Last season, Arizona basketball was led by senior Caleb Love, but now he is off with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Summer League.
Who might step into that lead position for the Wildcats this upcoming season? Jaden Bradley should be the top candidate.
Given his previous two years with Arizona, as well as the amount of minutes he played alongside Love, Bradley is next in line. Being in a leadership position is nothing new to him.
The only things that change are the players around him, and how UA attacks its opponents.
“I mean, none of this stuff kind of really changes,” Bradley said. “Missing some key guys that were leaders last year, but we definitely changed some little stuff because obviously we didn’t get as far as we hoped.”
Averaging 34.1 minutes per game in 2024-25 gave Bradley a front row seat into being introduced to the Big 12 style of play. However, even with the minutes played, even with the postseason success, it was not enough for Bradley.
“We definitely wanted to hang up a Big 12 regular season championship or Big 12 tournament, and get past the sweet 16,” Bradley said. “We’re not talking about it all the time, but that’s something big picture that we want to accomplish.”
Bradley did enter his name in the NBA Draft pool this offseason. However, for him, returning to Tucson was a decision he made right away.
“I love what Coach Lloyd and the staff, and the program is all about,” Bradley said. “I feel like I definitely want to finish up my senior year here. Wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else.”
Another returning starter from last year is leading the way for the young incoming group of Wildcats. For Anthony Dell’Orso, he’s leaning on his transition from the mid-major level last season.
“It hits you pretty quick,” Dell’Orso said. “Body wise, strength wise, athletically, it’s just a different ball game from the mid major level.”
Coach Tommy Lloyd knows that these are two guys that are helping to build the foundation for next season.
“Those are guys that they expressed a real strong desire to come back,” Lloyd said, also referring to returning big men Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas. “So we just sat down with them and figured it out. The formula, if you can get three or four good returning players, that part of your rotation back, I mean, I think that’s a great foundation to build on.”
Now where does that leadership get preached to? Where does the rest of the formula come from, outside of the veteran experience?
It goes to incoming freshmen. Players like Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Dwayne Aristode.
However, Lloyd has made it clear that this incoming freshman class is far from the norm. Bradley has also been able to see it from his own perspective.
“I don’t know what they’ve been feeding these guys nowadays, especially coming in bigger, stronger,” Bradley said. “Some of them haven’t even touched the weight (room) in high school.”
So what does that mean for both veterans? Continuing to grind in the weight room is step one.
“I want to say 25 pounds at least,” Dell’Orso said on the muscle he put on since last season ended. “Still trying to lift weights, still getting bigger. That’s been the big focus. Me and Coach Rounds have been in the weight room a bunch. Different things, different eating styles, and lifting weights.”
This formula will be tested right away to start the season as Arizona heads to Las Vegas to take on defending national champion Florida.
Safe to say that Bradley, Dell’Orso and the rest of the Wildcats are ready for the challenge.
“The last thing you can remember is Florida, they won it all,” Bradley said. “So we’re excited to play the former national championship team, and see how we can match up. We want to come out with that win for sure.”