The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team is looking to match their historic 2000-01 season in producing NBA draft picks, according to ESPN’s first mock draft. The 2024-25 Wildcats squad has four players projected to be selected, including three in the first round.
Incoming freshman Carter Bryant is projected to go No. 14 to the Memphis Grizzlies, followed by junior Motjiejus Krivas at No. 19 to the LA Clippers and sophomore KJ Lewis at No. 27 to the Brooklyn Nets. Junior Jaden Bradley is also projected to be picked at No. 45 overall.
The analysts at ESPN are high on Krivas, highlighting his offensive skills and potential for improvement on defense. They see Lewis as a defensive standout with room to grow offensively, while Bradley is expected to take on a larger role as the starting point guard this season.
Senior guard Caleb Love chose to return for another year, opting out of the draft process. However, players like Trey Townsend could also catch the eye of NBA teams this season.
Arizona’s four projected draft picks are the second-most behind Duke, setting the stage for a potential showdown of NBA draft hopefuls when Arizona and Duke face off in November. Despite not making the mock draft projection, former Arizona commit Joson Sanon, as well as Indiana’s Oumar Ballo and Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell, could still make their case for consideration.
With a rich history of producing NBA draft picks, including the recent selection of Pelle Larsson by the Miami Heat, Arizona basketball continues to be a pipeline for future basketball talent.
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