Another one thriving.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5174952/kj-lewis
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kj-lewis-2.html
I was sorry slot see KJ transfer. Glad he's doing well but you must admit it felt like every good play he made was right after a boneheaded turnover or missed layup. Looks like his turnovers are up a bit from last year too.
Quote from: Naterade on November 24, 2025, 02:44:57 PMI was sorry slot see KJ transfer. Glad he's doing well but you must admit it felt like every good play he made was right after a boneheaded turnover or missed layup. Looks like his turnovers are up a bit from last year too.
With more of a role, comes more opportunity for successes and failures.
KJ Lewis is a good ball player.
He wouldn't necessarily be the end-all be-all of what we need right now, but if you consider how little we shoot from 3pt land, this specific iteration of Arizona Basketball fits what KJ Lew is all about. Grit and good FT shooting from Guards. Especially layup basketball since we really do not play much Above the Rim.
The biggest thing to watch for is what happens if SloMo gets into Foul Trouble and how we can respond since Love screwed us and got Henri a retirement package at UNC.
Everybody is better off today. KJ found quality playing time against the tough Big East and Arizona likely wouldn't have landed Kharchenkov and/or Aristode if he had stayed.
KJ had a fractured shooting hand last season, which prevented him from playing at his potential....and prevented the staff from giving him reasonable PT. Bummer because he's a good kid that plays hard.
His 3PT% is only 1.6% higher than his freshman season. It's early so he has plenty of time to try and improve his draft stock regarding TO's and offensive efficiency. He's always been a badass on the defensive end.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 24, 2025, 05:03:32 PMEverybody is better off today. KJ found quality playing time against the tough Big East and Arizona likely wouldn't have landed Kharchenkov and/or Aristode if he had stayed.
KJ had a fractured shooting hand last season, which prevented him from playing at his potential....and prevented the staff from giving him reasonable PT. Bummer because he's a good kid that plays hard.
His 3PT% is only 1.6% higher than his freshman season. It's early so he has plenty of time to try and improve his draft stock regarding TO's and offensive efficiency. He's always been a badass on the defensive end.
Oh jeez and just when Tommy figured out that Arizona is not a competent 3pt Shooting Team in his system too. KJ would have thrived the way we play ball through 6 games.
I agree that KJ would thrive but sometimes people need a change of scenery. KJ's family wanted him to be the focal point of the team. I spoke with them and they are amazing people. He has that opportunity at Georgetown and with our roster, that wouldn't be possible in Tucson.
I really hope he succeeds because he's one of the few talented kids in D-1 that actually hustles on every play.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 25, 2025, 06:04:15 AMI agree that KJ would thrive but sometimes people need a change of scenery. KJ's family wanted him to be the focal point of the team. I spoke with them and they are amazing people. He has that opportunity at Georgetown and with our roster, that wouldn't be possible in Tucson.
I really hope he succeeds because he's one of the few talented kids in D-1 that actually hustles on every play.
Everyone's parents want their kid to be the featured player. That is what parents do. I don't know any that say "I want my son to play 15 minutes and get 1 shot a game".
Lloyd still allowed KJ to take 8.4 shots per game. Despite being an amazing defender, it's unrealistic to allow a kid play, who shoots 18% from deep. That's pretty awful...but obviously attributed to the injury (because Lewis' freshman and junior stats aren't that bad).
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 25, 2025, 05:56:53 PMLloyd still allowed KJ to take 8.4 shots per game
I think "allowed" is a pretty strong word (and unfounded) - however it is a decent word to consider when you factor in how I stated all last season that Carter Bryant was not "allowed" to get up his shots.
The team was bad last year.
I don't care that we limped into the Sweet 16 out of spite for Tommy.
Henri was checked out in January and playing to make sure his payday went up in UNC behind the scenes.
Caleb Love was only focused on how he could become rosterable at the next level. We were not much of a Team.
Carter Bryant was never "allowed" to be "the guy"... but that was because of the Team not because of Tommy. Tommy lost institutional control last year. It was every man for himself.
KJ Lewis at his best sure played like a man who knew his family depended on the transfer money. I don't blame him at all.
I don't blame KJ either. Injury created a bad situation for all parties. He had playing time, prior to the wrist issues.
I disagree that Henri checked out. If you rewatch the Big-12 games, he played with intensity and wanted to win.
Although I agree that Bryant should have played more, he surprisingly had the most minutes at SF. KJ played the most "wing" but was splitting between SG/SF and Carter edged Delly for total minutes, despite being a foul and 3-point liability for most of the season.
Glad it all worked out for him because he's a badass that will always rep Arizona as he continues to improve in the league.
Quote from: arxpert on November 25, 2025, 10:46:39 PMQuote from: KansasCityCats on November 25, 2025, 05:56:53 PMLloyd still allowed KJ to take 8.4 shots per game
I think "allowed" is a pretty strong word (and unfounded) - however it is a decent word to consider when you factor in how I stated all last season that Carter Bryant was not "allowed" to get up his shots.
The team was bad last year.
I don't care that we limped into the Sweet 16 out of spite for Tommy.
Henri was checked out in January and playing to make sure his payday went up in UNC behind the scenes.
Caleb Love was only focused on how he could become rosterable at the next level. We were not much of a Team.
Carter Bryant was never "allowed" to be "the guy"... but that was because of the Team not because of Tommy. Tommy lost institutional control last year. It was every man for himself.
KJ Lewis at his best sure played like a man who knew his family depended on the transfer money. I don't blame him at all.
January is the time every year that players re-evaluate their priorities... If Tommy lost institutional control, he needs to figure out a better way to communicate, because that will happen again and again
Quote from: arxpert on November 25, 2025, 10:46:39 PMQuote from: KansasCityCats on November 25, 2025, 05:56:53 PMLloyd still allowed KJ to take 8.4 shots per game
I think "allowed" is a pretty strong word (and unfounded) - however it is a decent word to consider when you factor in how I stated all last season that Carter Bryant was not "allowed" to get up his shots.
The team was bad last year.
I don't care that we limped into the Sweet 16 out of spite for Tommy.
Henri was checked out in January and playing to make sure his payday went up in UNC behind the scenes.
Caleb Love was only focused on how he could become rosterable at the next level. We were not much of a Team.
Carter Bryant was never "allowed" to be "the guy"... but that was because of the Team not because of Tommy. Tommy lost institutional control last year. It was every man for himself.
KJ Lewis at his best sure played like a man who knew his family depended on the transfer money. I don't blame him at all.
Which players will sabotage t. lloyd due to their own interests this season in your opinion?
Lewis went to a program that was going to allow him to have the ball in his hands.
It was clear Lloyd was going to have Lewis play that 3/D role and operate as a POA defender.
KJ saw that he was better than that and went elsewhere and it has worked out for him.
I will agree with you here brother.
So far, Lloyd has missed had more prospects transfer and thrive than he has transfer and fizzle out.
Transferred & Producing
Bal - Santa Clara
Boswell - Illinois
Lewis - Georgetown
Murauskas - St. Mary's
Veesaar - North Carolina
Transferred & Underperformed Thus Far
Anderson - Boise State + Murray State
Borovicanin - New Mexico + Xavier
Ballo - Indiana
Kriisa - West Virginia + Kentucky + Cincinnati
Stephen - UNLV
The numbers say that Lloyd is shooting 50% from the field but with role players like Bal/Muraskas leaving to do EXACTLY what you wanted them to do at Arizona while Lloyd needed you to do just that in the following seasons makes their departures worse.
I really liked Bal/Murauskas and I believed they would have been able to play that 3/D role better than Dell'Orso on this team simply because they were taller and/or more athletic to minimize mismatches.
#BearDown
Quote from: CactusCat on November 26, 2025, 07:45:33 PMQuote from: arxpert on November 25, 2025, 10:46:39 PMQuote from: KansasCityCats on November 25, 2025, 05:56:53 PMLloyd still allowed KJ to take 8.4 shots per game
I think "allowed" is a pretty strong word (and unfounded) - however it is a decent word to consider when you factor in how I stated all last season that Carter Bryant was not "allowed" to get up his shots.
The team was bad last year.
I don't care that we limped into the Sweet 16 out of spite for Tommy.
Henri was checked out in January and playing to make sure his payday went up in UNC behind the scenes.
Caleb Love was only focused on how he could become rosterable at the next level. We were not much of a Team.
Carter Bryant was never "allowed" to be "the guy"... but that was because of the Team not because of Tommy. Tommy lost institutional control last year. It was every man for himself.
KJ Lewis at his best sure played like a man who knew his family depended on the transfer money. I don't blame him at all.
Which players will sabotage t. lloyd due to their own interests this season in your opinion?
I have some concern growing with Ivan and Burries at the moment. Krivas would be absolutely devastating since Tommy is banking on him. Can't trust Mawut or Sidi either.
I want to trust Bryce James. So I will. But that is a whole different level of concern.
Quote from: mvpreed2 on November 27, 2025, 11:01:22 AMBal - Santa Clara
Boswell - Illinois
Lewis - Georgetown
Murauskas - St. Mary's
Veesaar - North Carolina
That is actually a pretty good starting 5... but also I would say that Borovician is doing well overall. New Mexico was solid last year and now he is with Xavier... Happy for the guy. Haven't heard much about E-Man Stephen, but we could have used him on the roster this season. I don't blame him for taking off though.
Boro Unheralded, but would make for a good 6 player in the Top group.
We really have yet to see what happens in a game where Krivas is ineffective or gets into foul trouble. Awaka is a very unique player for Arizona. Awaka + Koa can play "bigger" than they are. But I just imagine the difficulties we could run into unless Tommy is willing to get Sidi some minutes.
(also ALPHA-BAL)