Arizona lost another starter Tuesday but also ended a debate when Kylan Boswell reportedly joined five other Wildcats in college basketball’s frenzied transfer portal.
As the departure of starting center Oumar Ballo did with backup freshman Motiejus Krivas, Boswell’s expected exit paves the way for sophomore reserve guard Jaden Bradley to take a starting role next season.
Bradley was rated the Wildcats’ most efficient player both offensively and defensively on a per-possession basis by EvanMiya.com. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.4% from 3-point range and was the Wildcats’ best perimeter defender.
While Bradley never complained about the backup role, his production generated discussion all season over whether he should join the starting lineup while UA coach Tommy Lloyd stuck with Boswell at point guard.
Boswell averaged 9.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. But he ended the season on a rough note, averaging 6.0 points and shooting just 23.1% from 3 over his final six games.
Throughout the season, Boswell was also something of an X-factor. The Wildcats were 19-1 when Boswell scored 10 or more points but went 8-8 when he did not. The only UA loss in which Boswell hit double-figures was a 12-point effort in a double-overtime game with FAU on Dec. 23.
Lloyd consistently expressed support for Boswell over his two seasons with the Wildcats, frequently mentioning how Boswell was only 17 as a freshman and 18 as a sophomore. Boswell reclassified to skip his senior at AZ Compass Prep and join the Wildcats while rehabilitating a broken foot before the 2022-23 season.
“Kylan is a growing player. I think we still forget, he’s young,” Lloyd said during the NCAA Tournament. “So maybe there’s been some inconsistencies there, and that’s probably due to just his lack of experience. But I see him growing and I see him growing by the day. We all know when he plays well, there’s a good opportunity that we play well.”
Bradley, meanwhile, was arguably the Wildcats’ most impactful player down the stretch and into the postseason. He averaged 15.0 points in Arizona’s final two games while shooting 43.8% and committing no turnovers against Dayton’s full-court pressure in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Before UA’s season-ending loss to Clemson in the Sweet 16, Lloyd called Bradley an “exceptional” defender.
“Jaden was spectacular (in) both games up in Salt Lake,” Lloyd said then, referring to UA’s first two NCAA Tournament games. “He made some awesome plays defensively. He just makes plays and has a knack for really understanding the scouting report, but also has the courage to make in-the-moment, impactful decisions on the defensive end.”
Boswell had not posted confirmation of his intentions as of late Tuesday afternoon, but multiple outlets reported he was entering the transfer portal, and freshman guard KJ Lewis added broken heart emojis while reposting one of those reports an Instagram story.
Boswell is the fourth Wildcat to enter the portal this week and the sixth since Arizona’s season ended in a Sweet 16 loss to Clemson on March 28. The sweeping changes indicate UA players and coaches have been finishing up some postseason meetings about the future.
On Monday, Ballo and redshirting center Dylan Anderson, plus walk-on guard Grant Weitman, opted to transfer. Last week, wing Filip Borovicanin and forward Paulius Murauskas led off UA’s roster transition season.
Boswell’s impending departure leaves Arizona with 10 expected players for next season as of now, assuming wing Pelle Larsson leaves for the NBA Draft as a projected second-round pick.
Among other possible remaining decisions: Whether guard Caleb Love decides to transfer, stay or enter the NBA Draft; and if Lewis will test the draft.
Wildcats finish with No. 12 ranking
Arizona wound up where it started in the Associated Press Top 25 poll Monday, with a postseason ranking of No. 12, the same spot as it was in the AP’s preseason Top 25.
Finishing 27-9 and winning the Pac-12 regular-season title, the Wildcats ranged from No. 1 to No. 12 during the regular season. They held the top spot on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11 while going undefeated until a Dec. 16 loss to Purdue at Indianapolis. UA entered the NCAA Tournament at No. 9 before losing to Clemson in the Sweet 16.
In the final poll Tuesday, the Boilermakers moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 after losing to No. 1 UConn in the national championship game Monday. Among other teams UA faced during the regular season, Alabama rose from No. 13 to No. 3 after winning the West Regional to advance to the Final Four, Duke rose from No. 13 to No. 9 and Washington State rose from No. 25 to No. 23.
Dayton, which beat Nevada in the first round but lost to Arizona in the second, picked up the No. 25 spot. Clemson, which beat the Wildcats in the Sweet 16, moved into the final poll at No. 14.
Wisconsin ranked No. 23 entering the NCAA Tournament, but was not included in the postseason poll.
This is the first season the AP has conducted a postseason poll. Previously, its final poll came before the NCAA Tournament began.
Futile task
The Wildcats were ranked generally in the same range during the annual wave of “way too early” Top 25 predictions that poured out Monday and Tuesday, though the massive roster uncertainty ahead around the sport is making all predictions difficult.
Many projections so far this week involving Arizona, for example, listed Boswell as a starter, and the Wildcats have not yet added any transfers but are now expected to because of their losses.
In any case, ESPN ranked Arizona at No. 8, 247 ranked the Wildcats No. 9, the Athletic and Yahoo had them at No. 11, while On3 and CBS put UA at No. 12.
Geary considering Japan return
Former UA standout and assistant coach Reggie Geary said he is considering a return to coaching professionally in Japan after leaving there in 2017 and working in development for the UA athletic department.
Geary coached in three different professional Japanese leagues, leading the Yokohama B-Corsairs to the bj-league title in 2012-13. He told Japan’s SportsLook website that he and his family loved living in Japan, and confirmed to the Star that he has recently received interest from some teams in Japan.
“I’m happy at the U of A but obviously anytime someone offers you an opportunity, you definitely want to hear it out and put your best foot forward,” Geary said.
In addition to serving as UA’s senior director of development, Geary has been a radio analyst for selected UA away games.
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