Tobe Awaka Sparks Arizona with Stellar Return Performance
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Arizona is ready to tip off a new season of college basketball in Tucson with a bunch of talented freshmen leading the way, a slew of savvy veterans that coach Tommy Lloyd will be depending on to keep the team together.
The Wildcats will open the season in Las Vegas against Florida, which won the national championship last season.
Lloyd has a pair of big men this season that could make a difference and supplement the freshmen's struggles, which are bound to happen at some point. Motiejus Krivas missed most of last season, but should be a valuable asset in the paint on both sides of the floor. His long frame makes him a threat to block shots and rebound off the offensive glass.
Tobe Awaka is the returner who grew into a force down low late in the season for Arizona. Awaka grabbed 14 rebounds and 12 points against Oregon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, making him one of the more feared rebounders in the Big 12 this season.
The senior forward missed Arizona's first exhibition game against UCF with a lingering injury, but started against Embry-Riddle and returned to form. He scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and grabbed 14 boards. He also had two blocks in the win.
One of the things to watch this season is how Lloyd attempts to play Krivas and Awaka together on the floor. Arizona has plenty of scoring depth at the forward position with freshmen Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Dwayne Aristode and Sidi Gueye. That could lead to more opportunities for the two veteran bigs to spell the young lineup.
In Awaka's first season in Tucson, the Tennessee transfer scored eight points and 7.8 rebounds per game. His game grew as the year went along, putting him in line for a big role this season.
Awaka will be a great mentor for Peat to have, despite their differing play styles. The Wildcats could run several bigs together this season thanks to the versatility that Awaka has proven to have.
What Awaka Said Postgame
On missing the Saint Mary's exhibition game and returning vs Embry-Riddle: "It was good to be out there. Last game was tough, seeing guys go to war and not being out there. It’s hard. So, you work hard as a team throughout the whole summer, and obviously you want to be out there with your guys. So I was glad I was able to play with them today.”
On potentially sharing the floor with Krivas this season: "I love playing with Mo. We didn't get to do that too much last year. I think he helps me a lot with my game, and I do the same thing for him. So I think we’re a really good one-two combo. I think defensively, some things change more on the perimeter, and then I think he just creates some gravity in the paint, in terms of posting things. That kind of makes things easier for me."
On playing both the four and five positions: “It’s really a case by case basis, depending on who we’re playing. It might be a matchup that coach wants to exploit, so he plays another (guy at) five and another game I play the four. So really, I’m open to both. Again, I think it’s just more of a game, playing a case by case kind of thing, and what the coaching staff has in mind with how they want to attack that game.”
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Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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