During a preseason when the Arizona Wildcats firmly established that they can win in a number of different ways, they also added a few extra “coaches.” That is, guys like Caleb Love, KJ Lewis and Jaden Bradley, all veteran perimeter players, have been teaching by example on the floor, making Carter Bryant's freshman initiation all that much harder. After Bryant flashed his considerable versatility and talent in UA’s 113-64 exhibition win over Point Loma on Monday with 13 points on mostly acrobatic and powerful 6-for-8 shooting, he acknowledged as much.
“I'm used to being the biggest guy on the court, really being the one that really lays the hit on guys,” Bryant said, also citing pressure from facing wing Anthony Dell’Orso and forward Trey Townsend. “Now I'm kind of playing catch-up just terms of pace, physicality, shot-making, and intensity in general. It’s been a journey.
” While Bradley called Bryant an “unbelievable freshman” after Monday’s game, he maybe wasn’t quite as nice on the floor to the new kid over the past couple of months. Bryant has not only been learning the college game but also playing a number of positions, sometimes having to find a way to keep his 6-8 frame in front of his experienced perimeter teammates. “The biggest thing I've learned from (Bradley), along with the other guards is just guarding these dudes,” Bryant said.
“Trust me, if you would have seen me the first three weeks of practice, they were beating up on me. A.
