How former Arizona men’s basketball players are doing at their new schools

The Arizona Wildcats made the best out of an 8-man rotation the last few games, with that number hopefully growing to nine whenever Kim Aiken Jr. returns to the team from his unexplained hiatus.

Imagine where the UA would be with any of the ten ex-players who have been part of other Division I rosters this season.

Here’s a look at how these former Wildcats are faring with their new teams:

James Akinjo, Baylor

Years at Arizona: 2020-21

Akinjo has started all 11 games for defending champion Baylor, which is unbeaten and No. 1 in the latest Associated Press poll. The 6-foot-1 guard is leading the Bears, his third team after the UA and Georgetown, in assists (6.1), steals (2.2) and minutes per game (30.2).

Emmanuel Akot, Boise State

Years at Arizona: 2017-19

Akot is in his second full season with Boise, starting all 13 games and sitting third on the team in scoring with a career-best 11 points per game. The 6-foot-8 guard had a career-high 24 points in a loss to St. Bonaventure in November.

Jemarl Baker Jr., Fresno State

Years at Arizona: 2019-21

Baker, who began his career at Kentucky before joining Arizona for two seasons, has dealt with multiple knee injuries that have limited him to just five of Fresno’s 13 games. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists when active, including 18 against against UC-Irvine on Dec. 11.

Alex Barcello, BYU

Years at Arizona: 2017-19

No player has had greater success as an ex-Wildcat in recent memory than Barcello, who is leading BYU in scoring for the second year in a row at 17.9 per game. That’s a career high, as is the 6-foot-2 guard’s 3-point shooting (48.6%) and free throw shooting (91.2%) numbers, and he’s 17 points away from 1,000 with the Cougars.

Daniel Batcho, Texas Tech

Years at Arizona: 2020-21

Knee surgery kept Batcho from ever playing at Arizona, but with the Red Raiders he’s showing the kind of upside that made Sean Miller and Jack Murphy bring him over from Paris. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game, shooting 72.2 percent from the field, and against Tennessee he had four points, 11 rebounds and two assists in a career-high 27 minutes.

Jordan Brown, Louisiana

Years at Arizona: 2019-21

The impact player Miller expected at Arizona has emerged at Louisiana, Brown’s third college after beginning his career at Nevada. The 6-foot-11 forward leads the Ragin’ Cajuns in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (8.9), going for 30 points against in-state rival Louisiana Tech and 16 points and 16 rebounds against McNeese State.

Terrell Brown Jr., Washington

Years at Arizona: 2020-21

Brown sacrificed his offensive numbers in order to play a key role in what he hoped would be a trip to the NCAA Tournament with Arizona. Now the 6-foot-3 guard is back to scoring at will for a team that has no chance to make the postseason, leading the Huskies with 21.4 points and 3.7 assists per game on a career-best 46.5 percent shooting.

Devonaire Doutrive, Boise State

Years at Arizona: 2018-20

Doutrive’s time with the Broncos appears to have ended the same way it did at Arizona, with him being dismissed from the team in early December. The 6-foot-5 guard had started six of Boise’s first seven games this season, averaging 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds after starting three games in 2020-21.

Tibet Gorener, San Jose State

Years at Arizona: 2020-21

A bit player with the Wildcats last season, Gorener has found a niche as a perimeter shooter for the Spartans. The 6-foot-9 forward, who has started five of San Jose State’s last six games, is shooting 44 percent from 3-point range and averaging 9.2 points per game, including 14 at Stanford and 12 at Texas.

Ira Lee, George Washington

Years at Arizona: 2017-21

One of the few 4-year players in the Miller era, Lee headed east for one last chance to be a primary contributor. Sadly, the 6-foot-8 forward’s career with George Washington was halted before it ever started, as Lee suffered a ruptured patella tendon back in August and is in the middle of an 8-month recovery.