UC Irvine guard Max Hazzard, center, takes a selfie with a fan after an NCAA college basketball game against Cal State Fullerton for the Big West men's tournament championship in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, March 16, 2019. UC Irvine won 92-64. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

 Alex Gallardo

Arizona added another player to its 2019-20 roster on Tuesday, when UC Irvine guard Max Hazzard announced that he is joining the Wildcats as a graduate transfer. 

The decision came quickly after Hazzard visited the Wildcats over the weekend. He did not schedule another visit, though Hazzard had considered Gonzaga, Cal, Minnesota, Pitt and TCU, along with returning to Irvine for his final season of college basketball.

While Arizona does not currently have an open scholarship, guard Brandon Randolph has announced plans to test the NBA Draft waters; there also could be more roster movement in the coming months.

Hazzard made the announcement in a video posted to Twitter by Uninterrupted.

MORE: Disrespected on the court, Max Hazzard confident he can have 'a big role' at Arizona

Hazzard, a 6-foot, 170-pound guard, was a second-team all-Big West pick and MVP of the Big West Tournament last season while leading the Anteaters to their first-ever NCAA Tournament win.

Hazzard had 23 points against Cal State Fullerton in the final of the Big West Tournament, and then 19 against Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. UCI lost to Oregon 73-54 in the second round, when the Ducks held Hazzard to 1-for-8 shooting from 3-point territory and seven points overall.

After the season, Hazzard soon announced plans to explore the graduate transfer market, and ESPN rated him the No. 20 immediately eligible transfer.

Arizona — with its need for a shooter and proximity to Hazzard's Los Angeles home — made a lot of sense. Hazzard attempted 6.5 3-pointers per game last season, hitting 38.7% of them; both figures would've been tops among Wildcats regulars. 

Arizona “is a high-major program, a high-major basketball team and a high-major coach,” Hazzard told the Star's Bruce Pascoe last week. “That’s always been something I’ve wanted.”

In his announcement video, Hazzard said his past four years at UC Irvine flew by with good memories, while also thanking head coach Russell Turner and assistant Ryan Badrtleai. 

"They took a chance on me back in high school when a lot of coaches didn’t," Hazzard said. "It was an honor going to battle with you day in and day out as well as the rest of my team. It’s always been a dream of mine to play at a high major program and I’m now blessed with the opportunity.

"With that being said I will graduate from UC Irvine in June and transfer to the University of Arizona. To al my Irvine, people take care; I'll always be an Anteater. To all the Arizona fans, it's time to bear down."

Hazzard joins a crowded backcourt that, were the season to start today, would include five-star freshmen Nico Mannion and Josh Green, four-star freshman Terry Armstrong, sophomore returners Brandon Williams and Devonaire Doutrive, junior Alex Barcello and senior Dylan Smith. (Randolph is not expected to return). 

Hazzard has a UA connection: His brother, Jacob, was a former walk-on at Arizona who last played under Sean Miller in 2016. 

“I would watch the games with my parents pretty closely, rooting for blowouts so I could watch my brother play,” Hazzard said. 

Hazzard said he will graduate with a degree in sociology this June. The Wildcats will have two graduate transfers for the second straight season, with Cornell transfer Stone Gettings joining the UA frontcourt, following the departure of grad transfers Ryan Luther and Justin Coleman.

Check out photos of the newest Arizona Wildcat here: 

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Contact sports content producer Justin Spears at 573-4312 or jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter @justinesports