Last Year: 27-9; 15-5, Pac-12 regular season champions, lost in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Tommy Lloyd (Fourth Year; 88-20 at Arizona, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
G Jaden Bradley –
G Caleb Love –
W Anthony Dell’Orso –
F Trey Townsend –
C Motiejus Krivas –
Experienced Reserves
G
F
Freshmen
G
C
Well look who just swaggered up to the Big 12 party.
Most programs don’t have the résumé or wouldn’t have the confidence to show up to the nation’s best conference and act like they already belong. Arizona is not most programs. The Wildcats have been one of America’s premier basketball teams over the last four decades, and now they’re bringing all they’ve got to a fancy new address.
For Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, it’s a change of address which comes with tantalizing possibilities. The man who sits on Lute Olsen’s throne is well on his way to establishing a lasting reputation of his own. What better way to continue that trajectory than to do it the Big 12? Lloyd, who will turn 50 this December, has only been a head coach for three years, but he’s already won the Pac-12’s regular season title twice, its tournament crown twice, and been to the Sweet Sixteen twice. Still young, with proven success on his side, and coffers recently topped off by Zona’s new league, Lloyd appears to be right where any coach would want to be.
That doesn’t mean that he’s free from the considerable challenges ahead – but that’s part of the fun, right?
There is a lingering feeling among Wildcat fans that their program needs a rebirth of postseason success. Though the team has been to a pair of Elite Eight’s and three Sweet Sixteen’s this decade, it has been more than 20 years since Zona went to the Final Four. Complicating things, Arizona lost a lot following their ouster from last year’s Big Dance. Huge and hugely productive pivot Oumar Ballo hopped into the transfer portal and landed at Indiana, do-it-all playmaker Pelle Larsson and exciting forward Keshad Johnson departed for the pro’s, and point guard Kylan Boswell transferred to Illinois. Then they lost even more. A star-studded incoming freshman class was torn in half following the news that Arizona’s leading scorer from last year would be coming back. That many top-flight defections is unusual for a powerhouse like the Wildcats, but such is life in this brave new world.
Lloyd still has plenty to work with, though, because he was developing some intriguing successors even last winter, and is always working the recruiting trail for new talent. And, you know, there is that rather well-known player who decided to stick around for one more winter in the Sonoran Desert.
That player is Caleb Love: scoring guard supreme, last Pac-12 Player of the Year before its interregnum, and one of the game’s genuine superstars. He tested himself by working out for scouts ahead of the NBA Draft for the second time, but ultimately Love decided to use his extra season of eligibility and remain in Tucson. Already a 2,124-point scorer through four seasons, Love is in position to obliterate records and make one of the great legacies of his generation this year. More than anything, though, he wants to be remembered as a winner. One of the more unique players in the sport’s recent history, Love arrived in Tucson with a reputation as a legendarily mercurial gunner and occasionally an all-or-nothing chucker. Love’s penchant for forced passes, low-percentage heaves, and heat-checks over three years at North Carolina became the stuff of dubious legend. But as some dragon in a video game once mused, “What is better? To be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?”
In his Wildcat debut, Love enjoyed the best and most consistent season of his career, showing that he had learned and grown – even if he may never completely outgrow his wilder tendencies. At his best, Love is virtually unstoppable. He can score from anywhere on the floor, will take and make well-guarded shots, and can dazzle with flurries of precise passes. Love’s bad side is not evil, but it can be incredibly frustrating to endure when he gets into ‘hero mode’ and yet isn’t hitting or is throwing possessions away. Love is a genuinely talented passer, and knows how to run the show at a high level. He’s got point skills, it’s just that he is also a better scorer than most people, and frequently Love trusts himself to get a bucket more than he trusts his teammates. Lloyd’s system has worked for him, and Love clearly invested in improving his flaws. If he keeps buying in, Love will again be at the controls of a high-octane offense which will work for all of the Wildcats and should take them far.
For all of Zona’s offensive excellence a year ago, there were times when guys like Boswell or Larsson were accused of not being aggressive enough. That may change this year with the arrivals of a couple of players who became very comfortable as the go-to guys for their previous squads. Though they’ve made their reputations outside of the power conferences, Trey Townsend and Anthony Dell’Orso look like guys with the skill to play anywhere.
Last season was like something out of a movie for Townsend. He was named the Horizon League’s Player of the Year, led Oakland to regular season and tournament titles, and helped his team to a thrilling NCAA Tournament win. He grew up in and the program, the son of two parents who both played for Golden Grizzlies when they were collegiate hoopers, and accomplished just about everything that anyone could have hoped for the program. Now, Townsend is pursuing even greater ambitions, and a move up to Arizona and its new conference come with challenging new goals. A highly skilled forward who can fill the stat sheet and plays a mature game, Townsend offers an enticing fit for the high-revving Wildcats. It’s clear that he lacks prototype size for a power forward, but that hasn’t stopped Townsend yet.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 87.1 – Points Per Game (3rd) |
| 13.8 – Opponent Assists Per Game (359th) |
| 18.5 – Assists Per Game (4th) |
| 7.8 – Opponent 3FG Made Per Game (253rd) |
| 36.6% – Team 3FG Percentage (37th) |
He’s very strong, and Townsend cleverly uses his wide shoulders and powerful hips where others rely on verticality or length. A starter since the moment his freshman season began, Townsend has also seen a whole lot, and has learned and adapted his game along the way. For instance, Kentucky had all sorts of size to throw at him in last year’s NCAA Tournament, but Townsend still found a way to go for 17 points and 12 boards in Oakland’s win. Terrific in isolation due to his array of moves, assertiveness, and sixth sense for finding the open man when the defense collapses, Townsend can be a focal point who helps to drive the offense from inside. He’s rattled home 50 career triples, and overtime the past two seasons, Townsend has made his deep shots at a 38.1% clip. As effective as he’s been in the lane, though, Townsend has never needed to shoot a high volume of triples. This year, he’ll look to grow as an outside shooter, and has the stroke to get it done. With his wealth of experience and a true understanding of the game, Townsend should plug right in and keep the Wildcats chugging along.
He can’t yet match Townsend’s list of achievements, but Dell’Orso has only played two seasons – and he’s already earned some accolades of his own. The Australian wing was named the 2022-23 Big South Rookie of the Year, and with Campbell’s move to the Coastal Athletic Conference last season, Dell’Orso quickly earned second-team all-conference honors. He’s a budding three-level scorer with enough size, quickness, and confidence to get his shot all over the court, and Dell’Orso was impressively efficient despite seeing a whole lot of defensive attention as a sophomore. Now that he won’t have to do nearly all the heavy lifting by himself, Lloyd has a feeling that Dell’Orso might be on the verge of some pretty special things.
Though his jumper improved both inside and beyond the arc last season, Dell’Orso is not just a shooter. In each of his first two seasons, Dell’Orso attempted more shots near the rim than from mid-range or long distance, and he’s made 62.4% of those tries so far, per Bart Torvik. He also piled up seven double-doubles last season, and despite the pounding he absorbed from opposing defenses, Dell’Orso kept getting better as the season went on. Over Campbell’s final 16 games last winter, Dell’Orso averaged 22.6 points and 7.2 boards on a cool 63.1% true shooting rate. He should provide a legitimate second shooter to pull attention away from Love on the outside, and Dell’Orso’s natural proclivity for working around the lane is something that his teammates will appreciate.
“I see the work he puts in. He sees the work I put in…I think we just come in with the mindset, like I said, just to keep the energy up.”
– Jaden Bradley on KJ Lewis
The youngsters that Lloyd has been developing will provide a tapestry of different abilities, and appear ready to step into their expanded roles. Part of his development occurred as a freshman at Alabama, but Jaden Bradley spent last season earning more and more key minutes as a Wildcat. Though he never started during his first campaign in the Desert, Bradley began to unseat Boswell by season’s end, and some of his best performances came in March. Bradley seemed to be everywhere in Arizona’s Second Round win over Dayton, potting 12 points to go with three steals and three blocks, and he followed it up with 18 and a couple more blocks against Clemson in the next contest. He plays a composed, unselfish game, and Bradley gets the ball where it needs to go without needing to dominate possession. Bradley worked well with Love last season, co-facilitating and providing steady ballhandling which allowed the superstar to live his best life. At the same time, Bradley also developed a symbiosis with KJ Lewis as bookend reserves who knew how to Bear Down.
“We work out every day together,” Lewis told reporters during last year’s Pac-12 tournament, explaining that he and Bradley relished opportunities to get in the game and ‘grind it out’. “I see the work he puts in. He sees the work I put in…I think we just come in with the mindset, like I said, just to keep the energy up.”
A consensus 4-star recruit out of Texas last fall, Lewis made an impact of his own right away. A powerfully-built guard who has some real playmaking ability, Lewis is an explosive athlete who has a knack for making momentum-seizing plays. He likes to get downhill and attack the basket, but Lewis also has vision and the awareness to drop off soft passes while he’s crashing through the lane. His jumper is still coming along, and Lewis has put in significant work on it this summer. He generally made his spot-up looks when left open last year, and Lewis is a good free throw shooter. If opponents have to worry about him from the outside as a sophomore, Lewis should earn himself the space to throw down some truly atomic dunks. He can bring the noise defensively, as well, and Lewis is learning to strike a responsible balance between guarding and attacking the ball. With an offseason’s polish on his game, Lewis will play a significantly larger – and louder – role this year.
Following a steady succession of successful big men the past years, Arizona’s biggest question mark this winter will be in the post. There, a group of talented youngsters are each eyeing their share of the minutes, and the potential for a breakout. The largest of them is Motiejus Krivas, a 7’2″, 270-pound Lithuanian pivot who fits the Wildcats’ recent standards for elite size in the middle. As a freshman in the Desert last year, Krivas acquitted himself quite well overall. He was never going to play big, every-game minutes as a rookie behind Ballo, but Krivas appeared in every game and scored in double figures seven times. He went for 20 points and nine boards against a solid Belmont team in his fourth career game, and Krivas posted 15 and nine during the Wildcats’ 97-50 thrashing of Colorado to ring in the new year. Clearly, Krivas can play. What must be confirmed is whether he can consistently play big-time minutes against some of the best veteran frontcourts in the country.
This summer, Krivas got some extra seasoning during the FIBA U20 EuroBasket championships, where he helped lead Lithuania to a fifth-place finish. He played well, averaging 13.7 points and 8.9 rebounds over the course of seven games, and Krivas showed increased comfort operating with the ball in his hands and making quick, direct attacks on the rim. He’s got the strength to hang with veterans, and Krivas can show off some fairly nimble footwork at both ends of the floor. This year, he’ll need to defend and protect the rim at a high level without getting into foul trouble. If Krivas can do that and prove that his burgeoning talent on offense is for real, Arizona will have its next star center.
Like Townsend, former Tennessee post Tobe Awaka doesn’t have the cookie-cutter look, but his play speaks for itself. A rambunctious third-year big man, Awaka is a powerful dude who can change a game with his work on the glass. Though he played a reserve role behind breakout starter Jonas Aidoo last year, Awaka made a noticeable impact nearly every game. Despite averaging just 13.1 minutes per contest, Awaka finished tenth in the SEC in offensive rebounds. In fact, over his two seasons in Knoxville, TN, Awaka grabbed 18.4% of the offensive rebounds which were available while he was on the floor. At current, that’s the eighth-best career offensive rebounding percentage in NCAA history. Given how great the Wildcats have been on the glass recently – they ranked fourth nationally last year in defensive rebound percentage and 16th on the offensive boards – Awaka is looking at a bump in minutes as a Wildcat as they look to stay strong. With that extra run, he will look to show some more offensive sophistication, and Awaka must reduce the rate at which he commits fouls.
The top freshman who stuck to his commitment for the Wildcats is Carter Bryant. A 6’8″ forward with a seven-foot wingspan and high-end athletic gifts, Bryant is a particularly tantalizing prospect because he can do a little bit of everything.
“Bryant is one of the more naturally talented and intriguing long-term forward prospects in the country because he’s not only physically gifted, but he has developing skill, passing ability, and feel for the game,” appraised Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports. A McDonald’s All-American who performed very well in EYBL play this past season, Bryant can score inside and out and has the makings of a full offensive repertoire. He hasn’t been a dominant scorer thus far, but Bryant can be a key to his team’s efforts without putting the ball through the net. As he becomes physically stronger and develops an aggressive streak, Bryant’s world of talent should blossom.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Duke – November 22 |
| N UCLA – December 14 |
| @ Wisconsin – November 15 |
| Paradise Jam third game – November 29 |
| N Providence/Oklahoma – November 28 |
A pair of young backups will get to help out also, if they can earn some run. Following a redshirt season due to an elbow injury last fall, Estonian pivot Henri Veesaar is back at the pivot. Like Krivas, he’s also a seven-footer, and Veesaar has put in work to be stronger and more confident this year. Veesaar scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting with a pair of triples a few days ago in Arizona’s preseason exhibition game against Division II Eastern New Mexico, and Lloyd was pleased to see his development.
“I thought Henri looked great; he’s practiced really well this fall, consistently well,” Lloyd explained following Arizona’s lopsided exhibition win. “Henri’s been incredibly patient. He’s been incredibly mature about a hard process. Getting better is hard. One of the best development variables of all is time, and experience. I know who didn’t forget about him, our staff.” If he can continue to show off floor-spacing skill plus some toughness inside, Veesaar should quickly become a solid option for Lloyd off the bench. Emmanuel Stephen is another seven-foot-tall youngster, and the freshman already has the frame and build of a pro. A terrific shot blocker and defender who can finish with lots of force inside, Stephen looks like a valuable long-term addition but may take his own turn with a redshirt year. Meanwhile, Conrad Martínez is back after averaging less than four minutes per game as a freshman. Lloyd likes him as a developmental playmaker, and though minutes will be difficult to come by, Martínez’s coach says that the Spanish point guard “definitely (will) be able to provide a spark for us.”
With the move to a new heavyweight league, Arizona’s days of expecting to win their conference more often than not may be changing. Or maybe they won’t. The Wildcats are as stocked as usual with outstanding talent, and if Lloyd and his staff can get everything rolling in the same direction early on, Arizona will be trouble by Big 12 season. A non-conference matchup at Wisconsin and a trip to the Paradise Jam – plus a date with Duke – will test Arizona’s new makeup right away. The Wildcats wouldn’t have it any other way. They’ve come to the Big 12 for all the smoke, and the only way to get through it and deep into March is to #BearDown.
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