Arizona misses out on 5-star in-state center Darius Wabbington

Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats hosted three top 30 recruits in the 2027 class during the Red-Blue Showcase in late September, a potentially transformational weekend for the future of this program.

Unfortunately, Arizona is 0-1 after striking out on the first of the three to commit when Darius Wabbington - a 5-star center from Sunnyslope high school in Phoenix - announced his commitment to Darian DeVries and Indiana on Tuesday afternoon, picking the Hoosiers over a top three that included Arizona and Illinois.

Now the Wildcats will turn up the heat for 5-star guard Adan Diggs and 4-star forward Kamsi Awaka, hoping to avoid the disastrous outcome of missing out on all three.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Darius Wabbington has committed to Indiana, he told @Rivals. ⁰⁰The 6-foot-10 center is a top-15 overall recruit in the 2027 class. https://t.co/lW0tT09wD7 pic.twitter.com/USZjbrskxl
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) October 6, 2026

What Arizona is missing out on

Wabbington is one of the best high school centers in the country, ranked No. 2 at the position in the 2027 class by all three major recruiting outlets, and No. 9 overall at ESPN, No. 12 at 247Sports, and No. 17 at Rivals.

Wabbington took his official visit to Indiana back on Sep. 3 and visited Illinois Sep. 19 before coming to Tucson Sep. 26.

Standing 6'11 and with a massive 7'4 wingspan, Wabbington is incredibly skilled as a scorer, passer, and ball-handler, with elite footwork, soft hands, and touch around the rim. It's not hard to see why he would have fit nicely at Arizona, where coach Lloyd loves to have big men operate as offensive hubs away from the rim - letting Wabbington make decisions with the basketball where his production, and potential NBA draft stock, could have excelled.

Instead he will head to the Big Ten to play for Indiana, leaving Arizona without a commitment in the 2027 class.

What now?

Millennium Tigers guard Adan Diggs (1) celebrates his dunk against the Sunnyslope Vikings during their game at Sunnyslope High School on Jan. 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lloyd's recruiting has been outstanding as of late, bringing in top 30 recruits in 2026 (Caleb Holt), 2025 (Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, Dwayne Aristode) and 2024 (Carter Bryant), but this is an ominous start to the 2027 class for the Wildcats.

Fans will recover quickly if Lloyd can secure one - or both - of the two other visitors from the Red-Blue Showcase in Diggs and Awaka.

Diggs is the top prize, a 5-star guard who ranks No. 6 in the 2027 class at 247Sports and Rivals. The product of nearby Millenium high school stands 6'4 with a 6'7 wingspan, and balled out this summer with Vegas Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit, dropping 18.3 points and showcasing a big bag offensively along with developing playmaking skills.

Arizona is considered the frontrunner for Diggs, who has visits set at Arkansas (Oct. 10) and Kentucky (Oct. 22) later this month, as well as offers from Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Houston, Alabama, BYU, LSU, and many others.

Meanwhile Awaka is a legacy target, with his brother Tobe having put together two very productive seasons under Lloyd at Arizona from 2023-2025. Kamsi is a 4-star big who stands 6'10 with a 7'4 wingspan and who - like his brother - is a strong, physical, high motor big man who uses his strength and toughness to gobble up rebounds and alter shots at the rim.

Awaka has taken visits to UConn, Florida, Michigan, and Michigan State, but having Tobe in the house for the Red-Blue Showcase last weekend had to help Arizona's chances of bringing Kamsi to Tucson starting in 2027.

The Wildcats have also been connected to 4-star forward Asa Montgomery and 4-star center Cherif Millogo in the 2027 class as Lloyd looks to bolster the future of this program ahead of the start to the 2026-27 season.

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