Arizona Basketball: 5 Questions About the Cats After Loss to Seattle Pacific

Exhibition games are supposed to be "gimmes."

Preseason play is meant to provide an opportunity to beat up on some D-II schools while starting to work out things like depth charts and substitution patterns.

On Thursday night, No. 16 Arizona embarrassed themselves against Seattle Pacific, losing to the D-II program from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, 69-68.

The obvious shame of being beaten by such a team should give Sean Miller a season's worth of coaching ammunition.

But, let's look at five quick questions that this fiasco raises about Arizona and their 2011-12 team

1. From Where Will the Cats Rebounding Come?

Coming into this season, Arizona knew that they had big shoes to fill with the departure of All-Everything forward Derrick Williams.

Last night's disaster proved that the Wildcats have a Grand Canyon-sized hole to fill in the middle of the lane.

Kyryl Natyazhko, junior big man, finished the night with one offensive rebound, zero on the defensive end.

Freshman post player Sidiki Johnson matched Natyazhko's production with pulling down one carom.

Obviously, Arizona needs more from their center position. While they have plenty of players who will put the ball in the hole, they need their 5-man to be a beast on the boards.

Last night, there was no such creature on the court.

2. How Can the Cats Allow a Team Like SPU To Shoot so Well?

Seattle Pacific shot 58.3 percent from the floor in the first half.

Sean Miller doesn't want their regular-season opponents to fill it up like that, let alone a D-II school.

The Wildcats not only lost Derrick Williams, but also saw PG MoMo Jones depart, transferring to Iona.

Jones was a fierce competitor that would not have allowed such a defensive disgrace.

The Wildcats need someone to step up and take on that "Not against us" attitude.

Freshman guards Josiah Turner and Nick Johnson are very talented, but they will need to add toughness to their performance in order for Arizona to get things back on track defensively. 

3. How Long Before Jordin Mayes Is at Full Speed?

As a freshman, Jordin Mayes was an offensive and defensive spark off the bench.

In the offseason, Mayes sustained a foot injury from which he has not fully recovered.

Yes, he played on Thursday night, but not at full speed.

Even with the infusion of talent from Turner and Johnson into the Cats backcourt, Mayes is very much needed on this team.

He is an excellent three-point shooter, but also a stern competitor, whose aggressiveness is needed...now!

4. Is Nick Johnson the Better of the Two Freshman Guards?

One game is too small of a sample to accurately assess such matters, but Thursday's game showed that Nick Johnson might be the better of the two newly recruited guards.

Josiah Turner, regarded as a future NBA selection, scored seven points and handed out four assists. Not bad, but against SPU those numbers should have been better for 26 minutes on the court.

Nick Johnson, on the other hand, led the team in scoring, dropping in 18 on 7-for-11 shooting, hitting three of five three-pointers.

Both of these young players are special, but Johnson showed last night that he takes the back seat to no one.

5. Where in the World Was Kyle Fogg?

Senior guard Kyle Fogg is a leader on this team.

As the saying goes, "Everything rises and falls based on leadership."

Fogg had an awkward night, going one-for-five from the floor, with two rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes.

It will take time for Miller and the Cats to learn each other, but a player of Fogg's caliber should have been able to make more happen in an exhibition game like this.