Arizona Wildcats Take On UTEP In First True Road Test

The Arizona Wildcats have played 11 games so far this season and they have yet to play a true road game. That will change tonight though, as the Cats head to El Paso to take on the 6-3 UTEP Miners.

UTEP certainly doesn’t sound like a threat, but when you look at their schedule and roster, this team has the potential to sneak into the tournament and give teams a scare.

The Miners had a decent win against Washington State to start the season off, which was later followed by a huge win against Xavier (8-2), Sean Miller’s old stomping grounds. Another quality win came  against Incarnate Word (7-1), who went into Lincoln and beat the Cornhuskers.

UTEP has also come up short against two undefeated opponents, losing 68-65 to Washington (8-0) and 65-63 at Colorado State (10-0).

This is a very big and experienced team that UTEP has assembled, with their three leading scorers being forwards, two of which are seniors. The big name to watch out for is 6-foot-8 sophomore Vince Hunter, averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds this season.

Outside of the three forwards, UTEP doesn’t have a lot of standout talent. They have solid guard play coming from 6-0 senior C.J. Cooper though, averaging seven points and four assists a game.

To avoid this trap, Arizona’s frontcourt needs to step up, meanwhile the backcourt takes advantage of their size, speed and scoring. Expect Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and Dusan Ristic to be taking care of business down low, opening up the perimeter for T.J. McConnell, Stanley Johnson, Gabe York and even Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Tonight’s game is a late start for folks across the country, with tip off scheduled for 10 PM in El Paso, an awkward time for all. UTEP is undefeated at home, going (4-0) in front of an average crowd of around 8,000 fans. With El Paso being just a quick four-hour drive from Tucson, there should be a decent crowd representing the Cats.

With just two non-conference games remaining, Arizona looks to head into Pac-12 play perfect.