On a perfect fit for UA men’s basketball, Becky Burke scheduling up and more | Michael Lev

News: UA men’s basketball adds power forward RJ Godfrey.

Views: In the end, Tommy Lloyd got his man.

And Arizona got exactly what it needed to fill its biggest void.

Comfortable and confident enough that Godfrey will be good to go thanks to a court ruling in Georgia, the Wildcats officially signed the former Clemson forward last week. His statistical profile and filled-out frame suggest he’ll be an ideal fit in Lloyd’s system.

Lloyd and his staff had pieced together a group of big men ranging from somewhat experienced U.S. transfers to intriguing international projects to support center Motiejus Krivas and fill the hole left by Tobe Awaka and Koa Peat’s departures. Godfrey arrives as a finished product.

He has 66 career starts in the ACC and SEC. (Godfrey spent the 2024-25 season at Georgia, where his father, former NFL linebacker Randall Godfrey, played football.) He has a 58.6% career field-goal rate — within range of Awaka’s absurdly efficient 60.7%.

Godfrey can’t match Awaka on the boards — who can? — but he averaged a career-best 5.3 rebounds per game in 25.2 minutes last season. Godfrey averaged 8.5 boards per 40 minutes. That would have ranked third among rotation regulars on last year’s UA team behind Awaka (17.4) and Krivas (12.9).

Arizona lists Godfrey at 6-8, 240. He’s a space-eater.

Besides experience, strength and production, Godfrey gives Lloyd options. We know he prefers to play a two-big lineup. Godfrey can be that second big. Meanwhile, transfers Evan Otten and Ugnius Jarusevicius can provide backup minutes at either spot.

If he wants to go small with Ivan Kharchenkov at the “four,” Lloyd can still do that. That was a lineup we saw during an open practice on July 31. It featured Krivas, Kharchenkov, transfer Derek Dixon and freshmen Caleb Holt and Cameron Holmes.

With Godfrey on board, Holmes doesn’t have to start. He can come off the bench and develop at his own pace without the pressure of starting on a team coming off a Final Four appearance.

News: UA women’s basketball releases its 2026-27 nonconference schedule.

Views: This is what a real schedule looks like.

No offense to Grambling State, Northern Colorado, Chicago State or Bellarmine, but last year’s noncon slate just wasn’t up to Arizona’s standards.

Every game was at McKale Center. None was against a power-conference opponent.

The Wildcats’ 2025-26 noncon schedule ranked 307th in difficulty, per WarrenNolan.com, out of 363 Division I teams. Only UCF, at 338, was lower than Arizona among Big 12 schools.

Becky Burke indicated that most, if not all, of the schedule was set by the time she got here. If she had any ability to pursue higher-profile opponents, she chose not to — perhaps realizing that the team she quickly cobbled together in the spring wouldn’t be up to the challenge.

Burke had no such concerns this year. Arizona is opening against Stanford in Las Vegas. The UA is traveling to L.A. to face defending national champion UCLA 10 days later. The Wildcats are participating in a neutral-site tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, leading into Thanksgiving.

Even with a roster she considers to be much more talented, Burke’s team is bound to take its lumps. But that’s OK. Arizona’s nonconference record might be worse than last year (9-2), but the Wildcats will be better prepared for league play.

There’s also something to be said for providing your fans with more attractive matchups. Former Pac-12 rival Oregon State comes to McKale on Nov. 15. UCLA is scheduled to be here next year as part of a home-and-home.

I’d rather watch a competitive game against a high-level opponent than a blowout — even if Arizona ends up on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

News: Linebacker Max Harris and running back Ismail Mahdi rejoin the UA football team.

Views: I’m setting my expectations on medium regarding how much these two will contribute on the field.

Both have a lot of catching up to do in terms of strength and conditioning. Their participation in Tuesday night’s practice consisted of a variety of running drills. It was a test of endurance and determination — a way to find out just how committed they are to coming back.

Neither tapped out. That’s a start.

Harris appears to be slightly ahead of Mahdi as of now, perhaps a byproduct of Mahdi essentially moving on with his life before court decisions opened up the possibility of an additional season of college football.

Harris also has a clearer path to meaningful playing time. The linebacker room is just as deep, if not deeper, than the running back room. But as many as four linebackers can play at once in Danny Gonzales’ scheme. He’s also one of the most creative defensive coordinators in the country. If anyone can figure out a way to get snaps for Harris — and several others — it’s Gonzales.

Arizona’s most-used offensive formation is “11” personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers). Next is “12” personnel (one back, two tight ends, two wideouts). Occasionally Seth Doege will deploy two backs at once. But that’s the max.

The Wildcats have a cadre of talented returning backs, and transfer Antwan Roberts has impressed in training camp, including a long touchdown run down the left sideline Tuesday. Arizona doesn’t need Mahdi ... today. It could be an entirely different story two to three months from now if/when injuries hit.

There’s no reason to rush Mahdi (or Harris) back into action. Strength and conditioning coach Cullen Carroll and his staff can take all the proper, patient steps to get them ready when their number is called.

News: The UA softball team awaits further clarification on potential five-for-five additions.

Views: The situation remains murky, and it’s changing daily.

Four former Wildcats (and possibly a fifth) could gain another year of eligibility if the NCAA loses its latest legal battle. Even if everything broke the right way, it’s unlikely all of them would return.

My understanding is that shortstop Tayler Biehl and right-hander Jalen Adams have moved on with their lives. But catcher Sydney Stewart and outfielder Grace Jenkins are expected to serve as graduate assistants this upcoming season — meaning they’d be in town and enrolled in school, easing their transition.

However, a significant hurdle remains: They both played in the AUSL this summer. No one knows, as of yet, whether athletes who played in professional leagues will be able to return to college. They do have a strong argument: No one knew that would be a possibility when the AUSL season began.

Let’s say Stewart and Jenkins do get the green light. Talk about a good problem to have.

Arizona filled their spots via the transfer portal by signing the North Texas duo of Elizabeth Moffitt (catcher) and Madison Conley (corner outfielder). But if she could get Stewart and Jenkins back, Caitlin Lowe wouldn’t hesitate. She and her staff would figure out a way to get all of them in the lineup.

And what a lineup that would be. Stewart was the Big 12 Player of the Year last season. She was also the only Wildcat who had more home runs and RBIs than Jenkins.

The fifth player I alluded to is infield sub Kiki Escobar. Escobar spent five years in college, including a redshirt year in 2023. She wouldn’t be eligible under the five-for-five umbrella. But who knows what the next court ruling might bring? Escobar also is expected to be a grad assistant this season.

News: The UA baseball team nears completion of its 2026-27 roster.

Views: More five-for-five uncertainty looms on the baseball diamond, where Chip Hale and his staff are still trying to figure out whom they might be able to add.

Ideally, under a favorable ruling, right-hander Garrett Hicks will qualify.

Hicks spent two seasons at Pima Community College, two at the UA. Among pitchers who threw at least five innings last season, Hicks had a team-best 3.94 ERA. He also had a team-high six saves.

Arizona hopes to have 2025 National Stopper of the Year Tony Pluta back after he missed this past season because of an elbow injury. If rising sophomore Benton Hickman and veteran left-hander Maclain Roberts can build on their strong summers, the Wildcats have the makings of a deep bullpen.

Hicks, who has appeared in a handful of games for the Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association, briefly was under consideration to assist pitching coach Sean Kenny. That job went to former Belmont pitcher and Louisville GA Jalen Borders — who coached Hickman with the Ocean State Waves this summer.

Arizona would have room to add Hicks. If a transfer portal for five-for-five players were to open in the fall — a lingering possibility according to some in the know — the Wildcats might be in the awkward position of having to cut players to free up roster space.

Hale and his staff are preparing for that scenario just in case.