Arizona basketball bounces back behind Motiejus Krivas: 3 takeaways from Cal Poly win
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Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats bounced back nicely from the opening night loss to UCLA, dominating the Cal Poly Mustangs, 104-84, on Thursday for their first win of the season.
Arizona was up 16-15 in the early going before a 27-7 run gave the Wildcats a 21-point lead, which they more or less maintained for the entire second half.
Motiejus Krivas led Arizona with a career-high 30 points, while Caleb Holt (21), Ivan Kharchenkov (16), and Cameron Holmes (13) joined him in double figures.
Below is a look at three takeaways from Arizona's breezy 20-point win over Cal Poly in the home opener:
Motiejus Krivas delivers a career-best performance
The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year hardly looked like himself in Monday's loss to UCLA. But the big man responded extremely well against the Mustangs, dominating down low to the tune of a career-high 30 points with 10 rebounds and two blocks. He shot a ridiculous 10-13 from the field and 10-12 from the line, dominating every minute he was on the floor.
There's no reason Krivas shouldn't touch the ball nearly every single time against an overmatched team like Cal Poly, and Arizona made sure to feed him as often as possible. He finished multiple dunks, snatched rebounds left and right, and kept a lid on the rim in the kind of performance that one would expect from an All-American big man - a great sign of things to come for the Wildcats.
Cameron Holmes shines, but Arizona's bench remains a question
Arizona's bench was practically non-existent against UCLA on Monday, and this game was a huge opportunity for them to step up.
Freshman Cameron Holmes did exactly that, scorching Cal Poly in the first half with 11 points on 5-6 shooting, one rebound, one assist, and one steal in 10 minutes. He was quiet but still effective in the second half, putting together his finest performance as a Wildcat between the exhibition games and Monday's opener.
Holmes was very active offensively, hunting his own shot, getting out in transition, and attacking the basket. It's clear he has the trust of the staff to go get a bucket, and it was great to see that early confidence from the 4-star forward.
The problem is the rest of the bench, once again, was pretty quiet. JJ Mandaquit was solid in 22 minutes, but only finished with two points, two assists, and two rebounds on 0-2 shooting. Meanwhile, the team's trio of backup big men - Maksim Brnovic, Ugnius Jarusevicius, and Evan Otten - didn't exactly shine in their first real look at extended playing time with the Wildcats, combining for just eight points in 33 minutes, while shooting 2-7 from the field.
Arizona did just fine with the starters, but it was another reminder of how critical it would be to get RJ Godfrey back and starting at power forward for the Wildcats.
Arizona's effort never wavers in bounce-back win
Arizona was embarrassed by UCLA on Monday, but one thing was very clear: there's no giving up with this squad.
Turns out, even in a blowout win, Arizona brings the energy for the full 40 minutes.
Multiple plays in the middle of the second half punctuated that, when Caleb Holt dove on the floor for a loose ball, and a few minutes later when Ivan Kharchenkov did the same, calling a timeout and firing up the home crowd.
It didn't matter that it was 83-56, with less than eight minutes to go; Arizona was not going to be outhustled - another great sign for coach Lloyd and his team. It wouldn't be unusual to see a team come out flat after a tough loss, especially against a weaker opponent, but the Wildcats played hard and physical all game long - no matter who was on the floor.
Arizona stays in Tucson for their next game, which is Tuesday, Nov. 10, against in-state opponent Northern Arizona. That game is set for 7:00 PM MST and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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Andy Patton is a college basketball writer with deep ties to both Gonzaga and Arizona. A Gonzaga alumnus who graduated in 2013, he has hosted the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021 and has co-hosted the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. His years covering the Bulldogs have also given him extensive familiarity with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than two decades on Mark Few’s staff at Gonzaga before taking over the Wildcats in 2021. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.
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