Arizona basketball coach Tommy Lloyd last year made the choice of keeping 7-foot, 2-inch Motiejus Krivas and watching 7-foot Henri Veesaar transfer to North Carolina.
Veesaar's statistics are superior to those of Krivas; Veesaar averages 17.1 points with 9.2 rebounds. Krivas averages 11.3 points with 8.4 rebounds. Veesaar is a 3-point threat. Krivas is not.
But the UA's analytics prove that Krivas is much more valuable than his statistics. The Wildcats keep another statisticΒ β "shots bothered" or "shots affected and altered"Β β and Krivas thrives in that area. He may not be a shot blocker like Loren Woods or a rebounder like Deandre Ayton, he's not a rim-runner nor a threat on the pick-and-roll, but his presence inside goes beyond the numbers.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas forces an awkward shot from Cincinnati guard Jizzle James during the first half of their Big 12 game, Jan. 21, 2026, in Tucson.
Krivas could finish with a double-double average of points and rebounds, but his value as a "presence" or "rim protector" or just a plain "menace" is what has most helped Arizona to the nation's No. 1 ranking.
