Arizona Basketball: Why Trey Townsend is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

These years with Tommy Lloyd at the helm have been prosperous for an Arizona program that won one last Pac-12 title last year. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time during Lloyd’s three years as head coach and boasted one of the top offenses in the nation. Now they transition into the Big 12 with a myriad of changes on this roster, though not everything will be different in Tucson.

Caleb Love will be back for one final ride with Arizona, as the North Carolina transfer was excellent in his debut on the West Coast last season. Rising guard Jaden Bradley also returns with heightened expectations, though several familiar faces aren’t around. Both Oumar Ballo and Kylan Boswell transferred while Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson are gone as well, though there’s no call for panic quite yet.

A solid recruiting class, headlined by Carter Bryant, boosts Arizona’s future but we’re also considered Lloyd’s work with the Transfer Portal. Though the Wildcats didn’t quite grab a player like Love this time around, there’s a lot of value in former Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka and talented Campbell scorer Anthony Dell’Orso. Those sophomores, now juniors, both have a chance to really shine with the Wildcats though our attention turns towards someone else.

That person is Trey Townsend, the small forward who’s coming off a brilliant run with Oakland. The Michigan native averaged 17.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game and was a true leader for the Golden Grizzlies. Not only was he named Horizon League Player of the Year; Townsend led Oakland to their first conference tournament title and gained national attention in leading them to a profound NCAA Tournament upset over Kentucky.

Accomplishments aside, the Wildcats are getting a phenomenal veteran player in Townsend for one final season. He’s not really known for his outside shooting, but he’s strong around the basket, both as a scorer and rebounder. While his experience has come in the Horizon League, Townsend was one of the best basketball players at the mid-major level and clearly brings a wealth of experience and talent for this final ride at Arizona.

In joining a roster that includes other star power, Townsend isn’t going to need to put up those same types of figures with the Wildcats to be successful. He becomes one of Arizona’s best rebounders with a slick scoring touch in and around the key. Not only should he be an important piece in another great offense for the Wildcats, he’ll also be a great asset with a plethora of underclassmen in this rotation.

Some questions about transitioning from Horizon League to Big 12 were answered by Townsend’s performance against Kentucky, but it’s still fair to wonder just what kind of production he’ll have in this new role. Do Arizona's additions make up for what they lost through graduation and the portal? Will this be a standout finale for Townsend’s collegiate career after becoming a legend for the Golden Grizzlies?