The major mock drafts have Koloko going between No. 26 (The Ringer) late in the first round, to No. 36 (ESPN) early in the second.
Bruce Pascoe With their two top players gone for good, the Arizona Wildcats now face some suspense that could last all the way up until June.
ESPN projects Terry to be taken slightly lower than Koloko, at No. 43 in the middle of the second round, a range that can command guaranteed NBA contracts or at least a two-way deal that is likely to be worth $500,000 next season. The finality of their decisions, while not a surprise, still hit hard. UA associate head coach Jack Murphy, the only UA coach on hand throughout the stays of Mathurin and Koloko, said the departing Wildcats were two of “my all time favorite guys” in a Twitter post.
Players taken lower in the second round often sign two-way contracts, which allow NBA teams to shuttle players who have participated in less than four seasons back and forth to the G League. Two-way salaries are now half the rookie minimum , allowing players up to 50 games in the NBA but paying them a flat rate no matter where they are.
Koloko then moved to Sierra Canyon School in 2018-19 while committing to the Wildcats in November 2018, choosing UA over schools such as Cal, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, USC and UCLA. “I’ve told you guys forever how good I think C-Lo is. I mean, I think he’s a problem for anybody,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said after the Main Event championship game. “For a while the biggest thing was just making sure he believed it, but I think he believes it now. You’re seeing his effort. I see the way his teammates react to him, and it’s been a really awesome progression to watch.”