TUCSON, Ariz. (U-WIRE) — Two weeks ago, Will Bynum was encircled by a horde of media members. He was answering questions left and right about how Arizona is going to respond to being ranked No. 1 in the preseason, about the four new freshmen and so on.
Then one reporter dropped the bomb, saying “Will, I’m surprised to see you back this year.”
The rest of the media members stopped and anxiously awaited the answer to the question.
Bynum blushed and said, “I’m just happy to be around these guys. I’m definitely not going anywhere for a long time.”
There it is, done, settled. Bynum is not going anywhere this season, or anytime soon, in fact; even though many never thought he would be back for his second season in the desert.
The lightning-fast guard is a year removed from a season in which he was forced to ride the bench for 25 minutes a game because of an overload at the guard position and selfish play when he had the basketball.
“I know I probably looked bad at times,” said Bynum about his play last year.
Many thought that the team’s shortest player would transfer after he flew straight home to Chicago, his hometown, halfway through the UA basketball team’s trip to Australia last May.
But now Bynum, arguably the team’s most athletic player, is back in Tucson and is willing to do anything possible to improve the team.
“I would be happy playing 10 minutes a game,” said Bynum, who averaged 14.9 minutes, 6.4 points and 1.4 assists in 2001-02. “Whatever I can do to help out this basketball team. I love playing with these guys.”
But what has been even more surprising about the high-flyer is his new style of play on the basketball court, which head coach Lute Olson learned about from senior guard Jason Gardner and others in the offseason.
One of Olson’s favorite sayings is: “It’s often said that a college basketball player grows more between his freshman and sophomore year than in any other year.”
So far, Olson seems to be right on.