Though it ended up making things respectable at the end, even getting within one point late, Arizona did not look like a Final Four-caliber team when it lost to UCLA on opening night. The same wasn’t the case a year ago when, despite early struggles, the Wildcats roared back to knock off defending champion Florida in their first game.
Two blowout wins at home didn’t do much to change the overall perception of the UA. It’s still a work in progress, and not just because the projected starting power
forward is still trying to get eligible. If RJ Godfrey is able to suit up—possibly next week?—it won’t be a cure all, and coach Tommy Lloyd isn’t expecting it to be.
“Just keep growing day to day,” Lloyd said, after Tuesday’s 90-59 win over NAU, when asked what his team needs to improve on moving forward. “I think you try to pinpoint one thing. I just don’t ever think it’s that easy. I think the most important thing in a season is understanding that the season’s a continuum, and while you’re in that continuum, you gotta make progress, and so just having that mindset, that growth mindset, I think to me is the most important thing we gotta wrap our arms around.”
The next stretch of games for the Wildcats will test that growth, starting with Friday’s visit to Auburn. After that is No. 4 UConn at home next week before going to Maui to play three games in three days.
“Welcome to Arizona basketball, it doesn’t always feel good,” Lloyd said. “There’s other ways to schedule, but I think if you’re doing what’s right for the program and right for the game, you really challenge yourself. Sometimes we as coaches and the players want to deliver for the fans and be perfect, you have to let that go. You have to let that go because if you’re feeling guilty about losing a tough game early, you’re maybe focused on the wrong things. I’ve really chosen to try to focus just on the day-to-day approach of this team.”
The visit to Auburn serves as the back end of a home-and-home that saw the UA blow out the Tigers 97-68 last December.
Here’s what to watch for when the Wildcats and Tigers meet in Alabama:
A tough place to win
Arizona will be playing its first true road game against an SEC school since losing at Tennessee in 2021 during Lloyd’s first season, but it has shown in the past the ability to win in tough environments. Last year’s squad went into Storrs and ended UConn’s 36-game nonconference home win streak, and in previous seasons under Lloyd the Wildcats have won at Duke and Illinois.
Auburn’s Neville Arena is ranked by KenPom.com as the 26th-toughest place to play in Division I (McKale Center is 45th) and its almost impossible to win there as a nonconference opponent. The Tigers have won 69 straight games there against non-SEC teams, the longest active streak in the country, and that included three wins during their run to the NIT championship.
“They got to feel what it was like at McKale last year, so I have no doubt in my mind that they like to reciprocate and when we go to whatever they call that place, The Jungle,” Lloyd said. “I had their game on in the background last night, and I didn’t realize they had the longest nonconference home winning streak in the country. It sounds like a lot of teams have gone there and come out with a loss. So I’m excited to see how we respond, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”
Auburn’s streak can be a bit misleading, however. Only one opponent in that run was ranked, that being No. 25 Washington in 2018, and only seven came from another power conference.
At 12th, Arizona will be the highest-ranked nonconference foe in terms of KenPom rating since No. 6 Texas A&M (then still in the Big 12) in 2006. And Auburn lost that game by 29.
A deep opponent
Arizona has had nine players appear in all three games to this point, with eight averaging at least 10 minutes per game. But other than Bryce James, who has basically been a SINO (Starter In Name Only) the rest of starting lineup has each had to average more than 26 minutes despite two lopsided results.
Auburn, which has wins over SE Louisiana (92-59) and Appalachian State (75-53), has had 10 players average double figures in minutes. In Monday’s win over Appalachian nobody played more than 26 minutes, and coach Steven Pearl has said that will be the norm.
“It’s crucial for us to be able to really buy into the depth that we have,” said Pearl, son of former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl who is in his second season in charge.”Guys coming in and having had a 4-minute break, it makes a huge difference and it’s going to allow us to hopefully wear down a team over a 40-minute game. Our depth’s gotta be our calling card. I feel confident in all 10 of these guys.”
The scoring isn’t as balanced as the minutes, though. Third-year guard Tahad Pettiford is averaging 22 points and his 35 shot attempts are 20 more than anyone else on the team. He had 26 on Monday and no one else had more than nine, so if Arizona can limit him the Tigers will need others to step up.
A second chance for Mo
Among the areas where Arizona struggled in the opener against UCLA was getting the ball to its big man. While Motiejus Krivas drew nine fouls he only ended up taking four shots, the 7-foot senior constantly doubled as soon as he got the ball in the post.
Krivas looked uncertain at times when faced with this double, bringing the ball down and trying to dribble rather than pass out of it, and then when the UA had a chance to tie in the final minute he ended up passing it to the bench when the double arrived.
The last two opponents didn’t have enough size to challenge Krivas the same way, but Auburn does. Starting center Narcisse Ngoy is 7 feet and 280 pounds, while 7-foot-1, 230-pound backup Bukky Oboye has actually played more minutes, and there are three other players 6-foot-8 or taller in the Tigers’ 10-man rotation.
“I have to expect it every game, and I have to trust the guys to kick out the ball,” Krivas said. “Sometimes the teams will try … to play with me. Like they’re doubling, not doubling. So just have to read the defender and read the defense.”
