3 keys for No. 5 Arizona to beat No. 22 UCLA in season opener

The Wildcats face an early test against a ranked UCLA team with a contrasting style of play

Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Holt (3). | Photo courtesy of Arizona Wildcats Athletics

Tommy Lloyd and the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats begin the season with a tough, top-25 matchup against No. 22 UCLA in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series.

The Wildcats polished off a 3-0 record in exhibition games, hosting San Diego State, San Francisco, and Eastern Washington, and head into the season with sky-high expectations after last year's run to the Final Four.

Arizona will take on UCLA without Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey, who is expected to start at power forward for the Wildcats if he finds a way to get eligible after he was recently denied a TRO request in Waco, TX.

Below is a look at three things Arizona must do against Mick Cronin and the Bruins to ensure a 1-0 start to the 2026-27 season:

1. Force UCLA to play at Arizona's pace

Arizona Wildcats guard Derek Dixon (7). | Photo courtesy of Arizona Wildcats Athletics

UCLA has always played slow under Cronin, finishing outside the top 300 in KenPom's adjusted tempo metric each of the past three seasons.

Meanwhile, Arizona has ranked top 50 every season under Lloyd, including top 20 in his first three years in Tucson. The completely different tempos have always been a key factor when these two teams square off, and that is undeniably going to be the case again on Monday.

Arizona has two new point guards in Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit, while UCLA is splitting PG duties with returner Trent Perry and Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty.

Two competing styles, three combined new point guards, and multiple high-level wing athletes will make this an insanely fun matchup - and if Arizona can run the floor and force UCLA to play faster, it should help them leave Sin City with a W.

2. Put pressure on UCLA's backcourt

Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (right) against Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love at Footprint Center. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Arizona was all over the passing lanes during the exhibition season, getting what seemed like hundreds of deflections and constantly turning those into easy points in transition.

One of UCLA's biggest strengths under Cronin has been ball security, but the Bruins are heading into this season with a young, inexperienced group of ball-handlers.

Perry is entering his third season but hasn't played much as a pure point guard, while Petty is entering his sophomore year after playing a rotation role as a freshman for Texas Tech last year.

Both are good at avoiding turnovers, but Arizona's elite ball pressure - especially from 5-star freshman Caleb Holt - could frustrate this duo and Cronin on Monday night.

3. Establish Motiejus Krivas in the paint

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UCLA has always put together tough, physical defensive rosters under Cronin, and that will almost certainly be the case again in 2026-27.

Krivas will likely be defended by veteran Xavier Booker, who averaged just over one block per game last year. He didn't have a ton of success against Krivas last year, however, with Arizona's big man finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds on 5-6 shooting in 34 minutes against the Bruins.

Now Krivas heads into his senior year as a preseason All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year frontrunner, and he'll get plenty of paint touches against the Bruins on Monday night.

With limited frontcourt depth behind Booker for UCLA, Krivas has a chance to carve this team up and clearly establish his All-American case right out of the gate.

Arizona and UCLA are set to tip off at 8:00 PM MST on Monday, Nov. 2. The game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, broadcast on TNT, and streamed on HBO MAX.