Major Update on the Arizona-Houston Clash
Arizona is preparing for the 2025–26 college basketball season, with a highly anticipated season opener against defending national champions Florida, just 32 days away.
Since taking the reins at Arizona, head coach Tommy Lloyd has quickly established himself as one of college basketball’s rising stars. Over the past four seasons, he’s led the Wildcats to a 112–33 record, four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and three trips to the Sweet Sixteen.
Last year marked a new chapter for the program as Arizona transitioned from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 Conference. In their debut Big 12 season, the Wildcats finished 24–13 and secured third place in the standings. They advanced to the Big 12 Tournament title game but fell 72–64 to Houston, who later reached the national championship game.
The offseason brought significant roster changes. Arizona lost standout guard Caleb Love to graduation and forward Carter Bryant, who was selected 14th overall in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Additionally, key contributors KJ Lewis and Henri Veesaar transferred to other Power 4 programs.
Despite the departures, Arizona remains a strong contender. The team returns four core players — Jaden Badley, Tobe Awaka, Anthony Dell’Orso, and Motiejus Krivas — and brings in the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class, per 247Sports.
The countdown is on, with Arizona set to face Florida in Las Vegas to kick off the season. The Big 12, widely considered one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, presents a challenging road ahead. Arizona’s non-conference schedule is among the nation’s toughest, featuring high-profile matchups against Florida, UConn, UCLA, Alabama, Auburn, and San Diego State.
The Wildcats have officially released their full non-conference slate, which includes eight home games, highlighted by a showdown with Auburn at the McKale Center. Conference matchups have also been announced, though broadcast times and networks are still pending.
Though Arizona placed third in the Big 12 last season, many viewed the Wildcats and Houston as the top two teams. They faced each other just twice — once in the regular season and again in the conference championship — with Houston narrowly winning both contests.
Now, it’s been announced that the highly anticipated Arizona-Houston rematch will air on ABC, with a scheduled tip-off at 3 p.m. MST on February 21. It will be one of three Big 12 games broadcast on ABC this season.
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