2026–27 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
American collegiate basketball lineup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026–27 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team will represent the University of Arizona during the 2026–27 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team will be led by Tommy Lloyd in his sixth season as head coach. The season will mark the Wildcats' 53rd season at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona, and their third season as members of the Big 12 Conference.
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Headcoach
- Tommy Lloyd (6th season)
Associate headcoachJack Murphy (8th season)
Assistant coaches
- TJ Benson (3rd season)
- Ken Nakagawa (3rd season)
- Brandon Chappell (2nd season)
- Evan Manning (2nd season)
| 2026–27 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Head coach |
|
| Associate head coach | Jack Murphy (8th season) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Home arena | McKale Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Tech | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2027 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Wildcats finished the 2025–26 season with 36–3, 16–2 in Big 12 Conference play, finishing winning their first Big 12 regular season title and 30th regular season conference title in school history. They are also the first Arizona team to have 29 regular season wins[1] and received the number 1 seed in the Big 12 tournament and defeated the number 2 seed Houston in the finals 79–74, winning their first Big 12 tournament title. The Wildcats were invited to their 36th NCAA tournament appearance, receiving the number 1 seed in the West Regional, where they defeated 16-seed Long Island and 9-seed Utah State in San Diego, California, Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen. They advanced to the fifth Final Four for the first time since 25 years in 2001 with a 79–64 victory over second-seeded Purdue at San Jose, California in the Elite Eight, but they lost to number 1 seed (Midwest) Michigan. The 36 wins was the most for any team in Arizona Wildcat basketball history.
Offseason
Departures
Any players who have declared for the 2026 NBA draft—including seniors, who must opt into this year's draft—have the option to return if they make a timely withdrawal from the draft and end any pre-draft relationships with agents. Thus, separate lists will initially be maintained for confirmed and potential departures.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden Bradley | 0 | PG | 6'3" | 200 lb | Sr. | Rochester, NY | Out of eligibility |
| Anthony Dell'Orso | 3 | SG | 6'6" | 190 lb | Sr. | Melbourne, Australia | Out of eligibility |
| Jackson Francois | 7 | SG | 6'5" | 160 lb | Sr. | Las Vegas, NV | Out of eligibility |
| Tobe Awaka | 30 | PF | 6'8" | 250 lb | Sr. | Hyde Park, NY | Out of eligibility |
| Sven Djopmo | 42 | G | 6'2" | 190 lb | Jr. | Reims, France | Elected to Transfer |
| Koa Peat | 10 | F | 6'7" | 235 lb | So. | Chandler, AZ | Declared for the 2026 NBA draft |
| Brayden Burries | 5 | G | 6'4" | 185 lb | So. | San Bernardino, CA | Declared for the 2026 NBA draft |
| Dwayne Aristode | 2 | F | 6'7" | 210 lb | So. | Lelystad, Netherlands | Elected to Transfer Oregon |
| Sidi Gueye | 15 | C | 6'11" | 205 lb | So. | Guédiawaye, Senegal | Elected to Transfer to Santa Clara |
| Reference:[2] | |||||||
Acquisitions
Transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Godfrey | 0 | F | 6'7" | 225 | Gr. | Suwanee, Georgia | Transferred from Clemson |
| Derek Dixon | 3 | G | 6'5" | 200 | So. | Vienna, VA | Transferred from North Carolina |
| JJ Mandaquit | 23 | G | 6'1" | 175 | So. | Hilo, HI | Transferred from Washington |
| Ugnius Jarusevicius | 21 | F | 6'11" | 245 | Gr. | Alytus, Lithuania | Transferred from Nebraska |
| Evan Otten | 30 | F | 6'11" | 220 | RS-Jr. | Redmond, OR | Transferred from Idaho State |
Recruiting classes
2026 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Holt #1 Shooting guard |
New Market, AL | Prolific Prep (FL) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Mar 10, 2026 | |
Recruit ratings: 247Sports:  On3: ESPN: (94) | ||||||
| Cameron Holmes Small forward |
Nashville, TN | Millennium HS (AZ) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | Nov 9, 2025 | |
Recruit ratings: 247Sports:  On3: ESPN: (87) | ||||||
| Endurance Aiyamenkhue Center |
The Hauge, Netherlands | Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | May 8, 2026 | |
| Recruit ratings: 247Sports: On3: ESPN: (NA) | ||||||
| Maksim Brnovic Small forward |
Podgorica, Montenegro | Basketball Club Zalgiris (Lithuania) | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | Jun 26, 2026 | |
| Recruit ratings: 247Sports: On3: ESPN: (NA) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: 247Sports: 29 On3: 19 ESPN: 13 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
2026 overall class rankings
Red and Blue game
Preseason
The Big 12 preseason coaches & media poll will be released in October 2026. All awards will be voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, who can not vote for their own team or players.
|
Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Big 12 Preseason Media Poll
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel
Roster
Roster below is based on the 2026–27 roster with outgoing players removed and incoming players added. The roster will undergo multiple changes as players leave via the NBA draft or transfers and players are added via the transfer portal and recruiting.
| 2026–27 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:[6]
Note: Players' year is based on remaining eligibility.
Red and Blue game
Arizona will play its annual Red Blue game on September 26, 2026. The team will split into two teams, Red and Blue and proceeded to play an inter-squad scrimmage. The night will feature a basketball game with Arizona's Adaptive Athletics wheelchair basketball team, in–game entertainment featuring DJ Pauly D and DJ Mix Master Mike and a post–game performance by Diplo.[7]
Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithuania Exhibition Tour | |||||||||||
| August 19, 2026* 9:30 a.m., TBA |
vs. Lithuania B Team | Jonava Sports Arena Jonava, Lithuania | |||||||||
| August 20, 2026* 7:00 a.m., TBA |
vs. Ukraine Senior National Team | Kėdainiai Arena Kėdainiai, Lithuania | |||||||||
| August 22, 2026* 9:30 a.m., TBA |
vs. Lithuania Senior National Team | Alytus Arena Aytus, Lithuania | |||||||||
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 13, 2026* TBA, TBA |
San Francisco | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| October 16, 2026* TBA, TBA |
San Diego State | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| October 23, 2026* TBA, TBA |
Eastern Washington | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 2, 2026* 8:00 p.m., TNT |
vs. UCLA Rivalry / Hall of Fame Series − Las Vegas |
T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, NV | |||||||||
| November 5, 2026* |
Cal Poly | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| November 10, 2026* |
Northern Arizona | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| November 13, 2026* TBD, TBD |
at Auburn | Neville Arena Auburn, AL | |||||||||
| November 18, 2026* TBD, TBD |
UConn | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| November 23, 2026* 9:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2 |
vs. Colorado State Maui Invitational First round |
Lahaina Civic Center Lahaina, HI | |||||||||
| November 24, 2026* 3:00/8:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2 |
vs. Providence/VCU Maui Invitational |
Lahaina Civic Center Lahaina, HI | |||||||||
| November 25, 2026* TBD, ESPN/ESPN2 |
vs. BYU/Clemson/Ole Miss/Washington Maui Invitational |
Lahaina Civic Center Lahaina, HI | |||||||||
| December 1, 2026* TBD, TBD |
New Orleans | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| December 5, 2026* TBD, TBD |
vs. St. John's Hall of Fame Series − New York City |
Madison Square Garden New York City, NY | |||||||||
| December 12, 2026* TBD, TBD |
Tennessee Tech | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| December 19, 2026* TBD, TBD |
vs. Arkansas Hall of Fame Series − Phoenix |
Mortgage Matchup Center Phoenix, Arizona | |||||||||
| December 21, 2026* TBD, TBD |
Northern Illinois | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| December 28, 2026* TBD, TBD |
Incarnate Word | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| Big 12 regular season | |||||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Arizona State Rivalry |
McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Baylor | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
BYU | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
UCF | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Colorado | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Houston | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Kansas | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
TCU | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
Utah | McKale Center Tucson, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Arizona State Rivalry |
Desert Financial Arena Tempe, AZ | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at BYU | Marriott Center Provo, UT | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Cincinnati | Fifth Third Arena Cincinnati, OH | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Houston | Fertitta Center Houston, TX | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Iowa State | Hilton Coliseum Ames, IA | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Kansas State | Bramlage Coliseum Manhattan, KS | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Oklahoma State | Gallagher-Iba Arena Stillwater, OK | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at Texas Tech | United Supermarkets Arena Lubbock, TX | |||||||||
| TBD TBD, TBD |
at West Virginia | WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV | |||||||||
| Big 12 tournament | |||||||||||
| March 9–13, 2027 TBD, ESPN+/ESPN |
vs. TBD First Round |
T-Mobile Center Kansas City, MO | |||||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Mountain Standard Time. | |||||||||||
Source:[8]
Game summaries
This section will be filled in as the season progresses.
Source:[9]
Lithuania Exhibition Tour
Lithuania B Team
TBA |
August 19, 2026 9:30 a.m. |
| Lithuania B Team vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Ukraine Senior National Team
TBA |
August 20, 2026 7:00 a.m. |
| Ukraine Senior National Team vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Lithuania Senior National Team
TBA |
August 22, 2026 9:30 a.m. |
| Lithuania Senior National Team vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Exhibition
San Francisco
TBA |
October 13, 2026 TBA |
| San Francisco vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
San Diego State
TBA |
October 16, 2026 TBA |
| San Diego State vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Eastern Washington
TBA |
October 23, 2026 TBA |
| Eastern Washington vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Regular season
vs UCLA (Hall of Fame Series – Las Vegas)
November 2, 2026 8:00 p.m. |
| UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Cal Poly
TBA |
November 5, 2026 TBA |
| Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Northern Arizona
TBA |
November 10, 2026 TBA |
| Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
at Auburn
TBA |
November 13, 2026 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Auburn Tigers | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
UConn
TBA |
November 18, 2026 TBA |
| UConn Huskies vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
vs Colorado State (Maui Invitational – 1st round)
November 23, 2026 9:30 p.m. |
| Colorado State Rams vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Providence/VCU (Maui Invitational – Semifinal/Consolation 2nd Round)
ESPN2 |
November 24, 2026 3:00/8:30 p.m. |
| Providence Friars/VCU Rams vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, HI |
BYU/Clemson/Ole Miss/Washington (Maui Invitational – Championship/3rd/5th/7th Place Game)
ESPN/ESPN2 |
November 25, 2026 TBA |
| BYU Cougars/Clemson Tigers/Ole Miss Rebels/Washington Huskies vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, HI |
New Orleans
TBA |
December 1, 2026 TBA |
| New Orleans Privateers vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
vs St. John's (Hall of Fame Series – New York)
TBA |
December 5, 2026 TBA |
| St. John's Red Storm vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Tennessee Tech
TBA |
December 12, 2026 TBA |
| Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
vs Arkansas (Hall of Fame Series – Phoenix)
TBA |
December 19, 2026 TBA |
| Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Northern Illinois
TBA |
December 21, 2026 TBA |
| Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Incarnate Word
TBA |
December 28, 2026 TBA |
| Incarnate Word Cardinals vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Big 12 season
Arizona State
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Baylor
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Baylor Bears vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
BYU
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| BYU Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Colorado
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Houston
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Houston Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Kansas
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Kansas Jayhawks vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
TCU
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| TCU Horned Frogs vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
UCF
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| UCF Knights vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
Utah
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Utah Utes vs. Arizona Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
McKale Center, Tucson, AZ |
at Arizona State
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State Sun Devils | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at BYU
at Cincinnati
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Cincinnati Bearcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at Houston
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at Iowa State
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at Kansas State
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Kansas State Wildcats | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at Oklahoma State
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at Texas Tech
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
at West Virginia
TBA |
2027 TBA |
| Arizona Wildcats vs. West Virginia Mountaineers | ||
| Scoring by half: –, – |
Postseason
vs TBD (Big 12 Tournament)
Rankings
See also
2026–27 Arizona Wildcats women's basketball team