Arizona Continues to Trend For Elite 2026 Shooting Guard

While Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and his staff are primarily focused on the 2025-2026 college basketball season and their push for a one seed in the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats have also been highly active on the high school recruiting trail, making progress with several of their top targets in the 2026 class.

One of those targets is a five-star shooting guard, and a national recruiting analyst recently reported that Arizona has been making a lot of noise in his recruitment.

Wildcats Reportedly Making Progress with Five-Star Shooting Guard

One of Arizona’s top targets in the 2026 recruiting cycle has been Caleb Hot, a five-star shooting guard at Prlific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Prolific Prep Crew guard Caleb Holt (2) shoots the ball during the first quarter of a City of Palms Classic Signature Series game against the CIA-Bella Vista Bears at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Wildcats have been pursuing him for several months, hosting him on campus in Tucson for an official visit in October. In December, the five-star shooting guard named Arizona as one of his final five schools, alongside Alabama, Houston, Kentucky, and Providence.

Holt hasn’t set an exact commitment date, but last month it was reported that the Prolific Prep star is planning to make his decision sometime in March or April.

While all of Holt’s finalists are very much in the mix to land him, Rivals’ Senior National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw recently highlighted Arizona and Alabama as the two schools making the most noise in his recruitment.

Shaw explained that while Alabama has consistently been a program to watch in Holt’s recruitment, Arizona has gained momentum in recent weeks, with one source even naming the Wildcats the frontrunner. He noted, however, that Alabama is also still actively pursuing the young shooting guard.

Arizona log — 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

“Early in the process for Holt there was a lot of smoke around Alabama,” Shaw wrote. "Continuing to speak with my sources since Holt’s release of his final group, I am told that Arizona has built a good bit of momentum.”

He continued, “One source recently told me they felt that Arizona currently had a slight lead for Holt. I am also told that Alabama is continuing to make a push for Holt, keeping him at the top of their board.”

Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lloyd and his staff have already secured one commitment in the 2026 cycle from four-star small forward Cameron Holmes, and Holt would be another fantastic addition to the Wildcats’ class. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 4 overall player in the country, the No. 2 shooting guard, and the No. 1 prospect from California.

There’s a real possibility that Holt will choose Alabama or another of his finalists. Still, based on Shaw’s report, Arizona appears well-positioned to land one of the top overall prospects in the 2026 class.

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