TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In a shaky start to Arizona’s basketball season, something needed to change. That’s when Sophomore guard, KJ Lewis stepped up by taking a step back to his old role as the sixth man.
“That was right after the Bahamas and everyone knows how the season started," Lewis said.
Starting the season 3-3, losing to Duke, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma, uncertainty is all that surrounded Arizona.
WATCH | Arizona Basketball: Chasing the Championship
“Everybody has doubts," Lewis said. "You lose a couple games, you know, even some of us have doubts but we knew if we stuck with it and stuck together, we would come out on the other side.”
To do that, Lewis went to Head Coach, Tommy Lloyd.
“KJ came to me the past couple days and asked if I would be open to him not starting," Lloyd said. "It was his idea.”
When choosing to come off the bench instead of starting, it wasn’t just Lloyd and his team Lewis relied on.
“All the guys have been solid for me and been there for me but ultimately, I’d probably say regardless of the team, it’s been my mom," Lewis said. “She says when I play free, I play my best basketball so I just try to go out there and play as free as I can.”
Lewis said he thinks the 'free-est' he played this season was against West Virginia. In the 75-56 win, Lewis scored his career-high 21-points, avenging the Wildcats loss to the Mountaineers in the Bahamas.
"I'm really proud of KJ," Lloyd said. "You make a selfless decision, we call it in our program an 'us' decision, you make a decision for the greater good, you don't always get rewarded."
“I want to win," Lewis said. "That’s what I want to do and what I did was what was best for the team at the time and ultimately, we got some wins under our belt.”
Following his choice, Arizona went 8-2, going on a season-high 7-game win streak.
“To see us come out of it and put ourselves back on the map was probably one of the best moments," Lewis said."And everybody knows we’re a dangerous team when we get hot.”
The Wildcats put themselves back on the map while crisscrossing the country during Big 12 play.
Passing the time, playing the iPhone version of Crazy 8’s.
“We play everywhere we go when we’re on the road," Lewis said.
Lewis deemed himself as the best player on the team. When asked to name someone other than himself, he couldn't answer.
“Not me?," Lewis said. "No, I can’t say because then if they see this and they hear what I said, they’re going to get a big head and they’ll be talking so I can’t say. I’m just going to keep it at me, nobody else but me.”
Lewis will have plenty of time to defend his crown as the Wildcats hit the road for March Madness. The four seed in the East Region takes on Akron in Round One on Saturday.
“You have to bring your a-game night in and night out," Lewis said. "Each team is going to fight till the end of the game, and we have to carry that mentality going into March.”
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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