With the transfer portal window closing on the 25, Arizona has lost a total of three players from its roster. First was long snapper Trey Naughton, who struggled all spring long. Then, kicker and social media expert Cash Peterman has hit the portal after falling out of favor with Michael Selgado-Medina working at both kicker and punter. Now, defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson has entered the portal.

Johnson has struggled with injuries his whole career and has seen little playing time due to the fact that he can't stay healthy. This spring, both Tia Savae and transfer Deshawn McKnight have passed him as the starting defensive tackles.

Plus, Johnson got hurt again and wasn't able to be on the field for most of spring.

As many of you know, Arizona basketball has lost an assistant coach in Steve Robinson, who has retired after 42 years of coaching with a career that has stops at Radford, Cornell, Kansas (twice), Tulsa, Florida State, North Carolina and Arizona. The experience is going to be tough for coach Tommy Loyd to replace on his staff.

I took the time to go over five possible replacements for Robinson with a list that is focused on recruiting, experience, development of talent and connections. Now, this isn't limited to these four names, but to me these are the best fits for the job and for Lloyd and the program.


Rodney Terry (Texas)


Yes that's right, Rodney Terry the former Texas head coach is on my list and would be a home run hire for Lloyd to fill the spot on the staff. Terry spent three seasons as the Longhorns' head coach going 62-37 making the NCAA Tournament every single season and went as far as the Elite Eight in his first season after taking over for Chris Beard near the beginning of the season.

The addition of Terry would give the Wildcats a high-level recruiter in Big 12 country, who is familiar with the state of Texas and a coach with a ton of coaching and game planning experience. Right now, he is free and isn't locked in at any program. His uptempo style of play fits with what Lloyd and his program is all about and helps strengthen recruiting ties in the Wildcats' new conference.


Brandon Chappell (Texas)

If Terry is out of reach for Arizona but Lloyd still wants strong recruiting ties to the state of Texas, another name to consider if former Longhorn top assistant Brandon Chappell, who was hired by Beard originally has become one of the more important recruiting assistants for UT during his time with the program.

However, now that Sean Miller is taking over as Texas head coach, Chappell is available at the young age of 41 giving the Wildcats a hungry and eager assistant on the staff that can recruit with anyone nationally.


Riccardo Fois (Kings)

The former Gonzaga and Arizona assistant coach Riccardo Fois left Tucson for the Sacramento Kings after spending eight seasons under Lloyd between the two programs. However, after going to the NBA during the 2024 season, the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown and replaced him with Doug Christie.

So, there is no telling if Christie would keep Fois on his staff making his time with the organization uneasy at this point. If he was to comeback to Arizona, Lloyd would be getting one of the top developmental coaches back on his staff.


David Blatt (Cavs)


If you remember, David Blatt was the coach that first got Cleveland back to the NBA Finals to second time around with Lebron James. Since then, he has coached overseas and was even rumored to be an advisor for Lloyd a few years back. But, that didn't come together at that time for the two sides.

Hey guys, I put together a list of coaching candidates for the assistant job opening this morning. Moments after I posted the thread, Arizona announced the hiring of former Texas assistant Brandon Chappell to its 2025-26 coaching staff.

The hire of Chappell gives the program a strong recruiting force in the state of Texas and someone that has coached in the Big 12 over the last several years dating back to when Chris Beard was the head coach of the Longhorns.


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Arizona has announced the signing of 2025 forward Mabil Mawut today. The South Sudan native played at Our Saviour Lutheran in New York and built a strong profile for college programs. He'll need to develop but is a nice piece for Tommy Lloyd and the staff to add at this point in the cycle. He's got a nice face-up game and should be able to eventually get better in the post as he moves ahead in his career with the Wildcats. His commitment to the Wildcats comes on the heels of another recent international addition of Sidi Gueye.

UA has now signed six recruits for the upcoming season highlighted by five-star prospects Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode plus Bryce James. Harvard transfer also joined the Wildcats this spring as the staff builds out the roster for the fall.

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Good morning guys, it has been a busy morning for Arizona men's basketball as Tommy Lloyd and his staff have learned that they have landed one of their top international targets in Sidi Gueye, who told ESPN on Wednesday morning that he will be committing to the Wildcats.

Gueye is a 6-foot-11 forward from Senegal, who played in the Euro league and Spanish ACB league while playing for Real Madrid making his debuts for both leagues in October a few weeks after turning 17-years old. He will be one of the youngest players in college basketball for the 2025-26 season.

"Coach [Tommy] Lloyd is one of the top coaches in college and he has coached many international players before," Gueye told ESPN in their report. "He made me feel comfortable and showed me how I can improve and produce in his system."

When looking at an addition like Gueye, it is clear that this will be a project player that has a lot of room to grow. I see this as a replacement for Emmanuel Stephen, who entered the portal and left for UNLV after spending one season with the program.

Much like Stephen, Gueye is considered a defensive player with offensive skills that need development. The work for Lloyd and the Wildcats will come on the offensive side of the ball.

Sidi Gueye highlights:

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Any intel on which way carter Bryant is leaning?

Hey guys, as we all know Arizona added a kicker Ian Wagner from Illinois State, which will help steady the special teams game as we inch closer to the 2025 season. Throughout spring ball, UA has seen Michael Salgado-Medina taking field goals attempts and being used as the main punter during that time as well. Medina excelled as the punter but struggled on place kicking leaving the Wildcats looking for consistency in the kicking game.

Well, the team went into the portal and snagged Wagner, who while at Illinois State went 25 of 36 on field goal attempts with a career long of 47 yards. Overall, he had six field goals blocked in three seasons with the Redbirds. Out of the six blocked attempts four of them came last season.

I sat down with Wagner and got to know the new place kicker and see what made Arizona the perfect fit for him. Here's a (Q&A) from our conversation:


Q: Who was the first Arizona coach to reach out to you? What was that conversation like?

IW: The first conversation I had was with Coach Naivar. It was late at night so the conversation was quick , but he said that either I was coming to see him or he was going to come see me.

Q: On your visit to Tucson, what made you realize this was the place you want to be?

IW: Honestly, I already knew it was the best place to be. My family lives an hour away in Sierra vista. The staff had me sold before I got to campus and my family being there just added on to it.

Q: Why is coach Naivar the perfect special teams coach for you? What is that relationship like?

IW: Coach Naivar is a great guy with a lovely family and you can tell he wants to win. Winning comes first, but he always leaves time for jokes as well. The relationship is only going to continue to grow.

Q: Have you gotten a chance to talk to any teammates yet? And what was it like getting to hear their thoughts on the team?

IW: I haven’t talked to anyone on the team yet. I have kicked with the specialist room at some camps in the past but that is it. I know they have a talented room because I have seen it in person. I have no doubt it will be one of the most talented rooms in the country.

Q: What makes coach Brennan the right coach for you? And how did the team's culture play a role in you coming to Tucson?

IW: I listened to the coach's story and how he brought San Jose State to life and also saw the people he brought with him. He has 100% faith in his staff and expressed how excited they were to have me. I watched the team and how passionate they were to workout and to listen to other teammates speak. That’s what I’m excited about is creating a group of brothers that will last a lifetime.

Hey guys, as we all know, star receiver Tetairoa McMillan (T-Mac, not Tet) was taken No. 8 overall to the Carolina Panthers. McMillan became the highest drafted offensive player in Program history and just one spot behind Ricky Hunley, who went No. 7 overall to the Denver Broncos in the 1984 draft.

Following the McMillan pick, the next Wildcat to come off the boards was guard Jonah Savaiinaea with the No. 37 overall pick in the second round to the Miami Dolphins. Savaiinaea becomes the sixth offensive lineman in program history to be drafted in the second round, or higher. It was the first time the Dolphins had selected a Wildcat since the 2008 draft when they took UA defensive lineman Lionel Dotson in the seventh round.

Now, kicker Tyler Loop becomes the third Wildcat to get drafted as the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the sixth round with the 186 pick making him the fourth kicker in program history to get drafted. The other three were Max Zendejas (1986), Steve McLaughlin (1995) and Nick Folk (2007).

Arizona still has running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the board and could see four players selected for the first time since the 2008 NFL Draft.

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Committed on: April 25
Previous school(s): Illinois State
Eligibility: 1 season

Rundown: Arizona needed to find a replacement for Tyler Loop, and the Wildcats looked to a former Southern Arizona player for the solution. Ian Wagner is from Sierra Vista but played out his career at Illinois State, but he will return home to close out his time in college with the Wildcats. The UA special teams group thinned out after the season, so finding a kicker was critical for the staff and new special teams coordinator Craig Naivar during the spring portal season. Wagner made 25 of his 36 field goal attempts in 32 games with the Redbirds. He was 11 for 15 on field goals in 2024 with a long of 47 yards.

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Arizona linebacker Justin Flowe is entering the transfer portal after two seasons with the Wildcats. He played in 4 games last season but failed to register any stats.

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Arizona's addition of veteran offensive lineman Chance Roberts has gone official today. The Albany transfer committed to the Wildcats on Tuesday to become the first spring addition for the team. The offensive line is plenty in flux still heading into the summer so Roberts should have a chance to push for some playing time. He heads to Tucson with a lot of game experience including making nine starts last season for the Great Danes. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Ohio native split his time at both left guard and left tackle with six starts at left tackle and three at left guard, including the final three games of the season.

Roberts earned some impressive pass protection grades throughout his lone season at Albany with an 84.6 grade in that category against New Hampshire. He also scored at least an 80.0 in games against Long Island University and Maine. In all, the senior was on the field for 651 snaps across 12 games in the 2024 season.

He allowed 4 sacks and 3 hits on the quarterback in 398 pass protection opportunities in the fall. Roberts only had two penalties called against him, according to PFF.

He will have one season of remaining eligibility with the Wildcats. Roberts began his career at Division-II Tiffin University in Ohio where he played for three seasons before moving on last offseason to join Albany. At Tiffin, the offensive lineman played in 12 games across three years but redshirted his first season in 2021. That has given him the ability to preserve an extra season of eligibility to finish his career at the Power 4 level with the Wildcats.

The Wildcats lost five offensive linemen to the transfer portal during the winter transfer period but also has to replace one of its most important pieces, Jonah Savaiinaea who is expected to be selected high in this week's NFL draft.

UA addressed its need up front in the winter by adding multiple offensive line transfers including Ty Buchanan (Texas Tech), Jordan Brown (Georgia Tech), Ka'ena Decambra (Hawaii), Tristan Bounds (Michigan) and Isaac Perez (Portland State). Brown was injured in the spring leaving the need for another experienced player to join the group and provide the Wildcats with increased depth.

In all, Brent Brennan's program has added 26 players through the portal since the end of the season in November.

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Arizona scored a major offseason win Monday by agreeing to a new deal with guard Jaden Bradley to bring him back to Tucson for a third season. Bradley will be a focal point of the Wildcats in 2025-26 and will add a veteran presence to what will be a younger group for Tommy Lloyd in the fall. Earlier today, Anthony Dell'Orso announced that he will return for his senior season while Tobe Awaka agreed to re-sign with UA earlier this month.

Carter Bryant's decision to remain at Arizona or turn pro remains the biggest question mark and could be what separates the Wildcats from having the best outcome to their offseason.

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Anthony Dell'Orso has announced his return to Arizona for his senior season. The former Campbell University transfer from Australia made 28 starts and appeared in 37 games this season for the Wildcats. He averaged 7.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. ADO was second on the team in 3-point percentage with 50 makes on 121 attempts from behind the arc to check in at 41.3% on the season.

He was fourth in assists with 1.4 per game this season for UA. Dell'Orso is one of five players from this year's team with eligibility remaining alongside guard Jaden Bradley, forwards Carter Bryant and Tobe Awaka and center Mo Krivas. So far, the Wildcats have added Harvard transfer point guard Evan Nelson from the transfer portal along with a star-studded incoming recruiting class that features three five-star recruits including Koa Peat and guard Brayden Burries who both announced in favor of Tommy Lloyd's program in recent weeks.

UA lost KJ Lewis (Georgetown) and Henri Veesaar (North Carolina) since the end of the season as transfer portal departures.

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Harvard guard Evan Nelson will finish his career back at home after committing to Arizona on Thursday evening. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard has played four seasons for the Crimson and averaged 9.1 points to go with a team-high 2.9 assists this season. Nelson, who played at both Mountain View and Salpointe, made 25 starts and played in all 27 games this year. He had 14 games in which he scored in double figures.

He will have one season of eligibility left with the Wildcats.

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Observations spring ball (defense)


Earlier I posted some of my observations from the offensive side of the ball so far this spring. Now, I'll be doing the same but on the defensive side of the football.

Just like the offense, Arizona's defense has new faces on the field and in the coaching staff with Danny Gonzales getting promoted to defensive coordinator. Plus, UA has brought in Joe Salave'a to be the new defensive line coach and associate head coach.

The time during spring has been mostly spent getting guys on and off the field and learning the new defensive scheme and standards of the program under Gonzales. However, we are starting to see guys separate themselves from the rest of the group.


Defensive line

Arizona was solid on the defensive line before injuries slowed the unit down near the end of the season.

The team with Salave'a has brought in talent and depth to the roster with players in the portal. The major impact players have been Tia Savae and Deshawn McKnight in the middle.

Defensive lineman, Chubba Ma'ae has moved to offense, but hasn't seen any reps as he gets healthy.


Defensive scheme

Unlike last season under Duane Akina, I expect Arizona to mix things up on the defensive side of the ball and change formations throughout a game.

Coach Danny Gonzales has thrown multiple defensive looks out on the field and has been rotating guys in and out of the starting unit.


Linebackers

Okay, so Arizona is rock solid with Taye Brown being the top linebacker of the group. However, after that is an issue for the Wildcats.

Transfer linebacker Blake Gotcher is a bust. Gotcher hasn't been with the first, or second team units and has worked mainly with the scout defensive. He looks lost on the field and I just can't see him playing at the D1 level.

However, transfer Max Harris has looked really damn good. I think he is the best of the transfer group. But, Harris still has work to do to solidify himself in the defense.

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Arizona lands a three-star WR for the 2026 class in Caleb Smith out Allen, Texas, who made his decision on Twitter.

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Smith picked the Wildcats over offers from Arkansas and Baylor.

Bobby Wade and the staff are really excited about this commitment and the fact that it strengthens their footing in Texas.

This one comes to somewhat of a surprise as Arizona forward Henri Veesaar has entered the portal becoming the third player to leave the program. Veesaar had a breakout season averaging 9.4 points, 5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks while shooting 59% from the field.

In the NCAA Tournament Veesaar helped the Wildcats get to the Sweet Sixteen and in the three games scored 24 points while collecting 15 rebounds and four assists.

It was thought that Veesaar would be a critical piece to the 2025-26 roster but it looks like plans have changed and Arizona will be losing a player to the portal in this time of an unpredictable transfer era.

I think this is a single that Veesaar probably know where he is going and has been offered an NIL package that Arizona isn't willing to match at this time. It could be a sign of thing to come regarding Carter Bryant as well.

Arizona basketball will have some roster turnover as KJ Lewis has already entered the portal and now center Emmanuel Stephen has made the decision to become the second Wildcat to enter the portal and leave the program. This past season, Stephen played in eight games averaging 2.9 minutes and scored 1.3 points per game while going 5-for-5 from the field.

Out of high school, Stephen was a four-star recruit that chose the Wildcats over offers from Arizona State, Kansas, LSU and Miami as the 102 ranked recruit nationally.

The plan Tommy Lloyd and his coaching staff had for Stephen was to red shirt the 7-foot center and get him ready for college basketball the following year. However, an injury to Motiejus Krivas changed the plans and so did the desire to play forced Lloyd and his staff not to use the redshirt and play him in eight games this season.

Stephen is a very raw prospect that will need developing in order to see any significant playing time in D1 basketball. I could see him going to programs like St. Mary's, San Francisco, New Mexico or any program not in a Power 4 conference.

Arizona guard KJ Lewis has entered the transfer portal. This past season, Lewis had his highs and lows and found himself as an energy guy and defensive master mind off the bench for Tommy Lloyd.

Lewis averaged 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists while shooting 42% from the field. He struggled from the 3-point line connecting on 19% of his 69 attempts. That was a 16% decrease from the previous seasons.

Coming out of high school, Lewis was recruited by Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor and SMU before picking Arizona.

I expect Lewis to gain interest from Houston, Texas Tech, UCLA and Baylor. There is a high chance Arizona will face him one, or twice next season if he is of high interest from those schools.

Hey guys, Aidan Wohl was in Jew Jersey and was able to get locker room interviews with a few players. Here is his conversation with guard Caleb Love:

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It is gameday for Arizona as it takes on top-seeded Duke with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

The Wildcats were able to escape Seattle with an 87-83 win over 5-seed Oregon in the Round of 32 last Sunday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in four years.

Arizona and Duke faced off very early in the season in Tucson with the Blue Devils prevailing 69-55. Both teams are much different heading into Thursday since that first meeting in November.

GAME INFO

Who: No. 4 Arizona (24-12) vs. No. 1 Duke (33-3) (last game won 89-66 vs. Baylor)

When: 6:39 p.m. (MST)

Where: Prudential Center | Newark, N.J.

TV: CBS

Odds: Duke (-9.5) | O/U (153.5)

All-time series: Arizona leads 6-5

Join the conversation below!

Hello guys, sorry for not getting this up here quicker. However, this spring is very different from previous seasons with new faces on the roster and on the coaching staff after the first year of the Brent Brennan era. With that comes a lot of time spent installing the new offensive system and defensive scheme. So, most of the time has been spent getting through those working pains and getting guys on and off of the field to get them reps.

However, there have been a few interesting things when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. I'll break down my three top takes from this point on offense below.


Offensive tempo

When taking the offensive coordinating job, Seth Doege was automatically labeled as an air-raid coach, given his time playing for Mike Leach and learning that system from Licon Riley and Graham Harrell.

However, when you look at his time at Marshall, the Thundering Herd his offenses were well-balanced and finished the season at No. 20 nationally in rushing.

Yes, there will be some air-raid concepts in Doege's scheme. But, I think we will be looking at more of a Rich Rodriguez style than a Leach style of play.

Center position issues

Over the last several years, Arizona has been solid at the center position, with Josh Baker handling the middle. But now, Baker has graduated and that has left at whole at the center spot.

In camp, Arizona has went with Grayson Stovall in the starting role and Ka'ena DeCambra as the backup.

Both players have had their issues and one of those issues has been getting the ball back to the QB on target.

There is plenty of time to sort out these issues. But, right now the center position isn't a solid spot for the Wildcats.


QB depth

One of the main things that has stood out early to me is the depth of the quarterback position compared to last year. Last season, Arizona had Noah Fifita and that was about it with walk-on Cole Tannenbaum being the main backup. Fifita was the only option and there wasn't much behind him.

Now, Arizona has added transfer Braedyn Locke to the group and freshmen Sawyer Anderson and Luke Haugo, the depth has been improved.

Fifita will be the starting quarterback without question. However, now you have guys behind him that can take the field in a break glass situation.