The Arizona Wildcats will play their first exhibition game of the season at McKale Center on Tuesday, October 13, against the San Francisco Dons. This marks the Wildcats' first matchup against an opponent at home in 225 days, following summer games in Lithuania and the Red-Blue Showcase in late September.
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Arizona and San Francisco have not met in a regular-season game since 1972. However, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is familiar with the Dons, having spent 20 years coaching under Mark Few at Gonzaga, along with USF assistant coach Kyle Bankhead, who played for Gonzaga from 2000 to 2004.
The San Francisco Dons, currently under the leadership of Chris Gerlufsen, have a rich history in the West Coast Conference and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022. Previously coached by Todd Golden, who recently led Florida to a championship, and before that by Kyle Smith, who is now at Stanford, Gerlufsen has experienced success in his first three seasons. However, injuries plagued the team last year, resulting in a 17-16 overall record and an 8-10 mark in league play.
For the 2026-27 season, USF is ranked No. 163 at KenPom and seventh in the WCC, featuring a revamped roster with talents including Gonzaga transfer center Ismaila Diagne, St. Thomas transfer Ben Oosterbaan, and Auburn transfer Abdul Bashir, alongside returning forward Ndewedo Newbury.
Arizona is set to host several exhibition games this season, with the Dons scheduled for October 13, followed by San Diego State on October 16, and Eastern Washington on October 23. Idaho State transfer Evan Otten is expected to play for Arizona after missing the Red-Blue Showcase, while international freshman Endi Aiyamenkhue will be unavailable due to a lower body injury.
Details for the Arizona vs. San Francisco game are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, October 13
Game time: 7:00 PM MST
Location: McKale Center, Tucson, AZ
Listening: Wildcats Radio 1290 AM
Streaming: Hulu+Live TV
Viewing: ESPN+