It’s that time of year – football is in full swing, fall sports including soccer and volleyball are rolling, and men’s and women’s basketball are just days for tipping off. With Arizona’s Red-Blue game in the books last week, and its first exhibition against Eastern New Mexico in less than 10 days, 2025 recruits are starting to make their way to Tucson to check out the McKale Center and Arizona Basketball. On Sunday, 2025 five-star small forward Dwayne Aristode announced his commitment to Arizona via Instagram.
The 6-foot-8, 214-pound small forward, originally from the Netherlands, currently attends Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Aristode held offers from 12 programs, and narrowed his list down to Arizona, Duke, Michigan State, USC, and the NBL in Australia, before ultimately choosing the Wildcats. He is rated as the No. 1 prospect from New Hampshire, No. 4 small forward, and, 18th-overall player in the class of 2025, per 247Sports’ Composite Ratings. Aristode is the first commit of Arizona’s 2025 recruiting class.
Following his announcement and a visit in January, Arizona’s newest commit caught up with On3’s Jaime Shaw and explained what ultimately led to his decision to come to Tucson:
“They have great coaches, you know, a great staff,” Aristode said. “I like it there, it is in a warm place, so all is good with that. I really like the way they play, the way they are as a program. They have a lot of international players on the team, and being an international player that interests me because that is a big part.”
“They have big facilities, and everything is in the same area, so where you stay, and classes, and the gym and everything are all within walking distance. That stood out for me. They have great coaches, you know, a great staff,” Aristode said. “I like it there, it is in a warm place, so all is good with that. I really like the way they play, the way they are as a program. They have a lot of international players on the team, and being an international player that interests me because that is a big part.
“They have big facilities, and everything is in the same area, so where you stay, and classes, and the gym and everything are all within walking distance. That stood out for me.”
Tommy Lloyd and Co. continue to fish in international waters, as Aristode joins the likes of Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Anthony Dell’Orso (Australia), Henri Veesaar (Estonia), Conrad Martinez (Spain), Emmanuel Stephen (Nigeria), Jackson Cook (England), and Sven Djopmo (France) that are currently in Tucson.
Following his commitment to Arizona, Dwayne Aristode is expected to be the next 3-and-D player to flourish in Tucson. The Wildcats enter the season ranked No. 9 in ESPN’s Top 25 rankings.