Arizona Wildcats 2009-2010 Preview: In Pursuit Of 26

(Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

This might be a bit early, but its hard not to be excited about the upcoming season for the Arizona Wildcats.

The first half of 2009 has been a roller coaster for the Wildcats! Lets review:

2/14: Win over UCLA extends winning streak to seven, tournament bid seems inevitable.

3/12: Loss to ASU in PAC-10 tournament marks fifth loss in six games and fifth straight to ASU. It appears that the Wildcats' season is over.

3/15: Miraculously, Arizona receives a bid to the NCAA tournament as a 12 seed. This is followed up by two tournament wins and a "far-beyond-expectations" trip to the sweet 16. (the only PAC-10 team in the sweet 16)

3/27: Crushing 103-64 loss to Louisville. Forced to think about the fact that the big three are headed to the NBA, they don't have a coach, and there are no recruits.

4/6: Sean Miller is hired as head coach. Stability has been restored to the program.

Since the hiring of Sean Miller things have progressed steadily upwards. Miller brought in a solid coaching staff, three great new recruits, and a sense of confidence. Nic Wise has announced his return for his senior season. Everything looks to be in place.

Projected Starters

Nic Wise, Sr, 5'10", Guard

Kyle Fogg, So, 6'2", Guard

Solomon Hill, Fr, 6'6", Forward

Jamelle Horne, Jr, 6'6", Forward

Kyryl Natyazhko, Fr, 6'10", Center

Nic Wise will be the clear leader of this group. He will need to show leadership and be a mentor to the younger talent around him. Look for Nic to push the ball as much as possible. I expect to see his scoring rise from the 15.7 ppg that he averaged last season. Nic has also expressed a goal to become a better defender, saying that he will use his quickness to pester his opponent on both ends of the court.

Kyle Fogg has proven himself as an outstanding defender. While he has shown the ability to score the ball at critical moments, I believe his role will be to defend. Jamelle is the only player outside of Wise with more than a year under his belt. He has had his trouble in the past, but has grown a lot in the process. It will be important for Jamelle to be physical and rebound.

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