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Rather quick turnaround and plenty of time this morning to dive in, so enjoy!
Now in his fifth year at Arizona, Tommy Lloyd has solidified his schtick as one of the most Euro-centric styled coaches in college basketball following his two decade stint as an assistant to Mark Few at Gonzaga.
Tommy Lloyd’s offense at Arizona is a fast, concept-driven system built on pace, ball movement, and read-and-react freedom rather than rigid set plays. It emphasizes inside-out scoring through skilled bigs, high assist rates, and efficient two-point shots while still using spacing to create open looks. The approach is explosive and flexible but a major bugaboo for the team that has limited their ceiling (they’ve finished within the top-13 of KenPom ratings in every season despite never reaching the Elite Elite, can lead to turnovers or inconsistency when perimeter shooting or decision-making falters. Also, their interior-centric offense can pigeon hole them. If the looks are not happening inside, they typically lack perimeter shot makers to provide ideal spacing and big daggers, when needed.
Tommy Lloyd’s defense at Arizona relies on length, effort, and versatility, using athletic bigs to protect the rim and contest shots. He stresses strong on-ball defense, expecting guards to win individual matchups and apply consistent pressure. While his teams can mix in pressing and force turnovers, they occasionally struggle with closeouts and focus, areas Lloyd regularly pushes them to improve. So far, Arizona looks poised to have one of its better defensive seasons yet, as the Wildcats have finished the season with top-20 defensive metrics once in Lloyd’s four seasons.
So far this season, Tommy Lloyd has been pretty consistent with his eight-man rotation that has the potential to get pretty big, at times.
While I really like KJ Lewis, who is now at Georgetown, Caleb Love’s graduation, to me, is a huge prospect in Arizona’s ceiling because he was one of the more mercurial black holes in college basketball. When he was off, he is OFF.
The new leader of Arizona’s two facilitator backcourt is returning senior Jaden Bradley after testing the NBA waters the last two offseasons. A stout, physical defender, Bradley is at his best on offense when he can get downhill, draw fouls and attack the rim. He’s turnover prone and while he has a solid 35.8 career 3P%, only about 18% of his shot attempts are from three.
Five-star freshman Brayden Burries starts at the 2, but also plays at point when Bradley is on the bench. Here’s his scout from Adam Finklestein on 247:
Burries is a big-bodied scoring guard and three-level threat. A bit older for his grade, he turned 19 in September, and is physically mature with an already powerful frame to complement his versatile attack.
He was a downhill playmaker at an early age, but has developed some real feel and craft as a creator. He lacks the dynamic first-step to rely on blowing right by his defender, and can almost have a slow-mo style with physicality and balance through contact. He can elongate his strides at the end of his drives, has a terrific left hand as both a driver and a finisher, good body control, and can rise-up to hammer big dunks on unsuspecting defenders, even if he worked his way to the rim more gradually.
Burries also has a very formidable mid-range game. He can dance with his handle to create space for his pull-up, and can also go to a step-back with range out beyond the arc. His shooting numbers from beyond the arc have been streaky this year – 30% in EYBL play (1.4-4.8/game) and 5-28 in three games at HoopHall West – but his release is projectable, even if not totally pure. He has more of a set-shot, with limited elevation, but soft touch. He’s proven he can come off screens and make them on the move, and is always around the rim (i.e. he very rarely has bad misses). He’s also a high percentage free-throw shooter (83% in the EYBL), who utilizes his versatility and physicality to get there in high-volume.
While he is focused primarily on scoring, Burries possesses soft hands, solid floor vision, and a reliable enough handle to have some on/off ball versatility. He is also an excellent rebounding guard. Defensively, he is fully engaged, physical, and competitive, if not ultra-quick.
Overall, Burries is a strong and physical scoring guard, who can get his buckets in a variety of ways, but also not one dimensional because of his ability to take reps at the point guard spot, his contributions on the defensive end, the glass, and with the competitiveness of his overall approach.
Starting at the 3 is German freshman wing Ivan Kharchenkov, who has yet to find his offensive footing, but in Europe, he was known as a physical, aggressive driver who is working on his outside shot. Low usage on the offensive end, Kharchenkov is earning his minutes thanks to the physicality and versatility he provides on defense.
Easily, Arizona’s most potent and reliable perimeter weapon is senior Anthony Dell'Orso, who earns starter’s minutes off-the-bench playing at the 2 and the 3. He’s Arizona’s weakest defender, but he’s made strides in his offensive game from becoming just a floor-spacer to reaching career highs in assist rates.
Starting at the 4 is Arizona’s other five-star freshman, Koa Peat. EvanMiya’s metrics currently rank Peat as Arizona’s weakest defender despite averaging two turnovers forced per game. On the offensive end, he can do a little bit of everything, as he leads Arizona in usage rate, so coming off a game against Dybantsa’s second half explosive, UConn should have immediate adjustments ready for Wednesday.
Here’s Finklestein’s scout:
Peat has been one of the most consistently productive players in high school basketball over the course of his career. As a freshman, he put up big numbers right away, and has done the same on the 3SSB circuit. Peat, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward has continued to do be wildly productive in virtually every setting since, showing his maturity and competitive stamina. He's broad, powerful, long, and has a body type that you might expect from a family of football players.
Peat is a constant double-double threat who has good hands, instincts, touch, and a very polished ability to get to his spots inside of 15-18 feet. He thrives in the mid-post, has a high release to get his shot off in the mid-range area, is a good ball-handler for his size, and can attack both sides. He rarely blows right by his defender, but he's physical, uses his body effectively, has a terrific left hand, and knows how to get to the free-throw line. Additionally, Peat is an advanced processor of the game, who picks up concepts and schemes quickly, is showing increasing passing ability off the dribble, and has good poise with the ball in his hands. He's capable of taking the ball off the defensive glass and leading the break himself, has made significant strides as a passer, and should be very valuable in dribble hand-off or short-roll action at the next level.
The missing link in Peat's skill-set right now is his three-point shooting. While he has soft natural touch, there is a glitch in his mechanics that gets more pronounced as he extends farther beyond that mid-range area. He connected on 29% of his threes in 3SSB play, making a total of nine threes in 15 games, and went a total of 1-for-5 from three in seven FIBA games earlier in the summer with the USA u17 national team.
Defensively, while Peat is not built like a prototypical rim protector and projects as more of a four, or maybe even undersized five at times, his playmaking metrics (3.1 stocks per game - steals + blocks) again illustrate his length, hands, and instincts. He's a very consistent presence on the glass and moves pretty well laterally when he's in a good stance, but could still stand to improve his ability to close-out at times.
The most common questions are about Peat's long-term potential. He was an early bloomer, being bigger and stronger than the competition at an early age, and thus has less untapped physical upside than other prospects. But what's undeniable is the long history of productivity and clear intangibles with his maturity, IQ, and leadership ability.
After leg and foot injuries forced starting center Motiejus Krivas to miss almost all of last season, the seven-foot-two, 260-pound weapon has been a low-post beast this season swallowing up offensive boards and protecting the rim.
One of the best rebounders in the nation, senior forward Tobe Awaka is reprising his role as Arizona’s backup center while also getting minutes alongside Krivas in two-big looks (which happens about 6.8 minutes-per-game so far this season). Awaka has a body similar to BYU’s Keba Keita, also plays a similarly physical style on the offensive end, but is not as strong as a defender as Keita.
Four-star freshman Dwayne Aristode also backs up at the 4, but he actually has been getting most of his minutes at the 3. Currently ranked as Arizona’s second least efficient defender, Aristode hasn’t yet settled into his amazing physical and athletic tools, making him more of a raw project.
Here’s Finklestein’s scout:
Aristode is a jumbo wing with a ton of physical tools that should ultimately translate into a versatile two-way game. He has terrific positional size at 6-foot-8 and an equally impressive frame. He’s not exceptionally long, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, but is already strong and physical. He’s a high-level athlete who runs very well, is an explosive leaper, and can play up above the rim with ease.
He’s a very talented defender with real potential to be a game-changer on that end of the floor. He can slide his feet laterally, has the strength to absorb contact, and the combination of size and mobility necessary to be versatile and guard multiple positions. He’s even able to provide some weak-side playmaking, averaging nearly 2 stocks per game in EYBL play (1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks).
Offensively, his game is a bit of a work in progress. His physical tools are the basis for his best assets as he can make some impressive plays in the open floor, rise-up for big finishes, be a lob threat, and play through contact. He also has a general understanding of how to play in offensive structure. His skill-set was a bit rawer when he initially arrived, but has made consistent strides. His spot-up three is now clean when he’s in rhythm (33% 3pt and 75% FT in the EYBL) and he has good use of both hands around the basket. He handles the ball well enough to be a legit wing, but doesn’t always get the ball out in front of him in the open floor and can be an errant passer on the move. He puts pressure on the rim at times, but doesn’t get downhill quite as much as someone with his body type should.
While Aristode’s physical tools, and even his recent improvements, are undeniable, there have also been moments where his body language and overall motor have been inconsistent. Maintaining that competitive consistency within his daily approach is obviously a key to maximizing both his current productivity and long-term potential, particularly for a player who is perhaps most naturally gifted on the defensive end of the floor.
While Saturday night’s tilt against BYU might have made some UConn fans uneasy, the Cougars’ iso-centric attack with Dybantsa and Saunders made UConn very foul prone, but Arizona’s heavy ball-movement style could work in UConn’s favor defensively, especially since while Bradley and Peat can definitely create their own offense, Arizona has low usage players like Kharchenkov and Aristode can help UConn focus their defensive attention elsewhere. When Keita was out, the defense had more trouble as the play focused away from the low-post, so I really like Reed’s chances as the defensive anchor and rebound battler against Krivas and Awaka.
Gampel will be rockin’. Should be a heck of a good one!
Now in his fifth year at Arizona, Tommy Lloyd has solidified his schtick as one of the most Euro-centric styled coaches in college basketball following his two decade stint as an assistant to Mark Few at Gonzaga.
Tommy Lloyd’s offense at Arizona is a fast, concept-driven system built on pace, ball movement, and read-and-react freedom rather than rigid set plays. It emphasizes inside-out scoring through skilled bigs, high assist rates, and efficient two-point shots while still using spacing to create open looks. The approach is explosive and flexible but a major bugaboo for the team that has limited their ceiling (they’ve finished within the top-13 of KenPom ratings in every season despite never reaching the Elite Elite, can lead to turnovers or inconsistency when perimeter shooting or decision-making falters. Also, their interior-centric offense can pigeon hole them. If the looks are not happening inside, they typically lack perimeter shot makers to provide ideal spacing and big daggers, when needed.
Tommy Lloyd’s defense at Arizona relies on length, effort, and versatility, using athletic bigs to protect the rim and contest shots. He stresses strong on-ball defense, expecting guards to win individual matchups and apply consistent pressure. While his teams can mix in pressing and force turnovers, they occasionally struggle with closeouts and focus, areas Lloyd regularly pushes them to improve. So far, Arizona looks poised to have one of its better defensive seasons yet, as the Wildcats have finished the season with top-20 defensive metrics once in Lloyd’s four seasons.
So far this season, Tommy Lloyd has been pretty consistent with his eight-man rotation that has the potential to get pretty big, at times.
While I really like KJ Lewis, who is now at Georgetown, Caleb Love’s graduation, to me, is a huge prospect in Arizona’s ceiling because he was one of the more mercurial black holes in college basketball. When he was off, he is OFF.
The new leader of Arizona’s two facilitator backcourt is returning senior Jaden Bradley after testing the NBA waters the last two offseasons. A stout, physical defender, Bradley is at his best on offense when he can get downhill, draw fouls and attack the rim. He’s turnover prone and while he has a solid 35.8 career 3P%, only about 18% of his shot attempts are from three.
Five-star freshman Brayden Burries starts at the 2, but also plays at point when Bradley is on the bench. Here’s his scout from Adam Finklestein on 247:
Burries is a big-bodied scoring guard and three-level threat. A bit older for his grade, he turned 19 in September, and is physically mature with an already powerful frame to complement his versatile attack.
He was a downhill playmaker at an early age, but has developed some real feel and craft as a creator. He lacks the dynamic first-step to rely on blowing right by his defender, and can almost have a slow-mo style with physicality and balance through contact. He can elongate his strides at the end of his drives, has a terrific left hand as both a driver and a finisher, good body control, and can rise-up to hammer big dunks on unsuspecting defenders, even if he worked his way to the rim more gradually.
Burries also has a very formidable mid-range game. He can dance with his handle to create space for his pull-up, and can also go to a step-back with range out beyond the arc. His shooting numbers from beyond the arc have been streaky this year – 30% in EYBL play (1.4-4.8/game) and 5-28 in three games at HoopHall West – but his release is projectable, even if not totally pure. He has more of a set-shot, with limited elevation, but soft touch. He’s proven he can come off screens and make them on the move, and is always around the rim (i.e. he very rarely has bad misses). He’s also a high percentage free-throw shooter (83% in the EYBL), who utilizes his versatility and physicality to get there in high-volume.
While he is focused primarily on scoring, Burries possesses soft hands, solid floor vision, and a reliable enough handle to have some on/off ball versatility. He is also an excellent rebounding guard. Defensively, he is fully engaged, physical, and competitive, if not ultra-quick.
Overall, Burries is a strong and physical scoring guard, who can get his buckets in a variety of ways, but also not one dimensional because of his ability to take reps at the point guard spot, his contributions on the defensive end, the glass, and with the competitiveness of his overall approach.
Starting at the 3 is German freshman wing Ivan Kharchenkov, who has yet to find his offensive footing, but in Europe, he was known as a physical, aggressive driver who is working on his outside shot. Low usage on the offensive end, Kharchenkov is earning his minutes thanks to the physicality and versatility he provides on defense.
Easily, Arizona’s most potent and reliable perimeter weapon is senior Anthony Dell'Orso, who earns starter’s minutes off-the-bench playing at the 2 and the 3. He’s Arizona’s weakest defender, but he’s made strides in his offensive game from becoming just a floor-spacer to reaching career highs in assist rates.
Starting at the 4 is Arizona’s other five-star freshman, Koa Peat. EvanMiya’s metrics currently rank Peat as Arizona’s weakest defender despite averaging two turnovers forced per game. On the offensive end, he can do a little bit of everything, as he leads Arizona in usage rate, so coming off a game against Dybantsa’s second half explosive, UConn should have immediate adjustments ready for Wednesday.
Here’s Finklestein’s scout:
Peat has been one of the most consistently productive players in high school basketball over the course of his career. As a freshman, he put up big numbers right away, and has done the same on the 3SSB circuit. Peat, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward has continued to do be wildly productive in virtually every setting since, showing his maturity and competitive stamina. He's broad, powerful, long, and has a body type that you might expect from a family of football players.
Peat is a constant double-double threat who has good hands, instincts, touch, and a very polished ability to get to his spots inside of 15-18 feet. He thrives in the mid-post, has a high release to get his shot off in the mid-range area, is a good ball-handler for his size, and can attack both sides. He rarely blows right by his defender, but he's physical, uses his body effectively, has a terrific left hand, and knows how to get to the free-throw line. Additionally, Peat is an advanced processor of the game, who picks up concepts and schemes quickly, is showing increasing passing ability off the dribble, and has good poise with the ball in his hands. He's capable of taking the ball off the defensive glass and leading the break himself, has made significant strides as a passer, and should be very valuable in dribble hand-off or short-roll action at the next level.
The missing link in Peat's skill-set right now is his three-point shooting. While he has soft natural touch, there is a glitch in his mechanics that gets more pronounced as he extends farther beyond that mid-range area. He connected on 29% of his threes in 3SSB play, making a total of nine threes in 15 games, and went a total of 1-for-5 from three in seven FIBA games earlier in the summer with the USA u17 national team.
Defensively, while Peat is not built like a prototypical rim protector and projects as more of a four, or maybe even undersized five at times, his playmaking metrics (3.1 stocks per game - steals + blocks) again illustrate his length, hands, and instincts. He's a very consistent presence on the glass and moves pretty well laterally when he's in a good stance, but could still stand to improve his ability to close-out at times.
The most common questions are about Peat's long-term potential. He was an early bloomer, being bigger and stronger than the competition at an early age, and thus has less untapped physical upside than other prospects. But what's undeniable is the long history of productivity and clear intangibles with his maturity, IQ, and leadership ability.
After leg and foot injuries forced starting center Motiejus Krivas to miss almost all of last season, the seven-foot-two, 260-pound weapon has been a low-post beast this season swallowing up offensive boards and protecting the rim.
One of the best rebounders in the nation, senior forward Tobe Awaka is reprising his role as Arizona’s backup center while also getting minutes alongside Krivas in two-big looks (which happens about 6.8 minutes-per-game so far this season). Awaka has a body similar to BYU’s Keba Keita, also plays a similarly physical style on the offensive end, but is not as strong as a defender as Keita.
Four-star freshman Dwayne Aristode also backs up at the 4, but he actually has been getting most of his minutes at the 3. Currently ranked as Arizona’s second least efficient defender, Aristode hasn’t yet settled into his amazing physical and athletic tools, making him more of a raw project.
Here’s Finklestein’s scout:
Aristode is a jumbo wing with a ton of physical tools that should ultimately translate into a versatile two-way game. He has terrific positional size at 6-foot-8 and an equally impressive frame. He’s not exceptionally long, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, but is already strong and physical. He’s a high-level athlete who runs very well, is an explosive leaper, and can play up above the rim with ease.
He’s a very talented defender with real potential to be a game-changer on that end of the floor. He can slide his feet laterally, has the strength to absorb contact, and the combination of size and mobility necessary to be versatile and guard multiple positions. He’s even able to provide some weak-side playmaking, averaging nearly 2 stocks per game in EYBL play (1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks).
Offensively, his game is a bit of a work in progress. His physical tools are the basis for his best assets as he can make some impressive plays in the open floor, rise-up for big finishes, be a lob threat, and play through contact. He also has a general understanding of how to play in offensive structure. His skill-set was a bit rawer when he initially arrived, but has made consistent strides. His spot-up three is now clean when he’s in rhythm (33% 3pt and 75% FT in the EYBL) and he has good use of both hands around the basket. He handles the ball well enough to be a legit wing, but doesn’t always get the ball out in front of him in the open floor and can be an errant passer on the move. He puts pressure on the rim at times, but doesn’t get downhill quite as much as someone with his body type should.
While Aristode’s physical tools, and even his recent improvements, are undeniable, there have also been moments where his body language and overall motor have been inconsistent. Maintaining that competitive consistency within his daily approach is obviously a key to maximizing both his current productivity and long-term potential, particularly for a player who is perhaps most naturally gifted on the defensive end of the floor.
While Saturday night’s tilt against BYU might have made some UConn fans uneasy, the Cougars’ iso-centric attack with Dybantsa and Saunders made UConn very foul prone, but Arizona’s heavy ball-movement style could work in UConn’s favor defensively, especially since while Bradley and Peat can definitely create their own offense, Arizona has low usage players like Kharchenkov and Aristode can help UConn focus their defensive attention elsewhere. When Keita was out, the defense had more trouble as the play focused away from the low-post, so I really like Reed’s chances as the defensive anchor and rebound battler against Krivas and Awaka.
Gampel will be rockin’. Should be a heck of a good one!
