There's a longtime college basketball adage about a "freshman wall" that new players can run into, becoming slowed down by a longer and more difficult season than they’re used to.
Dwayne Aristode didn’t exactly have that problem. The wall just fell on him.
But, after being forced to miss four games with an undisclosed illness so significant he didn’t even stay near the Wildcats, the UA freshman forward from the Netherlands may have ultimately benefited from the time off.
Aristode returned gingerly on Feb. 28 against Kansas, playing only three minutes in the second half but significantly impacting the Wildcats’ 73-57 win over Iowa State on Monday at McKale Center. In 16 minutes, Aristode had eight points, a rebound and a steal.
Arizona guard Dwayne Aristode forces his way along the baseline, seeing action for the first time in weeks in the second half against Kansas in Tucson on Feb. 28, 2026.
Among his highlights were a 3-pointer he hit in the left corner just 12 seconds after he entered and a put-back tip-in dunk that gave the Wildcats a 56-41 lead with nine minutes to go when Arizona began to take control of the game.
“I feel like that dunk was probably one of the biggest plays in the game,” UA guard Jaden Bradley said. “Just crash the offensive glass and get the crowd going. It definitely was a game changer.”
On a night when the Wildcats had plenty to discuss, having won the Big 12 title by beating one of the conference’s best teams on Monday, UA coach Tommy Lloyd thanked a media questioner for asking about Aristode so he could talk about him, too.
“Dwayne was awesome,” Lloyd said. “It's as good as he's played all year. … Dwayne didn't really get back with us until we got back here just before the Kansas game. So for him to come out and play like that is really cool.
“Dwayne's had kind of an up and down freshman year, like a lot of freshmen have. But obviously he's incredibly talented, and for him to have that competitive character, to come out and do that (against Iowa State), says a lot about Dwayne as a person and a competitor.”
Delly rallies
Meanwhile, senior wing Anthony Dell’Orso appeared to dip only slightly despite suffering what appeared to be an almost mid-range ankle sprain and foot muscle strain on Feb. 21 at Houston.
Dell’Orso said he started rehabbing the injury immediately after the Houston game and nearly around the clock for the next two days, then logged 30 minutes at Baylor on Feb. 24.
With Aristode and Koa Peat returning on Feb. 28 against Kansas, Dell’Orso played just 24 minutes against the Jayhawks and 21 against the Cyclones but hit 2 of 5 3s and dished four assists against Iowa State.
Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) is defended by Iowa State forwards Milan Momcilovic (22) and Blake Buchanan (23) in the first half during a game at McKale Center on March 2, 2026.
“All the guys in the in the training room, they're the best. I've never seen anyone like them,” Dell’Orso said. “To go through what I went through only a week ago, they've been able to speed-run me, and it feels great. I wouldn’t be able to play at all, if it wasn’t for those guys.”
Dutch big man visits
Four-star post player Endurance "Endi" Aiyamenkhue visited Arizona last week before the Wildcats played Kansas, according to Rivals.
Endurance Aiyamenkhue averaged a double-double for the Netherlands' U18 team last summer.
Aiyamenkhue averaged 13.4 points and 12.7 rebounds for the Netherlands in the FIBA EuroBasket Division B tournament last summer. This season, he's averaging 11.5 points and 9.8 rebounds for the OrangeAcademy in Germany's third-tier ProB league.
NCAA availability rules set for tournament
The NCAA announced standards for a pilot program that will require men's and women's basketball teams to submit player availability reports before games, as the Big 12 has been doing during the conference season.
During the NCAA Tournament, teams must submit availability reports by 9 p.m. (in the time zone where the game will be played) the night before a game, listing players as “available” (up to a 75% chance of playing), “questionable” (less than 75%) and “out.”
That’s less detailed than in the Big 12, where teams are required to list players as “probable" (roughly a 75% chance of playing), “questionable" (50%), “doubtful” (25%) or “out.”
The NCAA is also requiring teams to provide updates by two hours before tipoff. The Big 12 requires a game-day update 90 minutes before tipoff.
A failure to comply or misconduct will result in fines starting at $10,000, the NCAA said.
Senior Day differs now
Only 22 high-major scholarship players this season are leaving via Senior Day games at the same school as where they began their college careers, including only five players in the Big 12, according to CBS’ Isaac Trotter.
Arizona said goodbye to four seniors who all started elsewhere on Monday against Iowa State, while Colorado will be honoring only one senior on Saturday against Arizona — center Elijah Malone, who started his career at NAIA Grace College in Indiana.
Overachievers
Arizona rates as one of the “top overachivers” on a chart produced by college basketball analytics guru Evan Miyakawa.
Miyakawa rated UA’s roster at No. 15 entering the season, and the Wildcats are ranked third in his current ratings, as they are in Kenpom and NET ratings. Two other three projected No. 1 seeds as of Wednesday also overachieved: Michigan (No. 2 preseason, No. 1 currently), Duke (No. 4 preseason, No. 3 currently).
Michigan State (12 spots higher), Nebraska (34) and Saint Mary’s (51) have been the highest overachievers based on the spread between their preseason and current rankings.
Chimis coming
The Big 12 revealed school-inspired menu items to be sold at its conference tournaments in Kansas City.
For Arizona, the tournament concessionaire will be frying up “Wildcat Mini-Chimichangas” and for ASU, it's all about “Sparky’s Smoked Boneless Wings.”
