No. 12 Arizona is going to head into its biggest game of the season shorthand, but just how shorthanded the Wildcats (9-0) will be when they face No. 18 Baylor this weekend on the road in Waco, Texas is the question.
At this point Arizona knows it will be without senior forward Stone Gettings who suffered a facial fracture and concussion during Arizona's semifinal win over Penn last week in Anaheim at the Wooden Legacy.
Gettings missed the next game, Sunday, when the Wildcats were able to take down Wake Forest to win the tournament's championship. At this point head coach Sean Miller is unsure when he will be able to get the veteran big man back on the floor as he said Gettings will be out indefinitely as things stand now.
While Gettings injury is certainly more serious, the more concerning news Miller informed reporters of Thursday was the potential absence of freshmen Nico Mannion and Josh Green when his team takes on the 18th-ranked Bears this Saturday.
Mannion battled through back soreness last week on his way to the most valuable player award at the Wooden Legacy, and the UA point guard has not yet practiced since the team returned from Anaheim.
"He hasn't practiced," Miller said Thursday. "We'll see how he is the next day or two whether he'll play. I anticipate him playing. What role he'll have I don't know."
Meanwhile, Green has strep throat so he has not practiced this week either and Miller said both can be categorized as questionable for Saturday's game against Baylor.
Miller said Thursday afternoon that he will know more about the statuses of Mannion and Green by the end of the day when the team gets a chance to practice.
Mannion and Green are two of the three UA players, all freshmen, averaging double figures through the first month of the season. Green is third on the team averaging 13.2 points per game to go with 5.3 rebounds while Mannion is second on the team with 15.1 points per game this year in addition to being the top assist man with 5.8 assists per game this year.
Gettings is averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Wildcats this season in eight games of action. Miller said that junior forward Ira Lee and freshman big man Christian Koloko will see increased time on the floor because of the injury to Gettings.
UA's matchup with Baylor is set to tip off at 10 a.m. MST at the Ferrell Center in Waco. It will be the first true road game of the season for the Wildcats and the team's first matchup against a top-25 team this year.
