Christian Koloko's decision, Kerr Kriisa's role among questions facing Cats

The Arizona Wildcats smashed all expectations in Tommy Lloyd’s first season as coach.

Picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12’s preseason poll, Arizona won both the Pac-12 regular-season and Pac-12 Tournament titles and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament en route to a Sweet 16 berth.

Now, the Wildcats will try to do it again. Here are five questions facing the UA as it reloads for the 2022-23 season:

Will Koloko stay or go?

Bennedict Mathurin likely won’t return. The Pac-12 Player of the Year is widely projected as a lottery pick, and some mock drafts have him going in the top five.

Will Christian Koloko join him in the NBA? The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Most Improved Player is projected as the No. 38 overall pick by ESPN.com. NBADraft.net has him 39th.

ESPN’s Mike Schmitz told the Star earlier this month that Arizona’s 7-foot shot-blocker is “like the Rudy Gobert of college basketball in some ways.”

“He has a couple clear skills that translate, like blocking shots. He’s one of the better rim protectors in the country. And catching lobs,” Schmitz said. “You have those vertical spacers that put a lot of pressure on the defense because of their ability to go up and finish. He’s got a pretty high floor because of that.”

Another season in Lloyd’s system could boost Koloko’s draft stock.

“Now, I think there’s another level he can get to, if he were to come back and improve some other things,” Schmitz said. “It’s a good problem to have if you’re both parties.”

What role will Kriisa have?

When asked to describe Arizona starting point guard Kerr Kriisa, Lloyd said: “Kerr’s a lot of bark and sometimes a little bite. Obviously, you guys see the personality and the antics, and he’s an emotional player, and he’s having fun is what he’s doing.”

Added Lloyd: “He’s easy to coach. He listens. He gives you eye contact. He’s got a high IQ. I haven’t had any issues with him coaching-wise all year, and I’ll roll with him every day of the week.”

Kriisa averaged 4.9 assists per game as a sophomore, the second-best mark in the Pac-12. He’s shown that he’s capable of leading the charge in Lloyd’s system, but his role could change if UA commit Kylan Boswell reclassifies to 2022 and enrolls in school.

A Boswell addition could move Kriisa to an off-ball, catch-and-shoot role on the perimeter. Dalen Terry shouldered point guard duties in a pinch; should he return and Boswell enroll, the Wildcats could have three ball-handlers in the starting lineup.

How will Tubelis learn from his tournament woes?

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Tubelis went missing in the Wildcats’ final two NCAA Tournament games, shooting a combined 2 for 15 from the field — and going 0 for 8 in Arizona’s Sweet 16 loss to Houston.

“He obviously didn’t play very good by his standards the last couple games. I felt like at the start of the second half he was giving us something, and we were kind of able to get him in some different short roll scenarios,” Lloyd said. “He got downhill, and he had one of those weekends where he couldn’t buy a shot.”

How will Arizona’s All-Pac-12 forward respond next season?

“I’m looking forward to taking a little bit of a rest for myself and for him and getting back in the gym with Zu,” Lloyd said. “I think he’s got a huge jump coming in his near future.”

Will Bal make a second-year jump?

Guard Adama Bal made a good first impression as a freshman, playing 15 combined minutes at Stanford and Cal after Tubelis suffered an ankle injury. Bal played again when Cal visited McKale Center in March, then splashed two 3-pointers in the Wildcats’ Pac-12 Tournament championship game win over UCLA.

“Right when those balls left his hand I’m like, ‘He’s gonna make that,’ so it’s a cool moment for him and a great moment for our team,” Lloyd said.

Bal is expected to take on a larger role next season.

“I think he’s gonna be a do-everything guard,” Lloyd said. “I think he’s got a really good feel for the game, a high IQ, and he’s getting a little nastier. He’s getting a little more physical and he’s a shot-maker.

“I just said a lot of good things right there. So his role is gonna be hopefully being one of our best players down the line.”

What will the IARP rule?

It’s been nearly five years since former UA assistant coach Book Richardson was arrested following a federal investigation into college basketball and more than a year since Arizona self-imposed a one-year postseason ban, but a resolution could soon be on its way.

The Independent Accountability Review Process is likely to rule before the start of the 2022-23 season. In a podcast interview earlier this spring, former UA coach Sean Miller — who has since been named the head coach at Xavier — said it would “100% come to a conclusion” this offseason. Arizona is facing five Level I infractions, one of which says Miller failed to monitor two assistant coaches accused of academic misconduct and improper recruiting inducements.

North Carolina State, which also took the IARP route for similar infractions, was not handed a postseason ban. Instead, the program will face recruiting limitations, scholarship reductions and pay a $5,000 fine. The Wolfpack will have a four-week ban on recruiting communication, an eight-day reduction of in-person visits and will lose one scholarship for the 2022-23 season.

Lloyd said he’s prepared for whatever comes.

“When I took this job, I knew what I was stepping into. And obviously the administration’s been 100% transparent,” Lloyd said. “And no one in the program had anything to do with what had transpired before. … I feel good moving forward that Arizona has been proactive in making sure we’re going to be tournament-eligible long term.”