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Tommy Lloyd and the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats begin the season with a tough, top-25 matchup against No. 22 UCLA in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
The Wildcats polished off a 3-0 record in exhibition games, hosting San Diego State, San Francisco, and Eastern Washington, and head into the season with sky-high expectations after last year’s run to the Final Four.
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Arizona will take on UCLA without Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey, who is expected to start at power forward for the Wildcats if he finds a way to get eligible after he was recently denied a TRO request in Waco, TX.
Below is a look at three things Arizona must do against Mick Cronin and the Bruins to ensure a 1-0 start to the 2026-27 season:
1. Force UCLA to play at Arizona’s pace
Arizona Wildcats guard Derek Dixon (7). | Photo courtesy of Arizona Wildcats Athletics
UCLA has always played slow under Cronin, finishing outside the top 300 in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric each of the past three seasons.
Meanwhile, Arizona has ranked top 50 every season under Lloyd, including top 20 in his first three years in Tucson. The completely different tempos have always been a key factor when these two teams square off, and that is undeniably going to be the case again on Monday.
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Arizona has two new point guards in Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit, while UCLA is splitting PG duties with returner Trent Perry and Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty.
Two competing styles, three combined new point guards, and multiple high-level wing athletes will make this an insanely fun matchup – and if Arizona can run the floor and force UCLA to play faster, it should help them leave Sin City with a W.
2. Put pressure on UCLA’s backcourt
Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (right) against Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love at Footprint Center. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Arizona was all over the passing lanes during the exhibition season, getting what seemed like hundreds of deflections and…
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Publish date : 2026-11-01 01:47:00
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