Four-star KJ Lewis commits to Arizona Wildcats, his “dream school”

KJ Lewis, the No. 28 overall prospect in the 2023 class, has committed to the Arizona Wildcats, he tells On3. 

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of El Paso (Texas) Chapin ultimately chose the Wildcats over Texas Tech, Memphis, Baylor, and Texas. He also received offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Houston, and UCLA.

Lewis joins five-star point guard Kylan Boswell. Arizona has also offered Tyrese Proctor, Dusty Stromer, and others.

Lewis breaks down his decision 

“Since I was a kid, Arizona has always been my dream school.

“Arizona is just different. I think Coach Lloyd is doing a great job. No one thought they would be where they’re at right now. Their style of play is fast, uptempo, sharing the ball, high IQ. They also have great fans there. I think he’s a great coach and the atmosphere there is amazing.”

A dream come true

“When I was a little kid, my dad lived in Tucson. So when I was younger, I was a part of this little league team and we played at the McKale Center. During the championship game, I hit a buzzer-beater, and ever since that day, I’ve always wanted to go to UofA.”

Lewis’ plan and dream was to always be a Wildcat. Originally recruited by Sean Miller’s staff, Lewis did not hear from Arizona after Miller’s departure. After Tommy Lloyd accepted the new head coaching gig, the two began building a relationship, one strong enough to land a commitment from the talented Texas guard.

Lewis said his official visit to Tucson in February sealed the deal for him. 

“Just seeing how (Tommy Lloyd) coaches firsthand, how he interacts with the players during practice, how he reacts if his players make a mistake, all of the little stuff you don’t get through texts and phone calls… it definitely made a big impact on my decision.

What was Lewis’ favorite part about his Arizona official visit?

“They told me every game day, after the shootaround, they do a half court contest between all the GA’s, all the players, all the trainers, and everyone, and they tally the winners. I think that just shows the type of coach that Coach Lloyd is, he likes to have fun.”

What does KJ Lewis expect his role to be as a freshman?

“Definitely to be one of the scorers. Obviously, their offense is to move the ball, motion offense, but I just want to impact the game in different ways; rebound, play defense, score, just everything.”