Last season was the culmination of a lot of hard work for Tommy Lloyd, his staff, and his players as the Wildcats advanced all the way to the Final Four. Arizona’s regular-season first trip in more than two decades included profound success in the Big 12 with regular season and tournament titles. Lloyd’s first half-decade in Tucson has clearly been marked with that profound success and he’s not looking to slow down that momentum entering year six.
However, the product on the court will look very different entering this season. Jaden Bradley was drafted alongside freshmen stars Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, with all three of them averaging at least 13 points per game last year. Important rotation pieces Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso also depart, but this team isn’t starting over from scratch. Talented 7-footer Motiejus Krivas and electric freshman Ivan Kharchenkov both return and likely play even bigger roles.
Arizona made more headway on the recruiting trail, landing shooting guard Caleb Holt, the #2 prospect in the nation. The Wildcats also nabbed 4-star forward Cameron Holmes and have a decent haul from the transfer portal too. Ugnius Jarusevicius comes from Nebraska and will be important in the frontcourt while Derek Dixon slides into a key role in the backcourt after putting up decent numbers as a freshman at North Carolina.
Big time guard
You could make an argument for either of these new guards as the most important transfer pieces but JJ Mandaquit stands out just a little more for this season. He’s a 6-1 guard from Hawaii who was a Top 50 recruit last season. His freshman campaign took him to Washington where he battled with inconsistency and had his year shortened by an injury. He still managed 5.2 points and 3.2 assists per game.
It’s a brand new start for Mandaquit and the proverbial keys to the kingdom might just get thrust into his hands. He joins an Arizona squad looking for even more success despite all these new faces, and he’s the point guard they just might need to lead that charge. Mandaquit projects as a true point guard who can score, facilitate, and make everyone around him just a bit better, and the hope is that this new opportunity with the Wildcats allows him to live up to that potential.
There’s basically nothing returning from the backcourt, meaning that both Dixon and Mandaquit have big shoes to fill with Bradley and Burries off to the NBA. Holt will clearly star as well if he lives up to that top billing, but it’s clear that someone like Mandaquit really needs to step up to lead this attack. Arizona has been known for outstanding offensive play in past years; can a sophomore become the veteran passer and leader that the Wildcats need to be elite?
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