ARIZONA BASKETBALL
Wildcats lose G Jemarl Baker for year to wrist injury
Arizona guard Jemarl Baker Jr. (3) goes in for a layup after evading Washington State guard Noah Williams (24) in the second half of an NCAA college Basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Pullman, Wash. Arizona won 86-82 in double overtime. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
The Arizona Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, guard Jemarl Baker, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken wrist, head coach Sean Miller said Monday during his weekly radio appearance.
According to Tucson.com’s Bruce Pascoe, Baker will likely require surgery due to the injury suffered Saturday in a loss to the UCLA Bruins.
Baker is averaging 12.0 points and 1.8 assists per game.
After filling in as a solid reserve guard last season, Baker has started alongside point guard James Akinjo in 2020-21, providing 34% shooting on 5.8 three-point attempts per game.
In a win against Northern Arizona on Dec. 7, he scored a career-high 33 and less than two weeks later recorded a 29-point game in a loss to Stanford.
The Wildcats (9-3) at least have options to replace him. Freshman Bennedict Mathurin has averaged 10.4 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 41% from three-point range off the bench.
Senior Terrell Brown, a transfer from Seattle University, has averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 assists off the bench.
Arizona could also get a boost when freshman Kerr Kriisa is eligible to play starting in February.
