Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona team wasted no time showing what this group might look like when it gets rolling.
On Tuesday night in Tucson, the Wildcats opened their exhibition slate with a 93-69 win over San Francisco, and the game came with a few eyebrow-raising details before the real season even begins. Most notably, Bryce James got the start for Arizona, joining Derek Dixon, Caleb Holt, Ivan Kharchenkov, and Mo Krivas in the opening five. James finished with three points and one steal in 14 minutes, but the night belonged to the Wildcat heavy hitters.
Krivas and Kharchenkov combined for 38 points and 11 rebounds, while Holt turned in a smooth 17-point effort in what stood out as a polished showing from the freshman guard.
Krivas set the tone immediately and gave San Francisco no breathing room on either end. He scored 16 points in the first half alone while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, then closed with 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting overall.
He also hit 8-of-10 at the line, grabbed six rebounds and added a steal. His damage came in multiple ways: deep post position against true 7-foot center Ismaila Diagne, easy finishes as a lob option in ball-screen action, and a couple of transition looks that never gave the Dons a chance to settle.
For a player already viewed as the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year favorite, it was exactly the kind of outing that reinforced the buzz.
Holt’s performance might have been the most encouraging piece of the night for Arizona. The 5-star freshman didn’t chase the action or force bad shots to make his mark. He stayed within the flow, let the offense work through Krivas, Kharchenkov and, at times, Dixon, and picked his spots.
That approach produced 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting, plus 4-for-4 at the free throw line, five rebounds, two assists and no turnovers.
He made just as strong an impression defensively. Holt spent much of the game at the point of attack, where he picked up three steals and created several other disruptions. He worked through screens cleanly and looked far more like a seasoned college veteran than someone just stepping into his first real game.
Arizona’s offense was efficient enough, with the Wildcats shooting 53.2% from the field and scoring 93 points. But the defense may have been even more striking. Arizona came away with 12 steals, turned those into 25 points off turnovers and kept pressure on San Francisco for all 40 minutes.
The Dons finished with 19 turnovers, a product of constant activity and a Wildcat defense that forced rushed decisions possession after possession.
With Krivas, Kharchenkov and Holt setting the pace, Arizona looked like a team that could be difficult to score on all season as Lloyd pushes to get the Wildcats back to the Final Four.
Arizona’s next exhibition comes Friday, Oct. 16, at home against San Diego State. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM MST, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
In Other News...
Arizona Gets An Early Test For Its New-Look Final Four Follow-Up
Arizona will get an early look at its new season mix on Oct. 13, when the Wildcats host San Francisco in an exhibition at McKale Center. It is the first public tune-up for a program coming off a 36-3 season and a Final Four run, one that has managed to keep some familiar pieces in place while still looking notably different as it turns the page to another year with high expectations.
San Francisco is bringing a roster of its own that has been heavily remade, so the game should serve as an evaluation point for both sides. For Arizona, the timing offers a useful checkpoint before the games count, a chance to see how quickly the new group settles in against a disciplined opponent and whether the Wildcats can start building on last seasons standard right away. [Read more 🡒]
Former Wildcats Made NFL Noise Again And One Update Bears Watching
Former Arizona Wildcats kept popping up across the NFL in Week 5, with several alumni making noticeable contributions for their pro teams. Jacory Croskey-Merritt gave Washington a spark on the ground, while Tyler Loop stayed perfect on his field goals for Baltimore, the kind of early-season production that keeps former Wildcats on the radar as the league settles into October.
The bigger concern from an Arizona perspective came with Jonah Savaiinaea, whose day for Miami ended early because of an ankle injury. For a group that has had multiple ex-Wildcats carving out roles on Sundays, the update serves as a reminder that not every headline is about a breakout, and some of the most important ones are the ones worth watching closely going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Opens With Real Rotation Questions Still Hanging Over This Team
The Arizona mens basketball team is using its exhibition slate to learn a little more about itself before the 2026-27 season begins, with three tune-ups scheduled against Division I opponents. San Francisco comes first Tuesday night at ALKEME Arena, then San Diego State and Eastern Washington later in October, giving the Wildcats a set of games that should feel more like early-season work than preseason theater. Assistant coach Jack Murphy said the point is to create competitive challenges that help the team get ready for the real thing.
Those matchups also arrive with some rotation uncertainty still hanging over the roster. Arizona is sorting through a few availability questions as it tries to settle roles and lineups, and the exhibitions should provide a clearer picture of who can handle what once the games count. In that sense, the first week of October may matter less for the final score than for the clues it offers about how the Wildcats will piece themselves together. [Read more 🡒]