NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season

For many keeping tabs on college basketball, the Arizona program has to be one of the more head-scratching groups out there. Head coach Sean Miller heavily dipped into the international pool leaving fans with little to no prior exposure to their new squad. However, what Miller’s quietly compiled is a talented group with varying skillsets to help build his program for immediate success.

Ira Lee and Christian Koloko are back from the 2019 roster but were given very small minutes behind Zeke Nnaji, Chase Jeter, and Bill Walton’s favorite player Stone Gettings. Lee has been a low usage guy for the Wildcats since he stepped foot on campus, but his production and efficiency if afforded a longer leash could pay dividends for the team. He’s a physical player who can create havoc on the glass at both ends and doesn’t mind playing through contact to score in the paint.

Koloko on the other hand proved to be a solid rim protector last season, averaging a block per game with only 8.3 minutes a night. His overall role should expand in 2020 without Nnaji, Gettings, and Jeter on the roster, but he will still have to fight for touches on a guard-dominant squad and amongst bigs with developed offensive skillsets.

Freshmen Daniel Batcho of France and Azuolas Tubelis of Lithuania are the program’s pair of international frontcourt signings this offseason. Batcho’s skillset is much less refined compared to Tubelis, but he has experience at the FIBA level and could make quick adjustments this season. He is very active on the glass and gifts himself easy looks around the rim, but he is still likely to be 4th or 5th in the rotation next season.

Tubelis on the other hand may not have the 5-star ranking possessed by Nevada transfer Jordan Brown, but he may be the readiest frontcourt player on the 2020 roster. He has excellent footwork in-and-around the basket to score on his defender and is a high-level passer. His offensive game is a bit more traditional, but that may complement the high number of guards on this year’s roster.

Tubelis is likely to share the frontcourt with Brown, but the latter received limited minutes with the Wolfpack prior to transferring. Brown has a similar game to Zeke Nnaji but has not been given the opportunity to fully showcase it. He will be a competitive piece for the Wildcats prior to the season beginning and has a good chance to earn a spot in the starting lineup.

This year’s group of frontcourt options for Arizona is underrated, but only in name. Coach Miller will not have to excessively worry about this collection of forwards producing on the court.