Arizona Basketball: Ben Mathurin could see expanded role with Cats

The 2021-22 Arizona Basketball season is just around the corner, and with the Wildcats having high expectations, we could see Ben Mathurin have an expanded role. 

While the current Arizona Football season has soured fans into turning their focus towards Arizona Basketball for 2021-22, one player that could draw a lot of attention this year is sophomore wing, Ben Mathurin.

For those that witnessed (albeit it was virtually) last season, Mathurin was one of the biggest surprises for the Wildcats.

A native of Canada and former star for the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, Mathurin came to Tucson a bit under the radar and quickly made a name for himself.

From his superior athleticism, to his high flying dunks, and overall raw potential, Ben oozed talented, and he gave fans a little taste in the abbreviated 2020-21 season.

Well, coming into his sophomore year, Ben Mathurin could see an expanded role with an Arizona Basketball team that is ready to surprise.

Entering year one of the Tommy Lloyd era of Arizona Basketball, expectations are varied, and perhaps rightfully so.

For starters, we are all too unfortunately aware that the Wildcats still have the lingering dark cloud of the FBI investigation and the NCAA/IARP investigation cases. Both of which have impacted recruiting to a degree, and also led to the self-imposed postseason ban we all witnessed last year.

While UCLA, Oregon, and USC all remain the odds on favorites to lead the Pac-12. However, right behind them are the Wildcats.

Arizona returns a large contingency of talent from that competitive team last year, and also added some key pieces in Utah transfer Pelle Larsson, Georgia transfer Justin Kier, and Eastern Washington transfer Kim Aiken among others.

However, the player that could be most poised in leading this group in 2021-22 may be Mathurin. He returns to Arizona after a successful run in the FIBA U19 Tournament, and also enters the year as a possible NBA Draft for 2022.

He is a long and athletic player with great athleticism, bounce, and ability to score at all three levels. Plus, his length and lateral quickness allow him to defend multiple positions.

Here’s just a little reminder of how special of a player the Wildcats have!