NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 4 teams for 2021 five-star center Nathan Bittle
By Andy Patton
Arizona Wildcats
Speaking of schools that have proven capable of developing big men (notice a theme?) the Wildcats would certainly be able to promise Bittle a chance to develop into a star.
Recent success stories under coach Sean Miller and the Wildcats include DeAndre Ayton, Aaron Gordon, Stanley Johnson, Kaleb Tarczewski, and of course Zeke Nnaji, who entered the 2020 NBA draft after one year with Arizona.
That leads to the next big selling point for the Wildcats: they don’t have anyone who will obviously hinder Bittle’s opportunity to play right away – which could be appealing if he’s looking to be a one-and-done.
Nnaji will be gone, Josh Green will be gone, and even the class of 2020 – while ranked No. 5 in the country – doesn’t project to have anyone who Bittle wouldn’t play over by the time he’s on campus in 2021. French big man Daniel Batcho is the closest, but Bittle would likely push him to the bench if he doesn’t become a one-and-done himself.
Miller has proven capable of utilizing big men in a variety of ways while at the helm for the Wildcats, and a center who can handle the ball and shoot threes will always have a place in his offense. The promise of immediate playing time and a potential early slot in the NBA draft will be appealing, but Bittle did say he prefers to stay closer to home – and Arizona is without a doubt the furthest school from his hometown.
How much of a factor that plays remains to be seen, but it will be a tough sell for Miller and his staff to get Bittle into a Wildcats uniform next year.