Between a No. 1 seed projection and a 45-point beatdown of rival Arizona State in front of a sold-out crowd at McKale Center, Arizona certainly sold itself as an elite men's college basketball program.
Among the spectators packed into McKale for UA's 105-60 win on Feb. 17 were several Arizona basketball recruits, including four-star combo guard Jamari Phillips and four-star center Emmanuel Stephen — both UA signees for 2024 and teammates at Dream City Christian in Glendale. Phillips and fellow UA signee Carter Bryant, a five-star forward and McDonald's All-American, were AAU teammates with Paul George Elite.
Several other top UA recruiting targets were also on hand Feb. 17 at McKale, including five-star 2026 point guard Ikenna Alozie, a teammate of Phillips and Stephen at Dream City Christian, along with 2025 forward Koa Peat of Gilbert Perry and 2026 guard Cameron Holmes of Goodyear Millennium.
Arizona men’s basketball signees Emmanuel Stephen and Jamari Phillips pose for a photo in the Dream City Christian gym after officially signing their National Letters of Intent in November 2023 to play for the UA and coach Tommy Lloyd.
"We've been trying to recruit them for a while now," Phillips said of Peat and Holmes.
Phillips, who is rated by 247Sports.com as the fifth-best shooting guard nationally for 2024, said the trip to Tucson "was a good visit overall."
"Coming down and watching that game and watch Arizona give ASU an old-fashioned beatdown was the best thing to see, especially on a visit," Phillips said. "Knowing that we have the talent to just go out and blow them out by 40 gives me good belief under Tommy and coaching staff and the team that will go out in the Big 12 and do good."
Phillips recently joined "Spears and Ali" on ESPN Tucson to talk about Arizona's 2024 recruiting class, how his skillset complements others at the UA, the Big 12 conference, his basketball origin story and Kobe Bryant fandom. Here's what Phillips said:
What do you think you, Bryant and Stephen will add to Arizona next season?
A: "Us three as a group will be really good, team chemistry-wise since we've already played with each other in AAU for over two years and I ended up transferring to Dream City with Emmanuel Stephen, so we're playing together and finishing out our senior year. We're on a good home stretch before we get to Arizona. We have great relationships. I feel like that will play a very big part on the court when we get there."
Jamari Phillips was named The Modesto Bee’s boys basketball player of the year last season.
How would you describe the atmosphere at McKale Center?
A: "Loud. Motivating, honestly. I feel like that crowd gets the players going, gets them motivated to just put on a show for them and show out. That's what it's all about, putting on a show every night and show the fans what they can do and why they were in that No. 1 spot."
Is there any current Wildcat with a similar skillset as you?
A: "I wouldn't say the same exact skillset as me. Most of the players have different things that are their go-to with their moves and stuff. Some people are better scorers at the rim, some people are better on the perimeter. I'm just looking to come there and make an impact on the team and do what the best I can to help the team win. I'm not too concerned with spots, minutes. I just want to get on that court and show people what I can do and help us get the win under our belts."
How would you diagnose your skillset as a basketball player?
A: "I'd say I'm more of a point guard, but I can score at will, so that makes me more of a combo guard. I feel like I have really good touch with the ball around the rim as well as my shot around the perimeter. I feel like I can get a shot whenever. I'm a bucket-getter. But at the same time, I'm a great facilitator and I know how to run an offense and how to run the floor."
UA commit Jamari Phillips was named co-MVP at the Pangos All-American Camp in June 2023 in Las Vegas.
Who or what inspired you to play basketball?
A: "My brother (Jaden Phillips) and my dad (James Phillips). Just being in the gym all those times with my brother and my pops when they were working out and I was little. I was young, and I used to just be on the sidelines, dribbling, mimicking everything he was doing and living in the gym with them every time they went. So that just carried on, and just getting those reps, reps, reps. It's all about reps, form, and I've always been adding to my touch and stuff with my shot. I got where I am now because of hard work. It wasn't just a miracle.
"Ever since I picked up that basketball, I've never seen myself outside of the gym. I've always remembered being in the gym from a young age.
"Even late-night workouts in middle school that built up the motivation in me to just keep going. My shot, I always felt like I had a good shot at a young age. I always felt like I was draining 3s from half-court, volleyball line in middle school days. My love for basketball never went away. I was always with my family and we're all basketball heads, so we always stay involved with basketball. I just want to make sure I'm doing this for my family and just making them proud every time I step on that court and go play basketball.
"That's our family time as well, being in the gym together."
Since you grew up in Northern California, are you a Golden State Warriors or Sacramento Kings fan?
A: "Nah, nah, nah, nah. Lakers fan here. Kobe fan. Come on now. I'll always be a Lakers fan no matter what their record will be."
Carter Bryant, right, and Jamari Phillips, left, played together for the Paul George Elite club on the Nike circuit. The pair have committed to play for Tommy Lloyd at Arizona starting this fall.
Are there any parts of Kobe's game that you've studied or try to emulate as a player?
A: "Honestly, his footwork and midrange game. I had a deep bag in my midrange game during my sophomore year in the summer.
"I was working out and doing a bunch of midrange stuff, and I was looking at Kobe's film. I went in and tried it in the game. I usually don't do a midrange post since I'm a guard, but I tried it and it was working, so I kept going to it. That and the footwork from Kobe was impeccable. He has a way deeper bag than the world thinks. People fail to realize that even still to this day. That's what I take from his game, the footwork and midrange game — and his mentality.
"If you ever look into Kobe and read stuff and the speeches that he has, you can really see the mindset and where his head was at. That's what I'm trying to develop right now."
What makes Tommy Lloyd a coach that you want to play for?
A: "He's always going to be hard on his players, but he'll never be disrespectful in any manner. He wants you to succeed as well as the team's success. He cares for you, and he loves you. I can't ask for much more than that.
"He's a loving guy, I love him to death, that's my man — him and the coaching staff. Working under Tommy and that system is going to work very well for me as well as my teammates, because the players we have coming in and the players we have now, and hopefully players we can get or return next year, we will all be locked in and connected as one unit and go out there and win every game we have a chance to win."
With Arizona changing conferences when you arrive, is there one Big 12 team you're eager to play against on the road?
A: "Nah, not at all. I'm not worried about the Big 12. I'm not going to question their talent, because I can't do that, but I'm not worried. I feel like Arizona is going to be amazing and the most outstanding team you'll see the next upcoming year."
Former Arizona center Christian Koloko, who was a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in 2022, was inducted into the McKale Center Ring of Honor during the Wildcats' battle with Arizona State on Saturday.
