Arizona lands coveted international hoops recruit

Top international basketball prospect Dwayne Aristode, a top-20 recruit in the 2025 high school class, told ESPN he has committed to Arizona.

“The winning culture Tommy Lloyd has built at Arizona is remarkable,” Aristode said Sunday. “They play fast and have the right balance between structure and giving players freedom.”

Aristode picked the Wildcats over a list of other finalists that included Duke, USC, Michigan State and the NBL Next Stars program.

The 6-foot-8 wing from the Netherlands is considered one of Europe’s most promising young prospects, having already made his senior national team debut as a 17-year-old this summer, with strong performances against Serbia and Belgium.

“Representing my country was a dream come true,” Aristode said. “The pace and physicality were very different. I needed that experience playing against a 3-time MVP in Nikola Jokic to see where my game is, and where I want to go personally. I want to help the Netherlands become one of the best teams in the world in the future.”

Aristode is entering his second season of high school basketball in the United States at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, and played on the Nike EYBL grassroots circuit with Expressions Elite. He spent three years before that in Spain with Joventut Badalona.

“My experience in the U.S. is going to help me because I had plenty of time to adjust to the pace and style of play,” he said. “Playing EYBL for Todd Quarles and Expressions opened my eyes to the speed of the game and the aggressiveness you need to play here. I will combine that into my game with what I learned growing up in Europe.”

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd built a reputation as an international basketball recruiting maven as an assistant at Gonzaga, reeling in the likes of Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kelly Olynyk (Canada), Mario Kasun (Croatia) among many others. Aristode will continue that pipeline at Arizona.

Arizona has another diverse roster this season, with five international players in Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Anthony Dell’Orso (Australia), Henri Veesaar (Estonia), Conrad Martinez (Spain) and Emmanuel Stephen (Nigeria). They enter the season No. 9 in ESPN’s top 25 rankings.

Aristode is the first player to commit to Arizona in the class of 2025. He brings defensive versatility with his chiseled frame and 6-foot-10 wingspan, and dynamic 3-point shooting prowess.