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In the leadup to Arizona’s season opener in Las Vegas, Tommy Lloyd dropped some hints about how much importance he was putting on that first game. While he never outright said it didn’t matter, he mentioned how losing wasn’t the end of the world.
And sure enough, the Wildcats suffered their first season-opening loss in 20 years, and that setback to rival UCLA didn’t prevent the sun from rising the next day.
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“I feel like this could be a great catalyst for us,” Lloyd said after the 84-75 loss, the UA’s first to open a season since falling at Virginia in 2006. “I wanted to win, of course, but I’m ready to move forward and just get better.”
The first chance to learn from the mistakes made in that opener comes Thursday night when No. 5 Arizona hosts Cal Poly in ALKEME Arena at McKale Center. It’s one of two buy games at home before the competition ramps up again with games against Auburn, UConn and at the Maui Invitational.
For the record, the UA hasn’t started 0-2 since 1982-83, the ill-fated Ben Lindsey season that led to the school hiring Lute Olson and becoming a national power. The Wildcats are projected to win by 25, according to KenPom.com.
Here’s what to watch for when Arizona and Cal Poly face off:
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A lineup change?
If RJ Godfrey were eligible, Bryce James would not have started all three exhibition games and certainly would not have made his first career start on Monday. James’ inclusion in the starting lineup has clearly been by default, but his role as a placeholder could be in jeopardy.
As was the case in the preseason games, after coming out for the first time James didn’t see the court much again. He logged just six minutes total, including the final 32 seconds of the first half and the opening 2:29 after halftime, and overall went scoreless with an assist while missing all three shots.
Lloyd has indicated that starting James helps set up rotations, which is another way of saying he doesn’t have the scoring punch to be a key weapon off the bench….
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Publish date : 2026-11-05 00:00:00
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