Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats got the season off to a rough start on Monday, going down early and never fully recovering in an 84-75 loss to the UCLA Bruins in Las Vegas.

The lack of physicality down low hurt the Wildcats, a cruel reminder that Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey - who remains ineligible despite many other class of 2022 seniors getting to play - is such a critically important piece for this roster to come together and reach its ceiling.

The future of Arizona's frontcourt has been a major talking point recently as well, with the Wildcats missing out on a pair of 5-star big men in the 2027 class when Darius Wabbington and Kamsi Awaka - who both visited Tucson for the Red-Blue Showcase - committed to Indiana and Florida, respectively.

Make it three strikes for coach Lloyd, with 7'4 center Cherif Millogo committing to the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday morning.

Who is Cherif Millogo?

Arizona offered Millogo a scholarship back in May, one of 16 reportedly received by the big man from St. Francis High School in California.

Millogo was Arizona's last hope of landing a premier frontcourt player in the 2027 class after missing on Wabbington and Awaka, although the Wildcats weren't as heavily involved in Millogo's recruitment - never getting him on campus for an official visit.

The big man rocketed up the class rankings as of late - going from the 40's up to No. 8 at ESPN and No. 11 at Rivals. Standing 7'4 and 240 pounds, Millogo oozes upside thanks to his midrange and three point shooting, exceptional floor vision, and ability to protect the rim and snap up rebounds with a monstrous 7'9 wingspan.

Millogo did not play as a sophomore thanks to a torn ACL, but he blew up recently at the Border League event in Las Vegas, where he picked up offers from North Carolina, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

Millogo's legal guardian, Luc Mbah a Moute, played at UCLA alongside Alfred Aboya, who was recently hired by Kentucky as an assistant coach after previously serving as the head coach at NBA Academy Africa.

What's next for Arizona?

Arizona offered seven recruits in the 2027 class and six of them have committed elsewhere: Millogo (Kentucky), Wabbington (Indiana), and Awaka (Florida), as well as NaVorro Bowman (UConn), Jason Gardner Jr (Auburn), and Asa Montgomery (Duke).

The lone uncommitted recruit is Adan Diggs, a 5-star combo guard from Millennium High School who ranks No. 6 in the class. Diggs was at the Red-Blue Showcase in September, and has long been considered a lean for Arizona - although he did take official visits to both Arkansas and Kentucky in October.

Diggs was teammates with Arizona freshman Cameron Holmes at Millennium, and that connection could help salvage what has been a disappointing recruiting cycle for coach Lloyd after landing high profile recruits in 2026 (Caleb Holt and Holmes) 2025 (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and 2024 (Carter Bryant).