Arizona Basketball: Sport’s best international pipeline fueling Wildcats

Arizona Basketball can’t stop bringing in international recruits.

This week, big man Paulius Murauskas signed a letter of intent to join Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats out in Tucson this season, ESPN reported. The move finalizes the roster for the 2023-24 season.

The 6-foot-9 Lithuanian is widely considered one of the best European prospects. He was the leading scorer at the FIBA U18 European Championship last summer, averaging 20.7 points per game.

Murauskas will certainly play a notable role in Arizona next season. But the more important takeaway is just how strong Lloyd’s international pipeline is proving to be.

Tommy Lloyd’s international recruiting efforts will keep the Arizona Wildcats a powerhouse for years to come.

The amount of international players Arizona has on its roster for next season is staggering. There are seven overall, a majority of whom come from Europe. Among the notable contributors will be Oumar Ballo (Mali) and Pelle Larsson (Sweden).

Azuolas Tubelis was the best player on Arizona a year ago. He’s also from Lithuania; while he’s moved on to the NBA Draft, his twin brother remains. Kerr Kriisa was another key player last year, with the Estonian guard deciding to transfer to West Virginia during the offseason.

And Lloyd’s ability to attract top international talent dates back to his assistant days at Gonzaga. Among the players he helped bring to Spokane:  Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), and Kelly Olynyk (Canada).

Randy Bennett and the Saint Mary’s Gaels have received a lot of credit over the years for their international pipeline and deservedly so. But Arizona is now the place for international players to be.

There’s no reason to think that won’t continue. That may not have been the deciding factor when the athletic department chose Lloyd to replace the controversial Sean Miller, but it has become arguably the most important building block of the program.

The best part is that it can be a sustainable way to maintain a program. While the internet has provided many wonders of the world, European prospects are still faced with a decision as to whether or not college basketball is worth their while. They can look to either fellow countrymen or even rival prospects and see that Arizona regularly puts their international players in a position to succeed and then helps them move on to the next step.

The Wildcats’ best hope at a draft pick this week is Tubelis. Despite being a college star, there are some concerns about his potential at the next level and many mock drafts have him being picked late, if at all. But he’ll certainly get a chance to compete at the G League level, at the least.

Last year, three Wildcats were taken in the NBA Draft. While one was Phoenix native Dalen Terry, the other two were lottery selection Bennedict Mathurin (Canada) and Christian Koloko (Cameroon). The track record keeps growing and international prospects see that, well aware that not everyone is able to go the Victor Wembanyama route to the NBA.

As long as Tommy Lloyd is in Tucson, the Arizona Wildcats should continue building the best international pipeline in college basketball. As a result, the Wildcats should remain competitive on the national stage indefinitely.