Benn Mathurin A +
As a freshman Mathurin showcased elite ability as a finisher and three point shooter but the question was how much could he improve.
Well, the sophomore Mathurin came back as one of the most versatile wings in the entire country, capable of using his dribble to get anywhere he wanted on the court while becoming efficient at all three scoring levels.
Mathurin generally played his best in the biggest games and in the biggest moment of the season with Arizona looking to stave off a second round NCAA tournament exit, he isolated and sank the biggest three of his career and the biggest shot of the season.
Mathurin figures to be a top 5-10 NBA Draft pick this year and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he becomes an NBA all star caliber player.
Christian Koloko A
No player in the country improved more from last season than Koloko did between his sophomore and junior seasons.
As a sophomore Koloko showed immense promise as a shotblocker but all too often he was plagued by foul trouble.
Offensively, Koloko’s hands made it difficult to incorporate into any offense.
The junior Koloko emerged as arguably the best defensive player in the country, capable of guarding Illinois all American big man Kofi Cockburn one game and UCLA wing Jamie Jaquez the next.
Offensively, Koloko still needs to get stronger and learn to hold his space but his back to the basket game was much improved as were his hands.
Koloko has an interesting decision to make as he is probably a late first round NBA draft pick but if he comes back and expands his range, which he’s capable of, he probably moves somewhere into the 10-15 draft pick range.
Dalen Terry A
Miscast under Sean Miller, Terry was properly utilized by Lloyd as a defensive specialist, secondary ball handler, elite level passer and an improving shooter.
There is no doubt that Terry is an NBA player but if he comes back for another season he has the potential to develop into an all American caliber player if he can become a more consistent scorer and shooter.
Everything else is there as Terry possesses an NBA body, length and instincts.
Azuolas Tubelis C
It’s difficult to give Tubelis anything more than a C. Yes Tubelis made the all Pac-12 team and had some big moments, highlighted by a Pac-12 player of the week award but there were far too many times where he wasn’t reliable and missed an inordinate amount of easy shots around the hoop.
However, nothing prepared Arizona fans for what they would see from Tubelis in the second round and Sweet 16 games of the NCAA tournament.
Simply put, it appeared Tubelis forgot how to play basketball as he couldn’t hold on to the ball, nor could he finish layups. He combined these mishaps with turning the ball over and being a step slow each time on defense.
Tubelis’ postseason run was summed up best by the lane violation he provoked as Arizona was trying to get back into the Sweet 16 game late.
Tubelis is obviously a good player but he has a lot to figure out this offseason.
Kerr Kriisa C
Kriisa gets big props on this end as he is a player who certainly embraces the big moment and made an uncanny amount of big shots this season. Something that is impossible to minimize. The problem with Kriisa though is his shooting numbers just aren’t good enough and defensively he struggles against quick strong guards.
There is certainly a sizable spot in the rotation for a player like Kriisa but is it as the starting point guard at a program with national title aspirations?
Pelle Larsson A
“My bad, Pelle” became a running joke on twitter as I was proven totally wrong about Larsson’s worth.
The Pac-12 6th man of the year deserves a solid A as when he rounded into healthy form he became a knockdown shooter, solid finisher and above average defender.
It remains to be seen what kind of upside he ultimately has but a full offseason of strength, conditioning and skill work should no doubt improve his game.
Larsson might not be a starter on a top 10 team but at the very least he is as good a backup as you’ll find.
My bad, Pelle.
Oumar Ballo B +
Most people had very little expectations for Ballo going into the season other than hoping he’d be a good practice player who could provide some spot minutes. Ballo was so much more than that this season and had games where you could look and project him as as possible all conference player down the road.
At times the game is still too fast for Ballo but the hope is that another year of training combined with game experience will slow everything down for him. This is a big offseason for the big man from Mali.
Justin Kier B
As backup point guard options around college basketball there were few better than Kier. A timely shooter and decent ball handler Kier was somewhat miscast as a starter but playing 15-18 minutes per game he excelled.
When forced to play more, Kier’s questionable defense and less than ideal ball handling would show up.
But as a last second grad transfer he surpassed everyone’s expectations.
