Arizona Shares Disappointing Update on Red-Blue Scrimmage in Phoenix Area

The highly-anticipated red-blue scrimmage for the Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team in the Phoenix area received a brutal update.

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts in the first half against the Clemson Tigers in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team has begun preparations for the 2024-25 season and it won’t be long until scrimmages and exhibitions start.

However, one highly anticipated scrimmage will not be occurring this year.

Last week, head coach Tommy Lloyd didn’t provide much confidence in the Red-Blue scrimmage off campus in Phoenix occurring. He said it was, “probably a big swing” to have the event take place.

As it turns out, that was a hint of what was to come.

Just a few days ago, it became official that the Red-Blue Showcase set to be played at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale on Oct. 11 was postponed.

They are going to attempt to have the game again in 2025.

According to a post shared by the program’s official account on X, it was a mutual decision by all parties to postpone the scrimmage.

An update on the Red-Blue Showcase in Glendale pic.twitter.com/PbctSGkS0J

— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) September 30, 2024

This Friday, the annual Red-Blue scrimmage will be held at the McKale Center.

Former Wildcats basketball stars Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson will be MCs for the event, along with their "Road Trippin’" podcast co-host, Allie Clifton.

The only person who will be missing from the group will be Kendrick Perkins, the former NBA player turned ESPN analyst. He was scheduled to appear in Glendale, but won’t be at the event Friday.

“We were presented with the opportunity and we went for it,” Lloyd said last week via Brian J. Pederson of Arizona Desert Swarm. “We obviously want to continue to grow Arizona basketball throughout the state, and we want to be able to get to Phoenix. It’s our largest population base in the state, and let fans engage with Arizona basketball.”

The first exhibition for the team will be on Oct. 21 against Eastern New Mexico.

Another will be held on Oct. 28 vs. Point Loma before the regular season gets underway on Nov. 4 against Canisius.

All three of those contests will be held at the McKale Center.

Preseason practices officially began last week.