Alkins' return, Akot's arrival make Arizona Wildcats national title contender: 2017-18 roster breakdown
- Updated
Here's a look at what the Wildcats might look like next season.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When the NCAA first gave underclassmen another six weeks to consider pro basketball last spring — and thus make college coaches’ recruiting efforts more difficult — the Arizona Wildcats escaped unharmed.
Just over two weeks after the 2015-16 season, Allonzo Trier declared that he was coming back for his sophomore season and everyone in the program moved on. No testing the waters, no NBA Combine, no down-to-the-wire drama. Just a quick return to Sean Miller’s offseason program.
The Wildcats weren't so lucky this time.
Chance Comanche declared for the NBA Draft.
Rawle Alkins tested the NBA Draft waters without an agent, but announced May 21 that he's returning to the Wildcats for his sophomore season.
Trier, on the other hand, didn't test the waters and quickly announced on April 13 that he'll return for his junior season.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The return of Trier and Alkins — along with the arrival of Emmanuel Akot — will help Arizona, as have the irrevocable decisions of Lauri Markkanen, Kobi Simmons and Chance Comanche to leave.
Here’s how the Wildcats’ 2017-18 roster situation stands:
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Guard
Height: 6 feet 5 inches
Weight: 205 pounds
Will be: A junior next season
2016-17 stats: 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game, 39.1 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting shooting guard
Analysis: Trier faced a tough decision: He wasn't a projected first-round NBA Draft pick but, at age 21, the clock was ticking to start a pro career. Trier decided to return with hopes of boosting his stock and sliding into the first round of the 2018 draft. It beats a likely second-round selection this year and a long climb to the league.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Guard/forward
Height: 6-5
Weight: 220
Will be: A sophomore next season
2016-17 stats: 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game, 37.0 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting small forward
Analysis: Alkins was a consistent jack-of-all-trades for the Wildcats last season. He and Trier are both listed as second-round picks in 2018 by Draft Express, which incorporates information about when a player appears likely to leave.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Point guard
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 24.9 minutes per game, 42.3 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting point guard
Analysis: Jackson-Cartwright will likely be the starting point guard next season unless Arizona lands five-star Delaware guard Trevon Duval. Jackson-Cartwright has particularly excelled in faster-paced games and is a smartly selective 3-point shooter.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning — UA confirmed on April 14 that Ristic will return for his senior season.
Position: Center
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 22.8 minutes per game, 55.6 field goal percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting center
Analysis: The Serbian-born center has additional leverage if he wants to seek a European pro career at any point because in many cases he wouldn’t count as an import on a team roster. Still, he will return for his senior season before pursuing a pro career in the NBA or overseas. An offensively skilled inside presence from the moment he stepped onto Arizona’s campus in 2014, Ristic has slowly increased his defensive ability in part through rigorous offseason work.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Forward
Height: 6-9
Weight: 220
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 2.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 12 minutes per game, 53.7 field goal percentage.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: Signed out of junior college last spring as a role player or possible redshirt, Pinder was needed immediately because of injuries to Ray Smith and Talbott Denny. Pinder earned heavy minutes late in the season when the Wildcats faced teams with smaller frontcourts — especially at Arizona State and against Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament, where he started in order to prevent Lauri Markkanen from picking up early fouls against Dillon Brooks.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Forward
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: Denny missed last season while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: The grad transfer from Lipscomb is expected to get approval for a sixth year in 2017-18 because he missed two seasons due to injuries. He tore an ACL in August before preseason practices even began, robbing UA of a potential role-playing reserve who might have helped in injury or foul-trouble situations.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Returning
Position: Guard
Height: 6-5
Weight: 170
Will be: A sophomore next season
2016-17 stats: Smith sat out last season after transferring from UNC Asheville.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: UNC Asheville’s leading scorer in 2015-16 lofted nearly two-thirds of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc and hit 34.9 percent of them. He also shot 82.2 percent from the free-throw line. His shooting skill could help the Wildcats against zone defenses.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 7-0
Weight: 235
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 27.9 points, 18.2 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 3.3 assists per game as a senior at Phoenix's Hillcrest Prep Academy.
Next year's projected role: Starting power forward
Analysis: A player with Ayton's credentials might not be a lock to arrive on campus, particularly after Terrance Ferguson’s 11th-hour decision to sign a pro contract in Australia last summer instead of attending Arizona. But Ayton says his mom is insisting that he attend one year of college before turning pro. Ayton is likely to replace Markkanen at power forward, though his game is slightly less perimeter-oriented than the Finnish big man's was.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Arriving
Position: Guard
Height: 6-6
Weight: 180
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists per game as a senior at Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: Late-blooming wing had a strong senior season, and is another strong outside shooter. He’s also a strong passer with a high basketball IQ — in fact, he’s known to be a very good student in the classroom, too.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Arriving
Position: Guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 24.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a senior at Tempe Corona del Sol High School.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: Even before he scraped out a 25-point effort in the Class 6A state title game despite suffering flu-like symptoms that had him throwing up at halftime, Barcello’s frame and intensity had already drawn comparisons to T.J. McConnell. He’s also a confident shooter who will look to score as needed, though at UA he’s likely to make more plays for others.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: Senior stats from Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California unavailable.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: Despite a shoulder injury that sidelined him early last season, Lee managed to improve offensively with a game that is already strong in defense and rebounding. His high motor and defense may earn him some time in a potentially crowded frontcourt rotation next season.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 6-7
Weight: 190
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: Junior stats from Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah unavailable.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: By choosing to pass up his senior season at Utah’s Wasatch Academy for a likely reserve role with Arizona next season, Akot has already indicated he’s buying in. A versatile 6-foot-7 forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Akot has the size and skills to play a wing position but also enough of a passing touch that he could even develop into a point guard over time.
“He was our backup point, we posted him up and he worked a lot on his outside shot,” Wasatch coach Curtis Condie said. “He was more consistent about (his shot) and when he wants to be, he can be an outstanding defender.”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Status: Transfer from Duke
Position: Forward
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
Will be: A redshirting junior next season
2016-17 stats: 2.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 14.9 minutes per game as a sophomore at Duke.
Next year's projected role: Jeter will sit out per NCAA transfer rules.
Analysis: The son of a Jerry Tarkanian-era Runnin’ Rebel aimed to find a school closer to his Las Vegas roots. He will have to sit out a year as a transfer, but UA coach Sean Miller has increasingly sought players who have a year to learn UA's system before becoming eligible.
When the NCAA first gave underclassmen another six weeks to consider pro basketball last spring — and thus make college coaches’ recruiting efforts more difficult — the Arizona Wildcats escaped unharmed.
Just over two weeks after the 2015-16 season, Allonzo Trier declared that he was coming back for his sophomore season and everyone in the program moved on. No testing the waters, no NBA Combine, no down-to-the-wire drama. Just a quick return to Sean Miller’s offseason program.
The Wildcats weren't so lucky this time.
Chance Comanche declared for the NBA Draft.
Rawle Alkins tested the NBA Draft waters without an agent, but announced May 21 that he's returning to the Wildcats for his sophomore season.
Trier, on the other hand, didn't test the waters and quickly announced on April 13 that he'll return for his junior season.
The return of Trier and Alkins — along with the arrival of Emmanuel Akot — will help Arizona, as have the irrevocable decisions of Lauri Markkanen, Kobi Simmons and Chance Comanche to leave.
Here’s how the Wildcats’ 2017-18 roster situation stands:
Status: Returning
Position: Guard
Height: 6 feet 5 inches
Weight: 205 pounds
Will be: A junior next season
2016-17 stats: 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game, 39.1 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting shooting guard
Analysis: Trier faced a tough decision: He wasn't a projected first-round NBA Draft pick but, at age 21, the clock was ticking to start a pro career. Trier decided to return with hopes of boosting his stock and sliding into the first round of the 2018 draft. It beats a likely second-round selection this year and a long climb to the league.
Status: Returning
Position: Guard/forward
Height: 6-5
Weight: 220
Will be: A sophomore next season
2016-17 stats: 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game, 37.0 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting small forward
Analysis: Alkins was a consistent jack-of-all-trades for the Wildcats last season. He and Trier are both listed as second-round picks in 2018 by Draft Express, which incorporates information about when a player appears likely to leave.
Status: Returning
Position: Point guard
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 24.9 minutes per game, 42.3 3-point percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting point guard
Analysis: Jackson-Cartwright will likely be the starting point guard next season unless Arizona lands five-star Delaware guard Trevon Duval. Jackson-Cartwright has particularly excelled in faster-paced games and is a smartly selective 3-point shooter.
Status: Returning — UA confirmed on April 14 that Ristic will return for his senior season.
Position: Center
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 22.8 minutes per game, 55.6 field goal percentage.
Next year's projected role: Starting center
Analysis: The Serbian-born center has additional leverage if he wants to seek a European pro career at any point because in many cases he wouldn’t count as an import on a team roster. Still, he will return for his senior season before pursuing a pro career in the NBA or overseas. An offensively skilled inside presence from the moment he stepped onto Arizona’s campus in 2014, Ristic has slowly increased his defensive ability in part through rigorous offseason work.
Status: Returning
Position: Forward
Height: 6-9
Weight: 220
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: 2.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 12 minutes per game, 53.7 field goal percentage.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: Signed out of junior college last spring as a role player or possible redshirt, Pinder was needed immediately because of injuries to Ray Smith and Talbott Denny. Pinder earned heavy minutes late in the season when the Wildcats faced teams with smaller frontcourts — especially at Arizona State and against Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament, where he started in order to prevent Lauri Markkanen from picking up early fouls against Dillon Brooks.
Status: Returning
Position: Forward
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215
Will be: A senior next season
2016-17 stats: Denny missed last season while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: The grad transfer from Lipscomb is expected to get approval for a sixth year in 2017-18 because he missed two seasons due to injuries. He tore an ACL in August before preseason practices even began, robbing UA of a potential role-playing reserve who might have helped in injury or foul-trouble situations.
Status: Returning
Position: Guard
Height: 6-5
Weight: 170
Will be: A sophomore next season
2016-17 stats: Smith sat out last season after transferring from UNC Asheville.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: UNC Asheville’s leading scorer in 2015-16 lofted nearly two-thirds of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc and hit 34.9 percent of them. He also shot 82.2 percent from the free-throw line. His shooting skill could help the Wildcats against zone defenses.
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 7-0
Weight: 235
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 27.9 points, 18.2 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 3.3 assists per game as a senior at Phoenix's Hillcrest Prep Academy.
Next year's projected role: Starting power forward
Analysis: A player with Ayton's credentials might not be a lock to arrive on campus, particularly after Terrance Ferguson’s 11th-hour decision to sign a pro contract in Australia last summer instead of attending Arizona. But Ayton says his mom is insisting that he attend one year of college before turning pro. Ayton is likely to replace Markkanen at power forward, though his game is slightly less perimeter-oriented than the Finnish big man's was.
Status: Arriving
Position: Guard
Height: 6-6
Weight: 180
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists per game as a senior at Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: Late-blooming wing had a strong senior season, and is another strong outside shooter. He’s also a strong passer with a high basketball IQ — in fact, he’s known to be a very good student in the classroom, too.
Status: Arriving
Position: Guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: 24.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a senior at Tempe Corona del Sol High School.
Next year's projected role: Reserve guard
Analysis: Even before he scraped out a 25-point effort in the Class 6A state title game despite suffering flu-like symptoms that had him throwing up at halftime, Barcello’s frame and intensity had already drawn comparisons to T.J. McConnell. He’s also a confident shooter who will look to score as needed, though at UA he’s likely to make more plays for others.
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: Senior stats from Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California unavailable.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: Despite a shoulder injury that sidelined him early last season, Lee managed to improve offensively with a game that is already strong in defense and rebounding. His high motor and defense may earn him some time in a potentially crowded frontcourt rotation next season.
Status: Arriving
Position: Forward
Height: 6-7
Weight: 190
Will be: A freshman next season
2016-17 stats: Junior stats from Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah unavailable.
Next year's projected role: Reserve forward
Analysis: By choosing to pass up his senior season at Utah’s Wasatch Academy for a likely reserve role with Arizona next season, Akot has already indicated he’s buying in. A versatile 6-foot-7 forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Akot has the size and skills to play a wing position but also enough of a passing touch that he could even develop into a point guard over time.
“He was our backup point, we posted him up and he worked a lot on his outside shot,” Wasatch coach Curtis Condie said. “He was more consistent about (his shot) and when he wants to be, he can be an outstanding defender.”
Status: Transfer from Duke
Position: Forward
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
Will be: A redshirting junior next season
2016-17 stats: 2.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 14.9 minutes per game as a sophomore at Duke.
Next year's projected role: Jeter will sit out per NCAA transfer rules.
Analysis: The son of a Jerry Tarkanian-era Runnin’ Rebel aimed to find a school closer to his Las Vegas roots. He will have to sit out a year as a transfer, but UA coach Sean Miller has increasingly sought players who have a year to learn UA's system before becoming eligible.
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- Parker Jackson-cartwright
- Dusan Ristic
- Keanu Pinder
- Talbott Denny
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- Rawle Alkins
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