The University of Arizona's defending national champion wheelchair basketball team will compete on home court for the first time, as McKale Center hosts the National Wheelchair Basketball Association's Intercollegiate National Championships from April 1-4.

For the first time in the program's 51-year history, McKale Center at ALKEME Arena will serve as host, welcoming 12 men's and four women's teams, with each school guaranteed two games.

Men's head coach Michael Beardsley is focused on bringing a second consecutive national title to Tucson.

"We're trying not to focus on defending as much as pursuing a second national title," said Beardsley, who has been head coach since 2019. "Playing the best that we can (in) that first game, that's really our focus. Get past that first game, then hopefully our training and everything takes care of itself."

The men's team finished the regular season 28-5 and will enter the tournament as the third seed. Led by All-American and All-Rookie nominee Broden Nagle and senior captain Ben Thornton, the squad is looking poised for another deep title run.

Two of their five losses came at the hands of Auburn, who will be a tough postseason opponent. But Beardsley is making sure his squad is prepared for anything.

"We've been watching film. We're not putting too much focus on any team outside of whoever we're going to play first," Beardsley said. "That's all we can do, all we can control."

Women's head coach Josie Aslakson believes her squad is hitting its stride at the right time. Led by freshman standout Elise Froese, another All-Rookie nominee, and a veteran roster heavy with seniors, it is important for Aslakson to have a successful showing but also to send off her seniors in style.

"We're excited. We kind of peaked at the right time this season," said Aslakson, who is in her fifth season as head coach. "We have 10 seniors, including grad students, that are leaving after this year. It's really a big year for us to get to play at McKale and have the seniors show out at home, and all of them have been stepping up as well."

Despite going 4-12 in the regular season, Aslakson's squad closed the campaign with a 1-2 record in March, highlighted by a 51-47 win over Illinois and a nine-point loss to Alabama, the five-time defending national champion.

Aslakson's squad is hoping to make noise at the tournament, joining the rest of the field in trying to dethrone Alabama.

"Alabama is a standout team on the women's side," Aslakson said. "They have (won) countless titles in the last decade, so it's really up to anyone to try and make sure that they don't go home with another one, and we would like to be a part of that."

Aslakson and Beardsley have been part of the UA's program for many years but took different paths to their current roles.

Aslakson played one season for the UA women's wheelchair basketball team, the same year they entered the collegiate division.

"I came to the University of Arizona in 2019 as a transfer student, when it was the first year of Arizona entering the collegiate division," Aslakson said. "After I graduated, the head coaching position opened up on the women's side so it was a natural application for me and I already felt very invested in the team."

Aslakson also competed internationally with Team USA, earning a bronze medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and a silver at the 2024 Paris Games.

Beardsley worked his way up in the men's program after starting as a student worker in 2009.

"I … have done basically every job in our program," Beardsley said.

Beardsley returned to the program as an assistant coach in 2014, accepting the head coach position five years later.

"(I) just love the job, love everything that it comes with and the competitive nature of the sport," Beardsley said.

In the front office, Director of Adaptive Athletics Peter Hughes is excited for the opportunity to host nationals for the first time.

"It's pretty exciting," said Hughes, who has been leading the school's adaptive athletics department since 2018.

Hughes was recruited to play at Arizona in 2004, but his love for the game began south of the equator.

"I learned about wheelchair basketball in 1999 in Australia," Hughes said. "I had my degree, but then when I came back, I fell in love with wheelchair basketball."

After Hughes concluded his playing career, the men's program left the collegiate division in 2010 due to financial constraints. Before the men's program returned to the collegiate division alongside the launch of the women's program, Hughes coached two other adaptive athletics teams at the university: wheelchair track and women's wheelchair basketball.

And while the wheelchair basketball program is technically for UA students, Hughes said its impact has extended beyond campus.

"We helped the community grow their (wheelchair basketball) program, so there was a place for community members to play," Hughes said.

The 2026 NWBA Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball National Championships begin Wednesday, April 1 and conclude Saturday, April 4. Admission is free for UA employees, students with a CatCard and anyone under 18.

Adults and non-UA students can purchase a ticket for $25 that covers all four days of the tournament.

Men's division games begin Wednesday at 2 p.m., with higher seeds taking on the winners of Wednesday's games Thursday starting at 8 a.m.

Semifinal matches will take place Friday, April 3 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The third-place game is Saturday, April 4 at 8:30 a.m. and the championship game at 1:30 p.m.

Women's division games begin Thursday, April 2 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The third-place game tips off Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. and the championship game is Saturday, April 4 at 11 a.m.

The UA men's team opens the tournament Thursday, April 2 at 2 p.m. against the winner of the Southwest Minnesota State and Eastern Washington game.

The UA women's squad, also a three seed, takes on the University of Texas-Arlington at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 2. A win would send them to the championship game Saturday, April 4 at 11 a.m. against the winner of Alabama versus Illinois. A loss would send them to the third-place game Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m.

Patrick Moore is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and an intern with Tucson Spotlight. Contact him at patrickcmoore@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.