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Arizona Basketball: Don’t sleep on freshman center Christian Koloko

By David Rosen

TUCSON, AZ - JANUARY 12: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats watches from the sidelines during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Center on January 12, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - JANUARY 12: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats watches from the sidelines during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Center on January 12, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Arizona Basketball freshman center Christian Koloko showed why he is someone to strongly pay attention to this upcoming season.

There were many highlights of the Arizona Basketball Red and Blue game, one of those being the performance by 7 footer freshman Christian Koloko. One of four freshmen on the team, he has been the one not talked about the most. The other three, Nico Mannion, Josh Green, and Zeke Nnaji have been in the spotlight and not to take anything away from them, they deserve the attention, but Koloko is one that can’t be slept on.

Out of high school, it was apparent he would need to bulk up and improve his strength and conditioning this summer. That he has. When asked about Koloko during the press conference following the Red and Blue Game, Miller said, “He is one of the rare cases where he is actually better and further along than we anticipated.”

When a head coach of a Division 1 program makes a remark like that, it says a lot about a player. Especially Miller having seen a lot of talented big men pass through during his tenure at Arizona. If you just look at the before and after transformation of his appearance, Koloko is on a trajectory to be one of the best big men in the Pac-12 and in the country in the next couple of years.

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He showcased his talents in the Red and Blue game by first competing in the slam dunk contest, where he had an impressive reverse over the head dunk.  For a 7 footer, that is impressive.

In the scrimmage game, Koloko finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds in 16 minutes of play and was 4-7 from the field. His size was a factor on both ends of the floor and will play a big role this upcoming season.

For a big man, he has good footwork and soft hands, being able to catch the ball and finish off pick and rolls. Koloko’s ability to do that will make him a dangerous threat as opponents will need to pay attention when he is settings screens.

This pass by Kentucky transfer Jemarl Baker Jr to Koloko is a good example of what I am talking about:

https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1177784773655191552?s=20

Another benefit Koloko will be able to take advantage of this season his being able to practice and compete against other tall players such as Stone Gettings, Ira Lee, Nnaji and Chase Jeter. Not only will it benefit and improve his growth at Arizona, but it will also help the Wildcats frontcourt get that much stronger and develop team chemistry down low.

Must Read. Arizona Basketball: The new and improved Devonaire Doutrive. light

Do not sleep on Christian Koloko. He may not be in the starting line up or the freshman receiving all of the attention, but he will be a force to be reckoned with this season. I’m personally looking forward to seeing Bill Walton say “throw it down big man” when Koloko is out on the floor. As always, Bear Down Arizona!

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