Why Tommy Lloyd Excited About Brayden Burries’ Development

The Arizona Wildcats have firmly established themselves as potentially the best team in the entire country up to this point, with some notable freshmen leading the way.

While phenom Koa Peat has garnered most of the attention for the #1-ranked Wildcats, guard Brayden Burries has also made quite a name for himself this season.

Burries is second on the team behind Peat in points per game with 14.3, while shooting 50 percent from the floor, and 34 percent from three-point range. After scoring just 6 points in each of his last two games prior to Arizona’s matchup with UCF, Burries scored 18 in the 84-77 win over the Knights.

Lloyd’s thoughts

Jan 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks on during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Wildcats at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After the game, head coach Tommy Lloyd spoke at length about Burries’ level of maturity on the court, which has been on display all season.

“He’s a basketball junkie from a basketball family,” Lloyd said regarding Burries. “Some kids just have it, they have that poise, and that presence, and he has it. I’ll give Brayden a lot of credit, there was obviously high expectations for how he was going to play this year for us, and he may have started out a little bit slow, but he’s really hung with it.

“I even told one of our assistants today that I had a sneaky suspicion that he was going to play pretty good today,” Lloyd added. “He did a great job, and he hit a couple timely shots in the second half. “

Burries has scored in double-digits 12 times this season, scoring 20 points or more 5 times. His season-high for points in a game is 28, which he has done twice this season (Dec. 13, and Jan. 7). His scoring ability has helped propel him onto mock NBA Draft boards as a possible first-round pick.

Jan 17, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) dribbles up the court in the second half against the Central Florida Knights at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

The Wildcats have been impressive this season, going 7-0 in Quad 1 games, and 2-0 in Quad 2. They have notable wins against Florida, Auburn, UCF, Alabama, UConn, and UCLA this season. They’ll continue to be tested throughout Big 12 play, with matchups against Kansas, Iowa State, Houston, Texas Tech, and BYU still on the horizon.

After dropping out in the Sweet Sixteen last season, the Wildcats continue to prove that they are true national championship contenders this time around. Should the Wildcats embark on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, expect Burries to be a key factor in their quest for their second national title in program history.