'Lauri eats reindeer': Different backgrounds keep Arizona Wildcats loose, bonded
- Updated
The team's international flavor makes it unlike any that's come through campus.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Following Arizona’s Pac-12 title game victory in Las Vegas, Chance Comanche was asked a question about his name.
Bill Walton had referred to Comanche as “Chief” during a television broadcast, and a reporter was curious if that was OK with the Wildcats’ sophomore.
It was, Comanche said, and people have called him that since he was a kid. Comanche’s father is one-quarter Comanche, one-quarter Chocktaw and half African-American. Much of the UA sophomore’s extended family is Native American and lives in the South.
Comanche fits right in inside the Wildcats’ locker room.
“It’s just interesting, because everyone brings their own little characteristics to the table,” he said later. “Like, Lauri (Markkanen) eats reindeer. That’s not normal to us. Keanu (Pinder) eats kangaroos. Like, he’s ate a kangaroo. That catches you off guard.”
These Wildcats are international. Markkenen is from Finland, while Pinder hails from Australia and Dusan Ristic is Serbian. California has long been the Wildcats’ most fertile recruiting grounds, but this year’s team has only two scholarship players from the area: Comanche and Parker Jackson-Cartwright. Both are from Los Angeles.
Even the walk-ons are spread out: Kory Jones comes from Herndon, Virginia; Jake Desjardins from Henderson, Nevada; Tyler Trillo from Southbury, Connecticut; and Paulo Cruz from San Diego.
Together, they’re a team.
“I think off the court, everyone has a light-hearted personality,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “It’s really fun being around these guys. This is one of my favorite teams ever, at any level, because I think through all the pressure we go through every day, we can still have a lot of fun. I think that translates onto the floor. Our ability to laugh and ability to have fun off the floor really binds us and brings us together.”
Here’s a look at the Wildcats’ various backgrounds:
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: A dynamic scorer and fierce competitor. The MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament.
He said it: “Coach does a great job putting everyone in the place they’re supposed to be in. Guys are competing hard and playing for each other and we understand what our end goal is.” — Trier
Hometown: Seattle
Distance from Tucson: 1,500 miles
Population: 684,451
Local stars: Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Bill Gates, Sir Mix-A-Lot
Famous food: Seafood
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: A 7-footer with 3-point range and a likely NBA lottery pick.
He said it: “Lauri, man, he’s just consistent. He had a slump and he was still the same guy, nothing changed, still laughing, joking, putting the extra work in on his shot, and it showed.” — Kadeem Allen
Hometown: Jyvaskyla, Finland
Distance from Tucson: 5,400 miles
Population: 137,392
Local stars: Hanno Möttölä, Teemu Selanne
Famous food: Reindeer meat
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: The former junior college player of the year is an attacking combo guard, Arizona’s shut-down defender and its lone senior.
He said it: “Kadeem off the court is really playful. Really playful. When he first got here, I don’t think he said more than five words. I think as I got to know him, he just came out of his shell.” — Jackson-Cartwright
Hometown: Wilmington, N.C.
Distance from Tucson: 2,150 miles
Population: 115,933
Local stars: Sam Jones, Dennis Hopper, Willie Stargell
Famous food: Barbecue
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: Arizona’s steady, pass-first point guard who also is an efficient shooter.
He said it: “He’s always positive.” — Ristic
Hometown: Los Angeles
Distance from Tucson: 489 miles
Population: 4.03 million
Local stars: James Harden, Reggie Miller, too many celebrities to name
Famous food: In-N-Out Burger
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: A 6-foot-5 bruising wing who has been Arizona’s most consistent freshman contributor. Sean Miller called him a cross between Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson.
He said it: “Rawle is tough, but everyone got their little soft spot somewhere, and he be showing that every once in a while.” — Comanche
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Distance from Tucson: 2,400 miles
Population: 2.6 million
Local stars: Bernard King, Stephon Marbury, Mike Tyson, Larry David, Jay-Z
Famous food: Pizza
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: A 7-foot center with an impressive array of offensive low post moves.
He said it: “One of the nicest people on the team, just really genuine. He’d go to battle any day, for any of us. He probably has the biggest heart on the team. He never talks bad about anybody.” — Comanche
Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia
Distance from Tucson: 6,200 miles
Population: 341,625
Local stars: Nikola Jokic, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Nikola Tesla, Novak Djokovic
Famous food: Pljeskavica (meat patty)
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: An athletic reserve big man with potential.
Hometown: Beverly Hills, California
Distance from Tucson: 500 miles
Population: 34,109
Local stars: Romeo Miller, Percy Miller, Albert Brooks, Angelina Jolie
Famous food: Lawry’s Prime Rib
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: A bouncy 6-foot-5-inch guard with shooting range beyond the 3-point line.
They said it: “Me and Rawle come from the East Coast, other guys come from the West Coast, and we kinda talk different.” — Simmons
Hometown: Atlanta
Distance from Tucson: 1,700 miles
Population: 5.7 million
Local stars: Dwight Howard, Walt Frazier, Ludacris, Donald Glover, Andre 3000
Famous food: Fried chicken
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Who he is: An athletic, defensive-minded big man playing a key late-season role.
He said it: “(He’s) energy. High energy. He’s just trying to do his job and he’s trying so hard, and I told him a couple days ago in the weight room I’m proud of him. He’s been not playing, not getting a lot of minutes, so now it’s big-time for him.” — Kobi Simmons
Hometown: Perth, Australia
Distance from Tucson: 9,700 miles
Population: 2.194 million
Local stars: Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Heath Ledger
Famous food: Meat pie
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Following Arizona’s Pac-12 title game victory in Las Vegas, Chance Comanche was asked a question about his name.
Bill Walton had referred to Comanche as “Chief” during a television broadcast, and a reporter was curious if that was OK with the Wildcats’ sophomore.
It was, Comanche said, and people have called him that since he was a kid. Comanche’s father is one-quarter Comanche, one-quarter Chocktaw and half African-American. Much of the UA sophomore’s extended family is Native American and lives in the South.
Comanche fits right in inside the Wildcats’ locker room.
“It’s just interesting, because everyone brings their own little characteristics to the table,” he said later. “Like, Lauri (Markkanen) eats reindeer. That’s not normal to us. Keanu (Pinder) eats kangaroos. Like, he’s ate a kangaroo. That catches you off guard.”
These Wildcats are international. Markkenen is from Finland, while Pinder hails from Australia and Dusan Ristic is Serbian. California has long been the Wildcats’ most fertile recruiting grounds, but this year’s team has only two scholarship players from the area: Comanche and Parker Jackson-Cartwright. Both are from Los Angeles.
Even the walk-ons are spread out: Kory Jones comes from Herndon, Virginia; Jake Desjardins from Henderson, Nevada; Tyler Trillo from Southbury, Connecticut; and Paulo Cruz from San Diego.
Together, they’re a team.
“I think off the court, everyone has a light-hearted personality,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “It’s really fun being around these guys. This is one of my favorite teams ever, at any level, because I think through all the pressure we go through every day, we can still have a lot of fun. I think that translates onto the floor. Our ability to laugh and ability to have fun off the floor really binds us and brings us together.”
Here’s a look at the Wildcats’ various backgrounds:
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: A dynamic scorer and fierce competitor. The MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament.
He said it: “Coach does a great job putting everyone in the place they’re supposed to be in. Guys are competing hard and playing for each other and we understand what our end goal is.” — Trier
Hometown: Seattle
Distance from Tucson: 1,500 miles
Population: 684,451
Local stars: Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Bill Gates, Sir Mix-A-Lot
Famous food: Seafood
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: A 7-footer with 3-point range and a likely NBA lottery pick.
He said it: “Lauri, man, he’s just consistent. He had a slump and he was still the same guy, nothing changed, still laughing, joking, putting the extra work in on his shot, and it showed.” — Kadeem Allen
Hometown: Jyvaskyla, Finland
Distance from Tucson: 5,400 miles
Population: 137,392
Local stars: Hanno Möttölä, Teemu Selanne
Famous food: Reindeer meat
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: The former junior college player of the year is an attacking combo guard, Arizona’s shut-down defender and its lone senior.
He said it: “Kadeem off the court is really playful. Really playful. When he first got here, I don’t think he said more than five words. I think as I got to know him, he just came out of his shell.” — Jackson-Cartwright
Hometown: Wilmington, N.C.
Distance from Tucson: 2,150 miles
Population: 115,933
Local stars: Sam Jones, Dennis Hopper, Willie Stargell
Famous food: Barbecue
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: Arizona’s steady, pass-first point guard who also is an efficient shooter.
He said it: “He’s always positive.” — Ristic
Hometown: Los Angeles
Distance from Tucson: 489 miles
Population: 4.03 million
Local stars: James Harden, Reggie Miller, too many celebrities to name
Famous food: In-N-Out Burger
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: A 6-foot-5 bruising wing who has been Arizona’s most consistent freshman contributor. Sean Miller called him a cross between Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson.
He said it: “Rawle is tough, but everyone got their little soft spot somewhere, and he be showing that every once in a while.” — Comanche
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Distance from Tucson: 2,400 miles
Population: 2.6 million
Local stars: Bernard King, Stephon Marbury, Mike Tyson, Larry David, Jay-Z
Famous food: Pizza
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: A 7-foot center with an impressive array of offensive low post moves.
He said it: “One of the nicest people on the team, just really genuine. He’d go to battle any day, for any of us. He probably has the biggest heart on the team. He never talks bad about anybody.” — Comanche
Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia
Distance from Tucson: 6,200 miles
Population: 341,625
Local stars: Nikola Jokic, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Nikola Tesla, Novak Djokovic
Famous food: Pljeskavica (meat patty)
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: An athletic reserve big man with potential.
Hometown: Beverly Hills, California
Distance from Tucson: 500 miles
Population: 34,109
Local stars: Romeo Miller, Percy Miller, Albert Brooks, Angelina Jolie
Famous food: Lawry’s Prime Rib
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: A bouncy 6-foot-5-inch guard with shooting range beyond the 3-point line.
They said it: “Me and Rawle come from the East Coast, other guys come from the West Coast, and we kinda talk different.” — Simmons
Hometown: Atlanta
Distance from Tucson: 1,700 miles
Population: 5.7 million
Local stars: Dwight Howard, Walt Frazier, Ludacris, Donald Glover, Andre 3000
Famous food: Fried chicken
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Who he is: An athletic, defensive-minded big man playing a key late-season role.
He said it: “(He’s) energy. High energy. He’s just trying to do his job and he’s trying so hard, and I told him a couple days ago in the weight room I’m proud of him. He’s been not playing, not getting a lot of minutes, so now it’s big-time for him.” — Kobi Simmons
Hometown: Perth, Australia
Distance from Tucson: 9,700 miles
Population: 2.194 million
Local stars: Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Heath Ledger
Famous food: Meat pie
Tags
- Sweeps
- Arizona Basketball
- Arizona Wildcats Basketball
- Ua Basketball
- Ua Wildcats Basketball
- University Of Arizona Basketball
- University Of Arizona Wildcats Basketball
- U Of A Basketball
- U Of A Wildcats Basketball
- Kadeem Allen
- Allonzo Trier
- Rawle Alkins
- Lauri Markkanen
- Dusan Ristic
- Parker Jackson-cartwright
- Kobi Simmons
- Chance Comanche
- Keanu Pinder
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