First Look at Arizona's Season Opener vs Florida
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Arizona came up short in the Sweet Sixteen in March, falling to Duke as their season ended. For Tommy Lloyd, it was the same story with the same ending, losing in the Sweet Sixteen for the third time with the Wildcats.
This season, Lloyd hopes things will be different. Backed by a core group of returners and the nation's No. 2 recruiting class, the Wildcats could take a big step forward this season.
They face a daunting non-conference lineup, starting off with Florida in Las Vegas, and later on facing UCLA, UConn, Auburn, Alabama and San Diego State. That's all before entering a Big 12 slate featuring Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, Iowa State and Baylor.
If anything, the Wildcats will be battle-tested from the jump. The season opener against the Gators is just days away, and Lloyd is going to roll the dice early on with his freshmen. Here's what the matchup with the defending champs looks like.
Florida Gators Preview
Florida is fresh off a national championship run and comes in at No. 3 in the first AP Poll rankings. The Gators lose Walter Clayton Jr. at the point, but have plenty of stars to contend against.
There are two big adds to the Gators to know. One is Boogie Fland, a guard who transferred in from Arkansas. Fland is one of the best players in the country. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals with the Razorbacks as a freshman.
Fland can really shoot it well from deep, which will garner more attention, but he is very good defensively on the ball and fighting through screens. He doesn't need to score 15 points a night to have a big impact on the game.
The other is Xaivian Lee. Lee will form the backcourt combination with Fland after transferring to Gainesville from Princeton. He is an elite passer, dishing 5.5 assists per game last season, and is creat at handling the ball and running the offense.
Coach Todd Golden found two guards to run the floor, which will be a challenge for Arizona's backcourt to defend. Jaden Bradley will always hold up his end defensively, but freshman Brayden Burries and veteran Anthony Dell'Orso are more unknown. They will be asked to defend the ball and be physical.
Down low, the Gators managed to sway Alex Condon out of the NBA Draft and back to college. The 6-foot-11 forward played through an ankle injury in March, which did impact his performance, but otherwise dominated the paint. He snagged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Gators last year.
Condon's size could cause problems for Arizona's Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas. As a defender, the size that Krivas brings makes him a potentially better matchup on defense.
Florida might try to roll Condon toward Koa Peat early in the game, however, to see if the young freshman can stand up defensively.
Both teams play with a lot of size and ferocious defense underneath. Florida's starting five is one of the best in the nation, even though the rest of the team lacks some proven depth.
I think Arizona should still feel good about their five against the Gators, and anything can happen in opening night games.
Arizona is set to open the season against Florida on Monday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season for the Wildcats? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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