How to watch Arizona vs. Cal Poly basketball: TV channel, live stream and tipoff time
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The first home game of the 2026-27 season for Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats is on Thursday, when the Mustangs of Cal Poly come to Tucson.
Arizona is looking for win No. 1 after losing the season opener, 84-75, in Las Vegas on Monday night against the UCLA Bruins - despite a Herculean effort from sophomore wing Ivan Kharchenkov, who dropped a career-high 38 points with 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats are 3-0 all-time against the Mustangs, with the most recent matchup coming in November 2018, an 82-61 win in Tucson.
Arizona's other stars must bounce back
Kharchenkov looked every bit like the sophomore breakout superstar he's expected to be against UCLA, but 5-star freshman Caleb Holt and Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Mo Krivas were largely ineffective when facing the Bruins' defense.
Krivas had eight points on 2-4 shooting in 31 minutes played, while Holt contributed just seven points on 2-7 shooting, including 0-4 from three.
Arizona's only real chance of returning to the Final Four requires both Krivas and Holt to play far, far better than they did on Monday - and a home game against Cal Poly should help the dynamic duo get back on track.
What to expect from Cal Poly
Cal Poly is 1-0 on the season after a 78-62 win over Division II Cal State San Marcos on Monday. The Mustangs massively outrebounded the Cougars, 59-36, but had a ghastly 25 turnovers - which included 15 steals by Cal State San Marcos.
Arizona looked outstanding defensively in the three home exhibition games and should have plenty of opportunities to get takeaways and convert easy buckets in transition on Thursday.
The Mustangs - currently ranked No. 159 at KenPom - are led by returning superstar Hamad Mousa, who led the Big West with 20.4 points per game last year, shooting 37.1% from three.
The 6'8 guard entered the transfer portal and was reportedly very close to playing for the defending champion Michigan Wolverines, but instead ends up back in San Luis Obispo, where he'll once again be among the best players in the conference.
Below is a look at how to watch, stream, and listen to Arizona take on Cal Poly on Thursday in the 2026-27 home opener:
Arizona vs. Cal Poly: Game time, TV channel and streaming information
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5
Game time: 8:30 PM MST
Where: McKale Center (Tucson, AZ)
How to listen: Wildcats Radio 1290 AM
How to stream: HBO MAX
How to watch: TruTV
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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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