Water polo team building a family for nationals

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat UA water polo player Cy Bassett (17) shoots the ball during Monday's practice at the Student Recreation Center. The team hosts the Southwest Conference Championships this weekend at the Rec Center pool. UA's first game is saturday at 9:30 a.m.

"Now we take the freshman with us," senior hole set Ben White said.

This year, the team is focused on a common goal and is more united than ever.

"In my mind, this year I believe we will win the national championship," White said.

The surroundings will be familiar this weekend as the team hosts the Southwest Conference Championships at the Student Recreation Center pool.

The Wildcats are currently 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation after their recent four-game sweep of No. 10 Texas A&M, Colorado, Colorado State and Texas at the Colorado State Tournament in Fort Collins, Colo.

The Wildcats have set high standards, hoping to make a repeat performance of last season when they captured the SWC Championships and finished 11-1 overall and 8-0 conference play. The only aspect of last season that can be improved upon is the second-place finish in the national tournament.

Head coach Mike Wissot is optimistic despite being concerned this summer about the team's chemistry after losing seven seniors.

"This season we're becoming a family in and out of the water," he said.

White said that he takes responsibility for planning activities on the weekends so that the new players can interact with the veterans on the squad.

"Coming together on the weekends shows in the pool because we get a better feel for each other," he said.

On the recent trip to Colorado the team attended a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field. "The Rockies game helped us as a program because we got to see exactly how a professional team conducts themselves," Wissot said.

This weekend, arch rival Colorado should give the Wildcats their stiffest challenge thus far in their quest for an automatic bid to the national championships in Willingstown, Mass. on Nov. 7-9.

The team's first game is Saturday morning at 9:30 against Colorado St., then it plays Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m.

If the Wildcats do falter this weekend they still have a good chance of being selected as one of two at-large schools that are invited to the tournament.

Although the Wildcats defeated Colorado 18-11 earlier this year, Wissot believes the team must take one game at a time.

"It builds confidence early in the season to defeat teams handily, but it means nothing until the last game," Wissot said.

Sophomore goalkeeper Nick Lee said that he felt the team had all the tools.

"The Colorado game showed us that everybody can definitely fill the roles that are needed to win," he said.

Senior Rafael Cuartas and junior co-captain Bryan Kimbell provide the offensive punch, tallying 17 and 13 points respectively, so far this year.

"Rafael is without question the most dominant player on the team and one of the top three offensive players in the nation," Wissot said. " And Brian Kimbell has one of the best outside shots I've ever seen."

The Wildcats have worked hard to improve since last season's disappointment at the national tournament and Lee believes they are ready for anyone.

"In the past, teams have laughed when they've seen Arizona in a tournament and now their playing their best games against us."