Congratulations to Brewster Academy senior Dwayne Aristode on his commitment to Arizona! #BearDown pic.twitter.com/X4Hm00FeTm
— Jason Smith (@BrewsterHoops) October 13, 2024
Arizona has received a verbal commitment from five-star forward Dwayne Aristode, one of the top recruits from the Class of 2025 announced to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
The 6-foot-8, Netherlands native chose Tommy Lloyd’s program over Duke, USC, Michigan State and the NBL Next Stars program.
“The winning culture Tommy Lloyd has built at Arizona is remarkable,” Aristode told Givony. “They play fast and have the right balance between structure and giving players freedom.”
Aristode, who is entering his second year of high-school basketball in the United States with the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, made his Netherlands international debut as a 17-year-old. He excelled against competition from Belgium and Serbia.
“Representing my country was a dream come true,” Aristode told Givony. “The pace and physicality were very different. I needed that experience playing against a three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic to see where my game is, and where I want to go personally. I want to help the Netherlands become one of the best teams in the world in the future.”
Lloyd has a rich history of landing international recruits. During his 20 years as an assistant at Gonzaga, he played a role in landing commitments from Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania, Rui Hachimura of Japan, Kelly Olynyk of Canada and many others.
Arizona’s current roster has five international players — Motiejus Krivas of Lithuania, Conrad Martinez of Spain, Anthony Dell’orso of Australia, Henri Veesaar of Estonia and Emmanuel Stephen of Nigeria.
Aristode is Arizona’s first recruit from the Class of 2025.
“He brings defensive versatility with his chiseled frame and 6-foot-10 wingspan and dynamic 3-point shooting prowess,” Givony writes.
Arizona enters the season No. 9 in ESPN’s top 25 rankings.