Arizona and UCLA are set to renew their rivalry in a season opener that brings plenty of familiar tension and a few fresh wrinkles to Las Vegas.
Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats will open the 2026-27 campaign against Mick Cronin’s Bruins on Monday, Nov. 2, at T-Mobile Arena, with tipoff expected around 8:00 PM MST. The matchup is part of a double-header that starts with Gonzaga against Purdue, and it keeps alive a series that has remained on the schedule even after the old Pac-12 fell apart following the 2023-24 season.
Arizona and UCLA agreed to meet in Phoenix in 2024 and in Los Angeles in 2025 to preserve the rivalry. The Wildcats dropped the first meeting, 57-54, before getting the upper hand last season with a 69-65 win over the Bruins.
This time, Arizona enters without projected starting power forward RJ Godfrey, who remains ineligible after withdrawing from his Georgia lawsuit and seeking a TRO in Texas late last week. Judge Ryan Luna has not formally denied the request, but he has made it clear he does not intend to grant it for players who joined the suit from other states, which would include Godfrey.
That absence looms large for Arizona against a UCLA frontcourt that brings back experience and physicality. The Bruins return three starters, with Xavier Booker, Eric Dailey Jr., and Trent Perry all back in the mix.
UCLA’s biggest wild card may be its newest arrival. Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old Serbian who played for FC Barcelona last year, was a major late offseason pickup for Cronin.
He cannot be drafted until 2028 because of his age, but he is already being talked about as a top 3 pick. The 6-foot-8 wing is expected to start at small forward, and his size, playmaking, and ability to get downhill make him a tough cover.
Kharchenkov is expected to take on that assignment for Arizona, and while he’s a strong defender, the Wildcats’ missing frontcourt piece makes that job even more difficult.
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