Arizona's Burries Helping His Freshman of the Year Case

Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries continues to impress in his freshman season, and he has proven himself as a candidate to earn top freshman honors this season.

Burries climbed up a spot in ESPN’s latest rankings for Freshman of the Year, going up from No. 10 on the list to No. 9. Burries has been arguably the Wildcats’ best player this season, averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point territory.

Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Burries’ Case

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello evaluated Burries’ performance of late, explaining why he jumped up a spot in the latest rankings.

“Burries' numbers aren't as gaudy or consistent as some of the other players on this list because of Arizona's balance, but there are very few players better in late-game situations than Burries,” Borzello said.

“He was under the weather against Houston, but made several clutch late free throws. He then took over late against Baylor, helping the Wildcats avoid the upset. He also scored 20 points in three of his last six games entering the week, including 24 in that Baylor game and 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in Saturday's win over Kansas.”

Burries has been a part of Arizona’s group of standout freshmen that also includes Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, and Dwayne Aristode. His play this season has helped boost his NBA Draft stock, with some mock draft boards projecting him to be a first-round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) blocks a shot by Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Burries’ Top Performances

He has scored 20 or more points in a game 10 times this season, with his season-high being a 29-point outing against BYU on Jan. 26. After a slow start to the season scoring wise, Burries picked up the pace in a hurry, and has established himself as one of the best scorers on potentially the best team in college basketball.

His ability to attack the basket while also being able to space the floor as a three-point shooter has opened up Arizona’s offense, and allows players such as Peat and Motiejus Krivas to feast down low.

Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries and center Motiejus Krivas (13) and Kansas Jayhawks guard Tre White (3) all reach to rebound the ball during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Burries has also shown that he is more than just a scorer, increasing his activity level on defense, and in crashing the glass over the course of the last few months.

He’ll look to carry his momentum this season into the final regular season game against Colorado, and eventually into the Big 12 Tournament, where the Wildcats will have a good chance of coming away with the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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