Ballo's exit from Arizona Basketball paves way for Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesaar

Everything I said about Krivas before is worth double now. He showed in quite a few games that he can be excellent, and Lloyd will be focused on bringing out the best in "Mount Krivas", as he's affectionately called. The former four-star recruit and professional player was the second-best prospect coming out of Lithuania in 2023 and will be in line for the starting gig in his sophomore year.

He played in all 37 games in his freshman season as a reserve, typically holding down the eighth spot in the rotation. He averaged 12.1 minutes per game, and he parlayed it into averages of 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and around half a block per game. His best outing of the season was the fourth game of the season against Belmont, where he logged 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks — all season-highs.

Although he surpassed 15 points three times early on, he struggled against better competition in the later half of the slate and hasn't scored double digits since January 27 against Oregon State. This can also partially be attributed to an increased reliance on Ballo's experience down the stretch. With no Ballo to lean on, a healthy heaping of Krivas will be on every Arizona fan's plate next season.

Veesaar isn't exactly fresh on anybody's mind; it's been so long since he's been on the court that everybody forgot how good he is. He spent his freshman year as a role player averaging just 7.1 minutes per game and missing all of the 2023-24 season with a nagging elbow injury suffered in October. However, the coaching staff opted to use the redshirt on him this year, so he still has three years of eligibility remaining.

Veesaar's best game was also the only one where he reached double figures. Against Texas A&M Corpus Christi back on December 13, 2022, he logged a career-high 16 points on truly perfect shooting. He went 5-5 from the field, 2-2 from range, and sank all four of his free throws for a perfect 100% shooting percentage. He also notched four rebounds and a block to cap off the stellar showing.

Going back even further, he wasn't just the best collegiate prospect coming out of Estonia, he was also the eighth-best center in the class of 2022. In his final season with the Real Madrid youth program, he averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds shooting 67.3% from the field and 35.2% from range. Veesaar will take up the same role next year that Krivas played last year, and it'll be a treat to finally see him get significant minutes.

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