How Arizona Wildcats Graded Out vs. Auburn Tigers
In this story:
Arizona Wildcats Overall Grade: A-
What Arizona Did Well (A to A+)
Offense & Efficiency — A+:
The Wildcats shot 61.2% from the field (41-of-67), which is elite for any college game. Against a team with strong defense, there was an impressive efficiency from inside the three-point line, where they relied on most of their game.
Paint Dominance & Rebounding — A:
Arizona won the paint battle 60 to 24, a massive advantage, and out-rebounded Auburn 40–34, despite Auburn still getting 16 offensive boards.
Balanced Scoring & Depth — A:
Five players scored in double figures in this game, leaving a lot of good to say about every player on the floor. Depth is a big part of making deep runs, and as the competition ramps up, the Wildcats' starters and bench alike have risen to the challenge. Here are some of the top contributors from the night according to ESPN.com.
Koa Peat — 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, plus rebounds, assists, a block, and steals. Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries — each with 16 points (Bradley hit 2-of-3 threes; Burries was 7-of-11). Ivan Kharchenkov — scored 12, added 8 assists, 5 rebounds, a block, and 3 steals: Anthony Dell'Orso — 11 points off the bench.
Momentum & Execution — A:
Arizona used a 12–0 run (and later a 20–3 stretch) in the first half and opened the second half with an 18–2 run, which effectively punched the ticket to a blowout.
Defense & Ball Pressure — A:
By forcing turnovers and collapsing the paint, Arizona disrupted Auburn’s rhythm and prevented any sustainable offensive flow.
What Could Be Sharpened (B- to B)
Offensive Rebounding Allowed — B-
Though Arizona won the board battle overall, allowing Auburn 16 offensive rebounds is not ideal — second-chance points remain a potential vulnerability.
Sustainability — A-:
While this game was played with great consistency, maintaining this level of efficiency, rebounding, defense, and shotmaking over a full season (with tougher defenses, road games, and fatigue) remains the challenge. Sustainability may seem like something too early to grade, but it could be something to look out for with the major Alabama game looming.
Overall, Arizona looked about as complete as a team can be at this point. Efficient, deep, physical, and fast. They dominated in all facets, showing why they’re among the national elite.
Auburn Tigers Overall Grade: D+
What Auburn Did Right (C to C+)
Individual Effort — C+: Tahaad Pettiford fought hard, scoring a career-high 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three and 5-of-5 free throws.
Free Throws & Some Discipline — C: As a team, Auburn showed some free-throw discipline: in recent games, they’ve been hitting their foul shots well. Last night, Hall and Overton went 6-of-6 each from the line.
What Failed or Fell Apart (D to F)
Shooting & Overall Offense — F:
According to auburntigers.com, Auburn shot just 33.3% from the field (21-of-63) and 24% from three (6-of-25), an offensive game to forget. The Arizona defense played a great game all around, forcing Auburn to have bad looks, but aside from that, the shots just did not fall most of the night, aside from a few early flashes.
Lack of Supporting Production — D:
Outside Pettiford, the rest of the team struggled. For instance, Keyshawn Hall scored 13, but did so on 3-of-11 shooting overall. Facing a team with outstanding depth, such as Arizona's it proved to be detrimental to the team that most other players failed to step up in a game that was heavily reliant on offense.
Game Control — F:
Auburn failed to respond to Arizona’s massive momentum swings. They couldn’t stop runs, couldn’t generate consistent offense, and looked out-matched from early on.
The Tigers were simply out-matched inside. Allowing 60 points in the paint while conceding a dominant rebounding margin exposed a clear mismatch.
Bigger Picture & What It Signals
Auburn’s roster turnover and youth (with only one returning scholarship player, per some post-game commentary) likely contributed to chemistry and execution issues. Their inability to match Arizona’s physicality, especially inside, suggests that until they build size, cohesion, and disciplined defense, they’ll struggle against top-tier opponents.
Under the current coach, this game underscored that this season may be a rebuilding one for Auburn rather than a run toward another Final Four, but there is time to build and shape up as the season progresses.
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Matthew is a recent graduate of Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in sports journalism and a minor in sports business management, with a love for all sports.