The Arizona Basketball team picked up another player for the upcoming 2016-17 season, but this one is coming via the graduate transfer route.
Head Coach Sean Miller certainly seems to like collecting as many basketball players as he possibly can. On Monday, Tucson-Native and now former Lipscomb guard Talbott Denny announced he will be attending the University of Arizona for his final collegiate basketball season.
Now while you may be wondering why Denny? What on Earth is Miller thinking, bringing in this athlete who in all likelihood won’t get many minutes, and likely won’t provide too much in-game contribution? Especially after likely playing behind Rawle Alkins, Kadeem Allen, Terrance Ferguson, etc. Well, the answer is seemingly more simple than you think. Let’s take a look…
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For one, he’s a local kid. He attended high school at Salpointe Catholic, and their campus is located within a stone throw away from the University of Arizona. We also believe that it is likely Denny won’t be a chemistry issue since he’s not expecting to play more than spot minutes here and there.
Additionally, and likely most important of all, he is an experienced, veteran college player, and will definitely provide the Wildcats with a bit of maturity (crucial for a young team like Arizona) next season. Also, you know he is not going to be afraid to compete if he’s coming here, even with Arizona’s immense talent, so you know Denny is going to work his tail off in practice daily to make himself and his future teammates better.
To me, seems like too many positives to just pass up on him. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact Denny is considered to be a good student academically, something the Wildcats are always keeping an eye on considering the schools APR (Academic Progress Report) rating took a hit last week, with the most recent APR numbers being released.
Because Denny is a graduate transfer, he, of course, won’t have to sit out, and will be eligible to play for the Wildcats immediately this next season.
Out of high school, Denny was also being recruited by Washington State, Idaho State, San Diego, Houston Baptist, New Hampshire and USC Upstate, before ultimately choosing to play for Lipscomb in Nashville, TN.
For the Bison, here’s how Denny fared in his career:
Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table
Generated 4/25/2016.
While we have no idea just how much playing time Denny will get, we’re certainly excited to see him given the opportunity and to of course play for his hometown school.
Next: Arizona Basketball: Alkins and Ferguson to compete in Ballislife All-American Game
Let’s hope it is a thrill for him, and we are sure he is going to bring it to Tucson. Arizona is poised to have a good season next year, and with the addition of Denny, we can only assume he will help the Wildcats in a bunch of ways! Welcome back to Tucson, Talbott, and BearDown!