a steady 6-2 guard with on-ball grit, but the shot still has to catch up
In the 2025-26 season, Ari Gooch has been a low-usage rotation guard for UAB, averaging 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.9 steals in 17 games while shooting 34.4% from the field and 15.4% from three[1][3][14]. The appeal is the defensive juice and disruptive instincts—his steal rate stands out more than his scoring punch—but he is still more connector than creator, and the jumper has not yet become a reliable weapon[1][12][11]. He looks like a depth fit for a team that values toughness, effort, and secondary playmaking, not a plug-and-play offensive engine[1][10].
