Luka Doncic says he would have gone to college at Arizona: ‘They say it’s good there’

Luka Doncic had zero reason to make a pitstop at an American university. He was already the top player — not prospect but player — overseas by the time he was up to be drafted.

But if he had to choose a college time in the good ol’ U.S.A., the career-long Dallas Mavericks star says he would’ve gone to Arizona. Why be a Wildcat?

“They say it’s good there,” Doncic said in a video released by Overtime, a sports league and media company.

Luka said if went to college in the US he would’ve went to ARIZONA 👀 pic.twitter.com/R3mAcHYse7

— Overtime (@overtime) September 21, 2024

4 years of eligibility left@luka7doncic 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ZZsbyHGKRr

— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) September 23, 2024

Phoenix Suns fans might be torn if that were the case. They probably have a laundry list of reasons to dislike Doncic for what he’s done to the Suns as a pro, but some probably wish Phoenix had drafted him instead of Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Arizona Wildcat fans more certainly wish that Doncic had spent a year in college, especially since Doncic could have teamed with Ayton in 2017-18.

Ayton’s team, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, flamed out with a first-round loss to No. 13 seed Buffalo in a game that might’ve been different had Doncic been living that college life.

Luka Doncic isn’t the only one who could have seen himself playing in college at Arizona

Overtime’s video included a poll of three former Duke players who were asked where they could’ve seen Doncic going to college.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson said he could’ve seen the Slovenian suited up for USC, Texas A&M and Florida.

Orlando Magic rising star Paolo Banchero said former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski loved Doncic and would have fit him in Durham, N.C. But fellow Duke product and current Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum sees why Doncic might lean toward Arizona.

“He plays in the Western Conference so I’m going to say he went to like, Arizona,” Tatum said.

There are certainly vibes that match Doncic enjoying school in Arizona.

Now where would he come to understand those vibes since he never thought about college? Well, he spent the last few years with former Wildcat Josh Green on the Mavericks. Maybe there were some good stories shared.

Though Doncic’s theoretical college tenure came during Sean Miller’s time as head coach at Arizona, current Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd is known to be one of the best international recruiters in college hoops. He’s recruited players from central Europe in places like Lithuania, Serbia, Poland and Croatia.

Word just might’ve gotten around.

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