Predicting No. 2 Arizona's Game Against Norfolk State

Fresh off an impressive 71-67 win over then-No. 3 UConn, No. 2 Arizona (6-0) traveled back home to square off against Denver in a late Monday night game looking to keep the train rolling after climbing two spots in the latest AP Poll.

One of the toughest things to do in college basketball when you have a young team with seven freshmen is to stay sharp and ready for these games against lower-level Group of Five teams when coming off the highs of back-to-back wins over highly ranked opponents.

Although Arizona has a lot of youth, the WIldcats have the right mix of veteran leadership and coaching that kept everyone on track against Denver. UA throttled Pioneers 103-73 to lock in the team’s sixth win of the season.

In the last game against UConn, Arizona saw freshman Brayden Burreis struggle with just scoring four points on 2 of 4 shooting from the field.

Nov 24, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) reacts after he dunks the ball over the Denver Pioneers during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Against Denver, Burries found his groove again and dropped 20 points while going 7 of 13 from the field and collecting seven rebounds and four assists in his 23 minutes.

It was a game of the freshmen as forward Ivan Kharchenkov recorded a career-high 20 points while going an impressive 9 of 12 from the field. Meanwhile, Kharchenkov dropped two 3-point shots.

Another freshman that was able to have an impact on the game was forward Dwayne Aristode, who scored 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Aristode managed to collect five rebounds for the night.

Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Norfolk State Spartans guard Terrance Jones (2) controls the ball during the second half against Florida Gators center Micah Handlogten (3) at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Now, Arizona will get ready for a 2 p.m. (MST) tip-off against Norfolk State (4-4) with the game being streamed on ESPN+.

To get you ready for the game, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have come up with our game prediction for the Arizona-Norfolk State battle.

Game Prediction

No. 2 Arizona: 96

Norfolk State: 67

Reason

Nov 7, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) reacts after a foul was called on him during the second half of the game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

When looking at the Wildcats’ roster, they have to edge at every single position and the depth off the bench to give the Spartans issues. And when you look at the difference in size, they have no one over 6-foot-9 on the roster.

The Wildcats have been one of the best teams at scoring points in the paint and rebounding the basketball. With the size advantage, Arizona should have a Thanksgiving feast in the low-post and let Tobe Awaka, Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas go to work all-day-long.

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) dribbles the ball during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game against the UCLA Bruins at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Although it is hard to get up for these types of games against low-level mid-major opponents, Arizona has done a great job at not overlooking these matchups so far this season.

Please be sure to share your thoughts on our pick for the Arizona-Norfolk State showdown. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.