, and he expects the former All-America volleyball player to be up to the task.

Hill was the most impressive Wildcat during the exhibition season, having rounded his raw post game into a fundamentally sound attack. At 6-foot-10, the junior from Georgia projects as one of the conference’s toughest one-on-one interior match-ups — as long as he keeps his promise to stay out of foul trouble.

Wise is still the spark plug that makes this offense go. Despite his small stature and his injury issues, Wise approaches basketball like a fullback approaches a blitzing linebacker. He is among the quickest guards to ever put on a Wildcat jersey.

Jamelle Horne has appeared to be the player most ready to step into that No. 4 role. The athletic sophomore wingman has all the physical attributes it takes to be a star on the college level, and it looks like the mental side is finally starting to catch up.

Burly forward Fendi Onobun rounds out the starting lineup, and should help Hill on the glass. He brings a physical, hard-nosed edge that the Wildcats have been sorely lacking in years past.

It will be up to freshmen Garland Judkins and Kyle Fogg to help with backcourt depth, while sophomore Zane Johnson will see limited action as a spot-up shooter.

This year’s schedule is as tough as always, with games against Gonzaga, Texas A&M, UNLV and defending national champs Kansas on the agenda. While this squad might not feature the same type of talent as in years past, it appears early on as if this group genuinely enjoys playing with one another.

It will be a matter of time before we see whether or not the Tucson community will fully embrace this team. I have a hunch that it will.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747