Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball: Motiejus Krivas questionable to start season, Emmanuel Stephen could redshirt

Arizona may have its full compliment of scholarship players available for Monday’s season opener against Canisius, something that wasn’t the case for any of its exhibition games or even the Red-Blue Showcase in early October.

Whether the Wildcats want to use all 11, however, remains to be decided.

UA coach Tommy Lloyd said the sophomore center Motiejus Krivaswho missed both preseason games with an ankle injury, has practiced this week and could be available for the opener. The 7-foot-2 Icelander was expected to be in Arizona’s starting lineup this season, and in his absence, the 6-foot-8 Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka has started on the 5th.

“I’m not going to rush that thing,” Lloyd said Thursday of Krivas, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. game last season. “When he’s ready, we’re ready for him. If (coach) Justin (Kokoskie) tells me he could play 25 minutes on Monday, I’d love to have him for 25 minutes. I want him back as soon as we can have him as long as Justin and the doctors feel he’s built for the long haul, that’s the main thing I’m interested in.”

With Krivas out, Awaka has redshirted for the second time Henri Veesaar be first from the bench in the middle. Veesaar averaged 15.5 points in the two exhibition games, while Awaka averaged 13 points and 12 rebounds albeit against massively undersized competition.

Also seeing time in the exhibits was the freshman center Emmanuel Stephenwho showed both his upside and his rawness in a total of 21 minutes. It’s the latter trait that has made him a candidate to redshirt in the 2024-25 season, a decision Lloyd said has yet to be made.

“Like everything else here, the player wants input,” Lloyd said. “We’ll let him make the choice.”

Using red shirts is something Lloyd has made no secret of his support for, sitting out both Veesaar and Dylan Anderson Last season, Veesaar’s redshirt was mostly due to a preseason elbow injury. Anderson has since transferred to Boise State, where he is expected to start.

“I’m glad Dylan Anderson redshirted last year, I really am,” Lloyd said. “I’m so happy for him. He has three good years in Boise to make a huge impact. I would have felt terrible if he would have played and only played limited minutes and then burned for a year and now he only has two years to play.

“I wish we had redshirted Filip (Borovicanin) for him, I wish we had redshirted Adama (Bal) and those guys would have had one more year. Anything you can do to extend those guys’ careers is a good thing.”

In order for Stephen to redshirt, he cannot play in any regular season or postseason games, unlike in football where players can appear in up to four regular season games and still retain one year of eligibility.

“I think it would be great if they could come up with something in basketball,” Lloyd said. “I think they will have to eventually. I mean, obviously football has done that and it has made sense. I think only for health and safety, for personal development. We’re coming out of an era where guys got five years of eligibility. What’s wrong with giving guys, whatever you want to call it, four years plus nine games, regardless of relationship?”