Dwayne Aristaud, the top international prospect, has committed to Arizona

Dwayne Aristaud, one of the top international players in basketball and a top 20 recruit in the high school class of 2025, told ESPN he is committed to Arizona.

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

Aristaud selected the Wildcats from a list of other finalists that included Duke, USC, Michigan State and the NBL Next Stars program.

The 6-foot-8 Dutch winger is considered one of Europe’s most promising young talents, having made his debut for the national team as a 17-year-old this summer, with strong performances against Serbia and Belgium.

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

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

He said: “My experience in the United States will help me because I have had plenty of time to adapt to the pace and style of play.” “Playing the EYBL for Todd Quarles and the Expressions opened my eyes to the speed of the game and the aggression you need to play here. I will incorporate that into my game with what I learned growing up in Europe.”

Lloyd built his reputation as an international basketball recruiting expert as an assistant at Gonzaga, where he reeled in the likes of Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kelly Olynyk (Canada) and Mario Casson (Croatia). , among many other things. Aristaud will continue this pipeline in Arizona.

Arizona has another diverse roster this season, with five international players in Motijus Krevas (Lithuania), Anthony Delorso (Australia), Henry Visar (Estonia), Konrad Martinez (Spain) and Emmanuel Steffen (Nigeria). They enter the season No. 9 in ESPN’s top 25 rankings.

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