Brandon Ashley, Freshman, Power Forward, Arizona
Overview:
Ashley, a 6-8, 190-pound court presence from Findlay Prep in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, attracted attention from Pac-12 Conference schools that included Oregon and UCLA. Ashley also had interest in Kentucky but was not interested in the school’s offer. UCLA and Kentucky ended up with two of the top recruiting classes in the country, but truth be told Arizona was not far behind. That meant Ashley ended up with an elite program trying hard to find its way back toward the top. Arizona finished with 23 victories a year ago before Bucknell beat the Wildcats in the NCAA tournament.
Ashley started out with two 30-point games but tailed off as the season progressed. He still had double-digit scoring in the majority of games, but Ashley was held to three points in a January game against Bishop Gorman… the same team that produced highly-touted recruit Shabazz Muhammad. This matchup will be repeated in the Pac-12, assuming Ashley can find his way onto the court as a starter.
Final Projection:
Ashley will have his work cut out. He had far too many disappointing games during his final season at Findlay Prep, but the reality is he will join an Arizona squad that has some top recruits coming on board. Ashley won’t have to go it alone. His weight suggests Ashley has a body that needs to fill out a bit to handle the bashing and crashing that goes on around Pac-12 courts, because at 190 pounds, Ashley could get tossed around if a game gets violent. Coach Ben Howland will have his work cut out.
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