PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Because he joined a team with three 7-footers already, Trey Townsend no longer has to pretend he is one.
That’s freedom. As the Lou Henson (mid-major) Player of the Year at Oakland (Mich.) last season, Townsend found restrictions to his versatility that aren’t a problem at Arizona.
“I feel I can stretch the ball out, drive it, shoot the 3,” Townsend said. “At Oakland, we didn’t have 7-footers that could play the five. I was a center there.”
Arizona has so many 7-footers that one of them, promising freshman Emmanuel Stephen, is redshirting this season. The other two, Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesaar, are part of a talented but still somewhat disjointed post rotation that UA coach Tommy Lloyd has been sorting through.
Lloyd started rugged 6-foot-8-inch Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka at center for the Wildcats’ first three games of the regular season while Krivas was coming back slowly from a preseason foot injury, then started Krivas on Nov. 22 against Duke.
After Krivas posted just five points and five rebounds (but also five assists) against the Blue Devils, Lloyd turned back to Awaka to start throughout the Battle 4 Atlantis.
“It’s just me trying to kind of figure out a way to take advantage of these bigs that we have and utilize them as a valuable asset,” Lloyd said. “I think they can be that when we put this team together. We’ve got to figure that out as a staff.”
The UA staff, at least, may not have to worry about where to send the bulk of the power forward minutes anymore. It’s just a matter of who plays alongside Townsend in the post at center: Awaka or one of the 7-footers.
Townsend averaged 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds over three games in the Battle 4 Atlantis, while shooting 58.0% overall and hitting three of seven 3-pointers. Proving one of Arizona’s few reliable weapons in the event, Townsend was given a season-high 33 minutes on Thursday in UA’s 82-77 loss to Oklahoma and then another new season-high of 41 minutes in the Wildcats’ 83-76 overtime loss to West Virginia on Friday.
Trey Townsend hit a groove as UA’s starting power forward after a slow start to the season, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 58.1% over the last three games.
Townsend wound up with 19 points and four rebounds against the Mountaineers, while hitting all four free throws he took.
“Trey’s been playing really well and it’s just become a real steadying force for us,” Lloyd said. “It’s fun to see how we’re going to find ways to utilize him. He made some big-time plays to keep us in that game.”
That was pretty much what Lloyd appeared to be looking for when he went to recruit Townsend out of the portal last spring, needing to replace the skillset and experience of departed power forward Keshad Johnson.
After his Battle 4 Atlantis performance, Townsend’s season averages in points (11.1) and rebounds (4.7) are closely approaching those that Johnson left behind (11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds)
Townsend was averaging just 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds before UA went to the Bahamas but he showed promise with a 17-point outing at Wisconsin on Nov. 14.
After that game, played in the Midwest footprint where Townsend is from and made a name for himself at Oakland, Townsend kept the momentum. He had just four points against Duke but still came up with seven rebounds, one assist and a block.
Often in recent games, Townsend has taken the ball inside to score or draw a foul against bigger players, much like he did at Oakland.
“I feel for me, it’s all about confidence,” Townsend said after the West Virginia game. “The beginning of the regular season, I was struggling with that. But my teammates have the utmost belief in me. So I’ve been playing with a lot of confidence and really trying to trust my defense. I felt every time I was touching the ball, we were building momentum. “
UA didn’t ultimately have enough against West Virginia to avoid the loss that put them at 1-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis and 3-4 overall this season. But they will get a chance to face the Mountaineers again in six weeks, early in the Big 12 season.
By then, Townsend might be in an even better place.
“I enjoy the position that I’m in here, expanding my game,” Townsend said. “And I think me being able to play my true position ultimately helps our team.”
