Entering Big 12 media hype week, Arizona's Jaden Bradley dismisses preseason snub

Proclaimed the “best point guard in the country” on Arizona’s social media platform, and likely the Wildcats’ on-court leader this season, Jaden Bradley will enter Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center this week as just another guy.

Well, as one of many good players at least. The Big 12 men’s and women’s preseason media days this week at the site of the conference postseason tournament typically include the coach and three of each team’s best players.

Arizona is scheduled to bring Noelani Cornfield, Mickayla Perdue and Sumayah Sugapong to Tuesday’s women’s media day, while the UA men’s contingent on Wednesday is scheduled to include Bradley, center Tobe Awaka and forward Koa Peat.

But no Arizona players — men or women — were named to the preseason all Big 12 teams, a collection of the 10 players, each on the men’s and women’s side, who received the most votes from the league’s coaches.

That happened even though Bradley is the Wildcats’ top returning scorer (12.2 average points in Big 12 games) and finished in the Top 10 during conference play last season in assist-turnover ratio (1.9), free-throw percentage (85.0), steals (1.6) and assist-turnover ratio (1.9).

Regardless, UA coach Tommy Lloyd said Bradley probably cared less about the exclusion than he did, and that was pretty much the way Bradley expressed it after he and teammate Anthony Dell’Orso were asked about the lack of Wildcats on the all-Big 12 team.

“Our main goal is to win games with our effort and energy on the court, so we’re not really worried about that,” Bradley said. “You know, it’s only us at the end of the day and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to help each other succeed.”

By now, that sort of response is hardly a surprise from Bradley, nor is this one from Lloyd:

“JB is a great player and I’m not trading him. I love having him,” Lloyd said. “I’m not going to get into what other coaches are thinking or who deserves a vote. They can vote however they want. And to be honest with you, I really don’t care, because it has no impact on what we’re doing.

“JB is about helping our team win and that’s why we love him. He’s a good player who is always going to do what’s best for the team.”

Bradley did as much Saturday in the Wildcats’ 81-68 win over Saint Mary’s in an exhibition game at McKale Center.

He picked up three first-half fouls against the Gaels’ disciplined defense but still scored eight points before halftime — and then poured in 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting with two assists, no turnovers and no fouls in the second half to help the Wildcats pull out of a mostly tight game with Saint Mary’s.

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Lloyd said after the game that Bradley has gotten more comfortable, allowing some players to be more aggressive, and that he’s got some “talented young teammates who need to learn the ropes a little bit.”

While doing so, Bradley also needs to find a way to set up — or take — all those shots Caleb Love left behind.

It’s a balancing act.

“I thought the way he controlled the game in the second half was really, really impressive,” Lloyd said.

But afterward, typically, Bradley dished the credit elsewhere when asked if he was changing his game from focusing on going downhill, as he’s become more of a leader this season.

“Not really,” Bradley said. It’s “just taking what the defense is giving me. They’re probably gonna go under the ball screens, try to keep me out of the paint. My teammates believe in me, and I’m just trusting my work that I’ve been putting in.

“I was just trusting (them). Mo (Krivas) was feeding me and setting great screens and I was able to get downhill and finish.”

Bradley and the Wildcats will have one more chance to work out their chemistry before opening the regular season against defending NCAA champion Florida, hosting NAIA Embry-Riddle on Oct. 27 in their second exhibition game at McKale.

In between, Lloyd and the key UA players will squeeze in their appearance at Big 12 media day on Wednesday, where they will run through the typical car wash of podium interviews, small-group interviews, photo shoots and media partner outlet interviews.

According to the Big 12, the events will air on ESPNU and ESPN+ from 9 a.m. to noon both Tuesday and Wednesday and will include a black-carpeted “arrival walk” in which players and coaches can “showcase their individual style and personal brand” as they arrive.

How Bradley goes about all that remains to be seen. But all indications are he’ll be a bit more locked in when he returns to the T-Mobile Center next time, for the Big 12 Tournament in March.