Zags take on Wildcats

PHOENIX – The question was bound to come up, particularly leading up to the Gonzaga-Arizona men’s basketball game.

Bulldogs coach Mark Few’s name gets mentioned virtually every time a high-profile job opens and Arizona obviously has a coaching vacancy. Russ Pennell is the interim head coach, stepping in when Lute Olson, whom Few calls one of his heroes, resigned in late October. Arizona figures to gauge Few’s interest at some point and the Pac-10 school eventually hopes to make a big-name hire.

All of which serves as an unusual backdrop to today’s 3 p.m. matchup at U.S. Airways Center. No. 4 Gonzaga (7-0) versus Arizona (6-2) is the nightcap of the Desert Classic, following the 12:15 tip of Arizona State and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Few was cordial when the question was posed, but his reply probably won’t end the speculation.

“I try to keep it simple and focus on the job and challenges I have here. Believe me, they keep my simple mind occupied and when I get home it’s even more chaotic with an 8-, 6- and 2-year-old,” Few said. “I’ve always just never commented on jobs or really discussed them.”

Asked if it’s awkward facing an opponent with a coaching opening where his name has surfaced, Few said, “I just don’t even look at that. I feel lucky enough to have this job in the first place. I’m not a guy that says, ‘Boy, if I do this in five years I’ll be there or there.’ I’m very happy and content. I just worry about if they’re in zone we need to do this, if they’re in man we need to do this.”

Indeed, Few does have other concerns, including the news that backup center Robert Sacre reinjured his right foot at practice Thursday. Sacre’s right foot was surgically repaired in early October, but he returned for the Old Spice Classic and was averaging nearly 9 minutes per game.

Sacre is feeling pain a short distance from the original injury. He is in a walking boot and on crutches, associate head coach Leon Rice said.

An X-ray has been taken and it’s being compared to the X-ray from the original injury. Rice wasn’t sure how long Sacre would be sidelined, but it’s expected to be at least two weeks. His minutes will probably go to Ira Brown, who also sees time at power forward, and possibly Will Foster. Starting post Josh Heytvelt has been averaging 27.4 minutes.

Arizona has a talented big man in 6-foot-10 junior Jordan Hill, who is averaging 18.4 points and 12.5 rebounds. He has six double-doubles and five games with at least 20 points.

The Wildcats, picked to finish fourth in the Pac-10, rely on Hill, 6-7 junior forward Chase Budinger (19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds) and 5-10 junior guard Nic Wise (13.4 points, 5.5 assists). Seven times UA players have logged 40 minutes, including three by Budinger.

“Our team has a very unique dynamic,” Pennell said. “We’ve got three players that are about as good as anybody’s got out there, but the rest of our team is pretty inexperienced.”

Pennell said he hasn’t had a lot of time to reflect on Olson’s departure and his elevation to interim head coach. It’s been a rocky few years for Arizona’s upperclassmen. The talented Budinger, for example, played for Olson as a freshman, for Kevin O’Neill last season, for Olson again but only for a couple months, and now for Pennell.

“When (Olson resigned) this time around it was almost a shock factor and (the players) couldn’t believe they were reliving this a second time,” said Pennell, whose team has suffered one-point losses to Alabama-Birmingham and Texas A&M. “It’s really taken these nine weeks to develop a trust and what they’ve found is I’m trying to be the same guy day in and day out. There was a trust factor that had to be built, but I think we’re getting there.

“If we can stay together and get better we have a chance to be successful.”