Despite Predictions, Arizona Still in Mix for Five-Star Forward

Arizona appears to be in a good position to secure one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class, but one expert believes they may end up losing the battle to land him.

Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Arizona and head coach Tommy Lloyd have been making a strong push to land the top power forward in the 2026 recruiting class over the course of the last month. While the Wildcats were recently named in his final three schools, one expert believes they will fall short of landing him. 

On October 24, Cameron Williams, a five-star power forward prospect from St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona, named the Wildcats in his final three schools alongside Texas and Duke. 

Arizona and Lloyd have been making a big push to secure Williams' commitment, hosting him on an official visit on October 17. After announcing his top three, Williams spoke about the Wildcats and explained that he believes he'd be a strong fit in their system, and that Lloyd and his staff have made him feel like a priority throughout his recruitment.

St. Mary's Cameron Williams (1) during the Section 7 high school basketball tournament at Arizona Athletic Grounds on Jun 20, 2025, in Mesa. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While things appear to be looking great for Arizona, the challenge is that they're competing with Duke to land Williams. Rivals' senior national recruiting analyst, Jamie Shaw, believes that the Blue Devils will edge out the Wildcats and win the 6'11" power forward's recruitment.

Shaw gave his prediction for Duke to land Williams with 45% confidence and noted that sources have told him that Duke has been gaining momentum over Arizona in recent weeks.

Apr 2, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; A general view of the Arizona Wildcats and Connecticut logos at the Alamodome prior to the national semifinals of the women's Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

• One source recently told me this week that they felt the Blue Devils are gaining momentum. All of Williams’ scheduled visits are completed," Shaw wrote. "Talk around the recruitment is that a commitment could be coming soon. Keep watching if things get fluid down the final stretch."

If Shaw's prediction is correct, it'd be a massive blow for the Wildcats. Not only is Williams from Arizona, but he's also a blue-chip recruit with Rivals' industry rankings listing him as the No. 7 overall player in the country and the No. 1 power forward prospect.

The good news for Arizona is that while Shaw's prediction is likely well-founded, it's by no means a guarantee. Williams undoubtedly thinks highly of the Wildcats' basketball program and has publicly stated that he likes how Lloyd plans to use him. 

Shaw's prediction isn't a good sign for Arizona fans, but it doesn't necessarily mean the Wildcats are out of the race to land Williams quite yet. 

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