2: Shooting guard
Starter: Caleb Love (5th year)
Love declared for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility earlier in the offseason, but it appears the process has been a bumpy one. First, a clerical error saw him left off of the list of early entrants released by the NBA that included Bradley. Then he wasn't invited to the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, which doesn't bode well for how teams view Love right now.
However, he's a firecracker at the collegiate level. Despite his play taking a pretty sharp downturn near the end of the season, he's still always a threat to shoot from range. When his shots fall, it's a headache for opposing teams to slow him down and get him off his rhythm. Another year at Arizona — where he requested tough coaching from the jump — could be the push needed to reach the NBA.
Another benefit to rolling Love out here is his positional flexibility. In the times last season when both Bradley and Lewis were on the court, Love shifted into playing the wing role and he was relatively successful. He's already proven that he can contribute in more areas than just scoring, and getting the three of them on the court more can only bring good things.
"Backup": KJ Lewis (Sophomore)
Lewis took a similar route to Love and Bradley, declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while retaining eligibility. Like Love, he didn't earn an invite to the combine and is likely just evaluating what his path to the NBA looks like after this season. It's safe to assume he'll be returning for his sophomore year with Arizona.
Lewis played a similar role to Bradley, never earning a start but playing in all 36 games off the bench. He's an extremely heady two-way player who typically finds himself in a great position. He plays defense with tenacity and has a knack for forcing turnovers, which has created some stellar plays in transition.
It's impossible to keep Lewis on the bench full-time, especially after so much promise last season. Expect him to start a handful of games and for his minutes to hover much closer to the 25-per-game ballpark. The trio of Bradley, Lewis, and Love out at the three will be murderous in small-ball situations.