Despite saying last month that he had the “best basketball year of my life” with the Arizona Wildcats last season, Dalen Terry made it clear this week that he’s ready to move on.
Projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the June 23 NBA Draft, Terry expressed no regrets in bypassing his junior season at Arizona to turn professional — even if he still has to fight for playing time while continuing to develop.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Terry told reporters after working out for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. “I’d rather be in the NBA and go through my struggles and trials and tribulations than be in college and be the star.
“A lot of guys wouldn’t say that, but I’m young kid and I want to get adjusted to the game. And obviously I’ve been playing basketball my life to be an NBA player. I didn’t play basketball since I was 2 to be a college player.”
Besides, Terry indicated, even if he’s picked low next week he might look like a much higher pick as his NBA career plays out in the future.
“I feel like there’s gonna be a redraft in 10 years and it’s gonna change no matter where I get drafted,” Terry said.
Terry averaged 8.0 points per game for the Wildcats last season as a secondary scoring option behind Bennedict Mathurin, Azuolas Tubelis and Christian Koloko.
Terry explained his view of that role to reporters in Portland.
“I feel like I’m the person who goes in to do what is needed for the team,” Terry said. “Benn averaged a lot of points. I’m a guy who can play (the No.) 1, 2, 3, maybe a little bit of 4 (positions). So I pride myself on passing the ball. I feel like I was the best passer on the team. Me passing the ball to Benn, and him scoring, I’d feel like I just scored, too. So I feel like eight points like is not really my average. I feel like I averaged 15.”
Terry was joined in Portland for the Trail Blazers’ workout by Shaedon Sharpe of Kentucky, Jeremy Sochan of Baylor, Jordan Hall of Saint Joseph’s, John Butler of Florida State and Jamaree Bouyea of San Francisco.
The Blazers hold picks Nos. 7, 36 and 57 in the June 23 NBA Draft. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Terry was projected to go 27th, with Mathurin projected to be picked sixth and former UA center Christian Koloko 37th.
In CBS’ latest mock draft, Terry is projected to go No. 17, while Mathurin is at No. 9 and Koloko at 32, the second pick of the second round.
Wildcats add Utah Tech game
Arizona has added a Nov. 17 nonconference game against Utah Tech at McKale Center.
A school in St. George, Utah that will be known as Dixie State until July 1, Utah Tech began transitioning to Division I in 2020-21. The Trailblazers were 13-18 overall and 6-12 in the WAC last season, finishing with a No. 278 ranking by Kenpom.com.
Arizona has three remaining home games to fill for next season. So far, its nonconference home schedule also includes NAU (Nov. 7), Southern (Nov. 11), and Tennessee (Dec. 17). The Wildcats are also scheduled to play in the Nov. 21-23 Maui Invitational and against Indiana on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.
The Wildcats will also work in two early-season Pac-12 games — at Utah on Dec. 1 and against Cal at McKale Center on Dec. 4 — though the rest of the Pac-12 schedule has not yet been announced.
Section 7 showcase begins
Arizona coaches are expected to evaluate top Class of 2024 targets — and get another look at Gilbert Perry 2023 forward Cody Williams — at the Section 7 high school basketball showcase at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium this weekend.
Coaches will be allowed to attend the event once the NCAA recruiting evaluation window opens Friday at noon, and the Section 7 event includes many high schools in the West that have Division I prospects on their rosters. It was created in 2019 out of the NCAA’s push to de-emphasize the influence of club-ball programs, but was skipped in 2020 because of COVID concerns before returning last season.
The Section 7 event will include 229 teams from 12 states, all spread out on 12 floors inside the stadium. For the first time this year, admission is free for friends, family and fans alike. Full schedules and brackets can be found on the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) app.
Fois to coach Italian national teams
Arizona assistant coach Riccardo Fois left this week to spend the bulk of the summer working with the national team programs of his native Italy.
According to the Italian basketball federation, Fois was named an assistant coach both for the senior team’s World Cup qualifying games and for an experimental U23 team that will compete at a tournament in July at Toronto.
Italy’s senior national team is scheduled to begin training Monday, then face Luka Doncic and Slovenia in an exhibition game on June 25 at Trieste, Italy. The Italians are then scheduled to face the Netherlands on July 4 in the final game of the first round to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Italy is 2-1 so far in World Cup qualifying games, beating the Netherlands 75-73 on Nov. 29, losing 107-105 to Iceland on Feb. 24 but beating Iceland 95-87 on Feb. 27.
Veesaar to play for Estonia
The Estonian basketball federation, meanwhile, announced this week that incoming UA freshman Henri Veesaar is one of 21 players training for its 2023 World Cup qualifying team.
Estonia, 2-2 in qualifying games so far, is scheduled to play Germany on June 30 in Tallinn, Estonia, and Israel on July 3 in Tel Aviv.
UA point guard Kerr Kriisa has spent the early offseason months working out in Tucson but is expected to join the Estonian team later this summer.
