No. 12 Arizona is back home Tuesday night with a chance to keep building momentum, and the early signs point to a team that can hurt opponents in a lot of different ways.
The Wildcats have already seen two players clear 30 points in their first two games, with Ivan Kharchenkov and Motiejus Krivas each turning in big scoring nights. Kharchenkov opened the season with 38 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in an 84-75 loss to UCLA in Las Vegas, then followed that with 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in Arizona’s 104-84 win over Cal Poly last week in Tucson.
Krivas, meanwhile, bounced back from a quiet opener against UCLA to deliver 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting against Cal Poly. The 7-foot-2 Lithuanian also hit 10 of 12 free throws and grabbed eight rebounds after managing only eight points on four shots in the season opener.
“UCLA is well-coached and they defended me well,” Krivas said. “I was determined to come out stronger (against Cal Poly), work for position, and my teammates found me.”
Arizona’s freshman class also showed up in a big way against Cal Poly. Caleb Holt, a true freshman guard, scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Cameron Holmes added 13 points. North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon chipped in nine points and five assists.
Holt said Krivas gives the Wildcats a lift every time he steps on the floor.
“Just going out there, being able to play with a skilled big guy, and (one) that can protect the rim, and just wants to win at all costs, it’s amazing,” Holt said.
The Wildcats’ interior edge was obvious against Cal Poly. They outscored the Mustangs 56-26 in the paint, won the rebounding battle 44-30 and forced 14 steals while turning those into 25 points off turnovers.
Northern Arizona comes in at 0-2, and turnovers have been the story of its first two games. The Lumberjacks fell 89-77 at UNLV and 94-65 at New Mexico, and both losses were fueled by giveaways that opponents turned into easy points.
Against UNLV, Northern Arizona built a 12-point first-half lead before the game slipped away. The Lumberjacks committed 18 turnovers, and the Rebels turned those into 20 points. At New Mexico, they had 16 turnovers that led to 23 Lobos points.
“We got sped up and didn’t run our sets,” Northern Arizona coach Shane Burcar said.
He also called the miscues “factors hard to overcome to win a basketball game.”
Sophomore guard Chris Komin has been Northern Arizona’s most productive scorer so far. He had 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including four 3-pointers, against UNLV, then followed with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists against New Mexico.
Arizona’s biggest issue through two games has been outside shooting. The Wildcats went 7 of 30 from 3-point range against UCLA, then made just four of 14 against Cal Poly.
“We’re trying to fight for our identity right now, so I feel like we gotta like keep at it, keep at it, keep at it, and then that feeling’s gonna come,” Tommy Lloyd said.
Arizona leads the all-time series 103-27 and has won the last 37 meetings dating to the 1968-69 season.
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The matchup also brings a few layers beyond the ranking and the reputation. Utahs offense has enough playmakers to stress a defense, while its own game plan on the other side figures to be shaped by how it wants to deal with Arizonas passing attack. Injury updates add another wrinkle, and the Utes enter the week with some uncertainty around key personnel even as they continue to look like a group built for late-season pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Perfect Season Faces A Ranked Test Fans Cant Ignore
Utah arrives in Tucson still unbeaten after a 28-20 win over BYU, and the matchup with No. 22 Arizona has the feel of a late-season checkpoint for a team that has handled every challenge so far. The Utes have been steady on both sides of the ball, with Devon Dampier giving them enough at quarterback to keep the offense moving and a defense that has made life difficult for opponents all year.
Arizona, meanwhile, is coming off a one-point escape against TCU and gets a chance to measure itself against one of the country's most complete teams. The Wildcats have enough offensive punch to make this interesting, but Utah's balance and defensive consistency create a tough ask, especially with the Utes still carrying the look of a team that has not yet found a reason to blink. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Young Frontcourt Has A Big Chance To Build Momentum
Arizona gets another early-season chance to settle in Tuesday night at McKale Center, where Northern Arizona comes in for a nonconference meeting that should give the Wildcats a chance to keep building rhythm. The matchup also puts the spotlight on a young Arizona frontcourt, with freshmen Caleb Holt and Caleb Holmes expected to be part of the story as the Wildcats look to stack consecutive wins and keep moving in the right direction.
Northern Arizona brings its own pieces to watch, including sophomore guard Chris Komin and freshman Lucas Toukam, but the bigger question for Arizona is how quickly its young bigs can turn these kinds of games into momentum. The Wildcats have long handled this series and will be expected to do so again, yet November games like this often matter less for the final margin than for how a teams newest players respond when the schedule gives them a manageable stage. [Read more 🡒]