TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Pelle Larsson typically heads off the court straight to trainer Justin Kokoskie while his teammates celebrate a win or lament a loss in the locker room.
A gifted guard for No. 5 Arizona, Larsson looks and feels like a post-match MMA fighter after every game, covered in bruises, knots and scratches.
“He gives you everything he’s got,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “You guys see him at the end of the game and he’s beaten to a pulp.”
Larsson’s willingness to absorb — and dish out — pain has been the central cog in Arizona’s run in three years under Lloyd.
Larsson arrived in Tucson in 2021 after playing his freshman season at Utah and has molded himself into the Wildcats’ Swiss Army Knife. The 6-foot-6 Swedish guard is Arizona’s second-leading scorer at 13.4 points, adding 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and more than a steal per game.
His impact goes far beyond the box scores.
Larsson has a knack for making the right play nearly every time, often at the biggest moments, whether it’s big shot, key pass, a defensive stop or taking a momentum-changing charge.