Eight is clearly the number of players that Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd prefers to play in his rotation. In each of the five seasons Lloyd has been the Arizona head coach, he has played eight players in his rotation for most of the season.
There were a few seasons with exceptions to Lloyd playing an eight-man rotation. Kim Aiken Jr. was one of nine Arizona players who played double-figure minutes in 2021-22. Aiken Jr. averaged 13.6 minutes in seven games during the 2021-22 season before leaving the Wildcats.
Seven Arizona players averaged double-figure minutes in 2022-23 and Motiejus Krivas was one of nine Wildcats played at least 10.0 MPG in 2024-25. Krivas was another outlier after he was shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with foot surgery after playing eight games.
Lloyd spoke about the rotation that Arizona played earlier this month and said that he is not concerned with who is starting. Bennedict Mathurin, Christian Koloko and Dalen Terry started all 37 games for Arizona in 2021-22. Azuloas Tubelis started in 35 of the 36 games he played in 2021-22.
Game Day pic.twitter.com/y0eyvbtRK2
— Brian Brigger (@Zona_Briggs) November 25, 2025
Justin Kier started six games for Arizona in 2021-22 and Pelle Larsson two. Those seven, plus Aiken, were the only Arizona players who averaged double-figure minutes for Arizona in 2021-22. Once Aiken left Arizona after seven games, the seven-man rotation played by Lloyd in 2021-22 tied the smallest of his tenure.
Tubelis started 35 of 36 games for Arizona in 2022–2023 as the team's lone returning starter. Oumar Ballo was the Arizona starting center in all 35 games he played in 2022-23. Courtney Ramey started all 32 games he played in 2022-23. Kerr Kriisa was the starting point guard for Arizona in 2022-23 in 34 out of 35 games.
Larsson started 18 of 35 games in 2022-23 and played 27.4 MPG. Cedric Henderson Jr. started 20 of the 35 games he played during the 2022-23 season and played 23.1 MPG. Kylan Boswell played in all 35 games in 2022-23 off the bench and averaged 15.2 MPG. Only seven players averaged double-figure MPG in 2022-23.
"I always feel like it's a luxury to have seven starters."
— AZ Band Cat Sports (@AZBandCatSports) October 31, 2025
- Tommy Lloyd on prioritizing Arizona's overall rotation over the starting lineup
Arizona's 2023-24 rotation
Lloyd used nearly the same starting lineup for all 36 games during the 2023-24 season. Ballo, Keshad Johnson, Larsson and Caleb Love started all 36 games in 2023-24. Boswell started 35 games in 2023-24 with Grant Weitman starting on Senior Day.
Lloyd went eight deep in 2023-24. Jaden Bradley, Krivas and K.J. Lewis averaged double-figure minutes off the bench during the 2023-24 season. Bradley pushed Boswell and increased his points per game from 7.0 to 12.7 and MPG from 20.3 during the regular season to 25.0 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
After Krivas was injured in 2024-25, Lloyd reverted to his standard eight-man rotation. Bradley and Love started all 37 games during the 2024-25 season. Forward Tobe Awaka started 36 out of 37 games. Trey Townsend started 30 out of 35 games in 2024-25 after missing two with a concussion.
Arizona's 2024-25 rotation
Anthony Dell'Orso started 28 out of 37 games on the wing for Arizona in 2024-25. Carter Bryant played in all 37 games and started five. Lewis started six out of the 37 games for Arizona in 2024-25. Henri Veesaar started five of the 37 games he played in during the 2024-25 season.
Awaka, Bradley, Bryant, Dell'Orso, Lewis, Love, Veesaar and Townsend all averaged double-figure minutes during the 2024-25 season. Bradley and Krivas have started all five games for Arizona in 2025-26 with freshman Brayden Burries, Ivan Karchenkov and Koa Peat.
The five 2024-25 starters with Awaka, Dell'Orso and freshman Dwayne Aristode are all playing double-figure minutes. Eight is the standard number Lloyd prefers to play in his rotation. Four years plus five games into the 2025-26 season have shown that.