Tommy Lloyd didn’t need much from his bench Friday night in Arizona’s win over Auburn, and that included Bryce James.
Lloyd shuffled the Wildcats’ starting five for the matchup, moving JJ Mandaquit into the lineup in place of James after the sophomore had started Arizona’s first three games. James never got off the sideline in the 80-point outing, while Lloyd used only three reserves: Maxsim Brnovic, Cameron Holmes and Evan Otten.
Afterward, Lloyd explained the call.
“Bryce and I had a great conversation,” Lloyd said. “I wish I would have got him in the game. It just got tight there and we got the lead, it’s just one of those things when you get the lead playing a certain way, sometimes it’s hard to thrust a guy into that moment when he hasn’t been on the court much.”
James has been a modest contributor so far, averaging 2.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 12 minutes per game. He’s shooting 3-11 from the field and 2-7 from three.
What stood out against Auburn was how little Arizona got from anyone outside its core group. The Wildcats’ starters accounted for 76 of the team’s 80 points, with Mandaquit adding six points from the free throw line. Caleb Holt led the way with 24, Ivan Kharchenkov scored 19, Mo Krivas finished with 16 and Derek Dixon added 11.
That left Brnovic and Otten with one basket apiece, while Holmes logged 14 minutes without taking a shot. He did finish with two steals, one assist and two turnovers.
“Our bench is going to have to develop over the course of this season,” Lloyd said after the game. “Today wasn’t the day to go deep and give them a long run.”
The numbers have been telling all season. Just under 85% of Arizona’s points have come from starters, and KenPom lists the Wildcats’ bench minutes rate at 24.1%, which ranks No. 331 out of 365 Division I teams.
Arizona still found a way to win on the road against a team that almost never loses at home, but the rotation remains a work in progress. The continued absence of RJ Godfrey only adds to that issue.
The schedule doesn’t ease up. Arizona hosts No. 4 UConn on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7:00 PM MST, with the game set for FS1.
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Arizona Just Made The Kind Of Road Statement Fans Crave
Arizona walked into Neville Arena and came away with the sort of result that can travel with a team for a long time. The Wildcats beat Auburn 80-69, a road win built on toughness, composure and a clear edge on the glass, as Arizona outrebounded the Tigers by 12 and kept its offense moving even while Auburn got a hand on several shots.
Caleb Holt led the way with 24 points, nine rebounds and five steals, with Ivan Kharchenkov and Motiejus Krivas also giving Arizona needed production. For a team that wanted a statement away from home, this was exactly the kind of night that changes how the rest of the schedule looks, especially with Auburns long nonconference home run suddenly no longer in the way. [Read more 🡒]