Arizona freshmen showed improvement during exhibition games

Arizona freshmen, forward Carter Bryant and center Emmanuel Stephen showed improvement during the two exhibition games. Bryant will be part of the Arizona rotation while head coach Tommy Lloyd said last week they are considering redshirting Stephen in 2024-25.

A decision on redshirting Stephen needs to be made before the game on Monday. Players cannot appear in a basketball game and redshirt unless they become injured. With Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesar projected ahead of Stephen in the 2024-25 rotation, redshirting Stephen makes sense.

Bryant had seven points, four rebounds, one assist, two blocks and a steal on 3-4 from the floor and 1-2 three-point attempts in the 117-54 exhibition win over Eastern New Mexico. In the second game versus Point Loma, Bryant had 13 points. two rebounds, one assists, one block and two steals, shooting 6-8 and 1-2.

Stephen missed all three of his shots from the floor. had four rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 12 minutes versus Eastern New Mexico. Stephen improved to four points and seven rebounds on 2-3 from the floor in the win over Point Loma. There is no guarantee how often Stephen would play this season.

Expect Bryant to receive significant minutes early in the season. Arizona opens the regular season versus Canisius on Monday and hosts Old Dominion on Saturday. Tommy Lloyd should go deep into his bench versus Canisius and Old Dominion. The first big test for Arizona is on November 15 at Wisconsin.

Bryant provides Arizona with a versatile player who can play both forward spots. Lloyd can go small putting Bryant at the five for a small ball lineup, as a modern-day stretch four, or even at the three in a bigger lineup. Lloyd should have his deepest team entering his fourth season at Arizona. Bryant's versatility is a big reason for that.