Daily Wildcat | Basketball Edition | November 2022

After three players left for the NBA, new talent and resturners begin a new journey

BY AIDAN ALPERSTEIN @aidanalperstein

Plenty of new faces will be stepping onto the hardwood for University of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd this November in McKale Center. Lloyd is coming o a 33-win season and was named the Associated Press Men’s Coach of the Year last spring.

However, despite the return of Lloyd, Arizona could not retain last year’s Pac-12 Player of the Year Bennedict Mathurin.

e current Indiana Pacer led the Wildcats in scoring last season at 17.7 points per game.

e program also witnessed the departures of Dalen Terry, another lottery pick of last year’s NBA draft, and center Christian Koloko, who got selected by the Toronto Raptors early in the second round.

No doubt Lloyd lost most of his scoring production from last season; nonetheless, he brought

in a new house. Continuing a similar formula as he did up in Spokane, Washington, for Gonzaga University, Lloyd went networking overseas trying to nd the next group of Wildcats. Lloyd landed 6-foot-9 wing Filip Borovicanin and 7-foot center Henri Veesaar.

Before arriving in Tucson, Borovicanin played for KK Beko, a professional basketball club in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia. e four-star wing averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game. Borivcanin was named MVP of the European Basketball League at age 16, averaging just under 35 points a contest.

Borovicanin is at his best slashing to the rim, and he can score from multiple spots on the oor. Given his upside, the coaching sta will be able to use him in many unique ways along the wing.

Henri Veesaar joins Kerr Kriisa as the second Wildcat to bring Estonian roots to Tucson. At 7-feet

tall, Veesaar can play at both the power forward and center positions. Active and able to run the oor, Veesaar is the ideal big man for Lloyd, given the pace of play he favors.

However, there are some concerns with Veesaar only weighing 200 pounds at 7-feet tall. For this season, the coaching sta prioritizes the development of Veesaar regardless of his production on the court. Veesaar will be working behind Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis. e second pair of newcomers are freshmen from Arizona. Kylan Boswell and Dylan Anderson went to high schools about 20 minutes from each other.

Boswell committed to the Wildcats in February, but decided to reclassify this past summer, joining the team this year rather than in the fall of 2023. Before the reclassi cation, according to the ESPN databases, Boswell was ranked No. 18 in his class, one of the country’s most talented guards.

Boswell played high school basketball at a couple of schools in California before moving to the desert to play at AZ Compass Prep School, a public charter school located in Chandler, Arizona. that is well known for the athletic development of its players.

Anderson, the 7-foot center from the nearby city of Gilbert, Arizona, attended Perry High School. He had many accomplishments at the high school level, including Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Arizona during his junior and senior years. Anderson also led the Perry Pumas to the 6A State Championship his senior year. e current freshman has the opportunity to develop over the next few years within the program and be the next frontcourt star of Arizona basketball.

Rounding out the newcomers, Lloyd and the sta went to the transfer portal to add some veteran experience to a

relatively young group. Courtney Ramey and Cedric Henderson Jr. departed their respective programs to come play for the Wildcats.

Many college basketball fanatics in Tucson smiled when the fth-year senior decided to join the Arizona community this summer. Before Arizona, Ramey had a four-year stint at the University of Texas in Austin. e recruiting pitch was di cult for Ramey to accept, but Ramey admired Lloyd’s desire to help critique his game in areas Lloyd felt were necessary.

Ultimately, this led Ramey to Arizona. He had plenty of success in Austin, averaging around 10 points per game in all four seasons while being a reliable option on the defensive end. Ramey is a born-ready leader and should be a day one starter next to Kriisa in the backcourt.

Henderson, from Memphis, Tennessee, transferred to Arizona after playing at Campbell University for three seasons. e 6-foot-6 guard proved to be an e cient scorer for the Fighting Camels, shooting just under 50% from the eld last season. For Henderson, the main adjustment will be adapting to the style of play in the Pac-12. He spent his rst three seasons playing within the Big South conference.

is team’s success will depend on how well each player can complement each other. Fans throughout the season could see 11 players on the court every night.

Furthermore, this year’s roster probably will not see anybody depart early for the NBA.

In addition, the Wildcats don’t have a go-to guy like Mathurin this season. But, this does not mean Lloyd’s group cannot reappear as Pac-12 Champions. e chemistry issues will just take more time to resolve than usual.

COURTESY OF MIKE CHRISTY | ARIZONA ATHLETICS

THE ARIZONA MEN’S BASKETBALL team is lead by head coach Tommy Lloyd. He began this role in 2021 after working as the assistant coach at Gonzaga University.

After two years of tournament runs, the Wildcats are working to mesh a team full of new faces

BY DELANEY PENN @delaneypennn

e Arizona women’s basketball team is a team on the rise.

Since 2016, the team has been led by head coach Adia Barnes, a former University of Arizona women’s basketball standout, Pac10 Player of the Year in 1998 and WNBA Champion in 2004.

Barnes is recognized not only for her outstanding basketball skills and game knowledge, but also for her tenacity and determination on the court. Since 2018 the team has amassed a 100–33 record, including a Women’s National Invitational Tournament Championship in 2019 and a trip to the nal game of the 2021 Women’s NCAA Tournament vs Stanford University after defeating perennial powerhouse University of Connecticut in the semi nals.

Taking the lead from their coach, the Arizona women’s basketball team can at-out play.

Like all coaches in the NCAA, Barnes must navigate graduating team members as well as the newly instituted transfer portal. e team posted a fantastic 21-7 record last year that included an invite to the prestigious NCAA Tournament.

e run in the tourney last spring was not as long as Wildcat fans had hoped, but it did have the team beat the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and then lose to the University of North Carolina.

After the run, many players graduated, including Semaj Smith (center), Bendu Yeaney (guard), Ariyah Copeland (forward) and Sam omas (forward). e Wildcats also lost a few players to the transfer portal, so the team has some big roles to ll for this upcoming season.

Barnes is constantly on the hunt for ways to improve her roster.

Combining the transfer portal with back-to-basics traditional recruiting, she was able to lock in

a talented group of athletes for the 2022-23 season.

Utilizing the transfer portal, the team added Esmery Martinez (senior and forward) from West Virginia University and Lauren Fields (senior and guard) from Oklahoma State University, bolstering the roster with not only exceptional talent but great team players with valuable D-1 experience.

One of the best acquisitions came directly from ASU, Jade Loville. Loville was just named to the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch list and is considered one of the top shooting guards in the NCAA.

Barnes was also able to o er scholarships to four freshmen –guards: Lemyah Hylton, Kailyn

Gilbert and Paris Clark along with Maya Nnaji.

e cupboard wasn’t bare for the Wildcats either, with returning players including fth-year seniors Shaina Pellington and Cate Reese, senior Helena Pueyo, junior Lauren Ware and sophomore Madison Conner. e team has been working hard to blend the new team members with the returning players to form a cohesive unit.

Reese is one of the fth-year seniors providing leadership on the court and in the locker room.

Reese is a 3-time All Pac-12 player coming o a shoulder injury that had her miss most of last year. Her drive, coupled with the combination of returning starters, transfers and freshmen should set this team up for a successful

run, not only through the Pac12 but also deep into the NCAA Tournament this spring.

e team’s rst exhibition game was on Oct. 27 against West Texas A&M University, which Arizona has not played against since 1980. is allowed Barnes the exibility to test out starters and give some of the freshmen an opportunity to prove themselves prior to the start of the regular and Pac-12 seasons.

e Wildcats would start the game strong scoring 24 in the rst quarter and another 22 in the second. e Wildcats would go on to score 40 more points in the second half, winning the game 86-63. ASU Transfer, Loville, lead the Wildcats in the Oct. 27, game with 20 points in 25 minutes of game play.

Arizona then took on California State University, Los Angeles in their second and nal exhibition game on Nov. 2 in McKale Center.

e Wildcats crushed CSU Los Angeles 104-46, making this the second year in a row where the Wildcats broke 100 points in an exhibition game.

A game to mark on your calendar is at home against Baylor University on Dec. 18. Baylor is coming o a long run of sustained success and will provide the Wildcats with a great test.

Striving to meld her new roster into a Pac-12 powerhouse, Barnes is expecting consistent hard-nosed e ort that brings intensity and victories to every game. is team is looking to rock McKale Center and bring home the W’s all year.

COURTESY OF MIKE CHRISTY | ARIZONA ATHLETICS

THE ARIZONA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL team is lead by head coach Adia Barnes. She began this role in 2016 after working as the assistant coach at the University of Washington.

A basketball journey: How Tommy Lloyd can take a new group back to the top

BY RYAN WOHL @ryan__wohl

After Sean Miller left the University of Arizona two seasons ago, the future was uncertain. Would the next head men’s basketball coach be a former Wildcat or a top assistant coach?

Tommy Lloyd, who was an assistant coach at Gonzaga University at the time, ended up getting the job.

It was looked at as a home run hire for Arizona, but many thought it would take a few years of rebuilding to get the Wildcats

back at the top of the Pac-12 and competing for Conference Championships every year.

e opposite happened. Lloyd came into Arizona and immediately in uenced the program. e players played di erent, they had a new energy to them and the pieces t perfectly into the puzzle.

Lloyd would lead the Wildcats to their rst Pac-12 regular season Championship and Pac12 Tournament Championship since the 2017-18 season.

In a year’s time, Lloyd took a program that was looking for its identity and to get their spark

back, and they got the right guys to do it.

But last season, he did that with Miller’s recruited players. Coming into this second season in Tucson for the 2022-23 college basketball season, we will see a di erent Lloyd structured team.

After three of Lloyd’s best players left Arizona for the NBA draft, four freshmen and two veteran transfer players joined the fold.

Lloyd has continued on a path that Miller started in his last year at Arizona: to recruit international players.

Two new talented big men joined the Wildcats this summer for their freshmen season — Henri Veesaar from Estonia and Filip Borovicanin from Serbia.

Both players will help Lloyd rebuild his frontcourt after losing Christian Koloko. Both of them are talented players standing at least 6-foot-9 on the oor and can score the ball while having versatility on the defensive side.

Like last season when Lloyd added veteran Justin Kier to bring leadership to the team, he did it again by adding Courtney Ramey and Cedric Henderson

Jr., who are both fth-year players.

Along with being an excellent game day head coach, Lloyd is talented at developing players.

He elevated each of the three Arizona players who joined the NBA a few months ago — Bennedict Mathurin, Koloko and Dalen Terry.

Heading into last season, Terry was looked at as strictly a glue guy that would likely be at Arizona for four years.

at was not the case. Lloyd allowed Terry to open up his game with a free- owing, fastpaced o ense that t his style of play.

During Koloko’s rst two seasons at Arizona, he was viewed as a highly talented defensive big man but someone who is super raw and hadn’t put it all together up until then.

After a season in Lloyd’s system, Koloko was a di erent player as a whole. He displayed con dence on both sides of the oor and became one of the best and most consistent centers in all of college basketball.

Entering his second season at Arizona, his team is ranked No. 17 in the preseason AP Poll, but the path to another Pac-12 title looks di erent.

For one, this year’s team doesn’t have one go-to scorer like they did last season with Mathurin.

Instead, Lloyd will need to look at multiple players to take a step forward on the o ensive end with Kerr Kriisa, Pelle Larrson and Oumar Ballo, among others.

Lloyd built a new culture at Arizona and put the Wildcats back on the top of the mountain of college basketball where they have been historically.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

HEAD COACH OF THE Arizona men’s basketball team, Tommy Lloyd, talks to players during a time-out in their season opener against Nicholls State University. The Wildcats score 117 points securing the first win of the season.

Adia Barnes is con dent her Wildcats will rule the court this season

BY EMILY TIBBETTS

@DailyWildcat

Since April 2016, head coach Adia Barnes has led the Wildcats to the top, bringing the Arizona women’s basketball team to both the NCAA Final Four in 2021 and to a win at the Women’s National Invitational Tournament in 2019.

e 2021 season was arguably the most successful season for the women’s basketball team since 2005. ey fell short to Stanford University in the championship game by just one point.

Barnes attended Mission Bay Senior High School before being recruited by the University of Arizona for the 1995 season as post. During her freshman year, she was awarded the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Award, and with many accomplishments during her college basketball career, she was the rst women’s basketball player from Arizona to be drafted into the pros.

During Barnes’ professional basketball career, she played on several WNBA and international teams before starting her coaching career at the University of Washington as an assistant coach.

In April 2016, Barnes was named head coach of the Arizona women’s basketball team. Since her return to the UA, she has guided the team to the Final Four Tournament, winning the WNIT, beating the No. 1 team in the nation and through several record-breaking seasons.

Barnes has high hopes for the upcoming 2022-23 season with four new freshman players and three upperclassmen transfers.

“ ere’s a tremendous amount of potential,” Barnes said.

Although Barnes had not had the opportunity to see the full team play together by media day, she was still con dent that the new and returning players would create a strong, wellrounded team.

ere is a strong core of returning players on the team that she said she believes are some of her best, and she is excited for the new and young talent from the freshmen and transfers.

“We have a lot of new faces,” Barnes said. “It’s exciting because I think we have new pieces that can really add to what we do on

and o the court.”

e new freshman recruits are some of the strongest the program has had. ey already play at a higher level and have more talent than the freshmen in previous years.

One of the recruits, Maya Nnaji, is a forward from Hopkins, Minnesota. Nnaji is one of the highest-ranked recruits in the history of Arizona women’s basketball.

“If you look at [Nnaji], she’s versatile, she has potential to be a really well-rounded, versatile player,” Barnes said.

Along with Nnaji, the three other freshman recruits are a strong addition to the team.

Kailyn Gilbert, Paris Clark and Lemyah Hylton are all highly skilled guards. Gilbert, from Tampa Bay, Florida, was ranked the No. 31 recruit in the class of 2022. Clark, from the Bronx, New York, was the 2022 McDonald’s All-American as well as the 2022 Jordan Brand All-American. Hylton is from Mississauga, Ontario, played on Canada’s U19 squad and was a 4-star 2022 recruit.

“[Hylton] is a really good athlete. She’s long and lean; she’ll be a great defender,” Barnes said.

With only 12 scholarship players this year instead of the normal 15, Barnes is putting a lot of con dence in the freshman players this upcoming season, hoping to keep them in the program in future seasons.

“When I look at the future, they’re the future,” Barnes said.

Barnes is excited to add three new upperclassman players to the team this season as well. Jade Loville, a fth-year from ASU, will be a huge gain for the UA.

“Adding [Loville], who was the second leading scorer in the Pac-12 and a really good perimeter player, will add consistent 3-point shooting and toughness and size on the perimeter,” Barnes said.

Along with Loville, Lauren Fields, a senior from Oklahoma State University, and Esmery Martinez, a senior from West Virginia University, also joined the Wildcats.

With coaching from Barnes and the con dence she has in her team, Arizona women’s basketball could be looking at a successful 2022-23 season.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

HEAD COACH ADIA BARNES of the Arizona women’s basketball team talks to her players during a timeout March 19, in McKale Center. The Wildcats won 72-67 against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Arizona men’s basketball debuts new uniforms inspired by ‘88 Wildcats

BY ALEX POOR

e Arizona men’s basketball team is throwing it all the way back to 1988, with their new uniforms revealed ahead of the 2022-23 season.

e University of Arizona has had many great teams throughout its history. One of those special squads is the 1987-88 team who took the court in McKale Center almost 35 years ago.

at team, which was mentored by legendary Arizona coach and 2008 retiree Lute Olson, also had future NBA talent on the roster: Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott.

e 1987-88 season was also the rst Final Four berth for the Wildcats.

e new throwback jerseys have the classic, curved words “Arizona” in all caps across the chest and above the numbers, and the shorts feature a large block “A” with the word “cats” in all caps across the thigh.

is is a more simplistic design with less frills than in recent years, but it still looks sharp and classy.

is will be the rst major jersey update for the men’s basketball team since the 2016-17 campaign began, from which the Wildcats had been wearing jerseys with a gradient pattern at the tops and bottoms of the uniform. is design was intended to mimick the desert sunrise and sunset.

e new 1988 throwback jerseys are a simplistic yet much-

needed change for Arizona men’s basketball. e previous uniforms with the gradient on the shoulders and shorts will likely be looked back on as the “Sean Miller era” Arizona jerseys, since he coached the Wildcats from 2009-21.

Tommy Lloyd took over as head coach of the Wildcats a year ago and led them to a Sweet 16 birth his rst year with the team. Now a year later, with new uniforms and some new faces on the roster, Lloyd will look to build o of last year’s success.

Two memorable Wildcats who initially donned these classic uniforms back in 1988 were Elliott and Kerr, who both went on to have long NBA careers after leaving Arizona.

About 35 years ago, as a 6-foot8 junior, Elliott averaged 19.6 points per game to lead the 198788 Wildcats in scoring. He spent all four years of his college career in Tucson and would go on to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 1989 draft for the San Antonio Spurs. He played 12 NBA seasons, earning a championship with the Spurs in 1999. His number, 32, is retired by both the University of Arizona and the San Antonio Spurs.

Current coach of the Golden State Warriors and nine-time NBA champion Kerr averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 assists and 2 rebounds per game with the Wildcats in the 1988 season that saw them reach the Final Four.

Following his senior year in

‘87-88, Kerr was drafted No. 15 overall in the second round of the NBA draft to the Phoenix Suns. He would bounce around the league to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic before nding a footing with the Chicago Bulls in 1993.

Kerr also won three NBA titles with Michael Jordan’s Bulls and two more as a member of the Spurs from 1999-2001. In 2014, Kerr was hired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors and has won four more NBA championships since 2015.

e Wildcats debuted the new throwback uniforms at their annual Red-Blue game in McKale Center on Sept. 30. In the end, the blue team won the game 49-45 in front of a sold-out crowd.

SOFIA MORAGA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER Justin Coleman (12) looks across the court to find somewhere to pass the ball during the Red-Blue game on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018, in McKale Center. The red team won 39-33.

KOHICHIRO YAMADA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER Kerr Kriisa (25) plays defense during the team’s annual Red-Blue game in McKale Center on Sept. 30. The sold-out game ended with the blue team winning 49-45.

Bear Down for basketball: UA student body game traditions

BY AMANDA MOURELATOS AND TALIA DONINGER @DailyWildcat

With University of Arizona basketball season upon us, it’s important to remember our roots following the sport and school spirit.

From the student chants to the pep band’s music to the cheerleaders’ cheering, the crowd is the driving factor at UA basketball games. is energy pushes the team to perform to the best of their ability. A lot of this energy comes from the ZonaZoo.

ZonaZoo is an energetic, rambunctious pack of students dressed in UA gear stacked in the stands behind the basket during basketball games. It is “the o cial student section and studentticketing program for University of Arizona Athletics,” according to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona website.

Chant leader Dimitri Pearson is going on his fth year at the UA. His job is to pump up the crowd and get them loud.

“It’s keeping the school spirit active, keeping everybody involved in the game, making sure the crowd, the band, the cheerleaders, the poms, they’re all top energy. at comes from the players, of course, and like the way the interaction of the game is,” Pearson said.

Pearson was given this opportunity his sophomore year from the Associate Director of Bands Chad Shoopman. Seeing the pride in all people involved grow over the years has been something that he has remembered.

“It took some time, but by the end of last year I felt like that was the strongest I’ve ever seen the ZonaZoo and the crowds. e

energy was ecstatic. It brought a lot of attention to the pep band and the other aspects [of] the games that people really don’t focus on,” Pearson said.

As far as traditions go, there have been many that have come and gone over the years.

“I think a lot of [the traditions] are just stuck in there, like we play certain songs from ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Bear Down,’ of course. All of those songs show [in an] instant the audience is with the band and the whole crowd is engaged with what we’re doing. ose little traditions [are] what keeps the energy through the two and a half hours,” Pearson said.

One of the most prominent

traditions that Pearson loves occurs at the very beginning of the game.

“ ere’s a group of ve of us at the top of the stands, [and] we play ‘Bear Down’ really quiet, and then we all run down. e rest of the band comes running out, everyone’s cheering, and [then] the team runs out. at’s one of the coolest things, and I don’t think that’s ever gonna change.

e [traditions] that really stick are the ones that really matter,” Pearson said.

Old and new traditions are being maintained and framed each season. Two new traditions introduced in ZonaZoo were throwing streamers at football games during kicko , which will be

translated to basketball games, and a poster-making contest.

Brianna Antillon, president and executive director of ZonaZoo, knows all about the process behind school traditions.

“I’ve tried to maintain but also change things. Instead of seeing the same old thing, let’s continue to make things bigger and better. I want to set the foundation for the future and pave the way for the people to come after me,” Antillon said.

One of the biggest ways ZonaZoo involves the students is by designing themes for each basketball game. emes are announced on ZonaZoo’s o cial social media platforms and shared

via their weekly emails.

“ZonaZoo does themes for the basketball games so we can stand out from the rest of the crowd. We are the students who are a part of this school. We want to show everyone what we can do and separate ourselves from the rest of the stadium to unify us as a student body,” Antillon said.

Creating themes for basketball games is a collaborative process. emes are discussed and debated during their weekly meetings. However, the opinions on themes are not just limited to their crew. Members reach out to their peers in order to receive feedback from all corners of the university.

“We want to hear from every single group and every single student. ... We really want to diversify what we can o er to make it super inclusive and cater to everybody’s happiness and likings,” Antillon said.

“I won’t give too much away, but some things we are thinking about doing are a ‘Top Gun’ theme on Veteran’s Day [and] a pajama day or ugly holiday sweater during nals week. For next semester we are going to have a neon night and a beach theme for our L.A. games,” Antillon said. e enthusiasm and participation of the student section has an e ect on the players. eir energy vibrates through the arena and radiates onto the court. e players willingly embrace the passion during these moments.

“At the end of the day, we are all students, them as well. e athletes are student athletes. ey spend hours in the gym, but also handle schoolwork in the same way we do. It means a lot for them to see us not only show up but participate,” Antillon said.

EM MARIE CUEVAS | THE DAILY WILDCAT

FROM THE STUDENT CHANTS to the pep band’s music to the cheerleaders cheering, the University of Arizona has a wide variety of longstanding basketball game traditions.

Nov.

Nov.

Nov.

Dec.

Dec. 4 (Sunday) 3:00pm MST vs. Cal. McKale Center

Dec. 10 (Saturday) 5:30pm MST at Indiana Las Vegas, Nev.

Dec. 13 (Tuesday) 6:30pm MST vs. Texas A&M CC McKale Center

Dec. 17 (Saturday) 8:30pm MST vs. Tennessee McKale Center

Dec. 20 (Tuesday) 6:30pm MST vs. Montana State McKale Center

Dec. 22 (Thursday) 6:00pm MST vs. Morgan State McKale Center

Dec. 31 (Saturday) 12:00pm MST at ASU Tempe, Ariz.

Jan. 5 (Thursday) 9:00pm MST vs. Washington McKale Center

Jan. 7 (Saturday) 3:00pm MST vs. Washington State McKale Center

Jan. 12 (Thursday) 9:00pm MST at Oregon State Corvallis, Ore.

Jan. 14 (Saturday) 4:00pm MST at Oregon Eugene, Ore.

Jan. 19 (Thursday) 7:00pm MST vs. USC McKale Center

Jan. 21 (Saturday) 12:00pm MST vs. UCLA McKale Center

Jan. 26 (Thursday) 9:00pm MST at Washington State Pullman, Wash.

Jan. 28 (Saturday) 3:30pm MST at Washington Seattle, Wash.

Feb. 2 (Thursday) 8:30pm MST vs. Oregon McKale Center

Feb. 4 (Saturday) 7:30pm MST vs. Oregon State McKale Center

Feb. 9 (Thursday) 9:00pm MST at Cal. Berkeley, Calif.

Feb. 11 (Saturday) TBD at Stanford Stanford, Calif.

Feb. 16 (Thursday) 8:00pm MST vs. Utah McKale Center

Feb. 18 (Saturday) TBD vs. Colorado McKale Center

Feb. 25 (Saturday) 12:00pm MST vs. ASU McKale Center

Mar. 2 (Thursday) TBD at USC Los Angeles, Calif.

Mar. 4 (Saturday) 8:00pm MST at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif.

Sophomore Memphis, Tenn.

Jan. 2 (Monday) 12:30pm MST at Stanford Stanford, Calif.

Jan. 6 (Friday) 8:00pm MST vs. Oregon State McKale Center

Jan. 8 (Sunday) 5:00pm MST vs. Oregon McKale Center

Jan. 13 (Friday) 7:00pm MST at Colorado Boulder, Colo.

Jan. 15 (Sunday) 12:00pm MST at Utah

Jan. 22 (Sunday) 3:00pm MST at ASU

Salt Lake City, Utah

Tempe, Ariz.

Jan. 27 (Friday) 7:00pm MST vs. Washington McKale Center

Jan. 29 (Sunday) 12:00pm MST vs. Washington State McKale Center

Feb. 3 (Friday) 9:00pm MST at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif.

Feb. 5 (Sunday) 1:00pm MST at USC Los Angeles, Calif.

Feb. 9 (Thursday) 7:30pm MST vs. Stanford McKale Center

Feb. 12 (Sunday) 12:00pm MST vs. Cal McKale Center

Feb. 17 (Friday) 7:00pm MST vs. Utah McKale Center

Feb. 19 (Sunday) 12:00pm MST vs. Colorado McKale Center

Feb. 23 (Thursday) 8:00pm MST at Oregon Eugene, Ore.

Feb. 25 (Saturday) 1:00 pm MST at Oregon State Corvallis, Ore.

Mar. 1 (Wednesday) Pac-12 Tournamnet: Frist Round Las Vegas, Nev. Mar. 2 (Thursday) Pac-12 Tournamnet: Quarterfinals Las Vegas, Nev. Mar. 3 (Friday) Pac-12 Tournamnet: Semifinals Las Vegas, Nev. Mar. 5 (Sunday) Pac-12 Tournamnet: Championship Las Vegas, Nev.

Jaime Fernandez Assistant Coach, Performance Enhancement

Kylan Boswell prepares to take his game to the next level with Arizona

BY AIDAN ALPERSTEIN @DailyWildcat

ere are not many 17-year-old athletes on college campuses. at narrative changed last February at the University of Arizona when Tommy Lloyd and

sta acquired Kylan Boswell, the program’s rst ve-star recruit in the Lloyd era.

Despite Boswell’s youth, the talented freshman can hold his own o the court in any challenge he is presented with. Growing up in Champaign, Illinois, Boswell

was constantly on the move, playing basketball in almost every state across the country, but said doing so did not add any extra adversity.

“Moving around the country has been nothing new. I have gotten used to traveling and playing basketball, so I quickly adapt to whatever circumstances are for me,” Boswell said.

Before his junior year at AZ Compass Prep, Boswell was living in California, playing basketball for Corona Centennial High School, leading his team to the section 7 championship game. Boswell said he carries the same demeanor wherever he goes. On the court, in the classroom or just enjoying life as an ordinary kid, it’s the same formula. Living independently at a young age can face many mental and physical challenges. However, Boswell decided to look at the challenges as an opportunity to grow.

“ e maturity de nitely comes from my parents. Learning to get over the little things quickly de nitely helped me with my maturity,” Boswell said. “With what I want to do in my life, I have to be mature.”

Adapting to a college environment for a rst-year student can certainly be demanding. For Boswell, understanding this foundation will help him deal with adversity that may come his way.

“So far, everything has been smooth, academics have been hard, but the basketball aspect is all under control. I am excited to have come here [Arizona] early,” Boswell said.

Since moving down from Chandler, Arizona, Boswell has become accustomed to a student athlete’s daily life. e only hurdle in the path of the freshman is his right foot. Boswell has been dealing with a broken foot since

last spring, causing him to be sidelined from any competitive action for about seven months.

Furthermore, because of the reclassi cation, Boswell was limited to just one AAU tournament playing for Team Why Not, a basketball club that plays on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit. Boswell has spent the last few months honing in on the mechanical aspects of his game as the challenges of a walking boot and scooter left him getting shots up on wheels.

“I feel like I’ll get back into it smoothly; right now, I’m training. It has been a little di cult trying to nd my shot back and get my handle right, but nothing out of the ordinary. I’m just taking everything slow right now. e main goal is getting my con dence back,” Boswell said.

Getting acclimated to the college-level game speed when healthy and understanding newly introduced concepts presented by the coaching sta throughout the fall will help Boswell make a smooth transition from the sidelines when ready.

For Boswell’s junior year of high school, the Boswell family decided leaving Corona Centennial and transferring to AZ Compass Prep would help him further develop the talents he already possessed.

As Compass Prep was only one hour and a half away from the University of Arizona, Boswell had the opportunity to become quite familiar with campus life in Tucson, eventually acquiring a passion for the campus environment and coaching sta .

Last February, ESPN College GameDay came to Tucson as the Wildcats hosted Dana Altman and the University of Oregon Ducks. A short two weeks after Jay Bilas and the rest of the ESPN crew took the McKale Center oor, Boswell decided to join the Wildcat family.

e new Wildcat had nothing but smiles on his last o cial visit.

“Being at College Gameday was cool; seeing that in live action after watching it always on television was a great experience,” Boswell said. “Also, the Oregon game was super fun and hype. at visit might have pushed me over the edge, but I had always liked the University of Arizona and Tommy.”

Because of the right foot injury Boswell sustained in the spring of 2022, the thoughts of reclassi cation began to dwindle within the minds of the Boswell family.

Ultimately, in July of 2022, the family decided it would be bene cial to join the Wildcats a year early, hoping to help ll a void as Lloyd’s true point guard, an area that Arizona struggled with at times throughout the 202122 season.

Boswell is looking forward to orchestrating the o ense when given the opportunity, as Arizona has a deep backcourt, allowing Boswell to play to his strengths.

“I’m excited to get to play. It’s nice because I don’t have to be the player that has to bring the ball up every time; I can get to my spots and vice versa. It gives me time to show my game,” Boswell said.

Leading up to the season beginning, Boswell was eager to lace up his shoes and step on the McKale Center hardwood. Although acknowledging his injury, Boswell is hungry and ready to compete when cleared by the medical sta .

Boswell is ready to make his impact on the Wildcats, and Arizona fans are ready for him.

“I want to be the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, rst-team all Pac-12 and Naismith Player of the Year. I dream big. If I say it now, it will happen for me,” Boswell said.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT KYLAN BOSWELL, A GUARD on the Arizona men’s basketball team, passes the ball in the season opener on Nov. 7, in McKale Center. The Wildcats won the game 117-75.

e queen of the court begins the end of her reign with the Wildcats

BY MADISON CARNEY @DailyWildcat

e 2022-23 year is Cate Reese’s fth season on the Arizona women’s basketball team. e power forward is ready to make up for lost time on the court after coming o a dislocated shoulder injury that left her on the bench since the NCAA Tournament last spring. She was cleared to practice in late September, seven months after undergoing surgery to repair torn tendons and a labrum.

e 6-foot-2 player from Cypress, Texas, entered the University of Arizona rated the fourth-best post player by ESPN and one of the highest prospects the Arizona women’s basketball program has ever seen, ranking 14th in the country when she signed. When she played for Cypress Woods High School, Reese averaged 30.6 points and 15.3 rebounds per game, making her a ve-star recruit.

is outstanding performance continued after high school. In her rst year on the Arizona women’s basketball team, she started in 37 games, the most seen by a freshman in the UA’s history.

Reese owns an AP Honorable Mention All-American that she earned her senior year at the UA. Averaging 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, Reese is the seventh highest player in program history for scoring and fourth for total rebounds.

She was the rst Pac-12 Player of the Week last season and is the seventh Arizona player to be selected for AllPac-12 honors in three straight seasons. She is predicted to tie the current record holder Davellyn Whyte, who earned four in her career.

Reese is also starting the season on the Katrina McClain Award pre-season watch list for 2023. Presented by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the award will go to the best power forward in women’s college basketball.

is is the third time in her career that she has earned a spot on this list. In the 2020 season, Reese was a top 10 nalist. She

also made the midseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, awarded to the best player in women’s college basketball.

Reese accumulated 19 double-doubles last season; this puts her on the board as sixth most for a Wildcat. Not only did she end the season in the top 10 of the program records in books with 1,528 points and 774 rebounds, she was the third player in program history to score 1,500 points and grab 750. Arizona lost three of their four last games of the season — including their only regular season home loss against UCLA — and the second round of the NCAA Tournament after losing Reese from the lineup due to that dislocated shoulder.

Reese primarily played as the power forward last year, but has also played center during her previous four years with Arizona.

Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in her sophomore year of high school, Reese manages a condition that has the potential to hinder her athletic career. In an Arizona road trip in 2020, Reese was hospitalized twice due to unsafe sugar levels. She was taken in that ursday, played a game Friday and was back in the hospital Saturday.

Although college basketball is her main priority, she also spends a lot of time on academic pursuits, making the winter academic honor roll in both 2020 and 2021. As a business management major, Reese is spending her extra year earning her master’s degree.

Last year, Reese was among some of the rst NCAA athletes to sign a company endorsement. She signed a NIL deal to promote Newegg during the women’s college basketball tournament.

Reese returned to the court in an exhibition game against West Texas A&M University on Oct. 27. She was the secondhighest scorer with a total of 13 points. It was also her rst time playing with the seven new faces on Arizona’s roster.

As the longest-standing Wildcat on the court, her leadership will be expected to come into play more than ever.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

CATE REESE RUNS ONTO the court in the first exhibition game of the season for the Arizona women’s basketball team on Oct. 27, in McKale Center. The Wildcats took on West Texas A&M University and won 86-63. Reese scored 13 points in 24 minutes on the court.

PLAYER FEATURE MBB

Rising star Pelle Larsson brings global basketball experience back to Arizona

BY ALEX POOR @ Alexpoor_12

is season, Pelle Larsson begins his junior year with men’s basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats.

Larsson is coming o last season where he played a key bench role for Lloyd’s team as they advanced to the Sweet 16 for the rst time since 2017.

Larsson, standing at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 boards last season and won Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year. He appeared in all 37 regular season games, starting twice and averaged 20.7 minutes per game.

His shooting clips in the season were 36.3% from the 3-point line and 47.8% from eld. He also shot 81% from the free-throw line in the season, being only one of three Wildcats to do so.

In 2021-22, Larsson was a valued rotational player. He showcased his ability to stretch a defense with his 3-point shot and to space the oor for his teammates while also being a plus on the defensive side of the basketball.

Ahead of this season, Larsson was named a player on the watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, which is given every year to the best small forward in college basketball.

He and teammate Kerr Kriisa were named to the All-Pac-12 Preseason Second Team.

Over this past summer, Larsson competed

for his Swedish national team in quali ers for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he was asked to put his defensive skills to the task defending Luka Doncic and Slovenian Natinal team.

Larsson said it was “de nitely a challenge” to go up against current All-NBA member, allstar and former MVP of the EuroLeague.

“I was really excited. It was such a blessing and big opportunity,” Larsson said.

Larsson said he will try to put that extra practice in the summer to good use by hitting the ground running for the 2022-23 Arizona season.

Larsson’s development into a more prominent starting role will be key to a team that saw three players leave for the NBA draft in June.

Two of those draftees were versatile, two-way players in Indiana Pacers’ guard Bennedict Mathurin and Chicago Bulls’ guard Dalen Terry. ese two over-6-footers were key to Arizona’s defense a year ago, much of which will now be on Larsson as the rst line of defense on the perimeter.

A large part of Arizona’s success this season will rely on Larsson’s ability to hit open shots and stretch the oor while also defending key spots on the perimeter and down in the paint. Lloyd is con dent he won’t disappoint.

“[Larsson] has to have a little bit more belief in himself because, he’s a really good basketball player. He’s de nitely trending in the right direction, and I’m excited to see how the journey goes,” Lloyd said.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

PELLE LARSSON, A GUARD on the Arizona men’s basketball team, drives the hoop on Saturday, Jan. 15, in a game against the University of Utah in McKale Center. The Wildcats won 82-64.

He’s definitely trending in the right direction, and I’m excited to see how the journey goes.”

Wiser and stronger than ever: Shaina Pellington is ready this season

BY MARY GRACE ARMISTEAD AND JT THORPE @DailyWildcat

After the Arizona women’s basketball team’s 2021 NCAA Tournament run ended with a loss to Stanford University in the Championship, the team failed to repeat their success the following year. e team’s 2022 run ended after a loss to the University of North Carolina in the second tournament game.

A few fth year seniors on the team now have one nal chance to win it all, including Shaina Pellington.

e 5-foot-8 guard has worked on her skills a lot this past summer and will be bringing new experience to the court this season.

Pellington spent the past three years representing the University of Arizona at the NCAA level and Canada at the international level, including in the 2020 Olympics.

At Pac-12 media day in San Francisco on Oct. 25, Pellington spoke a bit about what it was like for her to split up her time with Arizona to play internationally.

“You’re playing alongside pros basically, all the time,” Pellington said. “ ey’re very wise. ey know the game very well. So I feel like every single time I go overseas to play or play with my national team, I learned a lot about the game. ... I think it helps me develop really well as a player and also just as a person.”

Pellington also had a huge opportunity to join her fellow Canadian teammates in the World Cup this summer, but it was a tough decision. She could play alongside her fellow Canadian national team at the World Cup in late September, or she could spend her whole summer in Arizona focusing on being the best team leader and point guard she could be.

e fth year chose to stay with the Wildcats. At Pac-12 media day, she explained her choice.

“I thought it was really important for me this time around to be there for my teammates and just be around campus, meet all the new faces,” Pellington said. “We

have seven new players. It’s like a brand new team. From a leadership perspective and as a point guard, I felt it was really important for me to be around to help my teammates embrace their new journey at a new place.”

Whatever the game entails, whatever the team needs, it is whatever Pellington is doing. She said she has no regrets about choosing Arizona over the World Cup.

“I think that was a sacri ce that I would make 10 times over and I think it paid o in the long run,” she said.

As Arizona’s starting point guard last year, Pellington was the second-highest scorer on the team with 11.3 points per game. She hit a notable buzzer-beater for the win against Oregon State University in January.

Pellington was also third in steals with 1.5 per game as well as averaged 2.2 assists per game last season.

Despite having to overcome her own battles, such as a run-in with COVID-19 in early January, Pellington achieved a lot. She scored an Arizona career high of 30 points on two separate occasions, including in a win over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the rst round of the NCAA Tournament.

As for her goals this season, Pellington said she wants to get back to the Final Four.

At the team’s media day on Sept. 30 in McKale Center, she talked about how being a fth year means she can be a wiser and stronger leader for the rest of the team.

She said the team went farther than they thought they would and everyone is happy with what they achieved, but they are looking to reach even higher goals now.

To work on herself, Pellington said she used last season’s results as a stepping stone so that she could gure out how to improve.

At Pac-12 media day, she talked about focusing on improving outside-the-arc shooting, and said she wants to become more of a triple threat. She used this summer at Arizona to be more prepared than ever for this upcoming season.

With the whole season ahead, prepare for Pellington’s last ride at Arizona to be the best one yet.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

SHAINA PELLINGTON, A GUARD on the Arizona women’s basketball team, drives the hoop for a layup in a game against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on March 19 in McKale Center. The Wildcats won 72-67.

Catch up with current NBA Wildcats

BY COLE JOHNSON @ cjwildcat2000

The Arizona men’s basketball team has produced multiple NBA champions over the years, such as Steve Kerr, Andre Iguodala, Jason Terry, Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson and more. Let’s take a look at some of the former Wildcats who are still playing in the league.

The most recent NBA draft had two Arizona players drafted in the first round and one in the second.

Drafted at No. 6 in the first round by the Indiana Pacers was shooting guard Bennedict

Mathurin. He averaged 17.7 points in the 2021-22 season with Arizona and seems to have brought his high-scoring games with him to Indiana.

On Oct. 29, the Pacers took on the Brooklyn Nets, and Mathurin was the star of the game, dropping 32 points and leading the Pacers to their third win of the season. Mathurin is averaging about 20 points a game in his first NBA season and is expected to keep improving.

The other Wildcat selected in the first round of the 2022 draft was Dalen Terry. Terry was selected No. 18 in the draft by

the Chicago Bulls, but he hasn’t had the playing time to prove himself in the league just yet.

The last Arizona men’s basketball alumnus taken in the 2022 draft was former Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Christian Koloko. Koloko was drafted by the Toronto Raptors and has been getting about 15 minutes of playing time a game, but hasn’t made any big contributions yet. However, in the recent game between the Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks, Koloko tallied up 9 points and five rebounds as he battled for more time.

The 2020 draft featured three Wildcats who joined the NBA: two in the first round and one in the second.

Taken in the first round at No. 18 by the Dallas Mavericks was Australian Olympic medalist Josh Green. He has yet to average more than 5 points a game in his first three NBA seasons. His stat line has been rather low, but he is continuing to get more playing time compared to his first year in the league.

The second Wildcat taken in that draft was power forward Zeke Nnaji. He was taken by the Denver Nuggets as the No. 22 pick. Nnaji averaged about 6.6 points and 17 minutes of playing time a game last season but hasn’t had the same playing time to start this NBA season.

The second-rounder from that year was the highly talked about Nico Mannion as the No. 18 pick. Mannion had a little run with the Golden State Warriors, but he has since started playing in the EuroLeague.

Quite a few Wildcats are still having great success in the NBA, such as Aaron Gordon, Deandre Ayton and Lauri Markkanen.

Gordon has the most prominent achievements so far out of the three after winning the Male Athlete of the Year in Basketball in 2013 and placing

second in the 2016 slam dunk competition.

However, Markkanen and Ayton have been making big names for themselves in the league, both averaging around 15 to 16 points a game throughout their NBA careers. Currently, Markkanen is playing with the Utah Jazz and is averaging over 20 points a game for the first time in his career, which is all-star potential. The

same can be said for Ayton, who has been averaging about 8 rebounds a game with a very strong Phoenix Suns team.

Arizona men’s basketball has been consistently pumping out NBA players who make major contributions to championship teams. With Mathurin, Markkanen and Ayton playing the way they are, hopes are high that the Wildcats’ winning tradition will continue.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT BENNEDICT MATHURIN DUNKS FOR a second time during an Arizona men’s basketball game against NAU on Nov. 9, 2021, in McKale Center. The Wildcats won 81-52.

AMY BAILEY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JOSH GREEN DUNKS THE ball in McKale Center during an Arizona men’s basketball game against the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Dec. 11, 2019. The Wildcats won 99-49.

Behind the mask: What it’s really like to be the University of Arizona’s mascots

BY DANIELLE HARTSHORN @DailyWildcat

Have you ever wondered what the day-to-day life of a mascot involves? Or what they enjoy about the position? Are you curious about the downsides of the job? If so, you’re in luck. The Daily Wildcat asked the University of Arizona’s current Wilma and a former Wilbur these questions and more.

Wilma T. Wildcat and Wilbur T. Wildcat are the energetic mascots of the University of Arizona. Although the people behind the characters are required to keep their identity anonymous, they still had much to say about their lives and the realities of their unique roles.

Mascots wake up early for morning practices and have their calendar scheduled with appearances and games several months in advance. The position takes lots of effort, organization and requires them to be proactive.

“We do hours and hours of work every week,” Wilma said. “We do, as of right now, about three appearances a week, on top of other games that we have to do. So last week, I had to do basketball on Thursday, volleyball on Friday, football on Saturday [and] volleyball on Sunday, so it can get pretty crazy, but it’s really worth it. I mean, everybody loves Wilbur

and Wilma, and it’s not even just the university, it’s all of Tucson and all of Arizona … so [we are] wanted kind of everywhere.”

This job involves connecting yourself to the character and the college, and many people who do this get a lot of enjoyment from it, according to Wilma and Wilbur.

“For me personally, it’s just so much fun. I love having to put on another character and honestly just making people’s day … and it’s really fun hearing people’s stories of their interactions with Wilbur and Wilma. So a lot of people don’t know that I’m Wilma, but people think, ‘Oh my gosh I just saw Wilma, like I got to hug her.’ It’s the funniest thing having like a second life,” Wilma said.

“Game days and everything, that’s a lot of fun, and getting to interact with all the college students and having a blast, you know. People going crazy at like basketball, football. It’s always a fun time,” Wilbur said.

Some of Wilbur’s most memorable days involved getting tackled to the ground by 30 little kids and giving a big hug to an older man at a clinic who had known a previous Wilbur. The mascot can spread a lot of goodwill and happiness, Wilbur said.

AMY BAILEY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

WILBUR DANCES IN FRONT of the ZonaZoo student section during an Arizona men’s basketball game against the University of Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, in McKale Center. Wilbur is one of two University of Arizona mascots.

A lot of people do think we get paid — we don’t. Literally the biggest volunteer position of your life, so I mean that’s a downside, but I don’t know, there’s just so many pros that honestly outweigh the cons.”

Even though the job is rewarding, there are some downsides to being the mascot. One of these is the financial aspect.

“We don’t get paid, so that is a downside, because we do put so much time into it. A lot of people do think we get paid — we don’t,” Wilma said. “Literally the biggest volunteer position of your life, so I mean that’s a downside, but I don’t know, there’s just so many pros that honestly outweigh the cons.”

She also explained how the mascots do get some financial assistance, but it’s not much and is never a set amount.

“We do get reimbursed if we have to like drive to Phoenix, and a lot of people think we get this huge, crazy scholarship — we don’t,” Wilma said. “It’s purely based off of alumni donations, so we’ll get kind of a scholarship, but it’s mostly an endowment, and it’s different every year purely based off of how much money was donated.”

Despite not getting paid, the mascots get other benefits. They get the merchandise, get to work out in McKale Center, eat at Bear Down Kitchen for free and generally receive similar perks to what athletes get, according to Wilbur.

There are also some negative interactions with sports fans. Whether it’s getting cussed out, getting hit on the head of the costume, having things thrown at you or needing a protective circle of police and cheerleaders around you, many things can happen.

“You have to play it off and make up fun scenarios for it,” Wilma said.

Sometimes they need rest and water, but fans want to take pictures or, in some cases, grab them.

“A lot of people forget we are human beings under the costume,” Wilma said.

Being the mascot also takes dedication. Trying to manage the two worlds of student and performer is a full-time job in itself.

“The schedule is really difficult to manage. It requires exceptional time management skills, so it can be hard to have a ‘normal’ social life outside of it, because it does take up a lot of time,” Wilma said. “When I’m not Wilma, I’m home doing homework. I still have time to go out and do things sometimes, but one thing that’s more difficult than anything

else is having a social life.”

Mascots also have to travel to away games and activities, and as the face of school spirit at the UA, they bring the fun-loving mascot couple to a variety of events.

Wilma said that her favorite experience is traveling because it’s a relatively new development. The mascot was never able to travel in previous years, but after COVID-19 that all changed.

“She is finally getting the recognition she deserves,” Wilma said.

Since they are the face of the university, mascots go all over the world for appearances. They connect people from all walks of life.

Wilbur traveled to Hawaii with the basketball team, to Las Vegas with all the other Pac-12 mascots for the Pac-12 football championship game, to Kazakhstan to visit a micro campus and even to a wedding in Dallas, Texas.

“There’s a lot of serious events we attend to, and I always enjoy that aspect too,” Wilbur said. “We can actually help.”

Wilbur and Wilma have been to the Diamond Children’s Hospital and other philanthropic events around the state. While doing the All in for Autism Drive, Wilma got to connect with kids who had never seen them in person and made their day, she said.

The two mascots put a lot of time and energy into what they do, even though they aren’t getting monetarily reimbursed.

Interested in becoming a mascot? According to Wilma, tryouts are roughly a week-long process with an application, an interview and a real-time audition. After the interview process, candidates are given the opportunity to show off their talent during a sporting event.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA MASCOT, WILMA, celebrates with the Arizona women’s basketball team after a win in McKale Center on Oct. 27. Wilma supports the women’s basketball team by wearing a number 22 jersey.