Arizona Basketball: Who Is the Wildcats' Go-to Player?

With another year of college basketball underway, the Arizona Wildcats are currently ranked No. 15 and are 3-0, having defeated Valparaiso, Duquesne and Ball State.   

Each matchup has been a struggle for UA, and in most cases they have had to come from behind. The most daunting question for Arizona right now is who is their go-to scorer/player?

Last year when the Wildcats were in trouble, they could hand the ball off to their do-everything forward, Derrick Williams. This season is going to be quite different with Williams now in the NBA.

This team is very talented and has a lot of depth, but leadership is clearly lacking.

Let's take a look at the team and see who has the most potential to be "the guy" for this 2011 Arizona Wildcats basketball team.

Jesse Perry, F

When I think of Jesse Perry, I think of a hardworking role player.

He is going to have to do a lot in the absence of Derrick Williams in regard to low-post scoring and rebounding. In no way does Perry put up the same numbers as Williams, but he definitely has the determination to give it his all.

In his first two games, Perry recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds.

He reminds me of Shawn Marion because his shot is very unconventional, but he tends to get them to fall anyway. 

Overall, Perry is a solid "glue" guy for the offense, but he probably should not be relied on as a scorer.

He showed against Ball State that he won't contribute a double-double every game.

Brendon Lavender, G

Brendon Lavender is best known for his defense and three-point shooting.

He doesn't quite get the minutes needed to provide adequate scoring, and once Kevin Parrom begins to play more often, I believe Lavender's minutes will decrease.

Confidence issues seem to have plagued Lavender throughout his college career, and he has never been able to get on a roll. 

Kyle Fogg, G

Kyle Fogg wasn't too highly touted coming out of high school, but he has made the most of his opportunity when it comes to playing time. 

He struggled in his first two games of the season, but he led Arizona in a thrilling second-half performance against Ball State with 21 points.

In my opinion, Fogg does his best when he is behind the scenes and the lights are not directed toward him.

He had a good junior season playing second or even third fiddle behind Derrick Williams and Momo Jones.

As for his senior season, he is thought to be the new leader of this team, but I'm not sure if he is consistent enough to rely on. 

Right now he is Arizona's best option unless one of the highly regarded freshman can take that away from him.

Solomon Hill, F

Solomon Hill ought to be the go-to guy for this Arizona team, but clearly he lacks a killer instinct.

At times, Hill can score at will. He shoots. He rebounds. He passes. He defends. He even brings the ball up the court as a point forward. There really isn't a negative in his repertoire.

Unfortunately, he just has not found that fire inside of him to take over this team.

For the Wildcats to excel as a team, Hill must produce consistently and look to step up his game an extra couple of notches.

Kevin Parrom, G/F

Kevin Parrom is very similar to Solomon Hill in how he plays. He is a better defender than Hill, but he's not quite as smooth with the ball in his hands.

Parrom came back just seven weeks after being shot in the leg and hand and played against Ball State, contributing six points and four rebounds, but he still has a long road ahead of him in regard to recovering from the bullet wounds and preparing for physical gameplay.

This is only Parrom's junior season, so next year could be his breakout season.

According to NBADraft.net, Parrom is currently projected to go 24th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.

This must be based purely off of potential though, because I don't think Parrom could play in the NBA quite yet.

Kyryl Natyazhko, C

Don't even get me started on Kyryl.

He does just enough to make Sean Miller want to keep giving him minutes, but more often than not he is fumbling the ball, taking bad shots, missing rebounds or playing awful defense.

Coming out of high school, Natyazhko was supposed to be decent, but that certainly has not been the case.

As the season wears on, look for Angelo Chol and Sidiki Johnson to start playing the center spot more regularly.

Jordin Mayes, G

Jordin Mayes is a talented shooter, and he has shown that early on this season.

He had two great games against Valparaiso and Duquesne, with most of his points coming from beyond the three-point line, but against Ball State he just couldn't get it going.

I prefer Mayes coming off the bench and providing a spark—kind of like an Eddie House—but until freshman Josiah Turner can get his act together, Mayes will be getting starter's minutes.

Mayes will have his games when his shot is falling, but he sure is not the answer to take the bulk of the scoring load.

Nick Johnson, G

Nick Johnson is hands down the best of the freshman class.

He is the most college-ready player, and it shows on the court with his smooth jump shot and excellent control of the ball.

Johnson is already becoming a McKale Center favorite, and he will continue to be as he grows and develops.

He also has shown that he can be "the guy" and is willing to put the team on his back. It's always a tough task to ask of a freshman, but I think Nick Johnson could just be the answer if Fogg and Hill struggle.

Josiah Turner, G

Josiah Turner has never been looked at as a scoring threat.

While he showed that he could score in high school, in college he looks to be a traditional point guard counted on to dish out a huge number of assists.

Turner has been subpar in his first two games (he recorded a DNP in the Ball State game) and is definitely going to be a work in progress for the Wildcats.

When Turner is on the court you can tell he is very talented, but until he makes the most of his playing time, he will sit behind Mayes and Johnson at point guard. 

Angelo Chol, F

Angelo Chol is still learning how to play the game of basketball.

He was a blocking machine in high school and looks to be able to continue that trend in college.

Offensively, he is still very raw, but his athleticism and quickness make up for it.

With the big men (Brandon Ashley, Grant Jerrett and Kaleb Tarczewski) coming next season, Chol is playing to show Sean Miller that he deserves to be on the court next year.

Chol will never be relied on to score, but defensively he could be one of the greats in Arizona history.

Sidiki Johnson, F

While he missed last season due to injury, Sidiki Johnson has been just awful to start this season.

He is big, physical, and is in the same boat with Chol in regard to next season. Due to next year's draft class, I could definitely see Sidiki transferring to play elsewhere.

He has much to prove to Sean Miller if he wants to see his minutes increase this season.

Conclusion

Like I said in the opening slide, this is a very talented Arizona team, but they haven't narrowed down their identity yet.

They have a few prospects who could step up and be "the guy," but ultimately, until someone takes the reins, I think they are going to stay content with letting whoever is hot that day get the job done.

Head coach Sean Miller does not think that his team is the 15th best in the nation quite yet, but if they start to gel as a team and learn to play more fundamental basketball together, they could make a long run in the NCAA Tournament.