Arizona guard KJ Lewis, a projected top-20 decide within the 2025 NBA draft, introduced Friday he’s returning to the Wildcats for his sophomore season.
Lewis entered the NBA draft after the season however turned down an invitation to this month’s G League Elite Camp, an early signal he deliberate to return again to varsity.
A 6-foot-4 guard, Lewis is ranked No. 19 in ESPN’s 2025 NBA draft rankings. He got here off the bench final season for Arizona however confirmed flashes of the expertise that has NBA evaluators so intrigued. He had 18 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in a win over UCLA; 15 factors and 6 boards within the Pac-12 event in opposition to USC; and had three double-figure scoring video games over a five-game stretch in late January and early February.
Lewis averaged 6.1 factors and three.1 rebounds on the season.
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With Pelle Larsson leaving for the NBA and Kylan Boswell transferring to Illinois, Lewis is predicted to maneuver into the beginning lineup for the 2024-25 season. Which gamers are alongside Lewis on the perimeter will likely be decided by whether or not star guard Caleb Love chooses to remain within the NBA draft or return to Tucson for his remaining season. An All-American final season, Love’s choice might go both approach.
Coach Tommy Lloyd has ready for a possible departure with the additions of Campbell switch Anthony Dell’Orso and ESPN 100 recruits Joson Sanon and Jamari Phillips, however Love’s return would make Arizona a surefire preseason top-10 group.
The Wildcats are set to play within the Battle 4 Atlantis alongside fellow preseason top-20 groups Gonzaga and Indiana, and also will host preseason top-10 group Duke in November.