'Resilient' Arizona wheelchair basketball team to host NIWBT after winning title

The Arizona men’s wheelchair basketball team was a game short of winning the program’s first-ever national championship last year and in 2023, but the Wildcats prevailed this year and overcame its championship woes.

Arizona capped its 28-win season with a 75-65 victory over UT Arlington at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

UA head coach Mike Beardsley, who started working with Arizona Adaptive Athletics in 2009, said winning the national championship “has been a really surreal moment for us.”

Beardsley became the head coach of the UA men’s wheelchair basketball team in 2019 and “built the team over COVID.” To finally return to Tucson as national champions was a vindicating feeling for Beardsley and the UA.

“These guys were so resilient the last couple years, they deserve it so much,” said Beardsley.

The Wildcats were led by Justyn Newman, a senior from Gardner, Kansas, who averaged 28 points in the final two games to win the championship. Newman “is a bucket,” Beardsley said, and “he’s been so resilient in his journey and his growth.” Newman was named the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (NIWBT) MVP.

Sophomore Dylan Zander “became a captain and just came out of nowhere for us” and scored 25 points for Arizona in the national championship game.

Toronto native and senior Blaise Mutware, who’s on the Canadian Paralympic team, was Arizona’s “all-around” playmaker this season, Beardsley said.

“I’d say he’s kind of like our Andre Iguodala,” added Arizona’s head coach. “He’s going to give you eight or nine points, play great defense, good rebounder and leadership.”

Arizona’s celebratory weekend was a two-fer: the Wildcats were coincidentally named host of the NIWBT (men’s and women’s brackets) next year from March 31-April 4, 2026, at McKale Center.

Beardsley recently joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to reflect on winning the club’s first national championship and look ahead to defending the title in Tucson next year.

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Every championship team has a unique journey. How would you summarize this team’s path to a championship?

A: “We had lost the previous two national titles. This year, we were hyper-focused. We had a lot of ups and downs just like every team. February was a big turning point for us. We lost to the University of Auburn and the University of Alabama and it was a reality check for us, made us dig deeper and we got in the film room and game-planned a lot better. That was a big turning point for us, but the focus for us all year was the singular goal, which was to bring home our first national title.”

What’s Newman’s story and what’s next for him?

A: “When I took over in 2019, I got a late start in recruiting. I flew him and his mom out that April and took them out to lunch at Gentle Ben’s. They said they just fell in love with the program and the family atmosphere that we have. His story, he’s got a rare condition that affects his hips, so he can’t run or do weights or squats. His transition happened when he was 10 years old. He just became a great player. He’s a great kid and he’s going to graduate this year and become a special education teacher. He’s going to be a great educator.”

How much do you focus on celebrating a milestone victory for your team and when do you flip the page and starting looking ahead to next season?

A: “My intention for next year is always there. ... Right now, we’re soaking it in and I’m probably going to rewatch the game for probably the fifth time and respond to all the messages that I’ve been getting. It’s been overwhelming and beautiful with the support we’re getting from the Tucson community. I just can’t thank people enough for noticing us.”

Speaking of next season, how much are you looking forward to hosting the NIWBT at McKale Center?

A: “I’m so excited. We would love for the community to come out and give us a home-court advantage. We’re going to have a little bit of a different team. We’ve got a couple of five-stars coming in, so we want to run it back on the home court and being a native Tucsonan, I would love to win it at McKale. On (Lute Olson’s) court, that would be a dream come true. ... In (1997), I was 7 years old and (that national championship) was a core memory for me. ... The T.J. McConnell years have a special place in my heart and I try to model our defense off those teams with that grit, intensity and focus.”

As a Tucson native, what would it mean to have a large contingent of fans at McKale Center for your games?

A: “It would mean a lot. We all know how much momentum can swing a game and I truly believe the fans can have a role in that. We know how the McKale crowd gets. The Tucson community loves a winner. If we can win for them, I think we can have a big home-court advantage and put pressure on other teams and rally our guys to score and play some great defense.”