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Last season, Adia Barnes tried to juggle a roster of 15 players. It didn’t work for the Arizona Wildcats, so Barnes went with a roster of 12 this year to provide more opportunities for her young players to get on the court.

“I’m only having 12 because 15 was a nightmare,” Barnes said in September. “When you have 15 players, you have 10 players that hate you and they’re miserable. It’s just how it is, so I think 15 is way too many. I didn’t really understand. I just think younger coach, you think, ‘Fifteen. Oh, great! We have enough to practice.’ Now I have 12 and we haven’t had enough to practice. It’s kind of like damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

Barnes has continued to struggle with the issue of having too few to practice as the season has progressed. She has not had a fully-healthy squad since the summer, making practice difficult. With only 12 players on the roster and one of those already lost for the season, she’s still trying to figure out what works best to keep everyone happy while allowing the team to have enough players to have five-on-five drills.

Even before it was known that Lauren Ware would be out for the season, Arizona had minor injuries that kept players out of practice. Of the freshmen, both Maya Nnaji and Paris Clark have missed practice time and games in the early part of the season and preseason. Lauren Fields missed practice time after accidentally cutting her finger.

The absences are causing real issues in development. One of those issues was exposed by Long Beach State last Sunday. Arizona is still struggling to play against a zone defense. In past years, it was because the team had difficulty shooting. Against the Beach, the Wildcats had difficulty passing the ball, especially inside, without turning it over. They turned the ball over 20 times, 10 of those coming in the first quarter.

Barnes says that the only way to get better at playing against the zone is to practice it. She would like to have half her team simultaneously learning to play zone defense against the half that’s learning to generate offense against it. She simply hasn’t had the players to do that.

Fortunately, Arizona has some help on the way. Montaya Dew, ESPN’s ninth-ranked player in the 2023 class, will be enrolling early. Barnes said that she would arrive shortly after Christmas. While Dew won’t be playing this spring, she will provide extra help in practice.

As for future years, Barnes is still trying to work out what is best as far as roster size.

“Definitely need to probably have another player, meaning 12 healthy players,” Barnes said. “So I think probably adding another player or two, and then maybe that 13th is a walk-on. But just to have those numbers because it’s been hard this year practicing if we don’t have enough [male practice players] show up or if we want to use our team to get in better shape or condition, we can’t. We can’t play two teams, so that’s been super challenging.”

When: Friday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. MST

Where: Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.

Radio: The radio broadcast can be accessed online via The Varsity Network or on the radio at KTUC 1400 AM.

Rankings and ratings: Arizona is ranked 15th in the AP media poll and No. 14 in the WBCA coaches poll. The Wildcats are rated No. 16 overall by Her Hoop Stats. They are No. 17 on offense and No. 19 on defense.

CBU is not ranked in the two major polls. The Lancers are rated No. 133 overall by Her Hoop Stats. They are No. 88 on offense and No. 205 on defense.

Projections/Odds: Her Hoop Stats gives Arizona a 92.6 percent probability of winning on a neutral court. The Wildcats also have a 95.3 percent probability of winning at home and an 88.7 percent probability of winning on the road. The projected winning margin for the Wildcats on a neutral court is 20.6.

There were no odds at the online sportsbooks as of Nov. 24.

When: Saturday, Nov. 26 at 5 p.m. MST

Where: Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.

Radio: The radio broadcast can be accessed online via The Varsity Network or on the radio at KTUC 1400 AM.

Rankings and ratings: Arizona is ranked 15th in the AP media poll and No. 14 in the WBCA coaches poll. The Wildcats are rated No. 16 overall by Her Hoop Stats. They are No. 17 on offense and No. 19 on defense.

USD is not ranked in the major polls. The Toreros are rated No. 103 by Her Hoop Stats. They are No. 143 on offense and No. 70 on defense.

Projections/Odds: Her Hoop Stats gives Arizona an 88.6 percent probability of winning on the road. The Wildcats have a 94 percent probability of winning at home and an 89.9 percent probability of winning on a neutral court. The stats service projects a 10.7 margin of victory for Arizona at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

There were no odds at the online sportsbooks as of Nov. 24.

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After playing their first four games at home, the Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season. They’ll play two games in 24 hours as part of the USD Thanksgiving Classic in San Diego. Arizona (4-0) opens against Cal Baptist at 5 p.m. Friday, then takes on USD at 5 p.m. the next day.

Coach Adia Barnes says she’s “curious to see” how the team performs and “excited to see how we’re going to respond.”

“I want to see where we’re at,” she added. “… I think it’d be a fun week in San Diego for Thanksgiving. What could be a better place? I’m not biased.”

Barnes grew up in San Diego and attended Mission Bay High School. She plans to spend the holiday with the Wildcats, her parents and grandmother as well as her sister Maisha’s family. Barnes’ parents, Patricia and Bruce, will cater the event.

“I think it’s cool for players to see like where you grew up, your parents and stuff like that,” Barnes said.

The Wildcats kept their routine as close as they could to any other week. Tuesday was spent working on individual skills and practicing. They practiced again Wednesday before flying to San Diego.

The first road trip of the season is about more than just basketball. The freshmen will learn how to travel, what to pack and what Barnes’ standards are on the road.

“I am pretty sure one of them will forget something … we’re going to have to check some things a couple times, because they are freshmen,” Barnes said with a laugh. “It’s funny because a lot of them have never been to California — like Kailyn (Gilbert) Paris (Clark), Lemyah (Hylton). I’m like, ‘You’ve never been to California?’ To me, that’s weird, but I guess a lot of Californians have never been to New York. I think they’re going to love it and see different parts of the world, be exposed to different things. I think they’re going to see it’s different than AAU (tournaments). There aren’t five people to a room ... I think it’s going to be a fun experience for them.”

Nnaji, with help from former UA standout Danielle Adefeso, partnered with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to pull together the Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Arizona’s freshman star asked UA fans to bring canned goods to McKale Center before Sunday’s game, and they responded. Fans donated 648 pounds of food.

“I think it’s amazing,” Barnes said. “(Nnaji) is selfless. She has so many aspirations to change so many things and give back. For her, it’s not about NIL money. It’s about giving stuff to the community. That’s the way she wants to do it.”

She didn’t stop there. On Monday, the Wildcats’ only day off this week, Nnaji and Gilbert served a Thanksgiving dinner to children at the Boys & Girls Club of Tucson.

“When you have freshmen doing that, I think it’s amazing,” Barnes said. “That’s not for community service; that is their own time. And at a time when there’s a lot of schoolwork and we’re getting ready to travel, it says a lot about those two — who they are and what they want to do. I think that the city and the community should be really proud of them because that’s not something they have to do. I’m proud of them. I love that.”

In the first two weeks of the season, it’s been upset city. Eight top-10 teams have lost already this season and three of the top teams’ losses came against unranked opponents — the most since at least the 1999-2000 season, according to ESPN Stats Info.

“I think this time of year, no one’s where they want to be. We’re not, probably South Carolina isn’t, Stanford isn’t. All of us improve a lot throughout the year. When you face a team that’s really hungry and on the wrong night and they’re hot, I think there’s upsets,” Barnes said.

Why are there so many upsets?

“I don’t think you see all the great players going to one place. I think it’s really spread out. I think you’re going to see more of that, which I like for our game,” Barnes said. “I think that sometimes the media really puts some high expectations on people that I don’t think are really accurate — (and they do it) early. I think it’s hard to tell and I think you just sometimes go by names, and the brand of a school when you rank someone and it’s not the best indication.

“We’re one of those teams that always climbs up. That Final Four year (in 2021), we started at 20. Last year we started (around 20), we went to 5. I don’t really care during the year. I wouldn’t care if we were 20 the whole year, then at the end, we would rank high. … None of us are where we want to be. If you talk to any coaches, we’re all like, ‘Uh,’ all of us think we stink right now. But you’ve got to find a way to get better.”

Clark is out of the concussion protocol and has been cleared to play.

The Wildcats have started each of their last four seasons 4-0.

If you want to play Territorial Cup bingo this week, add “How come Arizona never offered this guy?” to the card.

You’ll hear — or maybe even ask — the question on Friday, when the Arizona Wildcats host Trenton Bourguet and Arizona State at Arizona Stadium.

Bourguet, Arizona State’s quarterback, grew up in Marana as a Wildcats fan. Now, he’s in line to become the first Tucsonan to ever start a Territorial Cup game at quarterback for ASU.

“My kids grew up in the front row at Arizona Stadium for 14 years, so it’s a big deal,” said Toby Bourguet, Trenton’s father and former UA football season ticket holder.

So, how did a diehard UA fan end up playing quarterback for the rival Sun Devils? Well, it’s complicated.

Trenton Bourguet was an elementary-school student when he tagged along with his dad and brothers on a flag football trip to Dallas. The renowned Tucson Turf team won national championships in the 10U and 8U boys division.

While there, Trenton was spotted by Deion Sanders — yes, that Deion Sanders.

“He was like, ‘Look, this kid has it.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been told that before ...’” Toby Bourguet said. “That was the first of many.”

Trenton Bourguet starred at Marana High School, setting the school passing record with 7,612 yards and 86 touchdowns in three years as a starter. The Star named Bourguet as the top player in the city entering his senior season, when he led the Tigers to an 8-3 record.

When he left Tucson for ASU, the odds of him returning to Tucson as a starting quarterback were slim.

Growing up, the Bourguet boys — Trenton, Coben and Treyson — had their own wing inside the family’s Marana home.

“They went to bed every night knowing they had the comfort of one another,” Toby Bourguet said. “I found it very important and comforting. … It was a way to keep us as a team. Our family, we’re a team, so that was the idea, and it worked out extremely well. To this day, those three boys are pretty close.”

Toby and his wife Vanessa preached two principles: A and E. Not the TV channel: Attitude and effort. Grounded in their Christian faith, the Bourguets had a “Represent” sign along with a photo of Jesus Christ above the door in the boys’ room.

“Every day, they stepped through that threshold — like Notre Dame football — and would walk out into the world and have a responsibility to work hard and show up and be present and give their best effort,” Toby Bourguet said. “That effort could mean failing at whatever it is they do that day, but I’ve always told them, ‘Don’t let it be because of lack of effort.’ If the effort is there, you win. It’s not a score thing, it’s an effort thing.”

Former Marana coach Louie Ramirez witnessed Trenton Bourguet’s attitude and effort up close. Shortly after he was hired in 2018, Ramirez called Bourguet into his office. He asked the quarterback which plays should be included in that year’s playbook.

“Right there on the spot, he drew up like six or seven plays that he wanted to make sure we kept in the offense,” Ramirez said. “I’ll never forget that moment because of how sharp he was, how intelligent, hard-working — you could look at him and tell he had a true love and passion for the game. I always knew Trenton had a genuine passion for the game of football.”

Unfortunately for Bourguet, work ethic doesn’t always jump out to Division I recruiters. Bourguet’s 5-foot-11-inch frame prevented him from receiving legitimate attention from top schools, even the one in his hometown.

Eager to learn from coach Herm Edwards, Bourguet enrolled at Arizona State and joined the football team as a walk-on. Coaching is a part of Bourguet’s post-playing plan.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Trenton is gonna succeed at his next venture after he’s done playing,” Ramirez said.

Bourguet earned a scholarship shortly after the 2020 season, when he entered the game in the second half of ASU’s historic 70-7 win over the Wildcats. Brother Coben joined the Sun Devils as a wide receiver before the 2021. Treyson Bourguet, a former UA commit, just finished his first season at Western Michigan. He played in four games at quarterback.

Toby Bourguet has been soaking it all in from Marana.

“I just wake up every day and almost pinch myself because I’m so truly blessed,” he said.

Even after Trenton Bourguet earned a scholarship at ASU, he was still doubted.

A chain of events led to his big chance.

Starter Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU following in February, leaving Bourguet and Alabama transfer Paul Tyson to battle for the starting quarterback spot.

In May, ASU added Florida transfer Emory Jones with the expectation that he would start. Jones threw for 557 yards and two touchdowns over the Sun Devils’ first three games. The team went 1-2, and Edwards was fired after a Sept. 17 loss to Eastern Michigan.

Interim coach Shaun Aguano stuck with the struggling Jones until Oct. 8, when the quarterback was injured in a game against No. 20 Washington. Bourguet stepped in and threw three touchdown passes in a 45-38 upset win over the Huskies.

“I’ve prepared the last four years like I’m the starter,” Bourguet, who was unavailable for comment this week, said then. “You’re always a play away and I’ve been told that. … I just prepared like the starter the whole week and at the end of the day, we came out victorious against a very good Washington team. It was a lot of fun.”

Bourguet was named the starter for ASU’s following road game at Colorado, and completed 32 of 43 passes for 435 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a 42-34 win over the Buffaloes.

ASU hasn’t won since. The Sun Devils enter Friday’s game with a 3-8 record, one game behind the 4-7 Wildcats.

Neither team will play in a bowl game this season, placing even more importance on the Territorial Cup. Arizona coach Jedd Fisch called the matchup a “plus-one” to an 11-game season.

But if the UA’s “It’s Personal” mantra applies to anyone this week, it’s the Tucsonan starting at quarterback for ASU.

“No one is more prepared to know this rivalry, know what this game means” than Bourguet, his father said. “Period. That’s a fact,” Toby Bourguet added.

“His life has led him to this point for a reason.”

The free rides are nearly over for Tucsonans who use public transit unless the city can find $9 million or so a year to keep them going.

Fare-free bus, van and streetcar rides, which began in 2020 as a way to limit contact between drivers and passengers during the pandemic, are slated to end on Dec. 31 without a new infusion of public or private money.

Officials at University of Arizona, where some student leaders are pushing for permanent fare-free transit, have not yet said publicly if the UA will contribute.

The City Council is expected to vote next month on the future of the program funded until recently by federal COVID-19 relief grants now poised to expire.

A staff study, reviewed by the council last month, looked at several U.S. communities with fare-free transit systems and found they have something in common Tucson lacks: a funding source specifically dedicated to that purpose.

Some locales rely on sales tax or property tax or a vehicle rental tax to make up for revenue once covered by transit fares. Others receive financial contributions from universities or private employers.

In Tucson, 60% of Sun Link streetcar riders and 20% of Sun Tran bus riders are UA students, Ward 6 councilman Steve Kozachik said at an Oct. 5 study session. UA student leaders have publicly pleaded with the City Council to keep the system free of charge for users, he noted.

“We need you to knock on Bobby Robbins’ door,” Kozachik said of the student lobbying effort, referring to UA President Robert Robbins.

UA spokeswoman Pam Scott said the school already contributes about $800,000 a year to the transit system by subsidizing 50% of the cost of transit passes for faculty, staff and students. The UA has done so for years and plans to continue the practice, she said in a Nov. 17 email interview.

Asked about the possibility of a larger contribution, Scott said “I don’t have anything to add at this time.”

City officials said they also plan to seek funding from other entities such as Pima Community College and private employers.

About 5,600 Tucsonans who answered a survey this year were 82% in favor of keeping the transit system fare-free. But that sentiment was not shared by the nearly 50 transit operators who took a similar quiz.

About 83% of bus drivers, 75% of streetcar operators and 89% of paratransit van drivers who responded said Tucson should go back to charging for rides, the study said.

Drivers reported a sharp increase in assaults on operators and passengers after free fares took effect, from 21 incidents in 2019 to 64 in 2021. Many of the disputes arose when riders refused to wear face masks on board, officials said.

Several cities with fare-free transit have adopted strict codes of conduct that allow riders to be banned for repeat violations and new rules to prevent unsheltered people from riding around continuously to escape the elements.

Tucson transit officials say they've already made improvements by adding extra security staffing to increase onboard safety.

Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Dahl said free bus and streetcar rides will help the city meet its environmental goals by reducing emissions from private vehicles.

"For me, climate change is the reason to invest in a free transit system, so we can get more people out of their cars and into public transit," he said.

Here are three things to watch in the Arizona Wildcats’ annual game against Arizona State for the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium (Friday, 1 p.m., FS1), plus a score prediction and some pertinent preview links:

Eighteen Wildcats are expected to participate in the pregame Senior Day ceremony. We have obtained the list, which is subject to change. It does not include two players who are out of eligibility: defensive end Jalen Harris and linebacker Jerry Roberts. Harris walked on Senior Day last year but decided to return for a final season. Some of the players walking Friday could return to Arizona in 2023 or transfer and play elsewhere. Here’s the list, in alphabetical order: RB Drake Anderson, DT Kyon Barrs, RB Nazar Bombata, RB Jashon Butler, QB Gunner Cruz, OG Josh Donovan, DE Hunter Echols, OT Paiton Fears, WR Jamarye Joiner, TE Issaiah Johnson, CB Isaiah Mays, DE Jeremy Mercier, OT Jordan Morgan, P Kyle Ostendorp, CB Christian Roland-Wallace, S Jaxen Turner, RB Michael Wiley, S Christian Young.

The quarterback matchup is intriguing on many levels. Arizona’s Jayden de Laura is coming off his worst outing as a Wildcat. But every time he’s had a substandard performance, he has played some of his best ball the following week. After throwing three interceptions vs. Mississippi State, de Laura completed 71.4% of his throws without a pick vs. North Dakota State. After throwing two picks vs. Cal (a game in which he passed for 401 yards), de Laura tied the school record with six TD passes vs. Colorado. After he fumbled multiple times vs. Utah, de Laura passed for 315 yards and two touchdowns vs. UCLA. What does he have in store for ASU? His counterpart, Trenton Bourguet, is from Marana; he’s believed to be the first Tucson-area QB to start for the Sun Devils in a Territorial Cup game. Unwanted by his hometown school, Bourguet joined the ASU program as a walk-on. He didn’t begin this season as the starter but took over for Emory Jones about a month ago. It’d be an incredible story if Bourguet helped ASU keep the Cup.

Channeling emotions has been a prominent topic for the Wildcats in recent weeks. It’s impossible to say how much of De Laura’s struggles vs. Washington State - his former school - had to do with that. But it was undoubtedly a factor. De Laura and receiver Dorian Singer got into it with each other along the sideline during that game. Singer was unable to finish last year’s Territorial Cup after being ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. Football requires intensity, and it’s sometimes hard to walk the line between edginess and recklessness. The UA-ASU game is always emotional and intense. On balance, that’s a good thing. Arizona Stadium will be buzzing Friday afternoon – unlike last Saturday vs. WSU. There was hardly any energy in the building, and the Wildcats’ performance on the field reflected that. If Arizona doesn’t play well against ASU, it won’t be because of any external factors.

FINAL SCORE: Arizona 38, ASU 27

PREVIEW LINKS:

Greg Hansen: 'Mr. Football' on interim coaches, Phoenix-born Wildcats — and Friday's Territorial Cup winner