When he chose to play college basketball at Alabama over Arizona back in September 2021, five-star guard Jaden Bradley said he had “some questions” about the Wildcats.
He could hardly be blamed for that. Arizona had just fired coach Sean Miller, was entering its first season under rookie coach Tommy Lloyd and still could see NCAA storm clouds hanging over McKale Center.
But that wasn’t really the main thing, Bradley said Wednesday after committing to the Wildcats as a rising sophomore transfer.
“At the time, Alabama just felt like a better fit,” Bradley said.
Less than two years later, things have changed considerably, for Bradley and the Wildcats.
Arizona won 61 games over two seasons and back-to-back Pac-12 Tournament titles under Lloyd, while the school escaped a postseason ban when its NCAA infractions case was finally ruled on by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process in December 2022.
Meanwhile, Bradley earned All-Freshman honors in the SEC for Alabama. But his role dipped on the court, and controversy surrounded teammates off it.
A former Alabama player, Darius Miles, was charged with capital murder after being accused of providing a gun used in a fatal shooting near campus — and Alabama star freshman Brandon Miller brought Miles’ gun to the scene, according to the testimony of a law-enforcement officer. (Miller was not charged, and Miles has pleaded not guilty.)
“We had a lot of things going on and off the court,” Bradley said. “That was just a lot. That’s all I can say about that, really.”
On the court, Bradley started 22 of 37 games for the Crimson Tide, averaging 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 39.7% overall and 31.8% from 3-point range. He also averaged 3.1 assists and 1.8 turnovers.
Bradley jumped into Alabama’s starting lineup in mid-December, though he was replaced by former UA commit Jahvon Quinerly in the lineup for the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Bradley played only five minutes in the Tide’s Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State on March 24.
At Arizona, Bradley will get a chance for a fresh and possibly wide-open opportunity. He will be expected to start in the backcourt along with rising sophomore Kylan Boswell, with both having point guard abilities, or at least play a major reserve role.
Alabama guard Jaden Bradley, right, moves the ball against San Diego State guard Matt Bradley in the first half of their Sweet 16 game in the South Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Louisville, Ky.
“We are excited to have Jaden and his family join our program,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said in a statement posted to Twitter. “He had an outstanding freshman season for one of the top teams in the country. We know that as he continues to grow his game, he can really make an impact on our program to help make everyone around him better.”
Though Bradley never played against Boswell, who was a year behind him in high school, he said he knew of him because both played with schools in the National interscholastic Basketball Conference — Bradley at IMG Academy in Florida and Boswell for AZ Compass Prep.
Knowing of Boswell and the other returning Wildcats was another factor Bradley said helped push him toward the Wildcats this time.
“Definitely wanted to check the roster and make sure I had a spot, and they had a great season last year,” Bradley said. “Most of those guys are returning, so I want to come in and play with a great group of guys like them, and go.”
Also helping Arizona’s case this time: Lloyd himself. Bradley said he knew Lloyd was the National Coach of the Year in 2021-22 and watched a few UA games last season to see how the Wildcats looked. Bradley said he and Lloyd didn’t really talk after his decision to play for Alabama but that there were no hard feelings either.
So after Bradley entered the transfer portal in early April, he said he began hearing from UA associate head coach Jack Murphy.
“Coach Murphy was in touch, and we were talking back and forth — and couple of days later, Coach Lloyd called,” Bradley said. “He kind of just told me the same pitch as last time, and we are familiar with each other. It’s the same system, and I was watching a couple of games to see how they did this year.
“I was able to see what he was capable of. He did a great job.”
Bradley and Lloyd actually go back beyond Lloyd’s April 2021 hiring at Arizona. Bradley’s father, Nate, told the Star in 2021 that Lloyd began recruiting Bradley to Gonzaga about seven months earlier as an assistant coach for the Zags.
Bradley then became the first recruit to take an official visit to Arizona under Lloyd, in June 2021, and Nate Bradley said then that “we see (Lloyd) as a great teacher and developer inside a head coach’s body.”
Jaden Bradley wasn’t the only high-level domestic player Lloyd missed out on that first time around, with Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Collin Chandler (BYU) also choosing to go elsewhere.
“Have I felt like kids are just beating down our doors to come here? Not quite yet,” Lloyd said during Pac-12 media day in October 2021. “I think we’ve still got to get through the NCAA stuff. All that stuff’s got to kind of shake out.”
All that has shaken out now, with Bradley bringing Lloyd his first McDonalds All-American recruit and giving the Wildcats their first big step toward filling their 2023-24 roster. The Wildcats now have eight expected players for next season, assuming Pelle Larsson returns and Azuolas Tubelis leaves after both declared for the NBA Draft.
While Larsson logged starter’s minutes while coming off the bench for the last half of last season, the Wildcats lost all their perimeter starters, with Kerr Kriisa transferring to West Virginia and Courtney Ramey and Cedric Henderson running out of eligibility.
Larsson gets invite
Larsson has received a G League Elite Camp invite, according to Draft Express’ Jon Chepkevich, giving him a prime opportunity for feedback while testing the NBA Draft this spring.
Essentially a combine for potential G League players and fringe NBA draft prospects, the G League Elite Camp will be held May 13-14 just before the NBA Combine from May 15-21. Both events will be held at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.
Tubelis is expected to be invited to the NBA Combine and is not expected to return to Arizona, though he has not officially said if he is definitively leaving. Larsson also declared for the draft but has been working out this spring with the Wildcats and is expected to return to Arizona.
The Pac-12’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2012-22, Larsson averaged 27.4 minutes last season while becoming the Wildcats’ fifth-leading scorer (9.3 points per game) and arguably their best defender. He also spent last summer playing for the Swedish senior national team.
While Larsson is not projected to be taken in the June NBA Draft if he leaves school, Tubelis is considered a possible second-round pick. ESPN ranks Tubelis No. 67 among available draft prospects.
<&rule>
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been named the NBA's most valuable player for the 2022-23 season.
