3 questions Arizona basketball needs to answer in final exhibition vs. Eastern Washington

With the regular season approaching, the Wildcats have another opportunity to evaluate their shooting, freshman contributors and frontcourt rotation

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

Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats have one final exhibition game before the season officially begins on Monday, Nov. 2, against UCLA in Las Vegas.

First up is a final exhibition tune-up against Lloyd's old boss, Dan Monson, and the Eastern Washington Eagles. The game is set for Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:00 PM MST, and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

After wins against San Francisco and San Diego State last week - which had plenty of good and bad for the Wildcats - Arizona will take on an Eagles team that went 14-19 last year, finishing third in the Big Sky with an 11-7 conference record.

Below is a look at three key things for Arizona fans to watch for on Friday evening against the Eagles:

1. Can Cameron Holmes make his case for a bigger role?

Arizona Wildcats guard Cameron Holmes (2). | Photo courtesy of Arizona University Athletics

Cameron Holmes is in line for a key role in Arizona's rotation as a freshman, and while he's a versatile defender and high-level athlete, he hasn't really popped in either of the team's exhibition games.

Holmes played 20 minutes with six points, five rebounds, and three assists on 2-6 shooting against USF, and had three points with four rebounds, an assist, and a block in 17 minutes against SDSU.

Neither performance was bad, but Friday is a chance for him to look for his own shot and prove he can be more than just a defensive, good rebounding wing on this Wildcats roster.

2. Will Arizona's perimeter shooting improve?

Jan 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) holds up a three after he makes a three-point basket against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona didn't rely on the three point shot last year - but when they did take them, they were quite efficient. This year's team has yet to prove they can match that level of efficiency, shooting 6-18 against San Francisco and a very ugly 9-34, including 3-17 in the first half, against San Diego State - putting them at 15-52 (28.8%) through two exhibition games.

All exhibition results should be taken with a grain of salt, but it's more than fair to want to see Arizona shoot it better from deep against a weaker opponent on Friday in the Eagles.

3. Can Maksim Brnovic capitalize on RJ Godfrey's absence?

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts against the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona is still hoping that forward RJ Godfrey will find his way to eligibility this upcoming season, but with 11 days until the season opener, the Wildcats are forced to prepare for life without the Clemson transfer.

Last Friday, Maksim Brnovic, a freshman forward from Montenegro, showed exactly why he should be the primary beneficiary in Godfrey's absence. Against San Diego State, the 6'10 forward dropped 10 points with four rebounds on 4-6 shooting, including 2-3 from three, in 18 minutes of action.

Against Eastern Washington, he should have plenty of opportunity to show coach Lloyd and the staff what he is capable of, as he competes with Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius and Idaho State transfer Evan Otten for minutes alongside Mo Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov in the frontcourt.