Darius Wabbington has narrowed things down to six.
The 6-foot-11 Arizona big man, a top-25 recruit in the class of 2027, has trimmed his list to Arizona, Texas, Louisville, Kentucky, North Carolina and Indiana. That leaves him moved on from a longer group that included Alabama, Baylor, Purdue, USC and Villanova, among others.
Wabbington’s appeal starts with how much he can do at his size. He put that on display this past season at Sunnyslope High School, where he averaged 17.2 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting efficiently from the field. The passing is the eye-opener here - a center who can deliver the ball like that is rare, and it’s a skill that could help him separate himself at the next level.
He’s already been tested against elite competition, too, with games against Koa Peat, Cameron Williams and others. Wabbington also spent time on Team USA’s 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup roster, where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals across five games. His shooting and passing showed up throughout that run, even though the United States fell to Canada in the gold medal game.
On the visit front, Wabbington has three trips lined up. He’ll be at Louisville on September 11, then Arizona on September 25, and Texas on October 9. As of now, there are no publicly scheduled visits to North Carolina or Indiana.
For Arizona, the early picture in the 2027 class is still taking shape, but Wabbington is the only prospect currently set to visit campus. He’s also one of three centers holding an Arizona offer, alongside Cherif Millogo and Kamsi Awaka, the brother of former Arizona Wildcat Tobe Awaka.
Tommy Lloyd’s board also includes another in-state target, Adan Diggs, along with NaVorro Bowman Jr. and Marcus Spears Jr., the No. 1 player in the class.
In Other News...
Arizona Still Has A Real Shot To Keep Elite Phoenix Big Home
A major local recruiting battle is taking shape for Arizona, and it has all the ingredients Wildcats fans care about most. Darrius Wabbington, the five-star center from Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, has put Arizona among his top college choices, keeping the home-state program firmly in the mix for one of the regions most coveted prospects. He is still in the evaluation stage, with visits on his calendar and no commitment made, but Arizonas presence near the front of the line gives the staff a real chance to make its case in person.
Wabbingtons recruitment is being shaped by the kind of factors that tend to matter most in these long, competitive races: relationships, style of play and the atmosphere around the program. Arizona will get its turn to impress him during a late-September visit for the Red-Blue Showcase, a setting that should give him a strong feel for the programs energy and the fan base he would be playing in front of. For Arizona, the appeal is obvious. Keeping an elite Phoenix big man at home would be a meaningful win, but the race is still crowded and still very much open. [Read more 🡒]