Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona team finished the exhibition slate the right way on Friday night, rolling past Eastern Washington 85-54 at McKale Center in Tucson.
Now the Wildcats move on to something that actually counts: a season opener against UCLA on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.
Arizona looked sharp in plenty of areas against the Eagles, turning in its most complete exhibition performance of the three-game tuneup. The Wildcats were in control on both ends and used the matchup as a final dress rehearsal before the games start to matter.
Caleb Holt was the headliner. The 6-foot-5 freshman had flashed his upside in Arizona’s first two exhibition games, but this was the night he put it all together.
Holt scored a game-high 21 points in 24 minutes, going 5 of 7 on two-point attempts and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. He also added five rebounds, two assists and three steals while bouncing all over the floor against Eastern Washington.
He showed the full package: open threes, transition burst and better playmaking. The one blemish was the turnover count, but the overall performance was hard to miss. Mo Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov may be Arizona’s preseason All-Big 12 names, but Holt looked like someone who could force his way into that conversation.
JJ Mandaquit also made his case for a bigger role. The 6-foot-1 guard finished with 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting, including 2 of 4 from three, and he led the Wildcats with five assists while grabbing two rebounds.
He played with pace, processed the game quickly in the half court and knocked down open looks. Arizona brought him in after he had a solid, though not elite, freshman year at Washington, and on Friday it was easy to see why Lloyd wanted him in the mix.
Mandaquit is expected to share point guard duties with Dixon this season, and Lloyd has already shown he’s comfortable using both guards together.
The cleanest part of Arizona’s night might have been the scoreboard, but the ugliest part was the turnovers. The Wildcats coughed it up twice in the first 53 seconds, had nine giveaways in the opening half and four of those belonged to Holt. Things didn’t improve much from there, as Arizona finished with 20 turnovers overall.
That’s the number Lloyd will be zeroing in on, because UCLA won’t let sloppy possessions slide. Mick Cronin’s team will make opponents pay, and Arizona has just over a week to tidy things up before the Bruins arrive on Monday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 PM MST.
In Other News...
Arizona Put Iowa State In A Spot No Big 12 Team Wants
Arizona set the tone immediately after the bye, and Iowa State spent the rest of the afternoon trying to climb out of the hole. The Wildcats scored on their first two possessions and carried a 25-3 lead into halftime, a fast start that put the Cyclones on their heels and made the rest of the game feel like an uphill battle from the outset.
The second half brought a change at quarterback for Iowa State, with Connor Moberly taking over for Jaylen Raynor, but the offense never found enough rhythm to threaten a comeback. Now the Cyclones have to turn the page quickly, because Oklahoma State is next on the schedule at home, and there is little margin for another slow start in Big 12 play. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Sudden Playoff Push Just Got A Lot More Real
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The latest model adjustments show how quickly momentum can change once a team strings together meaningful wins, and Arizona is now part of that conversation in a real way. With the playoff race still fluid and bowl positioning shifting every week, the Wildcats have given themselves a much more interesting path than anyone would have projected a month ago, even if there is still work ahead before the picture fully comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Its Toughest Test Yet In Hostile Lubbock
Arizona heads into Lubbock with plenty on the line after a decisive win over Iowa State, and the Wildcats have earned a seat in the conversation at 6-1. Texas Tech is in the same position record-wise, but the setting changes everything. The Red Raiders have built a strong home winning streak at Galaxy Stadium, and oddsmakers have made them a 4.5-point favorite in a matchup that feels like one of the biggest measuring sticks on Arizonas schedule.
History does not offer much comfort for the Wildcats in this spot, either. Arizona has struggled badly in Lubbock over the years, and the trip has been one of the most difficult on the calendar for this program. Texas Tech is also trying to steady itself after a recent loss to Cincinnati that could matter in the playoff picture, which adds another layer to a game where both teams arrive with momentum, pressure and a lot still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]