The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team is projected to be very good during the 2024-25 campaign.
Under head coach Tommy Lloyd, the team has successfully climbed out of a precarious situation toward the end of Sean Miller’s tenure with the program.
In three years with Lloyd at the helm, the team has been a No. 1 once and a No. 2 seed twice in the NCAA Tournament by winning at least 27 games each season.
Heading into their first year as a member of the Big 12 Conference, the team will face some new challenges, however, one of the glaring needs is how the roster looks beyond this season.
The transfer portal has become a legitimate lifeline for teams to restock their roster. The Wildcats landed Caleb Love last year when he left North Carolina, and this offseason, added Trey Townsend, Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso from Oakland, Tennessee and Campbell, respectively.
While bringing players in from other programs will remain a viable option for Lloyd, there is still value in building up some younger players who stick on the team for multiple years.
Right now, that is a huge void in the 2025 class.
Currently, Arizona has zero prospects committed in that cycle, but they are in on some of the top-rated players who remain available.
One of those players is Nikolas Khamenia, the No. 35 ranked player in the ESPN 100 Ranking.
A power forward, he was one of the standouts of the Wooten 150 camp held recently.
“Khamenia’s overall strength gains stood out. He has leaner muscle mass and moves better, and his basketball acumen and shooting touch opened the eyes of NBA scouts. He reads the floor and effectively makes quick and accurate decisions. Khamenia displays shooting, scoring, passing and footwork. During game action, he played with an open mind and didn’t make predetermined decisions — a sign of his basketball awareness and IQ,” wrote Paul Biancardi of ESPN.
An annual event, it provides a chance for players to showcase their talents after the summer circuit ends and before their high school seasons get underway.
It is a two-day event that is invite-only.
The platform provided to these players is incredible, as 29 NBA teams were represented and national scouting services take in all the competition.
Along with Khamenia, the Wildcats are also in the running for top-ranked forward Dwayne Aristode.
Lloyd and his staff are close to locking down some impact recruits, but a little bit of work remains.
