What Arizona’s Biggest Names Revealed at Big 12 Media Day

Tommy Lloyd has once again navigated a roster flip during the offseason to perfection, signing the No. 2 recruiting class and finding a few extra pieces through the transfer portal.

Part of that recruiting class features Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, a pair of dynamic freshmen who will start for the Wildcats out of the gate. Other pieces like Dwayne Aristode, Ivan Kharchenkov, and Sidi Gueye will also play significant roles off the bench. Lloyd also managed to sign Bryce James , the youngest son of NBA superstar LeBron James.

As important as the youthful bunch will be this season, the select returning players will be just as vital. It all starts with guard Jaden Bradley, a defensive specialist who will be asked to run the point this season. Lloyd feels very confident that he can make a difference offensively this season.

Big men Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas will form a duo in the front court, possessing strong defensive skills in a conference loaded to the brim with talented bigs.

Lloyd gathered Bradley, Awaka, and Peat and brought them to Kansas City with him this week for Big 12 Media Day, where the trio of Wildcats shared their thoughts on the upcoming season. Here's some of what they had to say:

Jaden Bradley

• On being snubbed from the All-Big 12 preseason team: "I try not to worry about that too much. At the end of the day, my goal as one the leaders of the program is to find as many wins as we could get. It’s going to be a tough task, but I feel like we have the team and we've got everything to handle that.“

• On who has stood out in the lead up to the season: “We’ve got (Motiejus) Krivas. We’ve got Dwayne (Aristode). We’ve got Brayden (Burries). I can pretty much go down the whole list, our whole team, but those three that I just picked out, you’re definitely gonna see a lot of them. And you know, I’m excited for the rest of the world to see him as well."

Koa Peat

• On why he chose Arizona and how he fits in Lloyd's system: "I think just the development plan they put together for me during my recruitment process was it really helped me pick my decision to come here and play for UofA. Just the way coach uses his fours, and the structure of the offense, I mean, he’s going to let you play, but there’s obviously a structure."

• "But in that structure, he’s going to let you have freedom and play your game. You've got to play both sides of the ball. You can’t just rely on offense. You've got to play defense, too. Coach is really about the details and a little stuff, and I got to experience that this summer with him, with the U19 team. That was a great experience for me. I kind of got a head start before I came to campus and got into playing with the team, and I’m just excited for this season."

• On developing chemistry quickly with his new team: "It’s been great playing with a great point guard like JB and a great big like Tobe. Tobe goes out there and plays as hard as he can and I think that definitely brushes off on all of us, all the team and sets the tone in that manner."

• "Then JB, he’s going to find you. He’s going to put you in good spots. He’s going to help you get in good spots to score. And then we've got a lot of other good players that I feel like we’ve built really good chemistry, not just on the court, but off the court as well, and I think that’s going to help our team in the long run.“

Tobe Awaka

• On Bradley's presence on the team: “He’s just a steady force. Day in and day out, he’s the same. He brings a grit and toughness and sort of peace to the team. He’s sort of the common force.“

• On the freshmen class: "It's been really exciting. They're a very mature class, sort of mature beyond their years. It's been fun to see them grow. I think the thing I'm most impressed with is the focus and the intensity that they bring each day. There's really no drop off. Obviously, when you come to college for the first time, there's going to be a learning curve. But to see how they've taken that adversity and accepted it, embraced it, and moved through it, it's been great to see."

• On the identity of the Wildcats this season: "For sure this year and last year, it's love, as unique as that might be. Love for each other, love for the game, love for the community. When all those things are working in unison and in sync, I think something very special and beautiful can happen. That's something coach Lloyd has been preaching day in and day out, harping on who we are as a team, what we're trying to do, and what we're trying to establish for ourselves. I think understanding that allows us to play with that identity on our chest every single game."

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