Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd greets ex-Wildcats Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson as things get going during the Wildcats’ season-opening Red-Blue Showcase at McKale Center Friday.

 Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star

Not only did Arizona attract a significant turnout of prominent former players to its Red-Blue Showcase on Friday, but also the Wildcats attracted the sort of five-figure crowd that hasn’t been seen in years for their preseason celebration.

UA drew only about 8,000 fans before Lloyd’s first season of 2021-22 and, despite winning 33 games and reaching the Sweet 16 that season, drew about 10,000 before last season. But on Friday, UA pulled in about 13,000 fans (it officially announced a sellout crowd of 14,688.)

β€œAttendance was the lowest it’s been (in 2020-21) and I get it,” Lloyd said. β€œI had come here and I was maybe a little bit of an outside-the-box hire and (we were) coming out of COVID, and a lot of things. But it’s fun to see it build. I honestly think we’re just starting to scratch the surface of this event.

β€œI’m happy with how our fans supported it. But I also know we’re in real talks for bigger and more exciting things. I’m gonna make this a can’t miss event for our community.”

While former UA and NBA standouts Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye co-hosted the event, Arizona also welcomed Miles Simon, Mike Bibby and Eugene Edgerson of its 1997 national champion team, as well as former NBA and UA standout Andre Iguodala. The school also looped in two other prominent ex-Wildcats β€” Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Cavaliers assistant coach Luke Walton β€” by displaying their video calls on the McKale Center video board.

β€œIt’s 11:20 at night here in Cleveland, so that tells you how much it means to us all,” Walton said.

Lloyd said he had help assembling the alumni gang from associate head coach Jack Murphy, who began his career as an aide to former UA coach Lute Olson, and player relations director Jason Gardner, who played with Jefferson on the Wildcats’ 2001 national runner-up team.

The Wildcats had also hoped that Gilbert Arenas, who also played on the 2001 team, and Aaron Gordon, who spent a season at UA under then-coach Sean Miller, would make it before their plans changed.

β€œThat’s something that’s really important to us and I would like to continue to build that, getting these guys back and celebrating them,” Lloyd said. β€œThen hopefully building more events around it and just making it a special opportunity for the fans.”

While taking a shot at Frye, whose Wildcat teams reached the Elite Eight in 2003 and 2005 but went no further, Jefferson asked those in a small alum group at center court to raise their hands if they played in a Final Four.

Jefferson and Simon raised their hands, then Simon made Jefferson put his down.

β€œRaise your hand if you won a Final Four,” Simon said.

Arizona’s KJ Lewis pleads his case with ex-Wildcat Andre Iguodala after getting a less than perfect score from him on his slam dunk attempt during the Wildcats’ Red-Blue Showcase Sept. 29 in McKale Center.

No appealing to Andre

After dunking over 7-footer Oumar Ballo in the final of the Red-Blue dunk contest, freshman KJ Lewis picked up perfect 10 scores from four of the five judges: UA women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes, Frye and Jefferson’s two children.

So after Iguodala held up a β€œ9” on his judges’ card, Lewis approached the former Wildcat and NBA star for a few words.

β€œI went up to him and said I felt like Aaron Gordon when he got robbed, when D-Wade (Dwayne Wade) gave him the 9” in the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest, Lewis said. β€œThat was a funny little conversation.”

Gordon has said he should have two NBA dunk contest trophies, after he lost the 2016 and 2020 competitions despite dazzling displays. In 2020, he dunked over 7-5 Tacko Fall and lost to Derrick Jones, Jr.

Ironically, Gordon might have judged Lewis’ dunk on Friday. He was scheduled to attend the Red-Blue Showcase but a UA staffer said his plane had a mechanical issue.

But ultimately, it didn’t matter because Lewis’ competitor in the dunk final, Keshad Johnson, missed his attempt.

Rhythm shooter

Knowing they would each get only a minute to race around the perimeter and try to launch a total of 25 3-point shots during Friday’s 3-point contest, guards Kylan Boswell and Filip Borovicanin did some pregame testing.

β€œWe tried it out (Thursday) to see how long it takes us to shoot them when we shoot our normal routine – but it wouldn’t work,” Borovicanin said. β€œYou gotta shoot it and go for the next ball, don’t look at the basket.”

It worked, for Borovicanin at least. Boswell and Dylan Anderson were eliminated in the first round but Borovicanin beat Caleb Love in the final after managing to take β€” and make β€” all five shots on his final rack, from the left corner, before the clock expired.

β€œIt was just my night in the 3-point contest,” Borovicanin said. β€œObviously not later in the game (Borovicanin was 0 for 3 in the scrimmage) but … those shots just started going in. That’s pretty much it.”

Junior Agent Zeros

If Arizona coaches have their way, Wildcat standout Gilbert Arenas might have kids on both the men’s and women’s basketball team before long.

While Arenas didn’t appear as expected Friday, his daughter, Izela, is a well-regarded 5-9 guard at Southern California’s Sierra Canyon School. Ranked No. 91 in the class of 2024 by ESPN, β€œIzzy” Arenas is being recruited by UA coach Adia Barnes, while little brother Alijah Arenas is a target of the UA men’s team.

Alijah Arenas is a five-star 6-4 shooting guard in the class of 2026, already having received offers from UA, ASU, Alabama, California and Fresno State, according to 247 Sports.

Bummed BayCats

Arizona’s move to the Big 12 next season is causing waves even in the San Francisco Bay area.

BayCats president Stephanie Pang, who visited Tucson over the weekend for work and to take in the Red-Blue Showcase, said the school’s move will not only impact the alumni group there β€” UA’s biggest outside of Arizona β€” but also admissions and athletics.

The Wildcats will no longer pass through the area for conference games against Cal and Stanford, who are heading for the ACC.

β€œWe’re very disappointed,” Pang said. β€œIt’s sad for Arizona basketball and bad for recruiting students and athletes.”

Pang said many students she has interviewed on behalf of UA mention seeing Wildcat teams during Bay area events on their admissions essays.

During the Adaptive Athletics game, Pang was rooting for three players with Bay area roots: Ben Thornton, Garnett Silver-Hall and Brendan Louie.

VIDEO:Β UA and NBA alumni Channing Frye and Richardson Jefferson share their perspective on Arizona's coaching search that ultimately brought Tommy Lloyd to Tucson, during a virtual interview Sept. 27, 2023 ahead of the the Wildcats' 2023 Red-Blue Showcase. Frye and Jefferson are in Tucson to co-host the Sept. 29 event. (Video courtesy Arizona Athletics)

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