Adama Bal leaving Wildcats via transfer portal
Mar 23, 2023, 11:25 AM | Updated: 12:04 pm
TUCSON, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 22: Adama Bal #2 of the Arizona Wildcats handles the ball against Khalil Turner #1 of the Morgan State Bears during the second half of the NCAAB game at McKale Center on December 22, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Another Arizona Wildcat has entered the transfer portal.
Hours after starting point guard Kerr Kriisa decided to enter the portal, sophomore guard Adama Bal announced on Twitter that he would follow in his former teammate’s footsteps.
Wildcat nation!! Thank you for everything I have decided to enter the transfer portal and explore new opportunities I am thankful and grateful to have been part of this amazing journey with my teammates coaches and you guys Love y’all and Bear Down !!❤️💙
— Bal Adama (@adama_bal) March 22, 2023
Bal was 17 years old when he joined the Wildcats his freshman year, making him one of the youngest players in college basketball at the time.
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The 6-foot-7 guard saw minimal minutes off the bench as a freshman, averaging 4.5 minutes per game and 27 total shot attempts the entire season.
Going into his sophomore year, Bal was expected to get more minutes but was the odd man out due to head coach Tommy Lloyd’s seven-man rotation he used for the majority of the season. He ended up averaging 8.2 minutes per game and 2.5 points per contest.
“I built this team for Adama to be in the top eight,” Lloyd said to media in February. “He had a lot of opportunities and he just didn’t play great, didn’t play well early. I’ve told him that, and I told him about next time, your next chances, you need to be ready. That was my message to him …”
The Wildcats will likely do their own shopping in the transfer portal to help replace Kriisa and Bal.
