2017-2018 Women's Basketball Preview

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SPECIAL SECTION • 2017-2018 ARIZONA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Eyes on the future

Under the watch of head coach Adia Barnes and a host of newcomers, the Arizona women’s basketball team has become the talk of Tucson

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Inside

B3 | Kat Wright brings experience to Arizona B5 | Wildcats continue to give back to community B6 | Meet the team, Adia Barnes’ new Wildcats B12 | 2017–2018 schedule breakdown IAN GREEN/THE DAILY WILDCAT

B2 • The Daily Wildcat

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017 SIMON ASHER/THE DAILY WILDCAT

Bennett battles toward final season

BY SAUL BOOKMAN @Saul_Bookman

J

aLea Bennett is the lone senior remaining from the dark ages of Arizona women’s basketball. Bennett is the last of the 2014-15 recruiting class, and only one of two players remaining from one of the least-successful coaching tenures in school history, under former head coach Niya Butts. Talk about attrition. That kind of hindrance can make things difficult, including development.

Despite the slow start to her career, Bennett is now the focal point on a team that will need her leadership, and because of the lows she’s experienced with Arizona women’s basketball, she is fully prepared to do it.

A prospect out of Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington,

Texas, Bennett left the Wolves to join the Arizona Wildcats in 2014. In her first season, she played in all 30 games, starting 14 of them while averaging 4.5 points per game. Arizona went 11-19 while winning only three conference games that year.

The following season would see the Wildcats repeat that three-win mark in conference play, despite Bennett being one of two players to play in all 32 games that year.

So a change was inevitable and necessary for a program that has toiled in mediocrity for the better part of a decade.

Bennett is the foundation of a building process by head coach Adia Barnes that is beginning to change things in Tucson.

In her third season, Bennett had to adjust to a new way of thinking, a new culture and a new style of play. She could’ve

transferred, but she didn’t, opting to see what good could come with the new regime.

“I’m pretty confident, I am happy that I decided to stay all four years,” Bennett said. “I am very excited to see how the program turns out, even after I am gone.”

The results? Bennett, in her final season, has almost doubled her points per game average from her previous junior year high of 6.9 to 12.8 through five games for Arizona. Additionally, she is in the best shape of her career — lean, cut and looking the part of a senior leader. Bennett has always had the physical tools; her measurables are as good as any other guard in the country.

Putting it on display, however, has only come in flashes prior to this season.

Pulling it all together is the focus for

her final year. Doing so is mandatory for a team riddled with youth and inexperience. Bennett will have to take the reigns of a squad that features four scholarship freshman and only goes eight deep. But more than that, it is the belief in Bennett that Barnes has displayed that has made the biggest difference, both on and off the court.

“She just really believes in me, like she’s talked to me about stepping up this year and being a leader on the team,” Bennett said. “Even when I am done, she tells me I can still do good things in life.”

Bennett plans to test the professional waters after her career comes to an end, but after that, she has her sights set on the FBI. She intends to earn her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice in order to prepare for that.

WILD-KAT

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The Daily Wildcat • B3

As a fifth-year senior, Kat Wright is undoubtedly one of the most experienced members on the team and helps guide the younger players

BY IAN TISDALE @iantisdl

S

tanding 6-feet tall, you would expect senior forward Kat Wright to be a post player, making finesse moves in the paint or driving physically to the rim. But make no mistake: Wright is a shooter. In her college career she has made 151 total 3-pointers, almost breaking an NCAA record when she made eleven 3-pointers in one game while at FAU. Wright started playing basketball at the age of six, and when the ball was in her hands she was able to shoot.

“My dad coached me since I was 5 or 6 years old, and we were always in the gym or the driveway, shooting around,” Wright said. “And he taught me how to really shoot. When I was six I was the only kid on the team trying to make 3-pointers. You know because my dad would encourage me, I would shoot from all over the place, and sometimes I would make it.”

Wright grew up in Woodland Hills, Calif. surrounded by basketball. First, it was by watching her older brother David play.

“I would watch my brother play a lot. I was in dance, he was in basketball, and then we kind of switched,” Wright said.

David lost interest in basketball, but Wright picked it up, with a little help from her dad David Sr., who used to play.

Over time, David Sr. became more involved and began coaching his daughter, helping her develop new skills and learn the game.

“He taught me a lot,” Wright said, “but whenever I would get in trouble it would not be good.”

For Wright, a mistake at home sometimes resulted in sitting out the next game. As Wright got older, basketball became more of a challenge and started to mean a lot more. ”I remember I really started taking the game seriously when I was 14, we won AAU (American Athletic Union) Nationals for our age group, and I started thinking, ‘this is something I’m good at, and could do in the future,’” Wright said.

Wright started realizing more about who she was in high school and in the AAU, and learned that playing basketball gave her many opportunities that could potentially open doors in the future.

One of those opportunities came at an AAU Tournament, when she grabbed the attention of scouts from Florida Atlantic University.

“At that point, I didn’t have reservations about how far I went from home. I visited, and I saw the beach was only a mile away, so I was sold,” Wright said.

Wright immediately made an impact for the Owls when she stepped on the court. In her first career start as a freshman, she made four 3-pointers, and finished the night with 14 points.

At the end of her freshman season Wright tore her ACL, but that didn’t stop her. While recovering, she spent hours in the gym, perfecting her 3-point shot.

“I sat out a while, so I had a lot of time to really work on my shot. And that practice helped me play more confident,” Wright said.

By her junior season, Wright was averaging 11 points a game and was shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

However, the team chemistry at FAU wasn’t ideal, and

IAN GREEN/THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA SENIOR FORWARD KAT Wright (11) is defended by Iona’s Tilasha Okey-Williams (34) on Nov. 10 in McKale Center. Wright scored 13 points in the game.

the eventual resignation of head coach Kellie Lewis Jay disheartened Wright.

“There were a lot of clashing personalities at FAU, and it affected things on and off the court,” Wright said. “My coach was also my biggest mentor there, and seeing her leave was pretty upsetting.”

The distance and time away from her family in California also started to sink in for Kat. “I have a younger brother back home, and for the last four years I didn’t really see him grow up,” Wright said. “I think I missed my family more than I anticipated [while] in Florida.”

Another ACL injury in her last year at FAU was the final straw, leaving Wright to take a medical redshirt her senior season. In May, Wright received a Bachelor’s in Business Management from FAU, and in the same month transferred to Arizona.

“There were a couple of things that brought me out here.

It’s closer to home, so my family gets to see me play more, and it was the coaches — when I took my visit they made it feel like it was home, and that’s what I wanted,” Wright said in an interview with Arizona Athletics.

The team atmosphere also appealed to Wright more at the UA than it did in Florida.

“The girls here ... they’re on a mission. At Arizona, business is business on the court, but we can still have fun and joke around off of it,” Wright said.

Transferring from a mid-major school to a major school

also means an upgrade in facilities, which was a definite plus for Wright.

“We had to share the game gym with the men’s team for practices and shoot-arounds [at FAU], whereas here [Arizona] I can go to RJ and just shoot around when I feel like it, which is a big step up,” Wright said.

As a fifth-year senior, Wright is undoubtedly one of the most experienced members on the team and helps teach and guide the younger players. Knowing that this will be her final year has given Wright increased motivation to play to her best ability.

“I’ve helped some of the younger players get some extra shots in, or [I] have them come to practice early or do a little extra work out, so I can show them how it pays off, in the hopes of them continuing these habits next year,” Wright said.

Wright envisions herself coaching college basketball after her career, possibly at Arizona, and she is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership, which offers a sports streamline.

But as for her last season, Wright simply wants to make the most of it.

“This year, I want to be the best all-around player I can be,” Wright said.

No matter how well she plays, or how many signature 3-pointers she sinks, Wright is happy that she finished her career strong closer to family, friends and right at home in Arizona.

B4 • The Daily Wildcat

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Big aspirations for 2018 and beyond

BY SAUL BOOKMAN @Saul_Bookman

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he Arizona women’s basketball team has never won a conference championship.

They haven’t even sniffed the NCAA Tournament in quite some time. That could all be changing rapidly, and soon, because of the efforts of the UA coaching staff. This season, the Wildcats are short-handed, the bi-product of securing talent in both the transfer market and on the recruiting trail. Beginning in 2017-18, Arizona will have a completely revamped lineup, and here is why: The transfers (eligible to play next year) Aarion McDonald, TeeTee Starks and Dominique McBryde headline a group of prior Power Five Conference transfers looking to restart their careers.

McDonald is a Washington transfer after being named to the 2017 All-Freshman Team in the Pac-12. She was a former Adia Barnes recruit, so when Washington head coach Mike Neighbors departed for Arkansas, she moved to Tucson. McDonald is lightening fast and has a good basketball IQ. She will jump in and most likely secure a spot at one of the two guard positions in the starting five. She will have three seasons of eligibility left.

Starks came from Iowa State after suffering a knee injury. Hailing from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, she appeared in all 31 games for the Cyclones last season and started in 14 games.

Her All-Academic selection in the Big-12 last season is a key attribute for head coach Barnes and fits the makeup of the type of players she has been after. Though her numbers are eyepopping, Starks is a bigger wing than is currently on the roster and could see some matchups down low on the block next year. She will have two years of eligibility left.

McBryde is the low post assertive presence the Wildcats have been seeking. She and McDonald are the only two players on the team with NCAA Tournament experience. McBryde was solid for the Boilermakers a season ago, where she was named honorable mention All-Big Ten. She played in 35 games in the 2016-17 season while starting in 25 of them, averaging 6.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 26.1 minutes per contest, according to Arizona Athletics. Her experience and low post play will be a needed addition to a team that is thin up front this year.

The recruits Cate Reese, Valeria Trucco, Bryce Nixon, Shalyse Smith and Semaj Smith all lead the No. 5-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to ProspectNation.com.

Cate Reese was the headliner in the class early on, becoming the highest-ranked recruit in program history, No.14 overall nationally, according to ESPN Hoopgurlz ratings. She is one of three five-star prospects for next season.

The scouting report on Reese from Hoopgurlz highlights her abilities: “Agile interior prospect brings high motor effort; consistent midpost interior producer; pounds glass, brings toughness, quick to 50-50 balls; delivers inside 12’ with regularity; among the elite forwards in the class of 2018.”

Valeria Trucco is a 6-foot-4 forward from Torino, Italy. She is as polished as they come overseas and will add offensive versatility to the group next season. She has the ability to play in space, in tight quarters, inside, outside and can pass the ball as well.

Bryce Nixon is the lone guard in the class and comes from Phoenix by way of Arcadia High School. She is as good as an outside shooter as she is penetrator when trying to create offense.

She can play either guard position and has the length to spot some time at small forward. Nixon continues the trend of length with this particular class.

Shalyse Smith is the other addition, the first commit to the class. Smith is a forward standing 6-foot-1 who Barnes loves athletically.

“The first time I saw Shalyse, I knew

she would be special,” Barnes said to ArizonaAthletics. “She is a great athlete and a fierce competitor who is incredibly versatile and plays hard every time she steps onto the court. The passion that she plays with fits who we are and what we do in our culture. I love the way she plays with a chip on her shoulder and always plays like she has something to prove. Shalyse is the type of player you would absolutely hate to play against but would love to have on your team.”

Semaj Smith was the last commit to the class. She is a 6-foot-5 five-star prospect ranked No. 52 in HoopGurlz rankings. She was a late committee after considering Cal, Oklahoma State and Washington. This is ESPN’s assessment of the center: “Athletic front-court prospect patrols the key, alters shots, initiates fast break; mobile in transition game; emerging offensive arsenal; consistent at the free throw line; a stock-riser in the class of 2018 that “oozes” next level possibilities.”

All-in-all, the women’s basketball team will bring in eight new players next season that had previously never suited up for the Wildcats. It will be a transition unlike anything Arizona has seen in recent times and a complete overhaul from the past, besides would-be senior Destiny Graham. For Barnes and company, the future is now.

The Daily Wildcat • B5

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

STAN LIU/ARIZONA ATHLETICS

THE UA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL team poses with its trophy after winning the “Athletic Director’s Cup for Community Service” CATSYS award on April 19.

‘Cats give back to the community

BY SYRENA TRACY @syrena_tracy

A

rizona women’s basketball head coach Adia Barnes accomplished many things in her first year at Arizona on and off the court. Besides earning the most conference wins in the Pac-12 and finishing with the most wins since the 201112 season, the Wildcats served the greater community off court throughout the season.

Last year, the team was recognized for their time giving back and was awarded the Athletic Director’s Cup for Community Service; each student-athlete posted an average of 20.9 hours.

Ever since Barnes got to Arizona, she took pride in making sure her team is well-

rounded beyond on-court skills.

“The first thing [community service] does is it gets fans to get to know your players, have some ownership and investment in the program,” Barnes said. “When I first came here, I took it personally and was really disappointed that I really never heard anything good from the program for the first three months. So for me I took it personal, thinking, ‘these are really good kids.’”

Student-athletes have been known to make relationships with many non-profit organizations and are able to make an impact within a community through public speaking, visiting hospitals, putting on fundraisers and visiting schools.

Although most sports teams on campus volunteer and do community service, the

women’s basketball team compiles a little more time into giving back. Last year, the team volunteered twice a week.

“Perception is one thing — perception is someone’s reality, but it wasn’t the reality I saw every day, so it was important for me to get players out there to meet people and get fans to know them,” Barnes said.

With Barnes’ upbringing from playing in college and then subsequently in the WNBA, she said she believes being involved is important, and continues to push her players to get exposed to different opportunities, including taking etiquette classes.

“My job as a coach is to prepare these women for life, because reality is not too many of them are going to play pro, so I’m preparing them for life and having them

ready,” Barnes said.

The Wildcats hope to hold on to their community service award during the 2017-18 season, as the team has volunteered with the Catalina United Methodist Church, the Boys & Girls Club, GAP Ministries, the Community Food Bank, Diamond Children’s Medical Center and Tucson Clean & Beautiful, according to Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke in his Wildcat Wednesday post on the Arizona Athletics website.

“Giving out, giving back and serving is very important,” Barnes said. “You start to appreciate more, learn to talk to people and make connections to the community. They [women’s basketball] enjoy doing it. It’s stuff they are passionate about.”

B6 • The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat • B7

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

2017–2018 ARIZONA WILDCATS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER

IAN GREEN /THE DAILY WILDCAT

KIANA BARKHOFF Freshman Forward 6’ 3”

LUCIA ALONSO Sophomore Guard 5’ 7’’ JALEA BENNETT Senior Guard 6’ 0”

LINDSEY MALECHA Junior Guard 5’ 9’’ AARION MCDONALD Sophomore Guard 5’ 7’’

KAT WRIGHT Senior Forward 6’ 0’’

MARLEE KYLES Freshman Guard 5’ 7’’

DESTINY GRAHAM Junior Forward 6’ 3”

TEE TEE STARKS Redshirt Sophomore Guard 5’ 9’’

ALI REESE Freshman Guard 5’ 9’’ SAMMY FATKIN Freshman Guard 6’ 0”

DOMINIQUE MCBRYDE Junior Forward 6’ 2’’

SAM THOMAS Freshman Forward 6’ 0’’

B8 • The Daily Wildcat

BY IAN TISDALE @iantisdl

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Barnes brings in fresh talent

Sam Thomas

Marlee Kyles

Sam Thomas has been the best all-around player of this young bunch so far in the season. You could even make an argument that she is the Wildcats most valuable player, able to affect the game in a multitude of ways.

Thomas has been a near triple-double threat despite not achieving the milestone officially this season. In the Wildcats game against TCU Thomas poured in 20 points and seven rebounds without committing a turnover after nearly playing the entire game.

The most impressive aspect of Thomas is how her teammates have responded to her infectious attitude. The often quiet, reserves Thomas, becomes vocal and loud in practice. She has impressed her teammates not only with her ability on the court but with the attitude she has off of it.

Thomas could be an All-Pac-12 Freshman Team selection if she continues at the pace she has begun at.

Thomas was the highest rated recruit from this freshman class. She hails from Centennial High School in Nevada and was the highest ranked player in the state after leading her team to a state championship with a 33-1 record as a junior.

One of the newer faces on the team is emerging as an overall leader, and more often than not, you’ll see her run the backcourt.

Freshman point guard Marlee Kyles has been playing the last five game stretch with fury, averaging almost 12 points and three rebounds per game.

“She’s super aggressive,” Barnes said. “That’s a dynamic we don’t normally have, so I like that.”

Kyles plays fast, and is no stranger to high tempo scoring. At her high school in Elgin, Ill., Kyles averaged 19.9 points a game, and was ranked as the 23rd best guard in the country by ESPN. “She’s tough, she doesn’t back down from people,” Barnes said.

As the regular season unfolds, expect to see a lot of offensive action, and a little more composure from Kyles.

“She’s still playing like freshman, and she makes a lot of freshman mistakes... but she’s always trying,” said Barnes. “Marlee is getting better every game.”

Kyles has been looked to by Barnes to be the catalyst for the offense, one of the only players on the team that has the ability to get her shot off no matter what.

Kiana Barkhoff According to Arizona Athletics, Barkhoff was rated as a threestar forward by ESPN.com out of Kitzingen, Germany and was rated as the 59th-best forward in the country. She played her high school basketball at Palm Harbor High School in Palm Harbor, Fla., where she helped her team achieve a 24-8 record last season.

She was ranked in the top 20 nationally for most blocks throughout the season and holds the record for most blocks in a game (15), most blocks in a season (198), most career blocks (374), rebounding average (10.2) and double-doubles in a season (15).

Barkhoff played some club ball for DJK Würzburg, which is the same club where Dirk Nowitzki started his career.

Barkhoff has yet to see significant minutes for the Wildcats in the early going. However, her size and simply the need for another body may give her more minutes than she is currently getting.

She has the biggest wingspan on the team and is the tallest player at 6’3.

Having another player the caliber of Barkhoff is a nice coo for a program desperately in need of players this season.

Sammy Fatkin Another guard who will be a key contributor this season is Sammy Fatkin, only she plays at the two, instead of the one.

Like Kyles, Fatkin was ranked highly by ESPN in high school, and was the 13th best guard in the nation.

This season so far, she has been a vital off the bench defender for the Wildcats.

“She gives us good on ball pressure. She’s very smart defensively,” Barnes said.

At 6-feet Fatkin has size that’s vital in guarding the perimeter. So far, she’s also played effectively neared the glass, and averages a rebound a game through five games so far.

“She does a lot of little things you don’t know,” Barnes said. “Like she jumps for the ball every time, and those are the things freshman don’t do so consistently.”

Fatkin has a history of high scoring too, and while she played at Glacier Peak High School in Washington, she averaged 14.3 points and seven assists a game. With a little more time and development, Fatkin could possibly be both an offensive and defensive weapon for Arizona. She has the size, the skill, and the work ethic to be an incredibly successful player.

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

More than just

X

The Daily Wildcat • B9

’s and

O

’S

Assistant coach Morgan Valley has the same vision as Barnes for the future of Arizona

BY SAUL BOOKMAN @Saul_Bookman

Arizona women’s basketball head coach Adia Barnes has a plan in place to make Tucson a destination for young women across the country. However, that plan can’t take shape unless she has the support system to carry through the vision, and that begins with assistant coaches. Barnes made, on paper, one of her more significant hires by bringing in Morgan Valley, a three-time National Champion, on staff.

Valley comes from one of the greatest programs in sports history, UConn women’s basketball. A member of the Huskies, Valley participated in four Final Fours from 2000-04 and won three titles during that time under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma.

“Morgan Valley is one of the best young assistant coaches in the country,” Auriemma said in a statement from Arizona Athletics. “Her knowledge of the game, loyalty and work ethic will be a great asset to Adia as the Wildcats continue their rise to national prominence.”

Though frustrated with the level of competition at previous stops, after getting into coaching following her playing days, Valley learned quickly that not every program is the same.

Thus came the nurturing component and the understanding that building a great program starts with great people.

Admittedly, she says there were some bumps along the way.

“At first, when you’re a young coach, I would get angry and disappointed,” Valley said. “Then my dad said, ‘You look like an idiot.’ I was getting really, really mad on the bench and yelling, so not positive energy, it was more negative …That’s why every place isn’t UConn, everyone tries to do it, but it’s really hard to do it.”

Valley said the most important thing she learned from her time at UConn is that nothing comes easy. She recounted hours of practice and training with limited minutes and being hampered by injuries. They were not a reasons for failure, but instead provided opportunities to understand hard work pays off in different ways.

Some of the similarities that Valley sees in the two programs is from the model player that Barnes is looking for: tough, smart players that are all about basketball,

IAN GREEN/THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT coach Morgan Valley, center, gives instructions to the team during their game against Iona on Nov. 10 in McKale Center. Valley participated in four Final Fours from 2000-04 and won three titles with UConn women’s basketball.

academics and bettering themselves as individuals in the community. The pitch of late to recruits was to be part of a program on the rise. It hasn’t been easy, but the results have landed the Wildcats among the best in the country, currently the No. 5 recruiting class in the country.

Valley was an assistant alongside Barnes at Washington. When former assistant Kelly Rae Finley took off for Florida, there was only one person she wanted. The two enjoyed being a part of the Huskies’ run to the Final Four in 2015-16, which if you are counting, means Valley has been to five Final Fours now.

What will it take to make a run at number six? For Valley, it is simple: Vision and family.

A big reason for the pitch-success to recruits of late is the family environment.

It makes players, and their families, feel like Tucson is a legitimate home away from home.

Every road trip players literally take a

“snack pack” with them, filled with little treats as if they’re about to take the bus to school. It’s the small things like that which separate the bottom from the top, a nurturing aspect in student-athlete development, which can get lost amongst the grind of college business.

“I like having kids around, you kind of get to see things in a different light; things aren’t as serious when there’s a little kid running around,” Valley said, referencing Barnes’ son, Mateo, who attends practices and hangs around the team.

Still settling down in Tucson, Valley hopes to have a long tenure here with the Wildcats. In fact, her learning curve never stops. She points to the new dance moves that transfer Aarion McDonald tried showing her, and continuously teases her about. But it is that insight in a nutshell that players buy into. They want to know you care about more than X’s and O’s. Valley joins a staff that is filled with coaches that care more than just that.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT ATHLETICS

ARIZONA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT coach Morgan Valley when she played for the UConn from 2000 to 2004.

B10 • The Daily Wildcat

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

STEVEN SPOONER/THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD coach Adia Barnes signals at Charise Holloway to step in during Arizona’s 74-59 win against Alcorn State on Nov. 13, 2016 in McKale Center.

Destination: Arizona “My job as a coach is to prepare these women for life”

BY ALEC WHITE @AlecWhite_UA

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tarted from the bottom, now they’re here. Well, almost.

A program that was once an afterthought in the Pac-12 is close to making its arrival onto the national spotlight.

In just her second season as the Arizona women’s basketball head coach, Adia Barnes has positioned the University of Arizona to be among the future staples of college basketball recruiting, possibly joining the likes of Connecticut and Tennessee. Barnes’ 2018 recruiting class is currently ranked as the fifth-best class in the nation, according to ProspectsNation. com, behind Tennessee at No. 4 and UConn and No. 3. It’s a pretty remarkable feat, considering the program hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2011. It only had one official recruiting visit two years ago.

“It took a tremendous amount of heart, like blood, sweat and tears,” Barnes said. “It was our hardest year last year. I mean we had, I think it was 16 official visits… we had like 29 unofficials. So it was just a tremendous amount of things and work, but that’s what it is when you’re building a program.”

Over the last several months, Barnes has reeled in several

five-star recruits such as forward Cate Reese, center Semaj Smith and Italian forward Valeria Trucco to help build her program.

Add in the fact that she also snagged highly-rated transfers, including Aarion McDonald, a member of the Pac-12 AllFreshman team at Washington last year as well as Dominique McBryde, a former five-star recruit from Purdue, and Barnes’ reconstruction of the UA might take the final form of a skyscraper down the line.

So, how did she assemble so much talent in so little time?

“We didn’t have a weekend off for probably like six months,” Barnes said. “But it doesn’t matter. The work paid off… we shot high, we went after some really top kids.”

The second-year head coach said she thought they’d swing and miss on a few of them, but instead she hit a home-run.

And one of the selling points for recruits and transfers has been Barnes’ vision. Barnes’ coaching and recruiting philosophy hasn’t just been about building something special on the court, it’s also been about being successful beyond it.

“My job as a coach is to prepare these women for life,” Barnes said.

For instance, Barnes helps instill good values in her team by engaging them in community service. This year’s team is

building a house with Habitat For Humanity, an experience Barnes said is changing the women’s lives.

Barnes said she prioritizes the role of preparing her teams to handle life after basketball, because she went through something similar in school and it made her a better person.

“Giving out and giving back and serving is very important,” Barnes said. “You start to appreciate more, you learn how to go talk to people, you make connections in the community.”

The new culture of success on and off the court is one that has begun to transform a once-lowly program and give it new life — one that has attracted some of the best talent from around the world. Slowly but surely, Barnes is starting to turn Arizona into a premier women’s basketball destination, and the 2018 class has a chance to be an embodiment of that.

“We still have a long ways to go,” Barnes said. “It’s not like we have the No. 4 class and we’re just going to be all of the sudden, like, win the Pac-12. It’s a process, it takes time, it’s getting those eight of nine players, new players to play well together and play well after sitting out a year and integrate the freshman.”

The 2017-18 season is just underway and Barnes will probably be keeping her focus on the current season; but the future looks bright in Tucson.

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29, 2017

POSITION BREAKDOWN

The Daily Wildcat • B11

Being shorthanded is no easy task, and no one knows that more

BY SAUL BOOKMAN @Saul_Bookman than the current group of Arizona women’s basketball players who are being asked to log heavy minutes this season. On paper, the Wildcats have 10 players eligible to play this year, though in reality that number is more like seven or eight. Here is how the current roster breaks down position by position.

POINT GUARD

This is sophomore Lucia Alonso’s main position in the starting lineup, and should remain that way through the entire season. She is stable and a serviceable shooter when left open. Freshman Marlee Kyles will see significant minutes, but has been tasked to aid in pressure situations or score when put in that position in the early going. Freshman Sam Thomas, though not necessarily a point guard, has brought the ball up court from time to time as well.

STAN LIU

FRESHMAN FORWARD SAM THOMAS dribbles down the court past Iona defense on Nov. 10 in McKale Center.

SHOOTING GUARD

If Kyles isn’t playing point, this is where she will find herself. She has proven to be one of the better options for head coach Adia Barnes this year, who has relied on her for scoring when times got stale. Freshman Sammy Fatkin will also see minutes at the two guard along with spot rotations from JaLea Bennett and Kat Wright. Junior guard Lindsey Malecha may be serviceable in this role as well, having seen some playing time early on in the season due to her work ethic and effort.

SMALL FORWARD

JaLea Bennett and Sam Thomas are the names here. Transfer Kat Wright can also see time at this spot, but because of the Wildcats’ lack of down-low presence, she will more likely be used in a stretch four position. Bennett is the lone senior to have been with the program her entire career — her experience, but more so her athleticism, will be key in Pac-12 play. Thomas may be the best all-around player on the team. She is a stat sheet-stuffer and has a knack for making heady plays, and her aptitude for getting others involved is essential this season.

SIMON ASHER/THE DAILY WILDCAT

POWER FORWARD

ARIZONA’S DESTINY GRAHAM (21) ATTEMPTS to layup past Eastern New Mexico defense. Arizona beat ENM 69-50.

This is a toss up between Kat Wright and junior Destiny Graham. Wright can shoot the three as good, if not better, than anyone on the team. When she gets it going, she can be as big of a threat as anyone in the country from outside. Graham is in her third year and provides consistency; the key here will be if she can stay tough enough in the post to keep the opposition from out-muscling her inside, offensively or defensively.

CENTER

Graham will be the defunct center for now, though considering definition even she would admit she isn’t one. Freshman Kiana Barkhoff was thought to be in play prior to the season, but she has yet to see the floor for more than two minutes in any game, seeing limited action against TCU a week ago. This is the biggest question mark for the undersized Wildcats by far; they simply don’t have any matchups for power players inside.

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

In all, this team has talent, but the youth of the team may be too much to overcome unless Bennett and Wright explode for near 20 point efforts every night, especially once Arizona reaches conference play. But with an eye on the future, fans shouldn’t fret. Looking at this year in terms of player development as opposed to wins isn’t usually asked of the fan base, but this year it may be a necessity.

IAN GREEN/THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA FRESHMAN MARLEE KYLES (13) dribbles past two Iona defenders on Nov. 10 in McKale Center. Kyles scored a total of 17 points against Iona.

B12 • The Daily Wildcat

Women’s Basketball Preview • Wednesday, November 29-Tuesday, December 5, 2017

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2017-2018

12/3 2 P.M.

1/7 12 P.M.

2/2 6 P.M.

12/7 6:30 P.M.

1/12 9 P.M.

2/4 12 P.M.

12/14 11 A.M.

12/17 2 P.M.

12/20 7 P.M.

12/29 6 P.M.

1/19 6 P.M.

1/14 2 P.M.

2/9 9 P.M.

2/11 2 P.M.

AWAY

1/21 12 P.M.

2/16 7 P.M.

HOME

12/31 1 P.M.

1/26 8 P.M.

2/18 4 P.M.

2/23 8 P.M.

1/5 6 P.M.

1/28 6 P.M.

2/25 12 P.M.