Three Wildcats Players Poised to Shine vs. Florida
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The offseason is officially over, the exhibitions have been played and now the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats are set to take on the No. 3-ranked Florida Gators this Monday in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena at 5 p.m. (MST).
The Wildcats have no easy task ahead of them, as they will face the team that won the 2024 NCAA Men's National Tournament, among a long list of ranked teams hoping to hoist the trophy.
Nonetheless, Arizona has a strong chance at being one of the 64 teams that are invited to the tournament, as it features the No.2 recruiting class in the country, along with a handful of talented veterans who are bona fide stars with tournament experience.
Arizona played two exhibition games and convincingly won both, beating Saint Mary's 81-68 and Embry-Riddle 113-42. Those two games have given the Wildcats the confidence they need before the start of the season, and Tommy Lloyd has had a look at all his players to determine his rotation.
Here are three Arizona players to watch, as they have the potential to have huge games against the Gators.
Tobe Awaka-Forward
Awaka is one of Arizona's veterans with plenty of on-court experience and will be looked to as one of the leaders of the team. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound big man brings with him a frame that is built to dominate around the rim and crash the boards.
He displayed that physical kind of skill in the last exhibition with Embry-Riddle, dropping a team-high 18 points to go along with his 14 rebounds. In an offseason press conference, Awaka said that he developed his elite level of play while at Tennessee, which also gave him a feel for how physical conferences like the Big 12 and SEC can be.
TOBE AWAKA
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) February 18, 2025
6th double-double of the season 💪 pic.twitter.com/70y25nut6K
Awaka will now have to showcase his elite-level rebounding and scoring skills against a much higher-level team. Look for him to impose his will against the Gators and play a significant role in Lloyd's system.
Jaden Bradley-Guard
Bradley is another one of the veterans on the roster that is expected to lead the young team into a season filled with success.
Last year, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard was asked to carry a heavy workload, as he started all 37 games and played 34.1 minutes per game, which was the fourth most in the Big 12. Bradley also averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
In the final exhibition, freshman Brayden Burries got the start as Lloyd wanted to see what other layers would look like bringing the ball up. In the 15 minutes he played, Bradley scored nine points, rebounded two balls and shot a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals. Look for him to play a lot more minutes in the season opener.
Ivan Kharchenkov-Forward
Kharchenkov is a very unique freshman, as he brings with him a large amount of professional experience from overseas, playing for Bayern Munich during his time in Germany.
That kind of experience will come in handy as Arizona goes deeper into the season schedule and games start getting more physical
Against Embry-Riddle, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound phenom scored 17 points in 17 minutes while going 6-for-7 on field goals. He also notched four rebounds, an assist and two steals before the contest was over. Kharhenkov should play a big role on both offense and defense when Arizona plays Florida.
Tell us who you have your eye on in Arizona's season opener this Monday. Just click the link to find us and be sure to give us a follow.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.