Not all rosters are built through the portal. Arizona has been focused on building its 2025 class over years, and one of the most important pieces fell into place Wednesday morning.
Five-star guard Brayden Burries is headed to Tucson after announcing his commitment to the Wildcats on ESPN Wednesday. The 14th-ranked prospect in the 2025 class picked UA over a final group that included former Pac-12 foes Oregon and USC plus SEC programs Tennessee and Alabama.
The Wildcats have been heavily involved in pursuing Burries for years, and he was one of the recruits long atop the wish list for head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona staff.
The 6-foot-5 guard has the talent to play on or off the ball and will provide the Wildcats with a clear option at the point guard spot following the departure of senior Caleb Love.
Burries joins a high-level recruiting class that features two other five-star prospects — in-state power forward Koa Peat and versatile wing Dwayne Aristode — plus three-star guard Bryce James.
The decision by Burries to join the Wildcats gives the program three of the top 15 recruits in the 2025 class.
The elite guard and McDonald's All-American took his time with the recruiting process. There was a point in which the thought was that he would reclassify to the 2024 class and potentially join one his best friends, Carter Bryant, at Arizona. However, Burries opted to take his own path and take his time to make a college choice.
USC earned plenty of steam at one point in his recruitment, and Oregon eventually made a late move as well. However, UA's continued work over years in pursuing Burries paid off as Lloyd and the staff earned the key commitment Wednesday.
Arizona has long made Burries feel like a priority with Lloyd and associate head coach Jack Murphy often stopping by to see the five-star prospect play during his high school career.
His official visit to UA back in 2024 certainly left a strong impression, and the pitch continued to be a big part of what kept him intrigued. Burries wants to play point guard at the next level, and Lloyd is going to give him the opportunity to do so.
"He sees me as a point guard, which I gotta be a point guard to get to the next level," Burries previously told GOAZCATS.com. "That's what I'm trying to be, be a point guard and facilitate for others and score."
Burries is an ideal fit for the Wildcats with his combination of size and skill at the lead guard spot. He has the ability to rebound at a high level, and he has a knack for scoring at all three levels. The five-star is capable of being a distributor as well and will fit in well with the style of play that Lloyd is looking for.
The regular signing period opens up next week at which time both Peat, who committed to UA two weeks ago, and Burries will be able to sign with the Wildcats.
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