Ivan Kharchenkov 6'7 2025 SF Has Committed To ARIZONA!

[arxpert]

He'll play Peat and Burries heavily. I think Aristode will get more minutes than James.

That is only conventional thought. When the competition really begins we will find out if Aristode is the guy everyone is hyping up. Simply starting him over Bryce is not important. Not allowing for a healthy competition for the minutes is what Tommy excels at and makes the environment unhealthy. That is how Tommy loses the locker room every season earlier and earlier in the season and we all come to the boards to complain about why we are losing games we should win when it is clear as day there is talent on the bench that is not allowed to play.

Carter Bryant literally only played because of SloMo's injury. Otherwise he would have been sitting there as an unknown who would have showed up to the NBA Combine/Pro Day and randomly gotten drafted for his measurables instead of coming back. He raised his stock to probably a Top 6 pick or at least to the Wizards or Pelicans potentially depending on how Draft Night Trades pan out with very LIMITED opportunity.

I am always on record stating Tommy cannot handle coaching a deep roster. 8 Players is his limit. 20 minutes out of 9 guys on paper is very misleading with his approach and at the same time the rotations/substitutions are always glitched with Tommy.

The only silver lining is this season Tommy doesn't have a true Ball Hog on the team, but if he is going to allow Bradley to try to get 20 a night taking 9 3's then we are done already - that would be losing the locker room before we even start. There should be no less than 7 players scoring in double digits this season with this roster.

Which aspect of his 6PPG and 3 RPG in high school are more polished than Aristide (who would have been an all American, if it weren't for his injury)?

James will be a stud because he's extremely athletic, plays hard, has a chip on his shoulder and has a legend training him in the driveway. Realistically, he needs some time, before he's ready to steal minutes from our deep corps of wings.

We aren't deep. This is the trap you and others fall for every year and there is barely any Power Conference experience on the team. Tommy has to leverage the incoming Talent and not DEFAULT to older players who have proven to be pushed around by the likes of Power teams.

[KansasCityCats]

Fans on this site are dedicated enough to follow Arizona throughout the offseason. If these fans hold completely different expectations regarding the starting lineup, then the Cats are therefore deep.

It's ok to criticize the inexperience for our two backup centers. Otherwise, Lloyd has a lot of experienced AND young talent.

Also, if Carter had a smile on his face and did nothing but thank the staff/fans after a season full of limited minutes...there is NO way that anybody in their right mind could think that our staff "lost the locker room".

I've seen Stephen hugging guys in the tunnel, Delly pumping up teammates and Bryant high-fiving everybody in sight. This team is a family and unless you are completely disassociated with the program, you'd agree. 

[arxpert]

This team is a family and unless you are completely disassociated with the program, you'd agree.

Ummm.. you just repeat what I always say.

Talking last season, the players definitely played for each other. Even more so, they knew that they had to because Money was on the line. When the lowest of lows occurred, it was definitely not Tommy that fixed it. If you want to give Carter the credit for stepping up, ok. If you think that KJ Lewis was playing FOR TOMMY by offering to go to the bench (and if you truly believe that heartwarming story), then you are the only disassociated. These players played for themselves and each other, but they certainly didn't play for Tommy last year nor the year before for that matter.

Except Liam. Of course he played for Tommy.

This season, I am hoping to see something different. Tommy only has 1 real experienced player on the team. Bradley. So it will be on Tommy Lloyd to help direct this squad to whatever ceiling it has. If the team does not reach the 1/2 seed level of other standard's past, then Tommy didn't do his job. There is enough talent to do so, but there certainly is no depth on this roster. We have what we have.

Bradley, Awaka, and a few games of Krivas

"Nelly" is not Power 4 Qualified.

The rest is all inexperienced to this Level. Period.

I don't know what expectations there really should be anymore because it is up to Tommy to Coach inexperienced players and Tommy is not a Leader of Men so far albeit he may be America's favorite College Basketball Dad

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For those who have watched his tape, does Ivan have the requisite skill set to play some SG on offense while defending the SF on defense?

[KansasCityCats]

That's cute. The players huddled up and played for each other while the staff simultaneous "lost" the locker room? You clearly haven't been around the team throughout the past four years because the staff is heavily involved.

[arxpert]

That's cute. The players huddled up and played for each other while the staff simultaneous "lost" the locker room? You clearly haven't been around the team throughout the past four years because the staff is heavily involved.

It is abundantly clear last year was a throwaway until the players got together and decided to make the best of it. Tommy did very little last season by way of coaching. Love had all the influence and his troops followed him into battle... well, some of them at least. We know this as KJ bolted as soon as he could. Go ahead, tell me KJ was scared of Dwayne Aristode. After tooting his horn for all his Heart that he put in two-ways. Lol

[KansasCityCats]

KJ's injury was devastating. That was the single factor in his limited PT, which led to his departure.

His shot fell apart and he unfortunately became a liability, which sucks because his defense and aggression under the basket are tremendous.

A healthy Lewis will be missed in Tucson.

[arxpert]

KJ's injury was devastating. That was the single factor in his limited PT, which led to his departure.

His shot fell apart and he unfortunately became a liability, which sucks because his defense and aggression under the basket are tremendous.

A healthy Lewis will be missed in Tucson.

Well, he is gone, but he didn't get replaced by recruiting. He just was treated poorly and moved on like many other recruits. Tommy brought nobody in that could play experienced College Basketball with that type of grit. Before you pop off about the ALMIGHTY ARISTODE, let him play some of those high level OOC games at 25-30min as 6th Man and see how he does before comparing.

It is a Two Way Game and right now we only have basically 1 guy who can play Two Ways with Experience.

So no, I do not buy that an injury that led to a "broken shot" in a very tight window to compete in was the reason Tommy kicked him to the curb. If it was the injury, then he has had time to heal. If it is the faux story that his dream was to play for the ALLLLLLMIGHTY Hoyas of Georgetown, then LMAO because that just can circle back to how Arizona was well on it's way to being a proverbial Georgetown with far less Accolade and Tradition before Sean "The Penguin" Miller came and Saved the Entire program from becoming 100% irrelevant.

SORRY TO ROY HIBBERT AND OTTO PORTER JR who I knowwww are watching this post.

I sincerely hope KJ Lewis helps lead the Hoyas to a Big Dance Bid.

[zoescout]

That is just stupid and really makes no sense. KJ was not forced out/ He was encouraged to find the best opportunities for him. At the same time UofA was going to overrecruit him. KJ was a great on defense and a liability on offense. Will be the same for Georgetown.

[KansasCityCats]

KJ's 3P% dropped in HALF from his freshman year, and specifically fell apart when he started wearing the wrap on his shooting hand. There's a direct correlation with the decline of his shot.

Aristode has potential but I don't know if he's the guy to immediately replace him.  The talent exists but he has to be fully recovered from his injury. I personally think the SF position will be a committee.