Arizona’s season tune-up arrives Tuesday night with a notable test: the Wildcats will host San Francisco in an exhibition at 7 p.m. in McKale Center at ALKEME Arena.
For Arizona, this is the first public look at a roster that has been turned over in a big way. The Wildcats added nine new players for the season, with four freshmen and five transfers joining the mix. Bryce James and Mabil Mawut are also set to make their on-court debuts after redshirting last year, while five players are back from last season’s team.
The headliner among the returners is senior center Motiejus Krivas. The 7-foot-2 big man is back for his fourth season after earning All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors during the 2025-26 season. Arizona’s newcomer group includes five-star freshman guards Caleb Holt and Cameron Holmes, both expected to be immediate factors, along with junior forward RJ Godfrey, a transfer from Clemson.
Tommy Lloyd begins his sixth season at the helm after guiding Arizona through one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The Wildcats finished 36-3, reached the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and dropped only two regular-season games, both coming on back-to-back weekends in February against Kansas and Texas Tech. Arizona then ripped off 13 straight wins before Michigan ended the run in the Final Four.
San Francisco comes in with a much different look, too. The Dons went 17-16 last season, finished 8-10 in West Coast Conference play and missed the NCAA tournament. They entered the WCC Tournament as the No. 5 seed, beat Portland State in the opener and then lost a tight one to Oregon State, 78-77.
Chris Gerlufsen returns for his fifth season leading San Francisco, which has added 14 new players to the roster. Only two of the Dons’ 16 players are back from last year: 6-foot-7 graduate forward Ndewedo Newbury and 6-foot-1 junior guard Aidan Braccia.
With so many new pieces on both sides, the matchup gives San Francisco a first chance to see how its roster fits together. For Arizona, it’s an early measurement against a rebuilt team before the games start counting. As an exhibition, it will not affect either team’s record.
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