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They then sat side by side to discuss their summers and their outlooks for the 2025-26 basketball season.

Among the topics: Can the two of them play together?

It didn’t happen much last season. Krivas appeared in only eight games before being shelved by a lower-leg injury. He started once, against Duke — the only time Awaka came off the bench.

Neither Awaka nor Krivas — who declared himself fully healthy Thursday — has presented a threat from beyond the 3-point arc in college. Awaka has attempted five 3-point shots in his three-year career, all last season, making two. Krivas has never tried one in a game.

In order to play together — a combination Tommy Lloyd undoubtedly will explore, especially given the rest of the roster’s youth — Awaka and/or Krivas would have to at least develop a high-post game. That means being able to knock down a 15-foot jump shot, deliver a sharp pass to a cutting teammate or drive into the lane to create a scoring opportunity.

Both players expressed confidence that they could complement each other on the court.

“I don’t see why not,� said Awaka, who’s listed at 6-8, 250 pounds. “I think we would be a great one-two punch.�

“I think we can play together,� Krivas added. “It’s up to Coach how he will use us.�

Having a big man who can stretch the defense beyond the arc has practically become a prerequisite in modern basketball — but not necessarily in Lloyd’s system.

His first two UA teams thrived with 6-11 Azuolas Tubelis sharing the court with 7-footers Christian Koloko and Oumar Ballo. Tubelis typically would operate around the foul line, while Koloko or Ballo would camp out in the low post.

Tubelis was more of a 3-point threat than Awaka and Krivas, but it wasn’t a significant part of his repertoire. Tubelis attempted 112 3-pointers in 97 career games, or 1.15 per contest.

Keshad Johnson provided more of a “stretch four� element in 2023-24, attempting 2.6 3-pointers per game and making them at a 38.7% clip. Last season, Henri Veesaar (1.3 3-point attempts per game) and Carter Bryant (2.8) helped space the floor without sacrificing much in the way of height and rebounding.

Awaka and Krivas said they both were shown clips of the high-low offense during the recruiting process. Although their skill sets might seem redundant, they can envision replicating it. Both have been working on their long-range shooting this offseason.

“If Mo has it in the post, he’s going to create a lot of gravity; defenses will sort of shrink in,� Awaka said. “I can cut to the basket, and he can throw that dump-off pass.

“Although he’s big, he’s very nimble. He’s one of the best-moving bigs I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around and playing with. He can, without question, facilitate at the top of the key, mid-post area, passing, scoring, floaters, whatever. I definitely think there’s no reason why that shouldn’t work.�

‘Nothing is given’

Although he was around the team most of the time, Krivas was unavailable for almost 80% of the Wildcats’ games last season. The then-sophomore used that time to learn.

“Nothing is given to you,� Krivas said. “I just learned to become a student of the game and don’t feel bad for myself. Just try to take every practice, every game and try to learn something new from them.�

Krivas had a courtside seat for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s first season in the physical Big 12 Conference. He should be better prepared for it after going through rehab for his injury.

Krivas said he’d never suffered a serious injury before. He said it was hard to deal with, but that it should help him in the long run.

“I learned that my body is like my source for this career, and it’s really important to take care of it,� Krivas said, adding that the rehab exercises he has learned are ones he’ll likely do “for the rest of my life.�

Projected as a heading into last season, Krivas fell off the NBA’s radar while being unable to play. Asked about his goals for the upcoming campaign, Krivas offered a one-item, five-word to-do list focused exclusively on team accomplishments.

“To win the national championship,� he said.

Good first impression

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is projected to have seven scholarship freshmen on this season, headlined by five-star signees Koa Peat and Brayden Burries.

Awaka, who’s heading into his senior season, likes what he’s seen so far.

“They’re very well-mannered and mature, just how they carry themselves,� Awaka said. “They’re very focused and driven, and they play really hard, so that’s something that’s really great to see. And then obviously they have the skill set and the ability to play at this level.

“But just working out with them, getting to know them, talking in the locker room, talking outside of basketball, it’s been a pleasure.�

Peat and Burries are expected to have significant roles right away, and other freshmen could, as well. Awaka believes the Wildcats can compete for a national title even if their roster skews young.

“Without question,� Awaka said. “I think the guys that have come here are super talented. They have a good head on their shoulders. I (also) think that this team has a good mix of older guys that have been here. ... So I feel like that mesh, that dynamic, is perfect. They have guys that they can ask questions (of).

“When it comes to different moments in games ... you have guys who have been around that you can rely on. I wouldn’t say all the pressure’s on (the freshmen). I feel like we, as guys who have been here for a little bit, can help lead them and take that pressure off. Because there are expectations for sure.�

Three of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s four returning scholarship players — Awaka, Jaden Bradley and Anthony Dell’Orso — are seniors. Krivas is a junior. Transfer Evan Nelson will be classified as a redshirt senior or graduate student after spending four years at Harvard.