Former Cats fit Like a Glove with their New NBA Destinations

Sometimes when you look for a good fit, you can dream of desired locations, and our trio of Wildcats have found themselves in some fantastic landing spots for their individual game(s).

With Thursday’s NBA draft, 60 players including a trio of Former Cats saw their dreams come true as their names were called!

It did not take long for the Wildcat faithful to see the first Wildcat selected on Thursday evening as Indiana started the party by taking Bennedict Mathurin No. 6 overall, teaming him up with another former Wildcat guard in TJ McConnell.

The fun continued at No. 18 as Dalen Terry looks to move on from Tucson and heads to the Chicago Bulls.

Christian Koloko closed down the party, going to the Toronto Raptors at No. 33 overall. All in all, it was a great day for all Arizona Wildcats fans, and this draft sets the basketball team up nicely as Tommy Lloyd heads into a second season with much higher expectations.

Mathurin Poised to Take Indy by Storm

When looking at realistic spots for Benn Mathurin to land with, the Pacers always seemed to be the perfect match as he not only compliments McConnell but also, a dynamic playmaker in Tyrese Haliburton. Just like that, the guard depth has gotten significantly stronger as the Pacers are quickly turning into Tucson North, as Gabe York is also on Indianapolis.

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1540148382945185792

With their depth at the guard positions, and being able to develop under Rick Carlisle, Mathurin is poised to be able to take control of the reigns as soon as he’s ready. He also does not have to feel forced into immediately being an impact player for the Pacers, which he could very well be.

DT to the Windy City

If there was a team that needed to add a bit of swagger and also a great wing, it was the Chicago Bulls. Dalen Terry is set to provide both of those needs to the Windy City. Terry will fit in nicely as he regularly can affect both ends of the court without the ball in his hand, and with Lonzo Ball running point, Terry is pretty much the best possible pick for the wing-needy Bulls.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1540155734310227973

Similar to Mathurin and the Pacers, Terry will not necessarily need to come right in and be an instant game-changing piece, and he can take some time to best his all-around game to be a game-changer on both ends of the court for the Bulls.

Koloko is Off to the Six!

He had to wait until the second round, but Christian Koloko is heading about as far away from Tucson as possible, as the Toronto Raptors called Koloko’s name at No. 33 overall.

Toronto needed another rim protector, and though still a very raw player, the Raptors picked up a first-round talent in the early second round. A post presence that can make things miserable for an opposing team is a fit for any team, and Koloko is destined to become a great addition for the Raptors and their renowned development staff.

Koloko may very well see a bit of time in the G-League during the 2022-23 season; however, I can’t think of a way he doesn’t end up making an impact on an NBA roster in short order.

Wildcats Draft Bits

• Mathurin and Terry were the highest drafted duo since 1998 (Mike Bibby and Michael Dickerson).
• Dalen Terry was the first Arizona Wildcat drafted by the Chicago Bulls (Lauri Markkanen was a draft night trade from Minnesota).
• Despite falling to No. 33, Christian Koloko was the Toronto Raptors’ first pick of the night.