Aristode To Join The Wildcats
This past Sunday, Dwayne Aristode, a senior at Brewster Academy, announced his commitment to the University of Arizona.
Aristode, a native of the Netherlands, made his way to the United States in the fall of 2023 with high expectations. Before joining Brewster, Aristode was already making waves in Europe while playing with Joventut Badalona in Spain.
His international experience also includes a standout performance for the Netherlands at the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship, where he averaged 15.3 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
This past summer, Aristode suited up for the Netherlands national team at the age of 17, and contributed in contests against Serbia and Belgium.
In the United States, Aristode made his EYBL debut with Expressions Elite, quickly establishing himself as one of the team’s top contributors.
In 12 games leading up to Peach Jam, he averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, shooting 43.1% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range.
His strong performances in numerous different settings attracted significant interest from major college programs up to this point.
By October, Aristode had narrowed down his final choices to five options: Arizona, Duke, Michigan State, USC, and the NBL’s Next Stars program in Australia.
Ultimately, Aristode chose to join the Arizona Wildcats, where he will play under head coach Tommy Lloyd.
While Arizona is transitioning to the Big 12 this season, coach Lloyd is known for attracting top international talent throughout coaching career. His history of developing international stars at Gonzaga, such as Domantas Sabonis and Rui Hachimura, is well-documented. This season, five international players will suit up for the Wildcats under his leadership.
In Aristode, Arizona gains an explosive, athletic wing with the ability to make an immediate impact. He’s a fearless slasher who can finish through contact with impressive body control and physicality, capable of throwing down powerful dunks over defenders.
Defensively, his versatility jumps off the page, as he has the footwork, strength, and speed to switch onto multiple positions and hold his own.
A focus for Aristode moving forward is to continue to develop as a perimeter shooter. While he is a capable shooter from outside already, taking that facet of his game to the next level will be something to watch for. If he gets more consistent with it, his 3&D upside becomes even more interesting.
While Aristode has made his verbal commitment, he will play one final season with the Brewster Academy Bobcats. Keep an eye on him this winter as Brewster competes in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League against some of the top programs in the nation.
Dwayne Aristode