Before heading to Las Vegas to play Florida, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was quick to warn not to put too much stock in the first game of the season. But that was before the Wildcats knocked off the defending
NCAA champs on a national stage.
In only 40 minutes of action, expectations about the UA went from cautiously optimistic to Final Four or bust. So it goes after beating the No. 3 team in the country, doing so with massive performances from a freshman in his first college game and a senior primed to own his final season.
“We’re in a great spot, and I like where we’re at,” Lloyd said Monday night. “But I also know, we got a couple games at home.”
Arizona is home for its next two games, starting with Friday’s matchup with Utah Tech. Four days removed from playing one of the favorites to win it all the Wildcats will play a team ranked 247th out of 365 Division I schools according to KenPom.
“We just treat every game like it’s a big one,” Jaden Bradley said after scoring a career-high 27. “And most importantly, don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”
Here’s what to watch for when the Wildcats take on the Trailblazers in the first of 17 regular season games at McKale Center:
Second impressions
Koa Peat was as good as advertised, and then some. His 30 points were second-most by a UA freshman in their collegiate debut and he’s the first Big 12 player to have 30 points and five assists in his first college game.
The 5-star forward’s coming out party came against Florida All-American Alex Condon, whom Peat dominated. He was 11 of 18 from the field, made 8 of 12 free throws and added seven rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot.
Peat wasn’t the only UA freshman to have a big first game. Ivan Kharchenkov, a surprise pick to start the opener, went for 12 points and 10 rebounds. He’s the first Wildcats to have a double-double in his collegiate debut since Deandre Ayton in 2017 and only the third in 20 seasons along with Aaron Gordon in 2013.
But the other two freshmen that played did not fare well. Guard Brayden Burries, the highest-ranked member of the 2025 recruiting class, picked up two early fouls and ended up playing just 17 minutes, fouling out with three points (on 1-of-6 shooting) with two assists, while wing Dwayne Aristode had one rebound in six minutes on the court.
“Dwayne didn’t probably play as much as he could have, but he’s going to be fine,” Lloyd said.
A less formidable opposing frontcourt
Florida’s trio of Condon, Ruben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh are considered by many college basketball experts to be the top frontcourt in the country. And while they couldn’t stop Peat they were much more effective against the UA’s bigs, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka.
Krivas had six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes while Awaka, coming off the bench, went for seven points and five rebounds but also four turnovers in 16 minutes.
Utah Tech (2-0) is considerably smaller, with no one over 6-foot-8 logging minutes in its first two games. And the Trailblazers’ top rebounders have been guards, most notably 6-4 Chance Trujillo.
Arizona made a concerted effort to get Krivas involved early, with mixed results, but didn’t go back to him much once Peat started to assert himself and Bradley began to take over in the second half. Krivas will remain a big part of the offensive game plan, Lloyd said, and growing pains were expected after he missed most of last season.
“Mo is showing progress, and he’s going to grow,” Lloyd said. “Mo has really worked hard and gotten a lot better. He just needs a few games under his belt where he’s the impact guy that we want him to be, and then he’s going to get his real confidence.”
3-point practice?
Arizona attempted only five 3-pointers against Florida, its fewest since 2015. Kharchenkov made both of his shots, the second giving the Wildcats the lead for good at 41-40 late in the first half, while Anthony Dell’Orso missed both his attempts and Burries was 0 for 1.
Lloyd said he’d like to be somewhere in the 20s as far as 3-point shots per game. Arizona averaged 21.3 last season, making 7.2 per game, but that was with Caleb Love doing the bulk of the work, and it’s unclear who will be this team’s main perimeter shooter.
“There’s lots of ways to win a game, and I know a trend is shooting threes,” Lloyd said. “I don’t think we’re going to shoot five threes a game. I mean, obviously I’d like to be in the 20s, if they’re the right threes. And I think we’ll get there over time.”
Play or redshirt?
The circumstances of Arizona’s opening game made it very unlikely the back half of the bench was going to see action unless it was a blowout at the end. With KenPom projecting the Wildcats to beat Utah Tech 93-65, expect more than eight to get into the game.
Bradley and Peat each played 36 minutes and Kharchenkov 35 against Florida, and most likely none will see more than 30 unless it’s much closer than expected. Burries’ foul issues prevented him from spelling Bradley and that should happen more on Friday, as will there be minutes for Harvard transfer Evan Nelson to run the point.
The playing status of Arizona’s other three scholarship players is up in the air. Forwards Sidi Gueye and Mabil Mawut as well as guard Bryce James are all candidates to redshirt the 2025-26 season, though at least one of Gueye or Mawut figures to play in order to provide frontcourt depth.
If any of those three don’t play against Utah Tech it would be a strong indication they won’t at all this first year, barring injury. That’s what happened in 2024-25 when Krivas’ injury necessitated playing Emmanuel Stephen when the plan had originally been for him to redshirt.
