Wildcats Swing and Miss on Transfer Portal Big Man
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Arizona has yet again lost out on a transfer portal target this offseason. On May 4, head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats hosted one of the top remaining portal big men, Devin Williams. The team was looking for a center to play behind Motiejus Krivas.
Rumors were rising in favor of the Wildcats, but it did not last too long. Last Friday, Williams announced he would be visiting Seton Hall. This was not a good sign regarding the Wildcats.
NEWS: Florida Atlantic transfer forward Devin Williams has committed to Seton Hall, he told @On3. ⁰
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) May 10, 2026
The 6-10 redshirt sophomore averaged 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game this season, ranking sixth nationally in blocks during the regular season. Former 4⭐️… pic.twitter.com/THMVz1UD6N
Williams to Seton Hall
The news broke yesterday evening that Williams officially transferred to Seton Hall. This is really unfortunate news for the Wildcats because Williams is a perfect backup center to Krivas. He was one of the top shot blockers in the nation last season and would be a good rim runner for Derek Dixon.
VISIT NEWS: Florida Atlantic transfer Devin Williams plans to visit Seton Hall tomorrow, he told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) May 7, 2026
The former four-star recruit out of Riverside, California also recently visited Arizona. He averaged 7.5PPG, 5.2RPG, 1.3APG and 2.6BPG this season. https://t.co/PysgdKDgbh pic.twitter.com/YUy8O9ymQ2
His being a backup is a key reason why he may have told the Wildcats no. Williams started every game for Florida Atlantic last season. It would be hard to make that adjustment going into his junior season.
The Wildcats had a feeling this was happening after their decision on Friday, when they signed Endurance Aiyamenkhue to their 2026 class. Aiyamenkhue is a 6-foot-11 forward who will play sparingly in non-Krivas minutes.
Devin Williams vis Instagram 👀 pic.twitter.com/lO3kFv5UOn
— Kevin Thomas (@KevoPosts) May 5, 2026
Aiyamenkhue is more of a project, and Williams is ready to contribute now. It is not ideal for the Wildcats that they missed out on Williams, but Aiyamenkhue is what they have now.
Wildcats Have Had Quiet Portal Class
For as good as the Wildcats have been the past few seasons, they have had a relatively quiet transfer portal class. They are bringing back two key players, Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov, which is a huge plus. The program's incoming recruits are projected to make an immediate impact: Caleb Holt and Cameron Holmes.
As far as the transfer portal goes, the Wildcats have only signed Dixon and JJ Mandaquit, both point guards. The program has also lost Dwayne Aristode and Sidi Gueye in the portal. Lloyd and the Wildcats have lost out on a few targets, the main one being Jackson Shelstad.
Shelstad averaged 15.6 points per game last season and would have been a nice replacement for Jaden Bradley. Then, obviously, the team just struck out on Williams. It is interesting to see a top-tier program like Arizona struggle in the portal. At the same time, they did not necessarily need to go crazy in the portal either.
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Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25."