How Arizona Continues to Pass Tests in Its Path

The No.1-ranked Arizona basketball team continues to pass every test thrown its way, most recently surviving a tightly contested matchup with in-state rival Arizona State with an 89-82 home victory on Wednesday night.

It was the second straight conference battle that head coach Tommy Lloyd believed would be a crucial step for his program, and it lived up to expectations, taking every ounce the Wildcats had to continue their undefeated season.

"We don't expect these games to come easy," Lloyd reiterated postgame. "We take all these games serious[ly]. I really appreciated the battle tonight. I appreciated the competition. I probably would've been okay if we would've lost, but I'm really happy that we won and can keep things moving. I learned our guys are here for it. You put them in tough situations, they're not afraid to make plays and find a way in a really tough game."

Three-Pointers Challenge Defense

One of those tough situations in Wednesday's game was facing Arizona State's three-point shooting. The Sun Devils were 11-of-25 (44%) from deep on the night, usually a good sign for a team trying to pull off an upset on the road. That forced Arizona to try some different things defensively than it had in its initial game plan.

Arizona-Arizona State — Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) makes a three point shot over Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

"They had answers for it early," Lloyd added. "Sometimes, you have an answer in execution, but you miss the shot. That's basketball. But today, they had answers, and they made timely shots."

The change in strategy worked out as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half, but it's clear this won't be the last close call this season.

Arizona test — Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) dunks the ball over Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

"We got through tonight," Lloyd said. "I told our guys today, 'I don't care about the Big 12 Championship today. I don't care about the NCAA Tournament. I just care about beating Arizona State, and then we'll deal with what comes next.' What comes next is a tough road game at UCF, so I'm just going to stay locked into that mindset. I'm not getting greedy."

"Thank God we played at home today," he added. "Obviously, it's a little bit of an advantage, and I thought our crowd was great. ... They weren't fans today, they were participants. They helped get us across the finish line."

Path to the Final Exam

Arizona is about to enter a stretch in which it plays some of the best teams it has played all season. The trip to UCF is just the next hurdle, but moving forward, it takes on No. 11 BYU and No. 7 Houston on the road. The Wildcats won't have the advantage of extra support and additional participants to lean on in those big games.

So, while it can collect its breath after a close call for now, more tests are coming down the line. The difficulty will continue to increase, and the Wildcats will need to show they've prepared for it all. Maybe Wednesday's game was the challenge they needed to find out just how much of a toll it could be,