Team Nike may give UA its toughest test of preseason tonight
College basketball's future will get a look at its past Thursday night when the UA men's basketball team concludes its exhibition season in McKale Center with a matchup against an elite squad.
Team Nike will be the opponent tonight as the Wildcats prepare to embark on their 100th season in Tucson. For the Nike Elite, this preseason college tour is bringing many of its players back to the collegiate hardwood where they made a name for themselves years ago.
Most notable for Team Nike is Jeff Boschee. Many fans may remember Boschee from his days at the Kansas, where the 6-foot-1 guard played a vital role in the Jayhawks' success between 1999-2002.
Boschee is no stranger to the hostile environment that the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court can be. During his senior season in 2001, Boschee was one of two players with 19 points in Kansas' 105-97 win over the Wildcats on Dec. 1 in Tucson. In dealing the Wildcats their first loss of the season, 18 of Boschee's points came on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.
Two years later, Boschee returns to McKale - but this time, the Wildcats hold the advantage and the motivation.
"Everyone is really excited about Thursday," said junior center Channing Frye, a member of the Wildcats the last time Boschee was in town. "I think that the fact that everyone's getting better and gelling as a team is amazing to see how much everyone has grown."
Frye and his Wildcat teammates may have their work cut out for them against Nike. Thursday's matchup will be the first time this season the Wildcats will go up against a team with considerable size.
"I think this will be a test for us in terms of dealing with bigger people as to how our lineup will be able to operate - whether we'll be able to rebound with big people, whether we'll be able to defend big people," said head coach Lute Olson.
An injury to sophomore guard Salim Stoudamire pending, Arizona will start the same five as it did in last week's exhibition game against the Sydney Comets. Surrounding Frye along the perimeter will be sophomore forwards Hassan Adams and Andre Iguodala, along with freshman guard Mustafa Shakur and Stoudamire.
Olson expects the big-game experience of the Nike squad to pose more of a threat than the Comets offered, but believes the speed of his team is still the Wildcats' greatest asset.
"I think it was a case that (Sydney) just didn't realize how quick we were up and down the court," Olson said. "They were missing shots, which allowed us to start the break. There isn't much you can do to stop the break when you miss shots."
A more athletic Nike team could be able to slow down the Wildcats to some degree. Nike was recently felled by No. 3 Michigan State in East Lansing, but only by four points. Nike's Charles Wills led all scorers against the Spartans with 20 points, while Boschee added 18.
The nail-biter at MSU caught Olson's eye.
"They lost a four-point game at Michigan State, and we know how good Michigan State is going to be," the Hall of Fame coach said.
Nike hasn't fared well against the Pacific 10 Conference, however. On Sunday night, Stanford turned the screws to Nike, lighting them up, 117-78. The Cardinal had seven players score in double digits, led by Matt Lottich with 16 points.
Olson's said his Wildcats will be ready to take the court tomorrow - and so will an experienced Team Nike.
"They got in (to Tucson) yesterday, so they will be well rested," Olson said. "They have a number of outstanding former college basketball players, so it will be a veteran team as well."