What We Learned About Arizona After Loss to Kansas
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After the No 1 Arizona Wildcats made Big 12 history by getting off to the best start in the conference at 23-0, they marched into Allen Fieldhouse with the goal of getting to 24-0 despite the hostile environment. That did not come into fruition and they suffered the first loss of the season.
Marching into the always-packed arena located in Lawrence, KS, and stealing a win has always been a tall task. Arizona knew that and nearly pulled off a monumental win, going up by 11 points early in the second half. Kansas then went on a 38-23 run in the final 17 minutes to seal off the close victory.
Arizona's schedule will not get any easier following the loss, as they will face No. 16 Texas Tech this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (MST) in a nationally televised game on ESPN. With all eyes on the Wildcats, they will have the chance to bounce back in a huge way when the Red Raiders come to town. After that, Arizona will face BYU in a re.
Here are three key things we learned about Arizona following its first loss of the season. Although the loss is a blemish on the Wildcats' once spotless record, there is plenty to take away that could help the Wildcats on the road to the NCAA tournament.
Tommy Lloyd isn't panicking after the loss
Although a loss to a top 10 opponent in their house may seem like a time for fans to hit the panic button, Lloyd isn't phased by it. While it may weigh heavily on the hearts of passionate Wildcats fans, to Lloyd, they simply met an elite team on their home turf.
"If a guy's 38-0 on his home court on big Mondays it's probably pretty hard to win here, no matter what our record coming in is," Lloyd said. "So, we knew it's going to be a tough game and we're okay with it. I'm not mad we lost. I can't wait to get on that plane, get back home, and I feel like our season just started."
Arizona's defense was tested
The Wildcats went up against a handful of teams that were able to get the best out of their defense during the season, but none were able to show the holes that were apparent more than the Jayhawks, especially when it came to scoring points in the paint.
Of the 82 points that Kansas scored 40 of those came near the rim, taking advantage of a depleted front court when Tobe Awaka got into foul trouble. In the last 17 minutes of the second half, Kansas scored 38 points to Arizona's 23. The Wildcats also didn't have their cleanest game of the season, allowing the Jayhawks to shoot 25 free throws, making 21.
Arizona still has high-scoring players, even when others are struggling
Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat had an off night, scoring just six points apiece in a game where Arizona needed them to shine. Despite that, Brayden Burries had a team-high 25 points while Krivas had 14 to go with 15 rebounds and six blocks. As the season comes closer to ending and the Big 12 and NCAA tournament draw closer, Arizona will need more high-scoring performances from its rotation, especially as it prepares to play the best teams in college basketball.
Final thoughts
While a loss to Kansas may seem like a bad omen for fans, it won't hurt the Wildcats very much as the season gets closer to the end. Arizona is still an elite-level team with major star power and coaching stability. With Texas Tech visiting this Saturday, the Wildcats will need to respond in a big way to show that they are still the top team in the country and can put teams away.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.