Tommy Lloyd remembers about three years ago when he first got a glimpse of Brayden Burries while on a recruiting trip to Glendale, Arizona. The kid – obviously – looked “really good.”
“(I) saw a guard with good size – is he a point guard or a two (shooting guard)? Lloyd said, when I asked about seeing Brayden for the first time. “Those are good conversations to have. That means you have a really good player.
“We identified him as somebody who would be a great fit for us. Then we met his family and it was the best combination for us.”
And here he is now – all his qualities in full display.
Nothing has ever changed Lloyd’s mind – not that it ever did – with Burries, who continues to seemingly improve with every game and every possession. He is second in overall scoring for Arizona at 14.2 points per game. Koa Peat leads at 14.6.
In Arizona’s 88-53 walk-in-the-park win over West Virginia – it moved top-ranked Arizona to 20-0 and 7-0 in the Big 12 – Burries showed why Lloyd loved him so much and why he was one of best recruiting targets in the country. Burries can do it all. He had 22 points, four rebounds and seven assists (there you have a point guard and a shooting guard in one).
In fact, he was Arizona’s spark to start the game, scoring eight points early as UA took a sizeable lead it would never relinquish.
“He’s given them an added punch,” WVU’s coach Ross Hodge said. “If you are looking just statistically and going to point out something that could reviewed as a weakness, it’s probably their 3-point shooting or lack thereof.”
Not on Saturday, UA hit 10 of 23 3s with Burries going 4 for 8.
“He’s getting more comfortable, “ Hodge said, continuing his thought. “His ability to step back and make difficult 3s, now you’re back to picking your poison.”
Once again, it’s that word poison: choose to stop Arizona’s outside and the inside game gets you or stop the inside game and the outside gets you. Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said the same thing a couple of weeks ago.
And you know, other coaches have at least thought about it.
Burries was the guy outside, although five other players hit one with Anthony Dell’Orso hitting two.
Lloyd said – jokingly – that they showed up to McKale Saturday morning and saw “all these 3-ploint signs (on seats for the fans)” and got inspired. Actually, he still loves his two-point and free throw three pointer but, hey, Saturday it was free 3 day.
“We’re a good shooting team,” he said. “… our guys were able to knock some down.”
And cruise to an easy win.
Again, Burries was the star of the show, scoring more than 20 points for the sixth time this season. After slumping a bit earlier this season – then recovering nicely – before coming on more recently, Lloyd said it would take some time for Burries to catch hot. Well, it’s that time.
“I’m not putting any ceiling on any of these guys,” Lloyd said when asked if there was more to come from Burries. “Brayden had bounce to his step and a good rhythm to his game. He’s getting a lot of confidence. Brayden has amazing instincts for a young basketball player. He’s layering that with experience. Or maybe he’s understanding what’s coming before it’s happening a little bit more and he’s able to manipulate certain situations.
“He’s responding rather than reacting. He’s kind of in his sweet spot.”
Lloyd said it’s natural for a freshman, saying he had aways felt January would be a big month for the freshman.
“And it looks to me he is,” Lloyd said.
Indeed, it has been.
“He played well, played great,” UA’s Tobe Awaka said. “He does what Brayden does. He’s a tremendous scorer and is uber talented. He shows it in practice and shows it in games. It’s what I expect from him.”
Recommended for you
