8 former players represented the Arizona Wildcats in World Cup qualifying window

UA had eight players represented in the most recent qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, all playing for eight different countries, and that didn’t even include a few current Wildcats who might have been worthy of their native senior team rosters: Center Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Ivan Kharchenkov (Germany) and Maksim Brnovic (Montenegro).

As it was, Pelle Larsson (who played for UA between 2021-22 and 2023-24) made the biggest impact, leading Sweden to a win over Lauri Marrkanen (2016-17) and Finland before losing 84-69 to France, while Anthony Dell’Orso (2024-25 and 2025-26) was productive in his first-ever appearance for the Australian senior national team.

There was also a surprise: Atlanta-born guard Kobi Simmons, who played for the Wildcats in 2016-17 before beginning a pro journey through six countries, showed up wearing an Ivory Coast jersey.

Despite having no family connection to the country, the 29-year-old Simmons has become a naturalized Ivory Coast citizen, so he is now eligible both to join the Ivory Coast roster and to not count as an American import on the roster of his Spanish team.

“International basketball has become a passport market with, in effect, no rules,” read the headline of a story in Italian magazine Revista Undici that noted Simmons and two other Americans (Damian Baugh of Congo DR and Moses Wright of North Macedonia) have recently joined other countries' national teams.

Simmons wound up averaging 11.7 points and 2.7 assists in three games last weekend, helping Ivory Coast go 2-1 and stay on pace to receive a spot in the 2027 World Cup. Ivory Coast (7-2 overall) is in second place in Group F, and the top two teams in African qualifying groups will receive berths.

In the European qualifiers, Larsson dropped 31 points in Sweden’s 86-81 win over Finland on Aug. 27. Larsson averaged 27.0 points and 3.0 rebounds over Sweden’s two games, though he couldn’t help hold off a French team that outscored Sweden 20-4 in the final four minutes on Sunday in Stockholm.

"It's just pride and joy to be able to play here in front of so many Swedish fans,” Larsson said afterward, according to the Sweden Herald. “We're playing an even match against a top team that went far in the Olympics. A great first half, then we get a little tired.”

Larsson's efforts left Sweden in a decent position to win a spot in the World Cup, if the country can survive without him in the final two qualifying rounds. Those will be held in November and February, when NBA players like Larsson and Markkanen are not expected to be available.

Larsson said Sweden will likely need to win at least two more games, adding that he hoped his teammates could beat Hungary and then beat Finland again without himself or Markkanen available.

“I like our chances,” Larsson said.

If Sweden can pull it off, the country likely will have Larsson available for the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from Aug. 27 to Sept. 12 next year.

Of the other former Wildcats participating in qualifying games over the weekend:

– Markkanen had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help Finland bounce back from its loss to Sweden and clobber Estonia 96-67. Markkanen averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over Finland’s two games, and the Finns (5-3) are second behind France (7-1) in Group L.

– Azuolas Tubelis (2020-21 to 2022-23 at UA) averaged 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 50.0% from the field in Lithuania’s split of two games. Lithuania (4-4) is in fourth place in Group J, from which the top three teams will qualify – but Tubelis should be available for the last two qualification rounds since he is also playing professionally in Lithuania.

– Dell’Orso (2024-25 to 2025-26) averaged 15.0 points and hit 4 of 10 3-pointers for Australia in the Boomers’ blowout wins over Syria and Jordan. Australia moved to 8-0, close to clinching a berth in the World Cup.

– Nico Mannion (2019-20) averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 rebounds for Italy in a pair of losses, though Italy still remains 5-3 overall and in third place in Group J, just ahead of Lithuania.

– Christian Koloko (2019-20 to 2021-22) averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds during Cameroon’s 2-1 weekend. Cameroon (7-2) is tied with South Sudan for first place in Group E, from which the top two teams will qualify.

– Oumar Ballo (2021-22 to 2023-24) averaged 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over two games for Mali but did not play in a third, against Senegal. Mali went 1-2 over the weekend and is tied for third place in Group F with Angola at 6-3.