Arizona Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for Wildcats

There were many surprises last year for Arizona Basketball. There were many changes as well. Sean Miller was fired after thirteen seasons as head coach, failing to win the biggest games with the Wildcats, even after leading them to three Elite Eights over the years. Longtime Gonzaga coach Tommy Lloyd was brought in to take over the Wildcats program, departing from the Bulldogs after two decades of service. The fact that Lloyd took this job was the first surprise, but the second was the Wildcats’ performance last season.

Absent from the NCAA Tournament since 2018, the hope in Lloyd’s first season was that these Wildcats could get back to the Big Dance; a solid first step of a new era of Wildcat basketball. What transpired was far beyond what many people expected, as Arizona proceeded to win 33 games, taking the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles. The Wildcats fizzled out in the Sweet Sixteen but far exceeded those expectations, perhaps even of people on campus.

Last year’s team was dynamic and those league titles were no fluke. Bennedict Mathurin blossomed into a star, while Dalen Terry really came on the scene. Christian Koloko had himself a fantastic year as well, but now all three of those players are gone from this lineup. Lloyd’s roster still looks very talented, returning two starters from last season, but replacing talent like Mathurin isn’t an easy task.

Nobody expected Sweet Sixteen and Pac-12 titles at the beginning of last season. With the pieces that Arizona lost, it’s fair that many aren’t expecting that to happen this year either. Lloyd is bringing in a ton of young talent and a few intriguing pieces from the transfer portal. There absolutely will be talent on this team and these Wildcats will be in shape to compete for another Pac-12 crown; they just won’t sneak up on anyone like last season.

We’ll be diving into Arizona’s basketball squad, with particular attention on the roster, the schedule, and what we expect to see from them this season. The Wildcats are going to be a Top 25 team at the beginning of the season and are riding the waves of momentum from last season’s surge. Can they keep riding that success to the next level, even with a ton of new faces on the roster?