Arizona’s Red-Blue Showcase honored the 1997 national champions and 2026 Final Four team. Alumni Miles Simon and A.J. Bramlett saw echoes of Lute Olson in coach Tommy Lloyd’s approach; current Wildcats Ivan Kharchenkov and Caleb Holt praised the team’s chemistry.
The showcase featured a three-point contest, a dunk contest and a scrimmage. Arizona has three exhibition games before its season opener against former Pac-12 rival UCLA on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.
The reunion included a dinner, storytelling and time with families; some stories were emotional, Simon said. He highlighted similarities in Lloyd’s and Olson’s approach to recruiting and play, while Bramlett cited Lloyd’s attention to detail and player development. Kharchenkov said he feels more comfortable in his second year, and Holt said he watched the showcase as a recruit a year earlier and is glad he chose Arizona.
