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Michigan vs Arizona final score, highlights: Wolverines on to national title in blowout
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- Michigan vs Arizona final score, highlights: Wolverines on to national title in blowout
What was expected to be maybe the best game of the 2025-26 men's college basketball season turned into what Michigan has made so many of its games over the past five months: a blowout.
Behind 26 points and nine rebounds from Aday Mara, the Wolverines rolled past fellow No. 1 seed Arizona 91-73 in the national semifinals of the 2026 Final Four on Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana polis.
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With the victory, coach Dusty May's team moved on to Monday's national championship game against UConn .
'NOW GO FINISH THE JOB': Arizona's last Final Four team relishing Wildcats' return
Michigan, which led by as many as 30 points in the second half, earned the lopsided win despite getting only 14 minutes from All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg , who sprained the MCL in his left knee in the first half.
The Wolverines became the first team in Men's NCAA Tournament history to score at least 90 points and win by double digits in five-consecutive games.
Michigan had four other players finish in double figures and made 12 of their 27 shots from 3-point range (44.4%).
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Koa Peat had a team-high 16 points for Arizona , but he and fellow star freshman Brayden Burries combined to make only 10 of their 34 shots. As a team, the Wildcats shot only 36.6% from the field.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates from Michigan's win against Arizona. Herea re the highlights:
IN-DEPTH: Yaxel Lendeborg is Michigan March Madness star ... and class clown
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
Arizona vs Michigan score
This section will be updated throughout the game.
| TEAMS |
1H |
2H |
F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan |
53 |
43 |
91 |
| Arizona |
34 |
41 |
73 |
Arizona vs Michigan updates
This section will be updated throughout the game.
Michigan vs Arizona highlights
Michigan beats Arizona
Behind a dominant offensive and defensive effort, Michigan blows out Arizona 91-73 and moves on to the national championship game on Monday, April 6 against UConn.
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The Wolverines are seeking the second national title in program history — and are doing so just two years after going 8-24. What a remarkable turnaround Dusty May has engineered.
Yaxel Lendeborg back in for Michigan
Despite nursing a sprained MCL that has kept him out for much of the game, Michigan All-American Yaxel Lendeborg is back into the Wolverines' matchup against Arizona, despite his team nursing a 19-point lead with about seven minutes remaining.
CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson said Lendeborg "wants to be in there playing until the end."
Michigan blowing out Arizona
This one's just about over, folks. With 12:17 remaining, Michigan is up 27 points over Arizona, 72-45. The Wolverines have made six of their eight 3-pointers in the second half while outscoring the Wildcats 24-13 over that time.
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Aday Mara already has 21 points for Michigan.
Michigan stretches lead over Arizona
The Wolverines are off to a strong start in the second half, with Yaxel Lendeborg draining a pair of 3-pointers to help extend his team's advantage over Arizona to 17, 56-39, with 15:40 left in regulation.
Lendeborg, who had five points in the first half, already had six points in the second half.
Yaxel Lendeborg back for Michigan
After foul troubles and an injury limited him to just five minutes in the first half, Michigan All-American Yaxel Lendeborg is starting the second half for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-9 forward is wearing a brace on his left knee, and is limping and grimacing.
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We'll see how much he's able to play — and how effective he'll be.
Michigan up 16 on Arizona at halftime
The game of the year in men's college basketball hasn't been particularly competitive thus far.
Behind an explosive offensive effort and some tough-minded defense, Michigan has a 48-32 lead over Arizona at halftime despite playing much of the first half without All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
The Wolverines have forced nine turnovers, off of which they've gotten 12 points. Big man Aday Mara has been leading the way, with 15 points and five rebounds for Michigan. Arizona is shooting just 37.5% from the field.
Jaden Bradley called for third foul
Jaden Bradley is whistled for yet another foul on an overly aggressive drive to the basket. It's his third foul of the game and with 5:09 remaining, he's back to the Wildcats' bench. Bradley extended his arm slightly while trying to create some separation from Michigan's Nimari Burnett .
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Yaxel Lendeborg injury update
After returning to the floor after two early fouls, Yaxel Lendeborg faced another unexpected hurdle when he took an awkward step on a drive to the basket. It caused noticeable pain, with the Michigan star limping and grimacing before sinking a pair of free throws and heading back to the bench.
The All-American was taken back to have his left ankle iced and taped. CBS's Tracy Wolfson later added that Wolverines trainers were also worried that Lendeborg's knee was injured on the play, as well.
Arizona facing largest deficit of the season
We're not even 10 minutes into the most anticipated men's college basketball game of the season and one of the teams is already starting to pull away.
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Michigan has a 26-10 lead on Arizona, which is the Wildcats' largest deficit of the season. The Wolverines have yet to trail. Aday Mara is leading coach Dusty May's team with eight points and three rebounds. The Wildcats, meanwhile, have missed 11 of their 16 shots.
Jaden Bradley picks up second foul
Michigan isn't the only team in this matchup with a star player in early foul trouble.
Arizona point guard and Big 12 player of the year Jaden Bradley heads to the bench for the Wildcats after picking up his second foul with 12:57 remaining, when he drove to the basket and leveled his shoulder into the chest of Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau .
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Yaxel Lendeborg in early foul trouble
If Michigan's going to beat Arizona, it will have to do so without its best player for much of the first half.
All-American forward and Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg is on the Wolverines' bench after picking up two fouls in just five seconds, the second of which came with 18:38 remaining in the first half.
It's only affecting coach Dusty May's team so much so far, as it holds an early 10-1 lead while Lendeborg is on the bench.
Pregame
Michigan vs Arizona Final Four updated start time
The Michigan vs. Arizona game at the 2026 Final Four that was originally scheduled to start at 8:49 p.m. ET will now tip off at 9:19 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Dusty May scouting UConn-Illinois
In the precious remaining hours before his team's Final Four game against Arizona, Michigan coach Dusty May was courtside scouting UConn's game against Illinois . The Wolverines are set to play the winner 48 hours later — should they manage to knock off the Wildcats on Saturday in the second of the two national semifinals.
Michigan starters vs Arizona
Here's Michigan's starting five for its matchup against Arizona in the 2026 Final Four:
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G Elliot Cadeau
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G Nimari Burnett
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F Morez Johnson Jr.
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F Yaxel Lendeborg
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C Aday Mara
Arizona starters vs Michigan
Here's the starting five Arizona is rolling with against Michigan in the 2026 Final Four:
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G Jaden Bradley
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G Brayden Burries
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F Ivan Kharchenkov
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F Koa Peat
Who is the Michigan Fab Five?
Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for one of the alternative castings for the Michigan-Arizona Final Four matchup. The group of five freshmen during the 1991-92 season featured Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard , Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.
The players from the Wolverines' iconic 1991 recruiting class led the program to Final Fours in 1992 and 1993.
Ranking transfer players in Final Four
Yaxel Lendeborg or Jaden Bradley? The matchup between Arizona and Michigan could come down to two of the biggest transfer portal additions this past year.
Here's USA TODAY's Craig Meyer's rankings of the top transfer players in the Final Four.
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What time is Arizona vs Michigan Final Four game?
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Time:8:49 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 4.
What channel is Arizona vs Michigan? How to watch Final Four, streaming info
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The game is airing on TBS, TNT, truTV, streaming via HBO Max.
Arizona vs Michigan prediction
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Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press : Michigan 86, Arizona 83.Michigan has felt all year that if it plays its "A" game, it can beat anyone in the country. Arizona will certainly put that to the test. But this Michigan team, led by Lendeborg (coming off his best month of the season), remains on a mission. Onto the title game the Wolverines go.
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Blake Toppmeyer: Arizona.The Arizona-Michigan semifinal will be the de facto national championship game. They looked like the two best teams all tournament. Slight advantage to Arizona, a team without weakness. Everyone in the Wildcats' starting five averages in double figures scoring.
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John Brice: Arizona.I'll say it: this is the national championship game. Both teams are playing their best; it's easy to tab Michigan after its evisceration of Tennessee and the early line. Give me Tommy Lloyd's blend of vets and freshman phenoms.
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Jordan Mendoza: Arizona.In one of the best matchups in Final Four history, Arizona's depth comes up clutch with a big game in the paint to win a thriller.
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Paul Myerberg: Michigan.In what feels like a de facto title game, Michigan's frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara gives it an edge in what should be a high-scoring semifinal
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Eddie Timanus: Arizona.This meeting is probably taking place a round too early, but don't get me started on everything the committee did wrong with this field. Since we are getting this game, let's just hope it lives up to its billing. I had the Wildcats winning the whole thing going in, so I'll stick to my guns.
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Matt Glenesk: Michigan.Billed as the real national championship game, this matchup should be awesome. Michigan has looked as good as anyone so far this tournament (along with Illinois). Arizona had a blip in the first half vs. Purdue before opening a can on the Boilermakers. There's so much talent in this one, but I'm going with Wolverines, who haven't showed any vulnerabilities this tournament.
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John Leuzzi: Arizona.This one feels like a real toss-up, given how dominant both teams have looked in the first two weekends. Arizona wins in an all-time Final Four with Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat hitting big shots at the end.
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Brent Schrotenboer: Arizona.Best team from the best league wins: Arizona of the Big 12. Time for the first national champion west of Kansas since 1997.
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Craig Meyer: Michigan.These have been two of the three best teams in the country for much of the season and very little separates them. The Wolverines have just a little more experience in this situation, with an older roster and a coach who has been on this stage before, which will be enough for them to eke out a tight win. While it's tempting to call this the de-facto national title game, let's pump the brakes. Just ask Houston 's 1983 team how that conventional wisdom worked out.
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Ehsan Kassim: Arizona.This one will be an instant classic and will come down to the wire. The Wildcats escape with a close victory over Dusty May's crew.
Arizona vs Michigan line, spread: Who is favored to win?
Odds provided by BetMGM .
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Moneyline:Michigan (-118); Arizona (-102)
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Spread:Michigan (-1.5)
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Over/under total:157.8
Who are refs for Arizona Michigan Final Four game?
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Doug Sirmons, Keith Kimble, Doug Shows, Lee Cassell (Alternate)
Arizona's road to Final Four
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First round: beat No. 16 Long Island, 92-58
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Second round: beat No. 9 Utah State, 78-66
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Sweet 16: beat No. No. 4 Arkansas, 109-88
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Elite Eight: beat No. 2 Purdue, 79-64
Michigan's road to Final Four
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First round: beat No. 16 Howard, 101-80
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Second round: beat No. 9 Saint Louis, 95-72
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Sweet 16: beat No. 4 Alabama, 90-77
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Elite Eight: beat No. 6 Tennessee, 95-62
Arizona basketball stat leaders
SCORING
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Brayden Burries, 16.1 ppg
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Koa Peat, 14.1 ppg
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Jaden Bradley, 13.3 ppg
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Ivan Kharchenkov, 10.5 ppg
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Motiejus Krivas, 10.4 ppg
REBOUNDING
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Tobe Awaka , 9.1 rpg
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Motiejus Krivas, 8.2 ppg
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Koa Peat, 5.5 rpg
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Brayden Burries, 4.9 rpg
ASSISTS
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Jaden Bradley, 4.4 apg
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Koa Peat, 2.7 apg
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Brayden Burries, 2.5 apg
Michigan basketball stat leaders
SCORING
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Yaxel Lendeborg, 15.2 ppg
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Morez Johnson Jr., 13.2 ppg
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Aday Mara, 11.8 ppg
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Elliot Cadeau, 10.2 ppg
REBOUNDING
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Morez Johnson Jr., 7.3 rpg
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Yaxel Lendeborg, 7.0 rpg
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Aday Mara, 6.8 rpg
ASSISTS
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Elliot Cadeau, 5.8 apg
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Yaxel Lendeborg, 3.3 apg
Arizona Final Four history: Has Arizona basketball won a national championship?
This is Arizona's fifth Final Four appearance, and first since 2001. The Wildcats won their only men's basketball national championship in 1997... in Indianapolis.
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1988: lost semifinal to Oklahoma, 86-78
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1994: lost semifinal to Arkansas, 91-82
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1997: won semifinal over North Carolina, 66-58; won final over Kentucky, 84-79 in OT
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2001: won semifinal over Michigan State, 80-61; lost final to Duke, 82-72
Michigan Final Four history: Has Michigan basketball won a national championship?
This is Michigan's ninth Final Four trip and first since 2018. The Wolverines won the 1989 national championship.
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1964:lost semifinal to Duke, 91-80; won third-place game over Kansas State, 100-90
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1965:won semifinal over Princeton, 93-76; lost final to UCLA, 91-80
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1976:won semifinal over Rutgers, 86-70; lost final to Indiana, 86-68
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1989:won semifinal over Illinois, 83-81; won final over Seton Hall, 80-79 in OT
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1992:won semifinal over Cincinnati, 76-72; lost final to Duke, 71-51
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1993:won semifinal over Kentucky, 81-78 in OT; lost final to North Carolina, 77-71
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2013:won semifinal over Syracuse, 61-56; lost final to Louisville, 82-76
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2018:won semifinal over Loyola Chicago, 69-57; lost final to Villanova, 79-62
Tommy Lloyd staying at Arizona , spurns UNC basketball
Tommy Lloyd is staying put.
The Arizona coach announced on Friday, April 3 he has signed a new deal to stay with the Wildcats, spurning North Carolina after he was reportedly the leading the candidate for the Tar Heels' open coaching job .
"I'm happy to announce I'm staying at Arizona. We've been able to get some things done the past couple days," Lloyd said.
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Is Dusty May a candidate for UNC basketball job? What Dusty May said about North Carolina job
May has fielded questions about the North Carolina job, but has not named the Tar Heels directly in his responses.
"After last year, I decided I'll never respond to any job speculation," May said at media availability April 3. "I had already agreed to terms with Michigan, was 100% done, and I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background, and that was misconstrued, so I just decided I'm never going to comment on any job that I don't have.
"I think it's well documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go, and then I'll comment on every job."
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How old is Yaxel Lendeborg?
Yaxel Lendeborg is 23 years old. Lendeborg played three seasons at Arizona Western Community College before heading to UAB where he played two seasons. This is his first year at Michigan.
Elliot Cadeau has allergic reaction, carted away at Michigan Final Four send-off
The Wolverines' departure to Indianapolis came with a scare, though.
Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau was evaluated by team medical personnel for a possible allergic reaction to something he ate as the team prepared to leave Ann Arbor for Indianapolis on Wednesday, April 1, a team spokesman told the Detroit Free Press , a part of the USA TODAY Network.
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Cadeau was determined to be "fine" by doctors, though out of an abundance of caution, he was continuing to receive medical supervision and would not be leaving for the Final Four until later in the day Wednesday.
Is Elliot Cadeau deaf? Michigan PG overcame hearing, vision issues
Elliot Cadeau is half-deaf in one ear, dealt with blurred vision in one eye. That hasn't stopped Michigan point guard from turning in his best season.
∎ Read more about Cadeau overcoming adversity via USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg .
One of Dusty May's son is a walk-on, the other is a student manager
Dusty May is surrounding by family on the Michigan bench. His son Charlie is a walk-on for the Wolverines, while another son, Eli, is a student manager — a role Dusty served under former Indiana icon Bob Knight.
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In Michigan's Elite Eight blowout win over Tennessee, Charlie got into the game and drilled a 3-pointer , much to the delight of his Wolverines teammates.
"It's obviously tough to give up playing the game and being on a team wearing a jersey," Dusty May told USA TODAY Sports about Eli's role. "But I just thought as far as his long-term development, all the things our managers learn, problem-solving, they learn people skills. They learn to function. We try to give them a lot of responsibility because we know if they're ever going to make it in coaching … they have to have the experience of doing meaningful work. Our managers have helped him become much more responsible."
Where is Aday Mara from?
The 7-3 UCLA transfer is from Zaragoza, Spain. Mara was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks per game.
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Is LeBron James ' son on Arizona roster? Does he play?
Bryce James, LeBron's son, is on the Wildcats roster. The freshman is redshirting this season. Bryce was a three-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon, where brother Bronny James also attended,
Why Tommy Lloyd focused on freshmen and not 'overpriced' transfers
In the Year of the Freshmen across college basketball, no other freshman class in America has scored more points this season than the five active freshmen on Arizona, led by Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov.
Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd instead took a different approach than many others last year, veering away from the transfer portal, where more experienced players typically seek to earn more money from their names, images and likenesses (NIL).
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"We were able to get involved with some freshmen that we felt could be just big-time impact players in college basketball, no matter what year or what class they were," Lloyd told USA TODAY Sports .
One reason Lloyd built his roster this way was because didn't think there were going to be many "quality" transfers available in the portal.
"I thought it was going to be overpriced," Lloyd said.
Yes, Tommy Lloyd is an aspiring DJ: DJ Tomm-EE
Tommy Lloyd's sidequest includes spinning it on the turntables in becoming a DJ.
He may not strike you as one you'd see mixing songs or making the beat drop, but Lloyd is quite the music lover. And this hobby he's picked up has come with a masterful teacher, "one of the best DJs of all time" in Mix Master Mike.
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"My sport is the art of turntables and hip hop. His sport is basketball. We just decided to collide into those two professions, and now we're here," Mike told USA TODAY Sports . "It's just an amazing thing."
Lloyd insists his DJ career is "more of a joke" than his next profession, but he may be selling himself short. Mike insists he's better than he likely thinks he is. You just don't show your team samples of your mixes for nothing.
"It's been a little bit of a — I guess — I don't know if a childhood fantasy, but probably a manhood fantasy for me that's come true," Lloyd said. "It's been awesome to have that relationship."
Koa Peat 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction
No. 19 overall to Miami Heat
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Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Miami Heat have drafted several prospects known for their athleticism, which means a player like Arizona forward Koa Peat will probably have some appeal to their organization. Peat is an ideal match for this franchise given his versatility as a playmaking forward. The All-Big 12 forward just needs a jumper to carve out regular minutes as a high-impact pro. Arizona plays at a significantly faster pace (4.6 extra possessions) when Peat is on the floor relative to when he is not, per CBB Analytics, which would fit very well with Miamis fastest-paced offense in the NBA.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
Koa Peat stats
(all stats as of March 15)
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13.6 points per game
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5.3 rebounds per game
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2.7 assists per game
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53.7% field goal percentage
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31.6% three-point field goal percentage
Brayden Burries 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction
No. 10 overall to Milwaukee Bucks.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Arizona freshman Brayden Burries had two breakout games in January, which helped solidify his draft stock. But the All-Big 12 guard has continued to display his tantalizing talent, scoring 31 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Colorado on March 7 and 20 points with 12 rebounds and five assists during a victory against No. 14 Kansas on Feb. 28. Burries has proven productivity and that he is able to defend, relocate, move the ball and make 3-pointers off the dribble.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
Brayden Burries stats
(all stats as of March 15)
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15.9 points per game
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4.7 rebounds per game
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2.6 assists per game
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49.2% field goal percentage
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36.7% three-point field goal percentage
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan vs Arizona final score, highlights: Wolverines blow out Wildcats
