On Thursday, April 13, Arizona men’s basketball’s Azuolas Tubelis declared for the 2023 NBA draft. The 6-foot-11 forward led the Wildcats in scoring this past season with 19.8 points per game.
Tubelis earned a plethora of awards during his three-year stint in Tucson. During his sophomore and junior seasons, he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was awarded second-team All-American honors during his junior year. Tubelis was also the Pac-12 Tournament MVP in 2023.
The Lithuanian native witnessed career-highs in efficiency this past season, shooting 57% from the floor and 76.4% from the free throw line. However, despite his scoring ability, concerns surrounding his defense and toughness will be question marks for NBA scouts. In his last five games as a Wildcat, he averaged 4.4 turnovers.
Tubelis will attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine from May 15 to 21 in Chicago and is projected as a second-round pick.
With the expected loss of Tubelis, head coach Tommy Lloyd will have to utilize the transfer portal to find replacements. Arizona lost Kerr Kriisa to the transfer portal, yet will host Creighton University transfer Ryan Nembhard this weekend.
Follow Aidan Alperstein on Twitter
