Whether as starter or reserve, Carter Bryant facing adjustments with Wildcats (2025)

Carter Bryant arrived at Arizona last summer with the credentials to jump immediately into the Wildcats’ starting perimeter as a freshman alongside two fellow McDonald's All-American alums, Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley.

Except KJ Lewis stood in his way. Both as a sophomore who had paid his dues as a key backup last season and in another, quite literal, sense.

“There's been times where he's absolutely beat me up in practice,” Bryant said of Lewis, “like where I can't get anything off, I can't get to the rim. Can't get a shot. He's sticking on my body.”

But Bryant said he sometimes was able to get in and pressure Lewis when on defense, saying his game grew with the challenge of facing him in practice every day.

A competition was born. And, maybe surprisingly, a friendship.

“Me and KJ talk all the time. We’re probably the two closest on the team,” Bryant said. “He's been the guy that took me under his wing once I got here. He's been a great mentor for me, a guy that I could talk to about absolutely anything. He's just kind of allowed me to kind of pick his brain every day.”

The Wildcats’ two small forwards both speak of a common thread – winning– which is why Lewis eventually moved out of Bryant’s way in a more figurative sense. After Lewis was taken out of the Wildcats’ starting lineup against West Virginia on Nov. 29 because he committed two technical fouls in three games before that, Lewis volunteered to stay on the bench.

At that point, the Wildcats were 3-4.

That wasn’t winning.

“It’s just trying to do whatever it takes to be in a winning position for the team,” Lewis said last Saturday, after Lewis and Bryant both had one of their most productive games of the season, helping the Wildcats pound Southern Utah 102-66 to even their record at 4-4.

While Arizona’s game with UCLA on Saturday in Phoenix will better test the Wildcats’ new lineup, early returns suggest that both Lewis and Bryant may be better off now.

UA coach Tommy Lloyd says he likes the idea of getting Lewis’ offense, defense and playmaking abilities off the bench, as well as having the catch-and-shoot, floor-spreading potential of Bryant in the starting lineup.

Lewis clearly proved comfortable in a backup role last season behind Love, Kylan Boswell and Pelle Larsson on the perimeter and, well, Bryant is a freshman who has never been anything but a starter.

So he should be comfortable there, and comfort zones matter.

“With Carter, everything is a confidence thing,” Love said. “I think that'll build his confidence, being with us in that starting five. As we play more and more games, he'll get more and more comfortable with the game, how fast it is, and things like that. He’ll find his way.”

For now, though, Bryant says it really doesn’t matter whether he starts or not.

“Whether you're starting or come off the bench, it’s hard because you have to gauge the pace of the game and you have to be locked into the scouting report,” Bryant said. “Obviously my minutes have grown as the season has gone along, and hopefully they grow some more, but I think (UA coaches) just try to put me in the best position to affect and win games."

The numbers so far suggest Bryant is better off as a starter.

In six games off the bench earlier this season, Bryant averaged just 4.7 points and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 38.5% overall and 26.3% from 3-point range. He went to the line less than once a game on average, making just 3 of 5 free throws.

In two games as a starter, Bryant has missed all five field goals he tried — but he's been more productive everywhere else. He averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the two games, with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block against Southern Utah when he also made it to the line nine times, hitting 5 of 9 free throws.

He was a different player, whether that was because he started or not.

“I think I'm just playing with more effort now. That's just the biggest thing,” Bryant said. “I think as the season goes on, I think I'll consistently be a guy that's around that 8 to 11 rebounds per game. That's what I'm hoping for because I know that rebounding can help win games, securing extra possessions, allowing us to run the break, because we do need to get better at that. We haven't been running like we typically do.”

UCLA is expected to make that mission difficult on Saturday. The Bruins have the No. 1 defensive turnover percentage in Division I, with opponents losing the ball on 27% of their possessions, while also ranking 36th in offensive rebounding possession.

But as a Southern California product from an athletic family that included an aunt who played volleyball at UA and a dad who played basketball at Long Beach State, Bryant will have an extra incentive for this one.

“I didn't get to go to any of the UCLA-Arizona games but I remember it always being a big deal in my household,” Bryant said. “It was a thing where we always had family come over. We were watching the game just because of the ties we had to Arizona. We were always excited and ready to watch that game go down.”

Bryant won’t get to watch this one on TV. He’ll have to play in it instead. Most likely from the opening tip.