Arizona's Lloyd Explains Brayden Burries’ Growth Throughout Season

Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries had himself an exceptional regular season in his freshman campaign, but it took him a minute to find his groove.

Burries — who averaged a team-high 16.0 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the floor, and 37 percent from three-point range — started the season in a scoring funk. He scored in single digits in four of his first five games, really struggling to put points on the board efficiently.

Burries Is on a Roll

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) reacts to his three point score in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Then, Burries burst onto the scene with a 20-point performance against Denver on Nov. 24. From there, Burries found his groove, scoring in double-digits in every remaining game of the regular season except for three. Burries also scored 20 or more points in a game 11 times, with his season-high being a 31-point outing in the regular season finale against Colorado.

Burries’ ability to score at an efficient rate helped boost his draft stock significantly. Many mock NBA Draft boards have the 6-foot-4 guard being selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. He has also flashed an ability to defend at a high-level, and crash the glass with plenty of activity.

Ahead of the Big 12 Tournament, where Arizona will be the 1-seed, head coach Tommy Lloyd spoke about Burries’ growth throughout the regular season.

Lloyd’s Thoughts

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“He had to work through some things and get some experience,” Lloyd said. “He just needed reps. He needed to kind of feel what it's like to struggle, and then be able to review that and learn from it and then figure out where he could be successful.”

“It probably does a lot for his confidence,” Lloyd added. “He was able to really build off of that, and I think he’s been really consistent since then. He dealt with some illness this year, and I’ll give him credit."

"I think there were days he probably was like, ‘Man, it might be smart if I took a few days off. We were so depleted at the time, we couldn't afford for him to do that. And he stuck it out. For him to go through that and then come out on the other side of it and play the way he did, it was big time.”

Burries will look to continue his hot scoring into the Big 12 Tournament, and eventually the NCAA Tournament, where Arizona will have a good chance to earn its second national title in program history.