Arizona’s weekend showcase at McKale did more than introduce a new-look Wildcats roster. It also put Tommy Lloyd and his staff in front of some of the best recruiting talent in the 2027 class, and the biggest name in the building left Tucson with Arizona firmly in the mix.
Darius Wabbington, the 5-star center from Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, has trimmed his list to three schools: Illinois, Indiana and Arizona, according to Sam Kayser of League Ready. The 6-foot-11 big man was on campus for the Red-Blue Showcase alongside 5-star guard Adan Diggs and 4-star forward Kamsi Awaka, giving the Wildcats a valuable chance to make their pitch in person.
Wabbington is the consensus No. 2 center in the 2027 class and sits at No. 9 overall at ESPN, No. 12 at 247Sports and No. 17 at Rivals. He took official visits to Indiana on Sep. 3 and Illinois on Sep. 19 before making the trip to Tucson last weekend. He had a visit scheduled to Washington later this month, but is now focused on those top three as he nears a decision.
At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Wabbington brings the kind of offensive skill set that jumps off the page. He has elite touch around the basket, soft hands and a developing outside shot, which is why he’s viewed as the most skilled big man in the class. He also brings ball-handling and facilitation ability, traits that fit neatly in Lloyd’s system, where big men are asked to handle the ball and act as offensive hubs.
The defensive side is still the question. Wabbington is a solid rebounder, but his mobility is limited enough that he’s likely to live in drop coverage, and his career average of 0.8 blocks per game doesn’t suggest much rim protection yet.
Even with that, Arizona has a real shot here. Lloyd has consistently made local talent a priority, and Wabbington’s fit on offense gives the Wildcats a legitimate path to landing one of the top big men in the country for 2027-28.
Diggs and Awaka also drew attention during Saturday’s visit, and both are considered strong candidates to commit to Arizona this fall.
Diggs is a consensus 5-star prospect ranked No. 6 in the class by 247Sports and Rivals. He stars at Millennium High School, where he was teammates with current freshman Cameron Holmes, and he posted 18.3 points per game with Vegas Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. The guard, who has a 6-foot-7 wingspan, still has visits lined up at Arkansas and Kentucky, but Arizona’s latest push could be enough to keep the local product home.
Awaka is a 4-star big man whose profile looks familiar for a reason. His older brother, Tobe, played the past two seasons in Tucson as a tough, physical rebounding presence off the bench, and Kamsi carries a similar frame and style. He stands 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, brings a high motor and shows strong upper-body strength and timing as a rim protector.
Awaka has already visited UConn, Florida, Michigan and Michigan State, but the family connection could give Arizona a real edge as Lloyd and his staff chase another major addition for 2027-28.
Arizona’s next game is an exhibition Tuesday, Oct. 13 at home against San Francisco. Tipoff is set for 6:00 PM PT, and the game will air on ESPN+.
In Other News...
Arizona Fans Are Still Split On What Brent Brennan Is Building
Brent Brennan has given Arizona football something it badly needed after Jedd Fisch left for Washington following that 10-3 season: a steadier climb. In his third year in Tucson, Brennan has pushed the Wildcats from four wins to nine last season, and the 3-1 start has kept the program pointed in a more hopeful direction than it was when he arrived.
Still, not every moment around the Wildcats lands the same way with fans, and the recent sideline celebration after the Washington State game showed that split in real time. Brennan framed it as a loose, positive moment meant to keep energy up for his players, but it also fed the larger debate around what exactly he is building in Tucson, and whether the emotional side of it matches the results enough to win over everyone watching. [Read more 🡒]