SAN DIEGO — Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd known as one in all his prized freshmen into his workplace. The five-star recruit was not in bother for disciplinary causes. He merely was not enjoying as much as expectations.
Brayden Burries, the No. 11 high school prospect in the 2025 class, had scored simply 39 factors over the primary 5 video games of the season (7.8 factors per sport), whereas capturing 14 of 42 (33.3%) from the sector.
It was this early-season assembly with Lloyd that Burries credited as a turning level in his first collegiate season. A marketing campaign that later grew to become one of many biggest by a first-year participant in Arizona historical past — his 560 factors scored are the fifth-most by an Arizona freshman.
“Coach had a meeting with me and then I feel like once I got to like (the) Auburn (and) Alabama game I just kinda took off from there,” Burries informed Arizona Sports.
Arizona main scorer Brayden Burries revealed when issues began to click on for him on the courtroom after his freshman struggles. pic.twitter.com/fA7zxxK4Zi
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) March 19, 2026
“What was said? Just freshman struggles. It happens. You’ll get through it. Just continue to work hard,” Burries mentioned of what Lloyd informed him in the course of the assembly. “And then that’s what happened.”
The Auburn sport noticed Burries rating 16 factors on 7 of 11 capturing (63.6%) in a 29-point Arizona thrashing of the No. 20 Tigers, whereas the Alabama contest featured Burries dropping a then-season-high 28 factors on 11 of 19 capturing (57.9%) in a 21-point Arizona blowout win in Birmingham over the No. 12 group within the nation.
“I just told Brayden, if I would have been predicting the future, in September, how the season would go, I would have thought it would have played out just like it did. I thought it was going to take him a little time,” Lloyd mentioned.
“I felt like he needed to get a few games under his belt. We knew how good he was and how talented he was, because we’re in the gym with him every day. But I thought he was going to need some game experiences, and he was going to need to learn from them.”
Following the victories over the Alabama-based faculties, it was after a win over Abilene Christian that Burries said he was starting to get more comfortable. It was his fifth sport in a row that he scored a minimum of 15 factors.
He additionally lastly discovered his shot. In that five-game span, he shot 38 of 62 (61.3%) from the sector.
“Just learning after the vets like (Jaden Bradley) and (Anthony Dell’Orso) and them,” Burries mentioned following the Abilene Christian sport. “And coach just believing in me. My teammates believe in me, so I feel like it’s just confidence, honestly, I’m starting to get it.”
Bradley mirrored on Burries’ troublesome stretch and mentioned the freshman “just had to find his flow.”
“Brayden, he’s been great for us,” Bradley mentioned. “Earlier within the 12 months, he had a little tough begin. And we performed some nice groups.
“He’s been great for us scoring, on the defensive end. And we knew he was going to be that. It just took him a little time to show the world. And excited for him to continue this in March.”
After his struggles in the course of the opening 5 video games to start the season, Burries scored 143 factors over the following eight video games (17.9 factors per sport) to assist the Wildcats end non-conference play undefeated (13-0) in what ultimately grew to become the very best begin in class historical past (23-0).
Burries later led the No. 1-seeded Arizona Wildcats in scoring (16 factors per sport) and earned Honorable Mention All-American accolades from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Associated Press.
“I evolved great, honestly,” Burries mentioned. “I met new people. Made new friends. People I can call my brothers for the rest of my life. As a person, you can always grow. You can never know it all. Just being around these guys I learned a lot.”
The Wildcats had been stationed in San Diego for his or her first two NCAA Tournament video games, about 100 miles away from the place Burries grew up in San Bernardino.
Prior to Friday’s sport, Burries mentioned he didn’t know what number of family and friends would present up however mentioned “hopefully a lot.”
“Just being happy,” Burries mentioned concerning the feelings that include enjoying his first NCAA Tournament video games not removed from the place he grew up. “Just being able to be back home, but you know it’s a business trip. Trying to handle business. Trying to win.”
In Friday’s 34-point beatdown of LIU, Burries led the best way with 18 factors and made 4 of his 5 3s, later saying he was “pretty sure” enjoying in entrance of his household made a distinction.
“I just saw my dad, my mom was here, my sisters were here, so that was the main thing,” Burries mentioned. “It was great, especially being back in Cali. I haven’t been back in a minute, so just being back here. The weather’s great. I got to see my people, so it’s great.”
Arizona’s different five-star freshman, Koa Peat, who dedicated to Arizona two weeks earlier than Burries, completed with 15 factors and 7 rebounds alongside Burries in Friday’s win.
Peat praised Burries’ work ethic and mirrored on his evolution over the course of their freshman 12 months collectively.
“(He’s) just getting better each and every day,” Peat informed Arizona Sports. “He’s always in the gym and as a person, just continuing to be a great guy like he is, just a great player and an even better person off the court.”
Burries is a projected top-10 pick on this 12 months’s NBA draft, however Lloyd is just not anxious about his freshmen staying past this season. The coach is as a substitute targeted on bringing Arizona to its first Final Four since 2001 and its first nationwide championship since 1997.
“That stuff all plays out here,” Lloyd mentioned when requested if he expects most of his freshmen to remain past this season. “We’ve made a dedication to one another. I’m not simply saying this to gloss over any questions, however simply to remain within the second. And we’re going to get pleasure from this expertise and keep totally targeted on this second.
“And all that stuff is going to take place after the season. There’s no reason for us to get emotionally caught up in it now.”
Whether or not Burries declares for the draft or continues on at Arizona, he mentioned he has loved studying beneath Lloyd and known as him a nice coach.
“He really cares for his players, and he holds you accountable,” Burries mentioned. “So I appreciate that.”
