Under Tommy Lloyd, Bennedict Mathurin and Dalen Terry blossomed into first-round draft picks that helped pilot a No. 1 seed. The Wildcats were fast, fun, and flamboyant during the 2021-22 season. Lloyd fostered it all with his system. He allowed the individual talents of his rotation to flourish. Terry was industrious. Mathurin was unflinching.

Even though both are off to the NBA, along with the Pac-12’s defender of the year in Christian Koloko, it doesn’t seem like Arizona is going anywhere. Who breaks out next season? That’s the question on everyone’s mind.

Following his performance for France at the FIBA U20 European Championships, rising guard Adama Bal sure looks like a strong candidate.

In helping the French to a fifth-place finish at the tournament, Bal averaged 9.6 points a game filling a key role off the bench. He shot 44% from the field and 38% from the 3-point line, capping the championship with a 15-point performance against Turkey over the weekend.

Some of his highlights from the event:

Arizona’s perimeter rotation is looking promising for next season. Kerr Kriisa and Pelle Larsson return. The latter was the Pac-12’s Sixth Man of the Year last season and Lloyd will have a choice of whether to continue bringing him off the bench or move him into the first five. The Cats added Texas transfer guard Courtney Ramey, a likely starter alongside Kriisa.

With Larsson, Bal, and Campbell transfer Cedric Henderson Jr., Lloyd has an intriguing collection of wing talent to build around.

The 6-foot-6 Frenchman played in 23 games last season, averaging just over four minutes a night. Look for Bal to continue to build off his strong summer. Perhaps the youngster is the next breakout player for the Cats.