Back in the states, and in G League, Trey Townsend enjoys reuniting with Wildcats

FORT WORTH, Texas – In order to make it home in time for a late dinner or evening of relaxing, most of the Arizona Wildcats quickly hustled out of Schollmaier Arena and on to the team bus Saturday afternoon.

That meant Trey Townsend had to work quickly.

After sitting next to conditioning coach Chris Rounds a few rows behind the UA bench during the Wildcats’ 86-73 win over the Horned Frogs, Townsend ventured into the locker room to catch up with coaches, players and staffers after the game.

He was among the last to leave, walking out with former teammate Tobe Awaka and others, then accompanied them on the walk across the chilly walkway adjacent to TCU’s football stadium that led to their bus.

“I’m obviously happy to be able to see these guys play down here,” Townsend said. “It’s nice.”

It was a coincidental extension of Townsend’s journey home after he spent the first four months of the season in Sweden following a one-game appearance in the NBA Summer League with the New Orleans Pelicans.

In Sweden, playing for the Koping Stars, Townsend averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 16 games while hitting 62.8% of his two-point shots.

But Townsend, who grew up and played exclusively in Michigan until joining the Wildcats in the summer of 2024, left Sweden to come home for Christmas and didn’t return.

Instead, he signed with the G League’s Texas Legends and traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina, to join the Legends for a New Year’s Eve game.

“I just wanted to come home and play here in a different situation,” Townsend said. “I was kind of just hanging out until an opportunity opened up.

“Sweden was a cool experience, and I met a lot of cool people there. Obviously the game is slightly different in Europe and that took a couple weeks to adjust to it.”

Now he’s adjusting back. Townsend tiptoed in with an eight-minute appearance at Greensboro, then logged a total of 13 minutes over two games in Mexico City.

Finally, on Friday, he made his debut on the Legends’ home floor in Frisco, Texas, scoring 11 points and picking up five rebounds against the Cleveland Charge before heading across town to watch the Wildcats on Saturday.

“Getting thrown right into the mix and playing right away has been kind of cool,” Townsend said. “I’m just trying to make it stick it out and make an opportunity with what I have now.”

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Delly breaks slump

By hitting 3 of 6 3-pointers Saturday at TCU, wing Anthony Dell’Orso pulled out of a 1-for-14 rut over the Wildcats’ previous four games.

“For sure, definitely (good) to get back,” Dell’Orso said. “Makes the emotions a little better. But the other day (against Kansas State) we won, and we’ve been winning, so I feel good every time.”

Shooting 31.9% from 3-point range for the season, Dell’Orso hit 1 of 5 3s against South Dakota State and was 0 for 3 against Bethune-Cookman, 0 for 1 against Utah and 0 for 5 against Kansas State.

UA coach Tommy Lloyd, once a shooter himself at Division III Whitman College, says it’s all part of the normal “ebb and flow” of a season. Dell’Orso started the season hitting 9 of 20s over the first four games of UA’s season, and hit 3 of 8 against San Diego State, but was less of a factor from long range in other games until Saturday.

“He hadn't played as well offensively as he would hope, and that's just how these seasons go,” Lloyd said. “To be a sniper is a hard deal. If your value is making 3s and shots off the dribble … there's a reason you guys are in the media and not playing, because it's really, really, really hard.

“You’re going to have stretches of the season where you don't shoot the ball well. I appreciate his resilience and how he hung with it. … Hopefully it'll kick start him for another positive stretch.”

Foiled by fouls again

The Wildcats started the season by paying a price for their physicality, even at home, and again in what was their third road game of the season on Saturday at TCU.

Arizona committed 22 fouls against Florida in the season opener, then 22 in their next game against Utah Tech, while also committing 21 against Denver and 22 against Auburn — despite playing those three games at McKale Center.

At TCU, the Wildcats were called for 21 fouls that sent the Horned Frogs to the line 24 times. TCU hit 17 of the 24 attempts, gaining six more points at the line than the Wildcats, who were 11 for 15.

“If people want to play us physical, we’ll play physical back,” Lloyd said. “Our guys probably have got to figure out how to find a few more advantages with that physicality.

“We had great officials (at TCU). We're not going to sit and beg for foul calls. On the road, this is how it goes sometimes. The other team plays spirited, and maybe there’s a few calls you wish go your way, but they don't. That's called reality and you deal with it. You don't whine and complain about it.”