The last of Arizona's three NBA-bound freshmen, Aussie wing Josh Green, made his official announcement Friday on Twitter.
Canβt wait for the next chapter... pic.twitter.com/JXdGYmd0Vr
— Josh Green (@josh_green6) April 10, 2020
Fellow freshman Zeke Nnaji announced his departure on March 31, while guard Nico Mannion did so on Tuesday, but there was no suspense in any of the moves while UA coaches have long been moving to fill their positions.
In the backcourt, Arizona has added Georgetown transfer guard James Akinjo and Seattle UA grad transfer Terrell Brown, along with incoming freshmen wings Dalen Terry and Ben Mathurin. They'll join Jemarl Baker who played both spots last season off the bench.
When asked about adding Akinjo in January, UA coach Sean Miller said that "We're losing Nico."
Green finished his one season at UA as the Wildcats' third-leading scorer, averaging 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 41.4% overall and 35.9% from 3. He improved as a long range shooter as last season went on but is mostly valued for an open-court game that maximizes his extreme length and athleticism.
ESPN rates him the No. 21 overall draft prospect in 2020.
Miller issued a statement via Twitter praising Green for his athleticism and determination.
βJoshβs athleticism and determination separate him from his competition, giving him an incredibly high ceiling as an NBA player.βCoach Miller on @josh_green6 declaring for the NBA Draft.#APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/1OuaDKjuK9
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) April 10, 2020
Here's another look at UA's 2020-21 roster as of now:
Tentative 2020-21 Arizona basketball roster
(Four scholarship spots remain open)
James Akinjo* Jr. G 6-0 Richmond, Calif.
Jemarl Baker Jr. G 6-4Β Menifee, Calif.
Jordan Brown So. F 6-11 Roseville, Calif.
Terrell Brown Sr. G 6-1 Seattle
Christian Koloko So. C 7-0 Douala, Cameroon
Ira Lee Sr. F 6-7 Los Angeles
Bennedict Mathurin Fr. F 6-6 Montreal
Dalen Terry Fr. G 6-6 Tempe
Brandon Williams** So. G 6-3 Los Angeles
*ineligible to play until December, barring an NCAA waiver.
**tentative pending health clearance and potential pro departure.
