Basketball season awaits the "Magnificent Seven"

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats open the 2016-17 basketball season Friday in Honolulu with seven scholarship players.

I'll give them a name: The Magnificent Seven.

They will have to be magnificent if the Wildcats expect to roll through the non-conference schedule, starting with Michigan State,  followed by a grueling Pac-12 Conference schedule, followed by a Pac-12 Tournament and lastly, the pressure cooker of them all -- the  NCAA tournament. If Arizona can make it through that maze and still be standing, then they will be truly magnificent.

The loss of Ray Smith to injury, Allonzo Trier to (whatever?) and Chance Comanche (grades) will definitely put a hamper on things. If there's a chance for Chance to come back, that will help.  Don't look for Trier to be back...not this year...maybe not ever. The next time we see Trier on the court, he'll probably be wearing a NBA uniform.

The "magnificent seven" are talented, don't get me wrong. Any further injuries, any foul problems at all, more issues with "grades" or whatever black cloud decides to continue to follow our Wildcats, will not be good for this team. I'm praying for the rotating seven -- Lauri Markkanan, Dusan Ristic, Kadeem Allen, Kobi Simmons, Kneau Pinder, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Rawle Alkins -- to hang tough and get it done.

With two exhibition games in the books, the season begins on Friday.

Go, Wildcats!