Speaking to reporters on Friday, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd answered a question about the potential starting lineup this season he answered that they don't really care about the starting lineup. Arizona projects to have six players who could start and a solid eight-to-nine-man rotation.
Point guard Jaden Bradley, wing Anthony Dell'Orso and foward Tobe Awaka return for Arizona as starters. Center Motiejus Krivas started one game in 2024-25 and five-start freshman Brayden Burries and Koa Peat project as starters to begin the season.
With his experience starting in 36 out of 37 games during the 2024-25 season and as one of the team leaders, expect Awaka to start in the season opener against Florida. Krivas would likely be the first player off the bench.
Freshmen Dwayne Aristode and Ivan Kharchenkov and Harvard transfer Evan Nelson project to fill out the rotation for Arizona. Lloyd traditionally has played a rotation of eight to nine players. Eight players averaged at least 18 mintues for Arizona during the 2024-25 season.
"We really don't care about the starting lineup....We're going to figure out a rotation that...makes the most sense...(That) puts guys in the best position to be successful...It's a luxury to have...seven starters. If we're sitting over there arguing...splitting hairs over something, that's a good thing. That means you have good players and I feel like we're in that situation....Last year that you have the rotation that six, seven, eight, maybe nine. A lot of questions there. Which way?... I don't have a lot of questions. I feel pretty comfortable where we're at."Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd
Awaka, Bradley and Dell'Orso are the only three returning players from the 2024-25 rotation. Krivas averaged 15.6 minutes per game before suffering a season-ending injury that required surgery after playing in eight games during the non-conference schedule.
Matchups will play a role in the rotation and potentially the starting lineup. Florida averages 6'10 on its starting front line. Krivas could play a major role versus Florida with its size. In other games, Arizona could opt to go smaller with Awaka and Peat up front and Bradley, Burries and Dell'Orso on the perimeter.
Tommy Lloyd will lean on more freshmen than he ever has at Arizona, so what’s his coaching approach?
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) November 3, 2025
“You have to meet them where they’re at. Just because they’re heralded or have a ton of potential, it doesn’t mean you have to get impatient with them.”
📺 Full interview:… pic.twitter.com/K8LXxvmXqw
Awaka did not play in the 81-68 Arizona win over St. Mary's in an exhibition game last month. The game against NAIA Embry-Riddle did not provide a true indication of what the Arizona rotation will be this season.
Lloyd will have a chance to play different lineups as Arizona hosts Utah Tech and Northern Arizona in the two games after Florida. There are breaks in the schedule for Arizona, but they only have one stretch of more than two games against non-power conference opponents during non-conference.
Arizona will finish non-conference play versus San Diego State in Phoenix and then hosts Bethune-Cookman and South Dakota State before starting Big XII play on January 3. The rotation and potentially the starting will evolve for Arizona and Lloyd throughout at least the first two months of the season.