Arizona Wildcats Have Returning Player Ready To Breakout on Hardwood
The Arizona Wildcats are going to look a little bit different on the hardwood this season. A few of their key rotation players from last season are gone, which means others are going to have to step up.
Starting center Oumar Ballo and guard Ky Boswell both transferred out of the program, landing with the Indiana Hoosiers and Illinois Fighting Illini. Keshad Johnson graduated and Pelle Larsson is now in the NBA.
Tommy Lloyd and his staff did not rest on their laurels, as they hit the transfer portal for replacements.
Trey Townsend from the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Tobe Awaka from the Tennessee Volunteers and Anthony Dell’Orso from the Campbell Fighting Camels will all help replace the production that has been lost.
But, there is another player who Lloyd will be relying on to fill a big role this season - center Motiejus Krivas.
Last season, he was Ballo’s backup and averaged 12.1 minutes in his 36 games played. He scored 5.4 points to go along with 4.2 rebounds, showcasing some real potential should he ever receive the chance to play more minutes.
That chance will come during the 2024-25 season. And Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated believes that he will make the most of it.
He selected Krivas as one of his 10 men’s college basketball breakout players for the upcoming season.
“Despite averaging just over five points per game a year ago, there’s plenty of draft buzz building about Krivas for 2025. The Lithuanian big man showed off impressive mobility and finishing skill around the basket, and he should be primed for a big role as a sophomore for Tommy Lloyd’s team. The center platoon between Krivas and Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka will present plenty of problems for defenses, a strong combination of Krivas’s length and soft touch with Awaka’s bruising, physical style,” Sweeney wrote.
Arizona has one of the better big-man combinations in basketball. But, the coaching staff will have to work tirelessly with them on how to avoid committing fouls.
It is one glaring hole in Krivas’s game, as he committed 1.9 per game despite the limited action and 6.1 per 40 minutes, which was the most on the team last season.
For the Wildcats to successfully replace what Ballo provided, they need their new tandem to stay out of foul trouble. It will enable them to remain aggressive on the court on both sides of the ball, as they will be central figures in the team competing in a loaded Big 12 Conference.
