Arizona’s thrilling 78-73 win over Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium highlighted all the strengths that could help the Wildcats in March.
Tommy Lloyd was hired by Arizona to win a national championship. Yes, he had to rebuild the program after the Wildcats parted with Sean Miller in the midst of FBI and NCAA investigations, but expectations in Tucson are always high.
Lloyd turned Arizona around quicker than anyone expected, putting forth two Pac-12 championship teams in his first two seasons. Those squads were considered national title contenders by the time the NCAA Tournament rolled around, but after overachieving during the regular season, both teams crashed out of the Big Dance early.
I know we’re only two games into the season, but this Arizona team looks like the one that can make a long run in March — and the Wildcats showed all the reasons why in their 78-73 road victory over Duke.
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Wildcats turn up the ‘D’
Those reasons start with the improvements Arizona has made on the defensive end. The Wildcats certainly haven’t had a poor defense at any point under Lloyd, but playing a two-big lineup in recent years left them vulnerable to smaller teams that were able to space the floor.
Arizona revamped its roster this offseason, bringing in three quality transfers: Jaden Bradley (Alabama), Keshad Johnson (San Diego State) and Caleb Love (North Carolina). Of that group, Johnson was the most notable defender thanks to his rare combination of strength, athleticism and length at 6-7. But all three players are strong, physical and quick. The old two-big lineups have been replaced with a smaller one-big formation with Johnson or Pelle Larsson at the 4. That allows the Wildcats to play with more pressure, and with their positional size and Johnson’s ability to defend anyone, they can overpower opponents with their length.
This setup perfectly complements the up-tempo offense Lloyd wants to run on the offensive end. And against an elite Duke team, the Wildcats executed at a high level.
The Wildcats forced the Blue Devils into 14 turnovers and, more importantly, took preseason All-American Tyrese Proctor out of the game. One of the season’s biggest breakout candidates was limited to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. Most of that was due to the pressure and physical defense that players like Love, Bradley and Kylan Boswell were able to put on him.
“We’re built for it,” Lloyd told reporters postgame when asked about his team’s defensive performance. “Look at our bodies. We’ve got some dawgs, and we played like it.”
Boswell starting to blossom
The most important ‘dawg’ might be Boswell. He has taken over the lead guard role in his sophomore season, replacing the talented— but erratic — Kerr Kriisa, now at West Virginia.
Kriisa’s shooting and playmaking were major factors in Arizona’s success over the last two seasons. At the same time, his poor decision-making and questionable shot selection are part of why the Wildcats flamed out in the NCAA Tournament.
Boswell was a highly-regarded recruit who graduated high school early to enroll in Tucson last season. The flashes he showed a year ago made him a breakout candidate nationally in 2023-24. The arrivals of Bradley and Love via the transfer portal left some questions about Boswell’s role — outside the program, anyway. Inside the program, there weren’t any questions about how important Boswell is to this team.
Don’t expect many questions about that moving forward, either.
The 6-2, 200-pounder had his coming out party in Durham. Boswell recorded 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists while committing just one turnover. However, the intangibles were even more impressive.
Boswell was always in control on the court and dictated the flow of the game when he had the ball. He was the first player to just about every loose ball and led every huddle. It is clear watching this team that he is their leader, and he played like it. He provided a steady presence that kept Arizona on track when Duke routinely threatened.
“Kylan’s a really good basketball player,” Lloyd said.
“People forget that he’s 18 years old. He’s legit,” the coach added. “Him coming last year allowed him to get some seasoning and handle this like a veteran. He played like a veteran out there.”
A balanced diet
Arizona has a veteran group, so having its youngest rotation piece playing with that kind of poise is key. It also helps with this team’s balance, which is a huge advantage it has on the offensive end.
All five starters scored in double figures against Duke, and the three-man bench of Bradley, KJ Lewis and Motiejus Krivas each scored multiple baskets. Four different players made a 3-pointer, and all eight players got to the foul line at least once.
Larsson serves as the floor spacer, with Boswell, Bradley and Love also being capable shooters. The latter trio all excel attacking the basket, too, along with the ultra-athletic Lewis and Johnson. Then there’s Oumar Ballo, who is a dominant force in the low post. Not only does everyone in this rotation contribute, but they do so in a way that complements everyone else on the roster.
All national champions have one thing in common: They’re good everywhere. They may have an identity, sure, but only well-rounded teams cut down the nets in April. UConn was certainly balanced last year, and its pieces fit together much like the pieces of this Arizona team. The 2022 Kansas Jayhawks weren’t the best Kansas team to win a national title, but they also didn’t have any true weaknesses. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Teams don’t have to be elite everywhere to win a title, but they do have to be good everywhere.
So far, Arizona looks good everywhere.
I fully acknowledge there is some projecting here. There are still five months to go between now and the NCAA Tournament, so there’s plenty of time for this team to falter. On the other hand, the Wildcats also have five months to get better. And between now and March, there’s a chance nobody picks up a better win than the one Arizona walked away with on Friday night.
‘As good … as anyone in the country’
Lloyd knows just how much season is left, too. That may be why he tried to downplay the win over Duke in the postgame press conference.
“Believe it or not, you don’t get a trophy for winning your second game,” he joked.
“My goal is to win all our games in March and April,” Lloyd continued. “That’s our goal. I don’t have a checklist to win all our games in November. But it is better than losing.”
One game does not make a season. Arizona isn’t going to make its first Final Four since 2001 — when it lost to Duke in the national title game, for the record — simply because it beat the Blue Devils during the first week of the season. But after seeing how the Wildcats managed to beat Duke, with the strength it showed and the potential it flashed, it feels like this could be the Arizona team that finally breaks through.
When looking ahead to those crucial March and April months, Lloyd expressed extreme confidence.
“I feel like we’ll be as good of a ball club as anyone in the country.”