NCAAB Game Preview - Utah at Arizona

Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:30 PM EST

TUCSON, Ariz. -- In the first meeting with Utah three weeks ago, Arizona sophomore forward Rawle Alkins had 22 points and seven rebounds in a win against the Utes.

It's not clear if Alkins will have any impact Saturday when Utah (13-7, 5-4 Pac-12) visits McKale Center.

There's a possibility Alkins, one of Arizona's key players and a starter won't play. The Wildcats will miss his 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.

Alkins already has missed 10 games after having surgery on his right foot in September. And he still feels discomfort. He didn't play last week in a win against California. Nor did he play in Thursday's 80-71 win over Colorado.

Arizona coach Sean Miller called Alkins' issue "foot soreness" and not a "stress reaction."

"He doesn't have a further break," Miller said. "He doesn't have anything else going on. All that's been ruled out, and with rest, a complete shutdown, he experiences a lot more comfort."

No. 11 Arizona shut him down earlier this week and it will be up to Alkins, the team trainer and the team doctor if he plays.

"I don't have a vote," Miller said. "If he does play, it will be because he has a zero pain threshold."

Arizona (17-4, 7-1) has done OK without Alkins, but clearly is better with him. Arizona has won 14 of 15 after going 3-3 to begin the season. The back-to-back-to-back losses to North Carolina State, SMU and Purdue came in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

The Wildcats have avenged the other loss by beating Colorado.

In that time, Arizona has learned a lesson or two.

"It's a big game for them," Miller said of Utah, a team that knocked off No. 21 Arizona State, 80-77, in overtime on Thursday night. "Being able to win on the road against our team ... that's how you get to the (NCAA) tournament.

"We need to be ready to go," Miller said. "We're going to take that other team's best shot. We've been doing that for a while."

Miller admitted that the Wildcats did a poor job adjusting and maintaining their focus.

"That hurt us early (in the year). Effort and concentration has to be there. We've grown in that area and we have a little ways to go," he said.

That's not a good sign for Utah. It's also not good that Arizona, under Miller, is 11-1 against Utah since the Utes joined the Pac-12.

Utah, however, is confident after beating a ranked team on the road for the first time since 1999.

Utah is also on a three-game win streak.

Arizona's style, however, is different from Arizona State's. The Sun Devils are smaller and fast-paced while Arizona is big and sometimes plays in transition.

"We have got our hands full," Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "There are no two more contrasting styles in the travel partners that present problems. There are some similar issues ... super athletic and push it but there is an awful lot of size and rebounding ability that the Wildcats hit you with."

And that's with or without Alkins.