The Arizona Wildcats may not need a go-to guy to be successful. Yeah, after months of questioning who will become the next Derrick Williams and after Sean Miller saying that somebody needed to step up, I'll say otherwise.
Look, Miller is the king of motivating his players and having the confidence in them by the season's end for those players to have confidence in themselves. I really do believe Kyle Fogg could hit a game winning shot. Hell, I think Brendon Lavender could hit one if he's on the floor.
So do the Wildcats really need a go-to guy?
Here's the deal. What they do need is a playmaker, and that role shouldn't be confused with a go-to guy. A go-to guy is the dude who you expect to hit the game-winning shot, the player who you expect to score 20 points every night.
I don't think the Wildcats have that. Unless Nick Johnson develops into that his freshman year, I don't think it's fair to expect that to happen.
What Arizona does need is someone who's comfortable with the ball in his hands and willing to make plays. That's a little different.
Solomon Hill is becoming that for Arizona.
I'm the first to call Hill a mini-Boris Diaw -- I mean that as a compliment. Diaw, when he played for the Suns and when star Amar'e Stoudemire was out a full year with a knee injury, was the presence that the Suns needed himto be. He was a combo-forward with no completely-missing piece to his skillset. He had size, vision and athleticism.
Maybe he just didn't have the fire burning in him.
But that was OK. In 2005-06, he averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Not the go-to guy, he made plays nonetheless.
Hill is that for Arizona this year. He's leading the team in points with about 12 per outing, but it's last game that makes you believe he's going to be the focal-point for the Wildcats. He grabbed six boards and had seven assists, constantly making the right passing to open teammates. With the way this team has looked thus far, any plays being made is a huge development.
Hill doesn't need to score 20 per game, but he needs to have the headiness and willingness to move outside of the offensive sets to create for others and himself.
Josiah Turner could also develop in that way, but Hill, the junior, should have it pressed upon his shoulders to do so -- not the freshman point guard.
So it'll be interesting to watch Hill mold himself into that playmaker. And if he becomes the appointed go-to guy, that's just icing on the cake.