Arizona forward Stone Gettings (13) wrestles with Northern Arizona forward Brooks DeBisschop (22) for a rebound in the first half of their early season game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 6, 2019.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Arizona has agreed to a three-year contract with NAU while also filling out most of its remaining 2020-21 nonconference home schedule with mid- and low-major opponents.

With two extra Pac-12 games being moved before Christmas – coronavirus-permitting, of course – the Wildcats are scheduling conservatively with their eight open nonconference games.

So far, Arizona has lined up nonconference games against NAU, Northern Colorado, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Baptist and Montana to go with previously scheduled games at Gonzaga and Illinois for its 2020-21 schedule, according to Ryan Reynolds, UA's director of basketball operations. 

Two more home dates remain open, pending potential rules changes to the way multi-team events are counted toward the NCAA scheduling maximum. Most likely the two home games will be part of the Wildcats’ NIT Season Tip-Off but it is possible they will be scheduled by Arizona, not the event promoters.

Here’s how Arizona’s schedule looks through New Year’s. The “normal” 18-game part of the Pac-12 schedule to be played after Christmas won’t be announced until late summer.

Nov. 10 NAU

Nov. 12 Northern Colorado

Nov. 16 TBA home game

Nov. 20 TBA home game

Nov. 25 at NIT Season Tip-Off, Brooklyn, N.Y.*

Nov. 27 at NIT Season Tip-Off, Brooklyn, N.Y.*

Dec. 2 Colorado**

Dec. 5 at Gonzaga

Dec 9. Bakersfield

Dec. 12 at Illinois

Dec. 16 Cal Baptist

Dec. 19 at Stanford**

Dec. 22 Montana

* Bracket TBA. Participating teams include Cincinnati, Texas Tech and St. John's.

** Pac-12 games added on to the 18-game rotation. Arizona will only miss a road game at Cal and a home game with Utah in 2020-21.

NAU will actually be the opponent for Arizona's next three season openers,  a change from how two in-state programs have previously only made one-game contracts that were played at various points of the nonconference schedule.

And, as it turns out, Josh Green's older brother, Jay, is scheduled to play in next season's opener after making a grad transfer to NAU from UNLV.

Chase Jeter says he'll play for Team 23 of Phoenix in The Tournament. That's another event that is very much virus-permitting, although a quest for television ratings could result in a strong push to make it happen.

Team 23 is recruiting for at least seven players who have "Michael Jordan commonalities" and Jeter's tie is having played in the McDonald's All-American game.

So far, Team 23 has added Jeter, Jordan Adams (formerly of UCLA), Myck Kabongo (Texas), Larry Owens (Oral Roberts) and Robert Crawford (Central Arkansas).

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