Arizona Basketball: 5 Reasons Behind the Cats' Slow Start and Recent Turnaround

It's an unexpected transformation of roles for Arizona power forward Jesse Perry.

At some point over the preceding eight months, the 6'7" senior out of St. Louis evolved from an offensive afterthought into one of the program's targeted scoring threats.

In his second season in Tucson, by way of John Logan Community College, Perry is averaging 11.1 points and 8.2 boards per game, almost doubling his junior-year's sums.

And his awkward-looking three-point stroke (an ESPN announcer described it as looking like Perry was blocking his own shot) is increasingly effective, currently hitting 33 percent from that range.

Without Perry's 23 points and seven boards against Florida (and the Gators' feeble touch from the line—15 for 32), Arizona would have been blown out by double digits.

Instead their resume shows an overtime loss to a deep-and-talented Florida squad that is likely to hover near the top 10 all year.

At the beginning of the season, the prospect of Perry leading the club in points per game would have produced panic.

But his recent output is among the key reasons that, even in spite of suspensions, transfers, lineup changes and off-the-court distractions, the Arizona Wildcats currently reside at 7-3 entering a December 17 road test in Seattle against Gonzaga.

Last Saturday against Clemson, Perry was given a reprieve in the scoring department, only totaling four as Arizona still managed to pound the ACC's Clemson 63-47, as freshman Nick Johnson totaled 14 and Solomon Hill added 13.

Besides a win over an average St. John's squad and a tourney-worthy New Mexico State team on the road, beating the Tigers is this crew's third-best win of the non-conference slate. The showdown with Gonzaga will be the last chance for a statement for Arizona before Pac-12 play.

Even despite the early series of headaches, Arizona still looks like it is evolving into one of the top teams in a down Pac-12.

Let's take a look at five reasons behind Arizona's choppy start along with the reasons the program is on the verge of finding a new way to grind out consistent victories:

Kevin Parrom's Slow Road Back (Seems to Be Getting Faster)

Kevin Parrom's issues have been numerous and significant.

First, the Bronx-bred small forward sustained a gunshot wound to his leg in a skirmish involving a girl back in New York City.

A man was later charged with attempted murder in connection with that shooting.

The bullet pierced the area above his right knee, leaving him temporarily without feeling in that leg. The bullet fragments were never removed, according to the Arizona Daily Star's Bruce Pascoe. 

Shortly after that, his mother died after a long battle with cancer, less than a year after his grandmother.

On a much lesser scale, there was also the Facebook tussle in which someone—alleged to be an ex-girlfriend—hacked into his account and spewed out details of his personal life.

But it's been quiet for the 6'6" junior since then.

While he's still not fully healthy due to the nerve damage he sustained, he is showing signs of becoming the inside-outside physical presence that Arizona sorely needed to aid Perry. 

Parrom's best game of the year came in Gainesville against Florida last week, where he scored 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five boards.

Arizona needs that regularly.

The Lack of a 17-to-20-Points-Every-Night Kind of Guy (Or Is He Emerging?)

Solomon Hill is all skills.

It's time to turn those into every-game production, as Hill owns the potential to lead this crew in just about every major stat category—points, assists and rebounds.

There are signs that he is transitioning into the role of Arizona's main threat, claiming Pac-12 Player of the Week love two weeks back after averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 boards and five assists against New Mexico State and Northern Arizona.

The area that seems to be lacking for the 6'6" smooth-handled forward is in having a willingness to play the role of star on a team that needs one.

Hill currently leads the team in points per game (11.7) and assists (34 for the season), and he is second in rebounds per game (7.6).

While Kyle Fogg seems to finally be making his transition into one of the team's main options, Hill is the man who must continue to fill up the stat sheet, including an aggressive (but offensive-foul free) approach to scoring.

Sean Miller noted earlier in the year that they didn't have to tell Derrick Williams to take on the scoring load (to the tune of 20 points per night) last year. Williams just went out and did it.

Someone on this team needs to take over that mindset, and Hill appears the most capable.

Jesse Perry Desperately Needs Help in the Post (And Angelo Chol Is Answering)

Maximization of abilities is a beautiful thing.

Jesse Perry was the least-hyped member of last year's recruiting class, a seeming tweener small forward-power forward out of a junior college.

What he's become is this year's most valuable player through 10 games (after a strong showing in 2010 when he moved into the starting rotation), often taking on the other teams' best post players while moving between the power forward and center positions—the latter not built for his game.

Considering his frame (6'7"), he is going to need the reinforcements behind him to start to produce, and soon.

Kyryl Natyazhko was expected to play a significant role in the post this season, but he's been something of a dead spot instead, not playing a minute against NAU earlier this year.

The 6'11" Ukrainian's struggles have led to increased minutes for the all-time leading shot blocker in the history of California high school hoops, Angelo Chol.

While not a true center, Chol's wingspan and ability to leap quickly for a post player have made him a capable defensive presence while his offense continues to evolve.

Said Sean Miller about Chol's latest performance (via PointGuardU.com):

"

"Angelo Chol is really starting to impact the game, especially on defense. Over the last two games, he's had some quality blocks, and unlike most young players, he is gaining weight, which is really helping his performance. I think today was his best game at Arizona, and he is just going to get better."

"

If Perry is to keep from fatigue by the time the tourney rolls around, he'll need the freshman to become a consistent option when he's off the court.

Unreasonable Expectations Post-Derrick Williams (So the Pressure Subsides)

The man was the man.

Arizona needs to find another player with that type of drive to become the focal point of how to compete for the entire roster.

Wonder how Josiah Turner's issues would've been altered just by being around a player willing to dedicate countless hours to his game, particularly a player with NBA capabilities—Turner's projected destination after his sophomore season.

Along with the junior Hill, the other freshman guard, Nick Johnson, may be the other answer as to who can become the go-to threat on this club.

Johnson is already en route to becoming a severe problem for the Pac-12, showing off a variety of abilities in his first 10 games. Besides his knack for the highlight-reel slams and a soft three-point stroke, he's also a strong ball-handler and defender...and that about covers everything.

Turner isn't too far behind in making himself a nightly headache to every opponent on the schedule...when he's not suspended.

But taking away his court time may have served as the perfect wake-up call.

After his latest benching (vs. Florida), he was quoted by several sources as saying, "It made me realize what was going on, that coach Sean Miller don't play around."

The pressure heaped on the youngsters from the outset was unfair.

That duo is only 10 games into their college playing careers, not nearly enough time to fully acclimate to Division-I hoops, especially given a challenging early-season schedule that continues in testing fashion against Gonzaga.

Let the kids have a full non-conference slate before making any judgements on how special the crew can become.

By that time, someone may have emerged as this year's clear-cut leader.

Sidiki Johnson Didn't Last Long (and the Program Moved on Unharmed)

Sidiki Johnson's seven minutes of glory officially expired 11 days ago.

The freshman power forward/center out of the Bronx, NY officially transferred out of Arizona last week, according to the Arizona Daily Star and TucsonCitizen.com. 

Johnson was the second NY-bred player to leave Tucson, following MoMo Jones—the starting point guard on last year's Elite Eight squad.

Jones jetted back to the New York City area (to Iona), his stated reason being to stay close to his grandmother.

As for Johnson, he displayed awful shot selection and apparently was unwilling to wait around for his turn by improving his game in the desert. It probably didn't help his mindset that three of the four players inked in next year's No. 1-rated recruiting class play in the post, along with Angelo Chol who came in with him.

Final career averages at Arizona: 0.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, seven total minutes of action.

Considering he was likely to play limited minutes this season anyway, and was unlikely to crack the starting rotation next winter, it's no surprise at all. And having the situation finalized is best for all sides, allowing Arizona to move on with its current roster and Johnson time to find his own spot.

Losing talent because more talent is incoming is the right kind of problem.

That opens up another scholarship: Perhaps Shabazz Muhammad is watching?