Arizona basketball roundtable: The most impressive players from the Red-Blue Game

Who stood out in the team’s public scrimmage?

Last Friday, we got our first taste of the new look Arizona Wildcats, and some of the players that maybe we haven’t seen much of before outside of highlight reels.

So who stood out above the rest in our eyes? We weigh in below, and let us know what you think!

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Jason Bartel: I actually think it was Parker Jackson-Cartwright and not any of the new guys. He was super impressive with the seven assists and no turnovers, and he probably could have had a few more assists if the open shots by his teammates went down. People have been skeptical of PJC since day one, but it’s starting to look like this could be the year where he finally emerges as the team’s true point guard.

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David Stevenson: Lauri Markkanen seems to live up to the hype. He is extremely versatile and is an outside threat. Plus he can go inside and post up against anyone. Opponents will have a tough time game planning for him because he can do so many things. I do wonder if he has the size and strength to avoid getting pushed around. Overseas players generally are more used to an open game and they tend to struggle when things get physical.

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Brandon Hill: A number of guys had noteworthy performances (Allonzo Trier, PJC) but I’ll go with Markkanen. Like most Wildcats fans, I am haunted by the mug (and game) of one Francis Stanley Kaminsky III, and Markkanen showed me an awful lot of Frank the Tank in his UA debut. The inside-outside game and his ability to pull post defenders out to the perimeter can open up a lot of opportunities for wing slashers, which happens to be a position in which the Cats have a plethora of options. One game, and an intrasquad exhibition at that, but one game to feel pretty good about.

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Gabe Encinas: Y’all see Rawle Alkins dunk over Sean Miller?

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Steve Apter: Markkanen essentially validated his elite status. Yes, he is that tall and long. Yes, he is that skilled.

This team is as talented as ever. The freshman class doesn't have a Justin Simon, a Sidiki Johnson, or a Josiah Turner. The guys who are supposed to be good, are just that; Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons, and Lauri Markkanen are each uniquely talented and ready to get major minutes.

The player who showed me the most was Keanu Pinder. I liked what I saw from Arizona’s known commodities but Pinder stood out as a potential unanticipated contributor. He is long and surprisingly quick on the perimeter, very Draymondish. He also has above average footwork and spacing in the paint defensively. Sean Miller can absolutely incorporate a player with that much defensive versatility into this year's rotation. Pinder’s offense will just be icing on the cake.

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Ryan Kelapire: It has to be Lauri Markkanen. I wasn’t that skeptical about his talent coming into the season because of how he performed in the FIBA circuit, but to see it on display in his very first game with the Wildcats was reassuring.

In fact, I think he’ll be Arizona’s best player this season, or at the least the most valuable given that no other player on the team can do the things he does at his position.

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