It’s been well documented how much the Arizona men’s basketball team has struggled against zone defenses in the past, Thursday night against Oregon State was no different. You don’t have to go very far back to find a point in time where the lack of a zone offense hurt the Wildcats, simply look at last years NCAA Tournament loss to Xavier.
This year, for the most part, has been different, mostly because of the addition of Deandre Ayton. He adds a different dimension to Arizona, one that Lauri Markkanen didn’t, a mid-range jumper combined with a versatile skill set that makes him near unguardable in situations.