Arizona Basketball Announces Dates of Two Scrimmages That Will Be Televised

Arizona will get their anticipated preseason work underway with two televised intrasquad scrimmages.

Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (2) shoots during practice for their Sweet Sixteen college basketball game in the NCAA tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Clemson and Arizona play on Thursday / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

With the calendar getting closer to flipping to fall, much of the attention on the Arizona Wildcats right now is centered around the football program.

Because the team is littered with talent, and they are entering their first year in the Big 12 Conference, there is some hope and belief they will be able to immediately contend this season.

But for as much excitement as there is surrounding Arizona football, the basketball fandom will also start heating up as the team gets set to get things underway in preparation for their first campaign outside of the Pac-12 that they have dominated under head coach Tommy Lloyd.

Entering the Big 12, there could be some challenges the Wildcats haven't experienced before.

They'll be playing in a much deeper conference with higher-end talent that could pose a threat to the dominance that Arizona has enjoyed for the last three years.

So, as they start getting ready for the upcoming season, all eyes will be on how this team looks early on.

Fans will get a chance to see Arizona basketball in action during two separate intrasquad scrimmages on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11 as announced by the school.

Former Wildcats stars Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, along with their Road Trippin' podcast co-host Allie Clifton, will host the Red-Blue Showcase on Oct. 4 at the McKale Center. The game will begin at 6:00 p.m. MST.

A week later, Jefferson and Clifton will be back as the hosts for the Oct. 11 event, alongside 14-year NBA veteran and 2008 NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins. This time, the scrimmage will be taking place on the road at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale starting at 6:30 p.m. MST.

Both showcases will allow fans to get their first glimpses at this Arizona basketball team ahead of the upcoming season. Prior to the game taking place, the school announced there will be player introductions, a 3-point and slam dunk contest.

For those who aren't able to attend either of the Red-Blue Showcases, both scrimmages will be televised on ESPN+.