Who should get the player of the game after Arizona's romp on Washington on Friday?
Maybe each of the No. 7 Wildcats after an 86-62 victory at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. At least most of them would be the logical choice.
Five players scored in double figures with freshman Stanley Johnson leading the way with 20 points. He added eight rebounds and he was lauded more for his defense than his scoring.
What about sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who had 17 points (two shy of his season-high) and played lockdown defense on Washington's Nigel Williams-Goss, who went 1 for 10?
"Rondae was incredible defensively on Nigel Williams-Goss," Arizona assistant coach Joe Pasternack said on the postgame radio show. "He averages 17 points a game and (Hollis-Jefferson) held him to seven points. He guarded him for 32 of the 40 minutes. That was his best defensive effort of the season. He was terrific. But all our guys were terrific."
Then there was T.J. McConnell, who continued to make his name known for what could end with the Pac-12 Conference player of the year award. Arizona's senior guard was everywhere -- and seemingly did everything -- in the relatively easy win against a floundering Huskies team.
Washington lost its sixth consecutive games and is 14-10, 3-9. Washington shot 35 percent from the floor to Arizona's 52 percent. Arizona, bigger and stronger than Washington due to the dismal of Robert Upshaw five games ago, scored a season-high 46 points in the paint.
The win marked Sean Miller's 150th victory at Arizona. He is 150-51. And more importantly, Arizona stayed in a first-place tie with Utah at 9-2 in the Pac-12 race. Arizona is 21-3 overall and travels to Pullman, Wash., to face Washington State on Sunday.
Arizona jumped out to a 27-11 lead as it hit nine straight shots in one stretch to pull away early. Arizona can also thank its defense, a problem area in last week's loss to Arizona State.
"Guarding the ball and dribble penetration has been our Achilles heel all year," Pasternack said. "In our losses to UNLV, Oregon State and Arizona State, they drove us continually (but) we worked hard all week. It's not just the guy on the ball but really good help. This is was as good we've been in the gaps all year, not allowing guys to drive right passed us."
McConnell picked up his 10th assist with just under five minutes left when he dished to Hollis-Jefferson for a 79-56 lead. Arizona went on a 10-0 run to put the game away. McConnell was short of brilliant ... again. He finished with 10 points and 10 assists and just three turnovers. It was his first double-double of his Arizona career and seventh time in the last 10 games he's scored in double figures.
Arizona's good game was hardly unexpected in as much as Sean Miller-led teams the past four seasons have gone 26-5 following a loss. Arizona usually finds a way to avoid back-to-back losses and Arizona grabbed a lead early against the Huskies and never let go, despite Washington's short second half rally.
"We continue to grow as a team," said Pasternack, filling in for Miller on the postgame show. "(We) responded after the Arizona State game and had a really, really tough week of practice. Our guys did a great job of responding and now we have to complete the weekend with Washington State."
Arizona was without freshman big man Dusan Ristic, who reportedly was left in Tucson after suffering a bacterial infection in his throat earlier this week. Ristic was hospitalized on Monday and Tuesday, according to reports.
And though guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright made the trip, he did not play because of concussion symptoms.
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