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Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats take the floor for the first time in front of the home crowd on Saturday, Sep. 26, for the annual Red-Blue Showcase.
The event, which tips off at 2:30 PM MST, includes an intrasquad scrimmage that will give the fans in attendance and those watching on ESPN+ a glimpse of this roster’s extensive group of newcomers – including star freshman Caleb Holt, North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, and even Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey – who is eligible to participate since the event counts as a practice for which he is cleared, even though he is not currently eligible to play in games for the Wildcats.
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While the festivities are always fun – last year included appearances from Rob Gronkowski and Shaquille O’Neal – the scrimmage is where players fighting for a role on this very deep roster will have an opportunity to really shine.
Below is a look at five players with the most to gain from Saturday’s scrimmage:
1. Point Guard JJ Mandaquit
Jan 21, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Washington Huskies guard JJ Mandaquit (23) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Arizona is expected to go with North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon to replace Jaden Bradley at point guard, but he’ll face competition for minutes from JJ Mandaquit, the team’s other sophomore transfer addition.
Mandaquit played for coach Lloyd during the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer, and had a solid – albeit unspectacular – freshman year at Washington, averaging 5.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 turnovers in 19.6 minutes per game.
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His lack of an outside shot – 28.2% on 1.8 attempts per game – is working against him right now, but a strong showing on Saturday leading the offense, with good defense and a couple of made threes, could help push Dixon for playing time this season – and make him a fan favorite in Tucson.
2. Forward Cameron Holmes
Millennium Tigers Cameron Holmes (3) reacts to a referee calling a foul during the open division semifinals against the St. Mary’s Knights at Chaparral…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/5-arizona-players-could-turn-191517106.html
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Publish date : 2026-09-24 19:15:00
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