Arizona basketball: Three things we learned from the Red-Blue game

It may have just been a glorified scrimmage, but we were still able to learn a few things about the team.

It's hard to take a lot away from scrimmages like the Arizona Wildcats had on Saturday in their annual Red-Blue Game. The team has had only about a handful of practices and the players are still learning to play together, but even so, we were still able to learn a few things.

The front court is stacked

Kaleb Tarczewski sat out with a sore ankle, but that didn't stop the front court from shining. Dusan Ristic's offensive game looked better than ever, and all the talk we've heard about his body and defensive improvement seems legitimate. The new guy, Ryan Anderson, was the game's best player. He led the game in scoring with 15 points and showed he can be effective on offense in multiple ways. He hit a jumper, scored off the dribble, and also made a nice pass in the paint. Of course, his calling card is his rebounding ability. Sean Miller has praised Anderson's tenacity on the boards -- which has won him the gold practice jersey numerous times -- several times and it was evident why in this game as he grabbed eight rebounds.

In the end, I think he and Tarczewski will prove to be a better duo than Ashley and Zeus were. And overall, with Zeus, Ristic, and Anderson in the fold, the Wildcats seem to have it all in the front court.

Then there's Chance Comanche.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting that much from Comanche, but he looks as though he's just another year of strength training away from being a solid contributor. He showed he has good hands, plenty of athleticism, and even performed a drop-step against Ristic. He's skilled, no doubt, but I still think he should redshirt this year so he can have a whole year to add strength without burning a year of his eligibility. Especially since the front court is already in such a good place with Zeus, Anderson, and Ristic, not to mention that Mark Tollefsen and Ray Smith could play some at the four.

The starting point guard situation is still unsettled, but not because of the lack of talent

Heading into the Red-Blue game, Parker Jackson-Cartwright seemed to be emerging as the starting point guard. I don't think the Red-Blue game alone will change that, but it did make it clear that the competition is extremely close between he and Kadeem Allen. I thought Allen actually outplayed PJC in the R-B game on both ends. That said, I don't think it matters that much who starts. The important thing is that Sean Miller appears to have two point guards that are capable of starting and both have unique skill-sets

Jackson-Cartwright is the true point guard that can consistently create shots for others, lead the break, and shoot from the perimeter. Allen, on the other hand, appears to be more of a slashing and scoring point guard as well as a menace on the defensive end. I was -- and still am -- concerned about the team's perimeter defense this year, but Allen's performance in the Red-Blue game showed that he could be viable replacement for T.J. McConnell's defensive prowess at the point guard position. These two should allow Arizona to go with all different types of looks and lineups, while also being able to counter any sort of lineup they may face throughout the year. When facing a bigger point guard like Gary Payton II, for example, we may see Allen more than PJC.

Maybe Justin Simon will emerge as a candidate for the starting role, but it feels he's just a step behind PJC and Allen right now -- which is totally understandable since this is the second go-around for PJC and Allen, while Simon is just getting started.

This will be a good, if not great, shooting team

Times are changing. We know that one of Arizona's biggest weaknesses in the past few years was their inability to consistently hit shots from the perimeter. T.J. McConnell, Aaron Gordon, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson were great players, but shooting certainly wasn't their forte. This year's team should be able to shatter that narrative. The Wildcats shot 36% from three last season, and when you look at this year's roster, I see at least five major contributors that should be able to at least match that percentage, if not shoot better than it. Those players are Gabe York, Mark Tollefsen, Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Allonzo Trier, and Elliott Pitts. I could see Ray Smith joining that group too, but I haven't seen him play enough to confidently put him in there just yet. Justin Simon and Kadeem Allen are the two guards/forwards that I think could struggle to shoot from the perimeter, but as a whole, this team has plenty of guys that can shoot well from out there.

Then when you look at the team's front court -- Zeus, Anderson, and Ristic -- they are capable shooters too. We've seen Zeus hit mid-range jumpers before, and Ristic can extend all the way out to the three-point line. Anderson is the wild card. He did hit a mid-range jumper in the Red-Blue game, and if he hits that shot consistently, the team's spacing should be vastly improved this year. The improved spacing should lead to larger driving and passing lanes for the guards and forwards, and fewer double teams and more space to operate for the post players. For these reasons, I'm really excited about the team's offense this season.

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