It’s never a good thing to lose a player, no matter the sport or the team. It’s even more troubling when that loss comes midway through the season, regardless of the circumstances.
But in the wake of Emmanuel Akot’s sudden decision to leave the program, a case can be made the Arizona Wildcats could end up benefitting from one less player logging considerable minutes.
It helps when the departed player, from a statistical standpoint, had been the worst one among Arizona’s nine- or 10-man rotation.
Coach Sean Miller said Tuesday that senior forward Ryan Luther would most likely replace Akot in the starting lineup for Thursday’s home game against Oregon, though developments in practice could lead to either sophomore forward Ira Lee or redshirt junior guard Dylan Smith getting the nod at the 4.