Meet the 2015-16 Arizona Wildcats basketball team

Kadeem Allen 

Junior, No. 5

From: Wilmington, N.C.

Size: 6-3, 200

Probable role: Reserve combo guard

Age: 22

Major: General studies

Follow him here: @AllenKadeem (Twitter), @kadeemallen_5 (Instagram)

First team played for: “Dreamvision at the Martin Luther King Center back in North Carolina.’”

Ultimately chose UA because: “Being a part of a great coaching staff with Coach Miller and being a part of the tradition that UA has, that sells itself. All the great players who came here. You know you have a winning coach who wants to win as bad as you want to win.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “I would say Michael Jordan. Same city, same state, growing up near one of the greatest basketball players, you have no choice but to look at him.”

Watches TV via: XBox

Fave TV show: Prison Break

Fave video game: NBA2K

Fave social media: Facebook

Fave non-basketball hobby: Singing 

Ryan Anderson 

Senior, No. 12

From: Lakewood, Calif.

Size: 6-9, 230

Probable role: Starting power forward

Age: 22

Major: General studies

Follow him here: @M12terAnderson (Twitter), @ryan_anderson12 (Instagram)

First team played for: “National Junior Basketball. No 12. The jerseys used to go 1-12 and I always was the tallest so I got No. 12. Since my first picture it was like that, so I always try to keep it the same.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “Once I saw the atmosphere here, and the love of the coaches to the players. That goes unnoticed how much coach Miller and the staff care about us, and how much the players are united. It just felt like there’s no way I can’t succeed there if I work as hard as I can.”

Watches TV via: Netflix

Fave TV show: American Dad or Family Guy. “They always keep me laughing.”

Fave video game: “FIFA for sure, because of the skill involved. You can’t just push a button. And we have it in our locker room so everybody plays it.”

Fave social media: Twitter and Instagram. “I use those 95 percent of the time.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: Golf. “I’ve gotta get my clubs out here.”

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Spinach and mushroom omelet, potatoes, yogurt and granola. 

Chance Comanche 

Freshman, No. 21

From: Beverly Hills, Calif.

Size: 6-10, 205

Probable role: Backup center

Age: 19

Major: Undecided

Follow him here: @comanche2414 (Twitter), noo_second_chances (Instagram)

First team played for: “I think it was like eighth grade, in the Rancho Cucamonga City League or something like that.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “I feel like just because the way coach Pasternack, coach Miller, they were always recruiting me the hardest, the longest. They were always there. Even when other colleges fell off, they were always after me. I always felt more needed than just wanted here.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “When I was growing up, I watched Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge. And Anthony Davis, once I went to college everybody said I was built like him so I started watching him, I noticed I was like him.”

Watches TV via: “I just like watching whatever is on, I’m not a picky person. Whatever is entertaining, Netflix, Hulu, anything.”

Fave TV show: I’m not really sure. Probably Tosh.0.

Fave video game: Call of Duty.

Fave social media: Instagram

Fave non-basketball hobby: “I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I just don’t like being at home bored."

Jacob Hazzard 

Senior, No. 50

From: Los Angeles

Size: 6-0, 160

Probable role: Walk-on guard

Age: 22

Major: General studies

Follow him here: @JacobHazzard (Twitter), @JacobHazzard (Instagram)

First team played for: “I think it was YMCA when I was like 3.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “Definitely the campus and the facilities, and the weather is always hot. It’s pretty great.”

Biggest mentor/hero: Kobe (Bryant) and A.I. (Allen Iverson)

Watches TV via: “Netflix. I just like going through shows quickly.”

Fave TV show: The Office, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Fave video game: NBA2K or FIFA.

Fave social media: “Probably Snapchat, it’s more up to date and more live.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: “I like to play soccer on the side. I was really good when I was a little kid.” 

Parker Jackson-Cartwright 

Sophomore, No. 0

From: Los Angeles, Calif.

Size: 5-10, 170

Probable role: Starting point guard

Age: 20

Major: Undeclared

Follow him here: @PGUPark3 (Twitter), @pgmino (Instagram)

Ultimately chose UA because: “Coach (Miller’s) passion. Coach just seemed the most honest and at the same item the most loyal. It just seemed like he wanted to win the most.”

Watches TV via: Netflix, Cox cable

Fave TV show: Love & Hip Hop. “I don’t watch a lot of TV right now.”

Fave video game: “I’m not a big video guy. We play NBA2K in the locker room right now but that’s about it.”

Fave social media: Twitter. “Gives me a lot of information that keeps me updated.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: Rest, reading

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Froot Loops or the omelet. “They make a great omelet.” 

Trey Mason 

Junior, No. 44

From: Los Angeles

Size: 6-2, 180

Projected role: Walk-on guard

Age: 20

Major: Pre-business

Follow him here: @TreyBall3 (twitter)

First team played for: Manhattan Beach Wildcats

Ultimately chose UA because: “I think just my family connection, and my love for the school as well as the city of Tucson.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “Always been my dad (Harvey), really. I also really like Jim Valvano.”

Watches TV via: AppleTV

Fave TV show: “Narcos, on Netflix. Pretty good.”

Fave video game: FIFA

Fave social media: Instagram and Snapchat

Fave non-basketball hobby: Probably playing XBox 

Elliott Pitts 

Junior, No. 24

From: Dublin, Calif.

Size: 6-5, 185

Projected role: Reserve guard

Age: 20

Major: Pre-business

Follow him here: @Ejp_22 (Twitter), @ejp24 (Instagram)

First team played for: “I’d say third grade. My CYO team.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “When I took my visit, it was in the summer, and no one is really here in the summer. I think, the guy that hosted me, Nick Johnson, did a great job and I saw how cool the guys were to me and how much they got along with each other.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “I didn’t get to watch him because I wasn’t born, but George Gervin is my favorite. He’s really smooth and I love that.”

Watches TV via: Netflix

Fave TV show: Right now, Narcos, and The Office.

Fave video game: FIFA. “I’m the best FIFA player on the team.”

Fave social media: “If I had to pick, probably Instagram.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: School. 

Dusan Ristic 

Sophomore, No. 14

From: Novi Sad, Serbia

Size: 7-0, 245

Probable role: Reserve center

Age: 19

Major: Undeclared

Follow him here: @ristic_dusan (Twitter), @dusanristic14 (Instagram)

First team played for: The Novi Sad Star (age 7 to 12).

Ultimately chose UA because: “I love college basketball and Ivan (Radenovic, former UA forward from Serbia) told me to go here.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “I was always looking at the players who were most successful.”

Fave social media: Instagram

Fave non-basketball hobby: “Just hang out with friends.”

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Omelet, pancakes 

Justin Simon 

Freshman, No. 3

From: Temecula, Calif.

Size: 6-5, 200

Probable role: Backup combo guard

Age: 19

Major: Undeclared

Follow him here: @simon_Says_so (Twitter), @simon_says_so (Instagram)

First team played for: “Tar Heels, the Anderson Park Tar Heels. My dad would get upset with me because he spent all this money for me to play and when I’d get on the floor I’d just stand and watch him at the top of the rafters and wave at him.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “I mean, Coach Miller is a great coach and I felt like the players here were great and the history is just amazing. I wanted to be a part of it since I was in the seventh grade. It was my dream school.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “I loved watching Kevin Durant, he’s so long and lanky and that’s been my favorite growing up. Tracy McGrady, too. And I’ve watched a lot of Michael Carter-Williams.”

Fave TV show: Teen Wolf. “I’m into that kind of stuff.”

Fave video game: “Definitely NBA 2K16 and FIFA 16. The guys will tell you I’m one of the best players in this gym.”

Fave social media: I’m on snapchat a lot, I take a lot of selfies.

Fave non-basketball hobby: “I like singing sometimes, video games, movies.” 

Ray Smith 

Freshman, No. 2

From: Las Vegas

Size: 6-8, 210

Probable role: Will miss season after suffering torn ACL

Age: 18

Major: Undeclared

Follow him here: @raysmith2297 (Twitter), @rekwonsmith (Instagram)

First team played for: Old Vegas Basketball. “Played with them from about 6 or 7 till 11 or 12.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “It really just felt like home when I was here. That was the most important thing.”

Biggest mentor/hero: Paul George. “I like his game.”

Watches TV via: Netflix

Fave TV show: The Originals

Fave video game: FIFA.

Fave social media: Twitter

Fave non-basketball hobby: Hang out with my teammates.

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Omelet. 

Kaleb Tarczewski 

Senior, No. 35

From: Claremont, N.H.

Size: 7-0, 245

Projected role: Starting center

Age: 22

Major: Pre-business

Follow him here: Not on Twitter, tarczewski35 (Instagram)

First team played for: “St. Mary’s Elementary, I think in fifth grade. Me and my step-brother had a play, we were both taller than everyone, and we would throw the ball off the backboard to each other to pad our stats.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “The family atmosphere. I came her because of the people. Coming in, I said if I had to be at a college for four years, I’m gonna go someplace I enjoy.”

Biggest mentor/hero: “My first favorite basketball player, I wanted to be 6-foot-6 like Paul Pierce on the Celtics. I kind of out-shot that a little bit.”

Watches TV via: “Laying down. On a couch, that’s my favorite way to watch TV.”

Fave TV show: “That’s a tough one: Ray Donovan, Scandal, Lost.”

Fave video game: Mario Kart on N64

Fave social media: “I’m not a big fan of social media to be honest.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: Fishing 

Mark Tollefsen 

Senior, No. 23

From: Danville, Calif.

Size: 6-9, 210

Projected role: Starting or key reserve forward

Age: 22

Major: Graduate

Follow him here: @Air_Tolly23 (Twitter), tarczewski35 (Instagram)

First team played for: “Hometown YMCA team when I was like 5 or 6.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “Being involved with coach Miller when I came here. He had taken so much time to examine my game. He told me how much film he’d watched on me before I came here and I thought that was a big deal.”

Watches TV via: Netflix

Fave TV show: Friends. “I love Friends. It’s so funny to me. These guys had it on in the locker room. We were watching Friends before practice and I was like ‘Damn. I knew I picked the right spot.’ ”

Fave video game: Mario Kart 64. “A lot of these guys play the new games, the 2Ks on X-Box, but I’m an old school guy. It’s the greatest thing ever. I love it.”

Fave social media: Twitter. “I feel like I get all the news that’s out there.”

Fave non-basketball hobby: “Surfing, boogie-boarding, tennis, bowling, that type of stuff. It’s nice to play sports outside of your sport.”

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Smoothies. “At USF, it was just a straight meal, nothing extra.” 

Allonzo Trier 

Freshman, No. 11

From: Seattle

Size: 6-4, 210

Probable role: Reserve or starting wing

Age: 19

Major: Undeclared

Follow him here: @ISOzo_LOE (Twitter), @isozo_loe (Instagram)

First team played for: “Seattle Rotary, (age) 7 or 8.”

Ultimately chose UA because: “It was the place I felt most comfortable, and I had a great relationship with coach Miller.”

Watches TV via: Netflix

Fave TV show: Power

Fave video game: NBA2K

Fave social media: “I’m not too big into them lately because I’ve been too into the season and spending time with the guys. But I pretty much use all of them the same.”

Fave non basketball hobby: Playing video games.

Fave Bear Down Kitchen item: Omelets. “That’s the go-to.” 

Gabe York 

Senior, No. 1

From: West Covina, Calif.

Size: 6-3, 185

Projected role: Starting shooting guard

Age: 22

Major: General studies

Follow him here: Not on Twitter or Instagram

First team played for: The NJB All-Stars

Ultimately chose UA because: “The family aspect of the team, knowing I have those guys, and they all have my back.”

Biggest mentor/hero: My mom

Watches TV via: “I watch a lot of regular TV, and I watch Netflix.”

Fave TV show: “The Black List, really, really good.”

Fave video game: “I’m a FIFA and Madden guy, and I like Destiny”

Fave social media: Instagram

Fave non-basketball hobby: Football 

Sean Miller 

Head coach

Age: 46

From: Beaver Falls, Pa.

Degree: Pittsburgh, ’92 (B.A., communications)

Follow him here: @UAcoachmiller (Twitter), not on Instagram 

Joe Pasternack 

Associate head coach

Age: 38

From: New Orleans

Degree: Indiana, ’99 (B.S., marketing)

Follow him here: @Joe_Pasternack (Twitter), not on Instagram 

Book Richardson 

Assistant coach

Age: 42

From: New York

Degree: Pittsburgh-Johnstown, ’98 (B.S., business marketing and management).

Follow him here: Not active on Twitter or Instagram 

Mark Phelps 

Assistant coach

Age: 49

From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Degree: Old Dominion ‘96 (B.S., physical education)

Follow him here: @coachmarkphelps (Twitter), not on Instagram