TUCSON, Ariz. - The 19th ranked Arizona Wildcats continue their homestand to open the 2019-20 season when they host the San Jose State Spartans on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside the McKale Center on the Pac-12 Network.

Arizona (2-0) is coming off a 90-69 win over Illinois on Sunday while San Jose State (1-1) dropped a home contest to Portland on Sunday.

GAME INFORMATION
San Jose State at #19/17 Arizona
6:00 p.m. at the McKale Center (Tickets)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Daron Sutton & Matt Muehlebach)
Radio: Arizona IMG Radio Network (Brian Jeffries & Ryan Hansen)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 134/XM 197/Internet 959

OFF THE TOP
- Arizona is 96-8 in the last 104 games they have played in the McKale Center, tied for the third-fewest losses in the country. Arizona is also 49-1 in its last 50 non-conference home games. This season, Arizona is 2-0 at home.

- On Sunday, Arizona defeated Illinois, 90-69, at the McKale Center after outscoring the Illini by a 51-31 margin in the second half. Freshman Nico Mannion led all scorers with 23 points and added nine assists while classmate Josh Green added 20 points and five rebounds. Another freshman, Zeke Nnaji, scored 19 points giving the freshmen scored 62 of the Wildcats 90 points.

- Nnaji was named the inaugural Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Nov. 11 after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 75.0 percent (18-of-24) from the floor in the first two games of the year.

- The starting lineup for Arizona in the season opener against NAU featured three freshmen - Mannion, Green and Nnaji. It's the first time in program history that the first game of the season saw three freshmen in the starting lineup.

- Nnaji scored 20 points in the season opener against NAU, the most by a freshman in his debut under head coach Sean Miller at Arizona and the most by any UA freshman since Hassan Adams (22 points) in 2002.

- The 14 steals recorded by Arizona against Illinois on Sunday are the most by the Wildcats since coming away with 15 steals against Gonzaga on March 23, 2014.

- Over the first two games, Arizona has scored 82 points in the paint and has 54 fast break points.

- The Wildcats moved up two spots to No. 19 in the Associated Press poll this week.

- The Arizona Wildcats have eight newcomers on the roster for the 2019-20 season, with four freshmen and four incoming transfers - two of which are grad transfers. 

- San Jose State is 1-1 on the year after picking up a win on the road at Hofstra to begin the season and then dropping decision at home to Portland.

THE ZEKE FREAK
Freshman Zeke Nnaji sat out the exhibition game against Chico State with a minor ankle injury, leaving fans wondering how he would fit in with this year's team. He wasted little time letting them know in the regular season opener, as he won the opening tip and then executed a move in the post for the first two points of the game and his career. From there, he went on to finish with 20 points - the most by a UA freshman under head coach Sean Miller and the most by any UA freshman since Hassan Adams in 2002. He followed that up with 19 points and five rebounds in game two against Illinois to secure Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors as voted on by the conference's media.

Here's at look at where Nnaji's scoring output in his first two games ranks among other UA standouts from the past 20 years:
Chase Budinger: 49 points
Hassan Adams: 43 points
Zeke Nnaji: 39 points
Lauri Markkanen: 39 points
Jerryd Bayless: 39 points
Deandre Ayton: 38 points
Mike Bibby: 35 points
Kobi Simmons: 31 points
Allonzo Trier: 30 points
Solomon Hill: 29 points
Aaron Gordon: 27 points
Mustafa Shakur: 27 points
Jason Gardner: 26 points
Stanley Johnson: 25 points
Gilbert Arenas: 24 points
Derrick Williams: 18 points
Richard Jefferson: 11 points

INSIDE THE SERIES
Thursday's meeting with San Jose State will be the 15th all-time between the two schools, but the first since 1984. The Wildcats have won the last six meetings and are 7-3 all-time at home against San Jose State.

Series history vs. San Jose State (Arizona leads, 10-4)
12/29/36     W     36-24     San Jose, Calif.
1/27/51     W     62-55     San Jose, Calif.
12/18/53     W     81-77     Tucson, Ariz.
12/16/55     L     63-68     Tucson, Ariz.
12/27/57     L     63-77     San Jose, Calif.
1/2/59     L     62-64     Tucson, Ariz.
12/13/63     W     63-44     Tucson, Ariz.
12/12/64     L     59-66     San Jose, Calif.
12/22/65     W     56-47     Tucson, Ariz.
12/2/66     W     79-68     San Jose, Calif.
12/1/67     W     94-59     Tucson, Ariz.
12/18/70     W     100-77     Tucson, Ariz.
12/3/79     W     72-70     Tucson, Ariz.
12/1/84     W     79-44     Tucson, Ariz.