It's Official: Former Arizona Wildcat Kaleb Tarczewski signs with OKC
Good news has come to another Wildcat with hopes of making it professionally in basketball when it was announced Kaleb Tarczewski would join the OKC Thunder training camp roster.
The list of Wildcats in the NBA continues to grow at a steady pace dating back to the Lute Olson days. With the resurgence of the Arizona Basketball program under Sean Miller, you will continue to see that number rise.
Following the surprising success of free-agent signing, T.J. McConnell last year with the 76ers, it appears Zeus will get his chance to make the Thunder roster via undrafted free agency.’
Zeus was not drafted out of college, despite being considered a pretty successful player, and becoming the winningest player in Arizona Basketball history.
Kaleb certainly has his work cut out for him, but there is a definite chance he has a good showcasing in training camp.
As you may recall, Zeus did have a few opportunities this summer with the Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons. With Detroit in Orlando Summer League, he got to play with his former teammate Stanley Johnson. Stanley helped Zeus look good by lobbing him the ball while Arizona head coach Sean Miller spoke to Pistons coach Van Gundy during the games.
He looked pretty good, exciting at times. Unfortunately, he did not make the roster with either club following the league games.
#PlayazAlum Kaleb Tarczewski, the winningest player in @APlayersProgram history, has signed a training camp deal with the @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/7PCIUHtvlI
— New England Playaz (@NE_Playaz) September 26, 2016
At 7’0” and over 240 pounds, OKC will need a bit of help defensively down low, with teams becoming more offensive minded these days (a la the Golden State Warriors).
Widely considered to be a bit of a project player, Zeus was never known for having a potent, offensive skill-set. Rather it was his defensive presence, strength, and toughness around the rim, that makes him a hot commodity for any NBA teams seeking depth.
Plus, he has the one thing you cannot teach, and that is size.
In his career with the Wildcats, Zeus averaged nearly nine points per game, six and a half rebounds and nearly a block in every game.
| Season | School | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | Arizona | 35 | 22.0 | 2.4 | 4.5 | .538 | 1.8 | 2.8 | .633 | 6.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 6.6 |
| 2013-14 | Arizona | 36 | 28.3 | 3.6 | 6.1 | .584 | 2.8 | 3.8 | .756 | 6.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 9.9 |
| 2014-15 | Arizona | 38 | 26.0 | 3.2 | 5.7 | .572 | 2.8 | 4.0 | .699 | 5.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 9.3 |
| 2015-16 | Arizona | 26 | 27.4 | 3.1 | 5.8 | .533 | 3.2 | 4.5 | .712 | 9.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 9.4 |
| Career | Arizona | 135 | 25.8 | 3.1 | 5.5 | .561 | 2.6 | 3.7 | .704 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 8.8 |
At Zona Zealots, we are excited to see Zeus being given a chance to at least prove himself at the next level. We certainly hope he finds a place in the NBA. Bear Down, Kaleb!
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