The Arizona perimeter trio of Caleb Love, Kylan Boswell and Pelle Larsson kept firing up one three-pointer after another. As the misses mounted, Arizona’s hopes of reaching its first Final Four since 2001 died.
The 2-seeded Wildcats just didn’t have it Thursday night in a 77-72 loss to Clemson. The terrible shooting performance came at the worst possible time for Tommy Lloyd and his squad and now they are left to pick up the pieces and start preparing for life in the Big 12.
Will anybody make use of their covid year? Love, who was frustrated by his 5-for-18 shooting night Thursday, could take the NCAA up on that and return for a super senior season (I think he goes pro and will touch on that in this article). Regardless, the Wildcats will need a few players to make the jump. Who are candidates? Further, what does the incoming recruiting class look like and what needs will need to be addressed via the transfer portal? Now that the season is over, we take a look.
SAY GOODBYE TO …
Technically, San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson is the only Arizona player who has exhausted all of his eligibility.
After making it all the way to the National Championship game with the Aztecs during the 2022-23 season, Johnson was honorable mention All-Pac-12 defense and brought a dose of length and athleticism to the lineup while averaging nearly 12 points and six rebounds per game.
DECISIONS TO MAKE …
If they wanted to, Love, Larsson and big man Oumar Ballo could all return for another season. The expectation is that none of them are likely to return.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year after transferring from North Carolina, Love made a lot of big shots throughout the course of the season but had his worst game of the season at the worst time in the Sweet Sixteen (5-for-18, 0-for-9 from three). He’s expected to enter the NBA Draft.
Arizona’s best perimeter shooter, Larsson currently projects as the best NBA prospect of the bunch. He’s projected to go anywhere from the latter part of the first round to the first half of the second round. The Swede has size and made 40% of his threes during his four years in Tucson.
Ballo came to Tucson with Lloyd and has provided a massive presence on the interior while making the All-Pac-12 Defensive team and averaging a double-double. If he were to return, it would mean they could have up to five seven-footers on the roster and it’s just hard to see a world where that happens, as fun as it might be.
WELCOME BACK …
Ultimately the transfer portal could change things, but as it stands Arizona stands to return a healthy group of experienced players headlined by guard Kylan Boswell, wing KJ Lewis, guard Jaden Bradley and big man Motiejus Krivas. Seven-footers Henri Veesaar and Dylan Anderson will be available again and Filip Borovicanin still has two years of eligibility.
The keys here are Boswell, Lewis, Bradley and Krivas. Boswell has played a lot of minutes and will need to regain the confidence in his jump shot and improve his ability to beat defenders off of the dribble. Lewis is a tough athlete, versatile defender and strong finisher at the rim who brings great energy, if he can take his skill up a notch he could emerge as a leader. Bradley showed some good signs late in the season and almost saved things against Clemson, if he can get a little more burst he can be a tough cover as a playmaker/scorer. Before tailing off late, Krivas showed potential as a post scorer and rebounder
SAY HELLO TO …
As things stand, Arizona is set to welcome a four-man recruiting class that currently ranks No. 5 overall in the class of 2025.
Headlining the group is McDonald’s All-American Carter Bryant. A top-20 ranked player in the senior class, Bryant is an athletic 6-foot-8 forward with a dangerous pull-up game, inside out skill and plenty of athleticism in transition. If he shows up with his motor turned up, he could get big minutes early.
Originally expected to be a class of 2025 prospect, Joson Sanon committed to the Wildcats and has reclassified to 2024. He’s a dangerous wing scorer, creates his own shots and has good size for a wing. But he will be skipping a year so there’s likely to be an adjustment.
Ranked among the top-40 nationally, Jamari Phillips is an explosive two-guard who has some microwave scoring to his game. His quick, gets to his spots and has never been afraid to let it fly from deep. He’ll have to get stronger and work on his shot selection, but he’s wired to get buckets.
Last but not least, four-star center Emmanuel Stephen is another seven-footer who can be developed over time. He’s long, he’s athletic and he’s a high-volume rebounder who can protect the rim. He’s still raw, but there’s plenty to work with.
TRANSFER PORTAL NEEDS …
Looking at this roster, Lloyd and his staff are lacking a guy who has proven that he can create his own offense off of the dribble at the college level. Getting an experienced guard who can boogie a bit with the ball looks to be a need. The hope is that Sanon and Phillips help to address their outside shooting issues but if that portal guard can also shoot from deep, that’s a huge plus.
Arizona could also stand to get a bit more athletic. If they could find another versatile forward to help replace the lost production of Johnson, that would also be ideal.
