SAN JOSE — If Sidi Gueye plays like he sprang out of a tightly packed box, long arms waving, legs racing, eyes focused, midsection zagging, it’s because he has been held back, in a way.
The 6-11 freshmen from Senegal not only missed Arizona’s entire summer workout program because of visa delays but he’s also had to wait his turn as the ninth player in Arizona’s eight-player rotation all season.
Gueye played sparingly in 10 nonconference games and, after UA coach Tommy Lloyd told him in December to be ready to play a major game in a month, didn’t get to actually do that for almost two.
BYU guard Robert Wright III (1) drives on Arizona forward Sidi Gueye during the first half of a game Feb. 18, 2026, in Tucson.
“It probably went a little longer than four weeks, but he got an opportunity,” Lloyd said after playing Gueye for 10 minutes against BYU on Feb. 18, when UA forwards Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode were out. “It was great…. (he) was really kind of a shot in the arm for the crowd and for our team.”
Gueye played eight minutes in UA’s 73-66 win at Houston on Feb. 21 when Peat and Aristode were out again, blocking a shot that put UA in the driver's seat to win the Big 12 title, but then it was back to the bench.
Gueye played two minutes against UCF and a minute against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament, his excitability resulting in a goaltending call on a Cougar shot, but then hit both shots he threw down in a seven-minute performance against LIU in the first round.
Arizona forward Sidi Gueye dunks against LIU during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego.
“Sidi is excellent,” UA guard Jaden Bradley said after the LIU game. “Every day in practice he’s doing the things that he did today. He does that every day in practice. He's blocking shots. He's rebounding. He’s dunking. Very, very talented. I'm just excited people got to see a little bit of spurt that today.”
Sometimes he never gets out of the box, sometimes he does. Gueye pulled down a rebound in a one-minute appearance Thursday against Arkansas, too.
“I have to be ready every time,” Gueye said. “For example, the BYU game, (Lloyd) told me, 'I will play you earlier today so just get ready. No pressure. Just go hard.’"
In between those moments, behind the curtains, Gueye says he’s improving every day in practice facing UA post players Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka, guys who can tend to amplify opponents’ mistakes.
While Gueye said he mostly ran up and down the floor with Real Madrid’s junior club, he said the veteran UA post players have helped him adjust to the physicality required at Arizona, the need to seal off defenders, to set screens and roll hard.
“I was not used to playing like that,” Gueye said.
While Gueye’s English speaking skills have improved drastically since his arrival last fall, to the point where it’s now his fourth nearly fluent language after Spanish, French and Wolof, his native Senegalese tongue, Gueye said Krivas and Awaka have been helpful explaining things to him. Walk-on guard Sven Djopmo of France says he's also spoken with Gueye in French, too.
Arizona Wildcats forward Sidi Gueye during a game against the Denver Pioneers, Nov. 24, 2025, in Tucson.
Not surprisingly, Lloyd has also communicated carefully with Gueye, having long ago created a niche recruiting and coaching international players.
“He’ll say a new word and ask me, 'Do you know what I mean?' even before I ask,” Gueye said.
Now, Gueye said he can understand pretty much anything in English, though he’ll still grasp for the right words to respond at times. There’s always help if he needs it, for communication, for basketball, for whatever.
That’s what makes the waiting easier.
“I know it's not easy, but I'm just here to help,” Gueye said. “This team has helped me a lot to get better. So I just take this year to learn and coach tells me 'Get ready every time. You will not have a big role but if you go, go hard and the minutes will help us.'"
