Athletic director Dave Heeke said Arizona would work “24/7” to replace Sean Miller as the Wildcats’ head coach, and all signs Saturday still indicated Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd was at the front of the line.
The reason for urgency is pretty clear: The new coach will need to not only re-recruit all three of the Wildcats’ fall signees but also all 10 remaining players — and maybe even potential spring transfer Kim Aiken of Eastern Washington.
Guards Terrell Brown and Jemarl Baker and forward Ira Lee have already opted to transfer, leaving the UA with the maximum of 13 scholarship players for next year.
Aiken would be the 14th if he arrives (He could not be reached for comment).
Here’s a rundown of how the UA roster of scholarship players looks as of now:
James Akinjo
2020-21 role: Starting point guard
Hometown: Oakland, California
Measurables: 6-1, 185 pounds
The rundown: Described as the Wildcats’ heart and soul by Miller, Akinjo became an all-Pac-12 pick in his first season after transferring from Georgetown in January 2020. He averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 assists per game and was the only Wildcat this season to start all 26 contests. Akinjo hit fifth gear in the last month of the season, averaging 21 points in the final five games, including a career-high 26-point performance against Washington in Arizona’s home finale.
Status: Akinjo has entered the NBA Draft pool but is keeping his options open to return.
Daniel Batcho
2020-21 role: Redshirting post player
Hometown: Paris
Measurables: 6-11, 245 pounds
The rundown: Batcho was the only member of the Wildcats’ international-heavy recruiting class who didn’t play this season. He underwent knee surgery in the preseason and, even though he had finished rehabilitation before the season ended, still sat the bench, with Miller saying he didn’t know the plays. Last February, Batcho averaged 14.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, and received MVP honors.
Status: Batcho’s inability to get on the court when healthy suggested he might not have returned under Miller. Things could change with a new coach.
Jordan Brown
2020-21 role: Starting and reserve post player
Hometown: Roseville, California
Measurables: 6-11, 235 pounds
The rundown: A starter for 21 games who moved out of the starting lineup when freshman Azuolas Tubelis emerged and Miller opted for the shot-blocking presence of Christian Koloko, Brown qualified for and became the Pac-12’s Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 9.4 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds, with most of his production around the basket. Despite tabbing the third-most free-throw attempts on the team, Brown had the lowest free-throw percentage (59.8) with a minimum of 10 attempts. But if there’s any game that could foreshadow Brown’s ceiling at the UA, it was Arizona’s win at USC when he recorded 19 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Status: Arizona has posted photographs of Brown participating in postseason workouts, suggesting the post player was on board to return before Miller was fired.
Shane Dezonie
2020-21 role: Senior at Brewster Academy, New Hampshire
Hometown: Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania
Measurables: 6-4, 190 pounds
The rundown: A tough two-way wing player, Dezonie has long term potential at Arizona. He quickly committed to the Wildcats after receiving an offer last fall and said playing for the Wildcats is a “dream come true for me, because Arizona has always been my dream school. I always watched them growing up and always been a fan.”
Status: Dezonie has not returned messages seeking comment, and it is unknown if a new staff will retain him.
Tibet Gorener
2020-21 role: Reserve wing
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
Measurables: 6-9, 200 pounds
The rundown: Gorener appeared in eight games for a total of 30 minutes and drew some praise for Miller for being able to shoot 3-pointers.
Status: Gorener appeared to have some long-term potential that will likely be evaluated by the new staff.
Christian Koloko
2020-21 role: Starting center
Hometown: Douala, Cameroon
Measurables: 7-1, 225 pounds
The rundown: Koloko was in and out of the starting lineup, mostly because of his defensive presence around the basket, which wound up complementing the offense of Tubelis. He started 19 games, averaging 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. Arguably Koloko’s best stretch of games as a Wildcat came near the start of Pac-12 play, when he had three blocks in four straight games. Koloko also had two double-figure outings this season, including an 11-point performance against Washington at McKale Center.
Status: Koloko’s unique skillset would make him a desirable transfer target if he does not fit with a new UA staff.
Kerr Kriisa
2020-21 role: Starting shooting guard
Hometown: Tartu, Estonia
Measurables: 6-3, 180 pounds
The rundown: Kriisa wasn’t eligible until Feb. 4 at Utah but wasted no time making an impact with his intensity and toughness. He was a starter in his third game, moving Terrell Brown back to the bench for all but a Senior Day game against Washington. Over 23 minutes per game, Kriisa averaged 5.5 points and 2.4 assists while hitting 36.8% of his 3-pointers.
Status: Already a standout for the Estonian national team, Kriisa always has the option of signing a pro deal in Europe if he chooses not to return to the UA.
Bennedict Mathurin
2020-21 role: Starting small forward
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Measurables: 6-7, 195 pounds
The rundown: Like the other international players in Arizona’s ’20 recruiting class, the Haitian-Canadian was a wildcard in terms of production entering this season, but quickly became one of the Wildcats’ top players. He began the season playing behind Dalen Terry at small forward but his production forced him into the starting lineup on Jan. 14 at Oregon State, where he erupted for 31 points on 6 for 7 shooting from 3-point range and eight rebounds to become the second freshman — the other being Deandre Ayton — under Miller at the UA to score 30-plus points. The Mathurin-to-NBA buzz tapered off near the end of the season; he is rated by HoopsHype as the 73rd-best prospect for the ‘21 draft, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projects the wing as a “2022 and beyond” player.
Status: Mathurin was expected to return under Miller, but he has the option of transferring or testing the NBA Draft now if he thinks there’s a better route for development now.
SHANE NOWELL
2020-21 role: Senior guard at Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, Washington
Hometown: Bellevue, Washington
Measurables: 6-5, 190 pounds
The rundown: Jason Terry’s Pacific Northwest roots helped position Arizona to land Nowell, who is the younger brother of 2019 Pac-12 Player of the Year Jaylen Nowell. A long, slender wing, Shane was rated by 247Sports.com as the fourth-best prospect in Washington.
Status: Eastside Catholic coach Brent Merritt said Nowell is taking two weeks to evaluate the Wildcats and their new coaches. Nowell might be more likely to play elsewhere if Terry is not retained.
K.J. Simpson
2020-21 status: Senior at Chaminade High School, Los Angeles.
Hometown: Northridge, California
Measurables: 6-2, 175 pounds
The rundown: Simpson was the first player to commit to UA’s 2021 recruiting class, picking the Wildcats over Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Cal, Colorado, USC and Washington State, among others. In his player evaluation, national recruiting analyst Josh Gershon called Simpson a “high-major starter” and a “versatile defender who can guard both one and two at the next level.”
Status: Simpson is gathering information about his next possible steps but has not officially decommitted, according to Chaminade coach Bryan Cantwell. UCLA is among his possible alternatives.
Dalen Terry
2020-21 role: Reserve small forward
Hometown: Phoenix
Measurables: 6-7, 195 pounds
The rundown: A starter early in the season in part because he could handle being a secondary ballhandler, Terry was bumped out of the lineup by Mathurin’s emergence but drew praise from Miller for his work ethic. Terry played some power forward in smaller sets, and the position could be an option for next season if Arizona doesn’t add another frontcourt piece.
Status: As an Arizona native, Terry could be re-recruited if sold on his role going forward.
Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis blocks a shot during the UA’s win over ASU in McKale Center.
Azuolas Tubelis
2020-21 role: Starting power forward
Hometown: Vilnius, Lithuania
Measurables: 6-11, 245
The rundown: If USC didn’t have a potential top draft pick in Evan Mobley, Tubelis could have been the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. In two games against the Mobley-led Trojans and arguably the top frontcourt in the Pac-12, Tubelis tallied 47 points and 23 rebounds. Tubelis began the season coming off the bench while he adjusted to college basketball, but started the final 20 games of the season and wound up averaging 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Tubelis’ first season at the UA was highlighted by two game-winners: A putback — or lay-up off an Akinjo assist, depending on who you ask — against rival ASU at the buzzer in Tempe, and a long baseline two with 6 seconds left at home versus Washington to cap off his second 16-point, 15-rebound performance on the year.
Status: Like Kriisa, Tubelis is an attractive developing prospect to European clubs if he doesn’t want to stick around. He has been participating in Arizona’s offseason workouts.
Tautvilas Tubelis
2020-21 role: Reserve wing
Hometown: Vilnius, Lithuania
Measurables: 6-7, 225 pounds
The rundown: The twin brother of Azuolas appeared in five games this season and scored one point. His minutes were ranked higher than Arizona’s walk-ons this season.
Status: Tautvilas and Azoulas arrived together in Tucson last August and they will likely leave together, whenever that is. Tautvilas said in November that he and his brother were telling family in Lithuania that coming to Arizona was “the best decision of our lives.”
