Sean Miller took some time to discuss a variety of topics on Thursday in a taped interview with Arizona play-by-play announcer Brian Jeffries. Among the topics that Miller addressed were his thoughts on the incoming recruiting class made up of several international recruits who signed this spring.
Here is a rundown of what Miller had to say about each of the four incoming players.
“We’re very fortunate to get Ben. We were in a very tough battle. We didn’t know if we were gonna get him or not. He had a lot of schools that really wanted to join his recruiting. Again, we were fortunate that we identified him early on. Jack Murphy did an outstanding job of identifying him and really recruiting him with a lot of energy. Baylor was involved for a long period of time. Because we played against Baylor each of the last two years and they beaten us, we tend to respect those types of programs. When you think about Baylor’s guards, and some of the things that we played against, I think you really get that with Ben. Some of the great wings that we’ve had at Arizona, athleticism, guys who thrive in the open court, Ben is every bit 6-foot-5, maybe 6-foot-6. He finishes above the rim.
"He’s a very good shooter with a chance to be even better, but a guy who can play pick-and roll-basketball and can do a lot of different things. I would say the difference is, from an athleticism perspective, he’s like a lot of guys that we’ve seen at Arizona who’ve played the wing position. Josh Green being one of them that thrives in the open court, a high flyer and as he continues to get more skilled and learn the game, the sky is the limit for Ben. So we’re really thrilled to have him.”
“Kerr is just an amazing playmaker. If you watch him play in the variety of FIBA tournaments with the different teams that he’s played on, one thing always holds true with him and that is he makes the right play. He loves to pass the ball. I love his ability to shoot. He is a deadly 3-point shooter when left open, but in the open court, playing pick-and-roll basketball, playing in transition.
“And because Kerr is I would say every bit 6-foot-2, maybe 6-foot-3, that he could be on the court with a variety of players. The days of just playing a point guard, two big wings, a power forward and a center are over. You want to put your best players on the court. I think this year our best players a lot of times we’ll have lineups that have three guards that play different styles. And Kerr is somebody that we’re really excited about. I also love his competitive spirit."
“He played at Orange Lutheran High School this past year. Gabe York’s from Orange Lutheran, so we were able to be familiar with him. Watched him closely throughout the year. He also played in FIBA for his country in a lot of tournaments that somebody like Kerr would have played in. Watching him play FIBA basketball, watching him play here most recently at Orange Lutheran, I think you see the guy is highly skilled. He shoots the basketball, A number one off the catch, off the move, really has a great feel for moving without the ball, and I think as he gets bigger and stronger physically, that’s when you’re going to see the best for Tibet.
"And that’s something we pride ourselves in. If you just watch Christian Koloko’s body change in the brief year he’s been with us, it’s amazing. And I think Tibet will experience similar types of growth. It’s important for me to also address that Tibet is 6-foot-8. He’s not 6-foot-4, 6-foot 5, even 6-foot-6 like Ben is. Tibet is more 6-foot-8, so he could play either the 3 or the 4, but no doubt what he brings to the table day one is his ability to play the game the right way, pass, move without the ball and shoot from the 3-point line.”
PF Daniel Batcho - Paris, France
“Well, first thing I wanna address is I think it’s been reported that Daniel had suffered a torn ACL at some point and had recovered and played this past year. That’s not true. He had a fractured kneecap, which is a much, I don’t want to say better injury, but structurally it’s certainly a different ballgame. So he’s not recovering from a torn ACL or MCL. What he did is sustained that kneecap injury, but he’s fully recovered and we’re anxious and excited to eventually get him here on campus.
“But, Daniel is a physical 6-foot-10 forward slash center. I think he could play both positions for us. He’s aggressive. I think he’s a very good defensive rebounder. Again, adept at FIBA basketball ball where pick-and-roll and playing up and down, being able to defend pick-and-rolls, those are things that he’s been doing for a number of years. A hungry guy, a guy that loves the game and really excited to have him."