Departing Arizona transfer Dwayne Aristode thanked his teammates and coaches in a social media post saying it was time for him to take a next step.
A freshman from the Netherlands who served as the eighth player in UA's rotation in 2025-26, Aristode entered the transfer portal last week.
Arizona’s Dwayne Aristode (2), Brayden Burries (5), Ivan Kharchenkov (8) and Koa Peat (10) celebrate after taking down Auburn 97-68 at McKale Center, Dec. 6, 2025.
"My time at Arizona will always be stamped in my life, I won't forget it," Aristode posted. "As a freshman, I came in ready to work, and ready to prove myself every single day. I'll always be grateful for everything I expended this year with my teammates and coaches."
Several of Aristode's former teammates replied in support.
"My brudda 4L," forward Koa Peat said, while Bryce James said "My twin" and Mabil Mawut wished him luck and said "4L."
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After missing his senior season of high school with a leg injury, Aristode flashed high-level 3-and-D potential while averaging 13.3 minutes as a freshman this season as the final player in UA coach Tommy Lloyd's eight-player rotation.
Having led the Wildcats in 3-point percentage (46.2) and with defensive potential, Aristode could likely command a bigger role and/or a significant NIL package elsewhere even though his role shrunk slightly toward the end of Arizona's season.
Aristode missed four games in late February with an unspecified illness and his minutes slipped after he returned. While he had eight points in a 16-minute appearance against Iowa State on March 2 at McKale Center, he averaged just 8.7 minutes in the Big 12 Tournament and just 7.2 in the NCAA Tournament.
After UA beat Iowa State again in the Big 12 Tournament semifinal, Aristode spoke of how the "whole team has an arsenal on their back" and discussed his role.
"I I just do what he asks me to do," Aristode said of UA coach Tommy Lloyd. "Not too much I can control. So that's what I just do."
Aristode ranks No. 50 on Field of 68's list of transferring players, while CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter said "he commands a sky-high price tag, but the combination of size, shooting and defensive versatility is tantalizing."
