By any measurement the 2021-22 Arizona basketball season was a resounding success but there are certainly areas where the roster needs to improve upon and these deficiencies were brought to light in a big way in the Sweet 16 loss against the Houston Cougars.
Arizona needs to get more athletic and springier across the board. This isn’t second guessing either, this is something that the Arizona coaching staff was well aware of heading into its last game of the season.
It was easy to look at dynamic wings like Benn Mathurin and Dalen Terry and big man Christian Koloko and be fooled into thinking this was an athletic team. These three were the core of much of what Arizona wanted to do on both ends of the court. The aforementioned players are very tall and athletic. Much of the rest of the roster is tall, yes. Athletic, no.
And the lack of athleticism and lateral quickness was exploited in a big way in games and spurts where Arizona struggled this season.
In the backcourt there is no doubt that players like point guards Kerr Kriisa and Justin Kier were solid and effective players but there is nothing explosive about them. How many times did you see either D up a guard at mid court or on offense blow by their man for an easy shot or lob. Additionally was there any point against the Houston Cougars where it appeared that either could get some timely buckets off the bounce?
Kriisa, especially, and his lack of foot speed was exploited time and again this season with the Houston game being the exclamation point off the blueprint that guards like UCLA’s Tyger Campbell and Washington’s Terrell Brown provided.
Kriisa is great as a gunner and a very underrated passer but it is more than fair to ask if he is the guy capable of quarterbacking a team to a national title.
Up front, power forward Azuolas Tubelis, for much of the season, was a step slow defensively and that isn’t going to change. Same with center Oumar Ballo. Although Ballo does provide an underrated shot blocking presence, the question remains whether he can fill out his game
So what options are available? Many have asked about the possibility of 2023 five star point guard Kylan Boswell reclassifying to 2022 in order to help out the Cats this coming season.
As far as adding an extra ball handler this certainly could help but Boswell is more of the solid heady point guard not the type that is going to stress a defense off the bounce or create major problems for opposing lead guards.
El Paso five star 2023 wing commit KJ Lewis is more intriguing being that he is a dynamic run and jump athlete. There have been a few rumors about him possibly reclassifying but ultimately what will the impact be of a young freshman joining a team in need of immediate impact?
The most likely solution will involve the transfer portal. Arizona has a few things going for it as is. Tommy Lloyd wasted no time in reestablishing Arizona as an elite basketball entity while demonstrating a knack for finding talent last year by bringing in three impact transfers, all who played significant minutes.
But if Arizona wants to maintain a national title contender Lloyd is going to have to go even bigger this coming season. But unlike last season, he knows exactly what he needs. Stay tuned.
