After 蜜柚直播鈥檚 quick and painful exit from the NCAA Tournament in March, Brandon Randolph and his few remaining teammates took a little break from the game.
When they returned for offseason workouts, there was no Deandre Ayton looming over the court. No Allonzo Trier getting buckets. No Rawle Alkins poster dunks, no Dusan Ristic or Parker Jackson-Cartwright anchoring opposite ends of the lineup.
And no incoming recruiting class whatsoever.
Eighty-five percent of the Wildcats鈥 scoring left after last season, and UA entered April with only six guys on the roster for 2018-19.
Randolph remained unfazed.
鈥淭o be honest with you, I had no doubts,鈥 the UA sophomore wing said Friday, during an offseason media gathering with fellow returnees Alex Barcello and Chase Jeter. 鈥淲e have a great coaching staff, they鈥檙e great at recruiting and they told me how many guys they were trying to bring in and they kept their word, basically.
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鈥淎nd I know everybody is great. Everybody knows how to play, what to do, and they鈥檙e good at it.鈥
Brandon Randolph on the Wildcats: 鈥淧eople have been sleeping on us. We don鈥檛 have to use that as motivation. We know. We know what we have to do 鈥︹
Things fell into place soon after Randolph received that promise. High school guard Devonaire Doutrive was the first to jump on board in April, after UA鈥檚 initial three 2018 recruits decommitted in the wake of damning off-court news.
Then Pitt grad transfer Ryan Luther and Belgian high school forward Omar Thielemans committed after visiting 蜜柚直播 together. Samford grad transfer Justin Coleman opted to come over in late April and, by early May, one of those three decommits came back when point guard Brandon Williams found the Wildcats still tugged at him.
Suddenly, there was a team 鈥 though maybe not a team that will have expectations anywhere near that of last season. 蜜柚直播 will likely be expected to have to battle for a top four Pac-12 finish and berth in the NCAA Tournament.
That鈥檚 OK with Randolph and his teammates, too.
鈥淧eople have been sleeping on us,鈥 Randolph said, but added that 鈥渨e don鈥檛 have to use that as motivation. We know. We know what we have to do and how we have to come into the season and we motivate ourselves. When we go to practice we work hard, we work really, really hard, and I love my guys. It鈥檚 a great bunch of guys.鈥
Jeter and Barcello said many of the same things at Friday鈥檚 gathering, suggesting that if the upcoming team doesn鈥檛 have the marquee value last season鈥檚 team did, it just might have better chemistry.
鈥淚 think the chances are really great鈥 to surprise people, Barcello said. 鈥淚 think this is a great group of guys. We all bond well on and off the court. We really care about each other and I think that will take us a long way on and off the court. I think we have a great mindset right now.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 saying we aren鈥檛 going to achieve as much as we did last year but that鈥檚 kind of our motivation. It鈥檚 made us work out that much harder every day, when we go to work out or in the weight room, pushing each other to be the best that we can.鈥
The returning players may also return with a thicker skin. Even before last season began, the federal investigation resulted in the arrest and eventual firing of assistant coach Book Richardson, while an ESPN report in February led to coach Sean Miller鈥檚 five-day absence from the team.
On top of that, Alkins missed 12 games with foot issues and Trier missed two when he tested positive for the same PED that cost him 19 games the previous season.
鈥淣othing can be worse than that, I guess,鈥 Randolph said of last season鈥檚 adversity. 鈥淚t kind of showed our mental toughness and we鈥檙e going to be very good. We weren鈥檛 even worried about that last year and this year is going to be no problem.鈥
One other thing: There is still talent. The Wildcats are loaded with guys who were four-star recruits out of high school, while Jeter was a five-star prospect who played his first two seasons at Duke.
It鈥檚 just that the returning players didn鈥檛 have high-profile roles last season with guys like Ayton, Trier and Alkins around.
That changes in a hurry now. Randolph might even lead the team in scoring, considering his breakout performances early last season while Alkins was out with a broken foot. Jeter is expected to be the anchor inside, likely earning as many minutes as he can effectively play. And Barcello is beginning a high-level battle with Williams and Coleman to take over the point.
Everyone needs to move up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be a big role not only for me but the other guys as well,鈥 Jeter said.
That鈥檚 another reason why this group of Wildcats is motivated, even in the depths of the offseason.
Because for all those points left behind, last season鈥檚 UA starters also vacated a lot of minutes.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a great opportunity here because all the five starters left,鈥 Barcello said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge opportunity for everyone at every position. I鈥檓 very excited.鈥
