Open Court: A role reversal

For a few minutes, Friday night felt like an old-school Arizona basketball game.

The Wildcats confidently took the hardwood against a gritty Texas A&M team and tore through their offensive sets with passion and precision.

Russ Pennell’s young squad jumped all over the Aggies in the early going, building a 13-2 lead behind the play of its terrific trio.

Jordan Hill asserted his dominance down low, forcing ESPNU commentators Doug Bell and Reid Gettys to dig into their dictionaries to think of new ways to describe his play.

Chase Budinger had it going, as well. Once he’s in one of those Budinger grooves where the game looks far too easy, opponents know it’s going to be a long night.

Nic Wise got into the action with a jaw-dropping lay-up at the four-minute mark. He turned on the jets to get past the first wave of defenders, then seemingly kicked into yet another gear I don’t think he even knew he had to convert a lay-up with a 9.8-degree of difficulty.

Heck, there was even a shocking follow-up slam from Alex Jacobson.

Yes, all was looking fantastic through the early going. A 40-29 halftime lead created what Paul Simon might call “the sound of silence” in the typically raucous Reed Arena.

So what happened? How did Texas A&M pull out a 67-66 win?

Remember last season, when the Aggies jumped out to a 26-point lead at the McKale Center before Jerryd Bayless and company took it upon themselves to lock up one of the team’s most impressive come-from-behind victories?

This match-up was almost the exact opposite.

Simply put, the Wildcats tightened up. Once the Aggies made their run to start the second half, frustration set in and stayed in.

Wise fouled out with 7:33 left and the Cats couldn’t compensate for his absence, especially with Garland Judkins unable to make the trip for disciplinary reasons. Hill picked up a couple early fouls (a problem that plagued his sophomore season) and didn’t dominate to the level at which he could’ve. It’s rare to call a 20-point, eight-rebound performance a disappointment, but had Hill played 35 minutes instead of 27, that could’ve made the difference. Texas A&M had no answer for him.

With Wise out and Hill nervous about picking up another foul, Budinger had to carry an even bigger burden. He had his jumper working early, but had to shift into the facilitator role, since he’s this squad’s de facto back-up point guard. Budinger played his heart out, but committed six turnovers playing out of position.

Turnovers and foul shooting told the entire story. Arizona gave it away 15 times, compared to only four for Texas A&M. The Aggies also hit 10-12 from the foul stripe, while the Wildcats hit only two of five. How does any college basketball team make only two free-throws in a 40-minute game?

Kyle Fogg and Hill each had chances to help seal Arizona’s lead late, but each missed the front-end of a one-and-one. When a squad can‘t take care of the ball or hit clutch freebies, plays like Nathan Walkup’s game-winner are bound to happen.

Tough road games always come down to the “little things” like free throws, execution and situational basketball. This team is only two plays away from being undefeated, but neither play went its way.

Friday night’s game was a clear indication that the Wildcats are still a work-in-progress. Only time will tell if these “little things” will finally start breaking Arizona’s way the rest of the year.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747