On the court, Arizona forward Tobe Awaka throws his 250 pounds around so strategically and aggressively that he ranks among the top 16 players nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.
Off the court, sometimes, he doesn't use an ounce of it.
At least that was the impression UA coach Tommy Lloyd gave when he relayed the potentially difficult conversation he had with Awaka before the Wildcats’ 69-55 loss to Duke on Friday, telling the tenacious Tennessee transfer that he was being replaced in the starting lineup by Lithuanian sophomore Motiejus Krivas.
“I probably didn't do Tobe a good service,” Lloyd said. “I told him before the game that I was thinking about doing this, and he was so agreeable because he's such a great dude.”
Lloyd was kicking himself, not just because he felt bad about Awaka but also because it didn’t work out. Awaka entered Friday’s game averaging 10.3 points and 12.3 rebounds – but was scoreless with three rebounds and two turnovers in 12 minutes off the bench against the Blue Devils.
Arizona forward Tobe Awaka, left, and Duke guard Kon Knueppel chase after a loose ball in the first half of their game at McKale Center on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
Krivas had just five points and four rebounds in 21 minutes, though he did lead the Wildcats in assists with five.
“Big Mo is a good player and he's gonna have a great season, but he's still coming back from the injury,” Lloyd said. “I think this will be a great learning experience for him, and something for me to figure out.”
At the same time, the Wildcats’ two power forwards also struggled: Trey Townsend had only four points to go with his seven rebounds while Henri Veesaar had two points and five rebounds.
It was not a surprise that Krivas would start at some point – he had been expected to until an August foot injury cost him most of the preseason – but Lloyd indicated the timing maybe wasn’t right. Or the mix.
“He's been practicing better, and we're kind of amping him up,” Lloyd said of Krivas. “I might not have made the right decision starting him. He’s a starting level player, but he didn't play great. Tobe has been playing so good, and Tobe not starting had nothing to do with him."
Duke guard Cooper Flagg goes for the ball against Arizona center Motiejus Krivas during the second half on Nov. 22, 2024, in Tucson.
In Lloyd’s past seasons at Arizona, the post rotation almost appeared to sort itself out. In 2021-22, he had Azuolas Tubelis at power forward and Christian Koloko at center, with Oumar Ballo a backup. In 2022-23, Ballo moved into the starting lineup next to Tubelis. Then last season, Ballo teamed with veteran power forward Keshad Johnson, and Krivas came off the bench.
Each of those three seasons, the Wildcats sometimes needed wings to scoot over and help out at power forward: Dalen Terry in 2021-22, Cedric Henderson in 2022-23 and Pelle Larsson both of the past two seasons.
This time, depth is not a problem. It’s the assembly part.
Lloyd has two capable 7-footers, Krivas and Veesaar, plus the rugged 6-8 Awaka and the versatile 6-6 Townsend.
Mix and match, somehow, some way. That’s why Lloyd said he made the decision to start Krivas, pairing the 7-2 Lithuanian with the undersized Townsend.
“This was me, trying to figure out how to play these four bigs,” Lloyd said. “My overriding thought has been that Mo and Trey could be a good combo, and that Henry and Tobe could be a good combo.”
Lloyd could let potential matchups dictate the combinations from game to game. He hasn’t done that at Arizona, typically settling on a consistent starting lineup and rotation, but appeared open to it.
“Those are all things I’ve got to figure out,” Lloyd said. “I got to figure out what makes our players most comfortable and most effective.”
Lloyd also has some decisions to make on the wing, where to best fit in talented and versatile freshman Carter Bryant and perimeter shooter Anthony Dell’Orso alongside starters KJ Lewis and Caleb Love.
Duke Blue Devils guard Sion James (14) makes a basket over Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) and Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) at McKale Center.
Part of the problem, of course, is that Bryant, Dell’Orso, Towsend and Awaka are all trying to work themselves into a team that lost four starters from last season.
“It's a new atmosphere, new system for them,” Lewis said. “So from the coach down to the vets, we’ve just got to be better as a group to help them fit right into what we want to do.”
Lewis has been one of Arizona’s most dependable players so far while the only question about point guard Jaden Bradley appears to be how many minutes he can reasonably play (Bradley logged 35 at Wisconsin and 34 against Duke).
“Those dudes play incredibly hard,” Lloyd said. “But what I’ve got to figure out is why the pieces aren't fitting together as well as I would like, or as well as we're used to.
“It’s nothing with those guys but I’m definitely looking more at the bigger picture now than just individual performances. Because to me, this is a team game.”
