Arizona has lost a ton of talent from this year’s team – both on and off the court. But a former top recruit will be the key to another good year.
This was an incredibly tough year for Arizona. The Wildcats were plagued all season with the FBI Investigation, which reached a boiling point with the news that Coach Sean Miller was wiretapped talking about providing $100,000 to DeAndre Ayton.
That latest batch of trouble was more than enough to scare away the upcoming recruiting class, with all the players de-committing and going elsewhere. Normally that’s a problem, but considering what Arizona is losing, things are looking bleak for the 2018-19 season.
Not only is Ayton gone, but Allonzo Trier, who averaged 18.1 ppg this year, is going pro. All in all, everyone who averaged over 4.5 ppg is either graduating or has said they’re going pro. It leaves the much-criticized bench to now become the key players for the following season.
One guy who will be apart of next year’s squad is Chase Jeter, who was unable to play due to the NCAA transfer rules. The 6’10 junior center averaged just a couple of points and rebounds in 48 games with the Duke Blue Devils.
Jeter is a former High School McDonald’s All-American and a top-10 recruit, who at times showed promise of a good college player. But injuries and other five-star big men passing him up limited his minutes. While there were many suitors for his services when he announced his decision to transfer, he ended up choosing Arizona over Gonzaga.
Now Jeter is all alone in the frontcourt, being the only current players listed over 6’7. While it’s safe to assume that Miller will bring in some grad transfers and a few good high school players, the Wildcats are nowhere near a lock for a tournament bid.
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If Jeter plays the way he did in high school which made him this coveted kind of player, then Arizona will still be in good shape. But if he truly is a college bust, the things will get as bad on the court as it has been off the court.