A program known for its fluid offense and efficiency, the top-ranked Wildcats have added a dose of volume to defeat teams during their undefeated start to the season.
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“Sometimes you can wear people down with your speed, just moving the ball up and down the court and guys get tired, but they have a unique ability with their roster to wear teams down inside with their size,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said after the Sun Devils’ 89-82 loss to Arizona on Wednesday night. “The size and physicality of their front line is unlike anything we’ve seen this season.”
It’s not just about the first line.
The Wildcats (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) are big all around and it has helped them get off to the program’s best start since opening 21-0 in 2013-14, while remaining one of three Division I teams still undefeated.
Arizona has been No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and, with a win over UCF on Saturday, could be the unanimous pick in Monday’s poll following No. 2 Iowa State’s loss to Kansas.
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The Wildcats continue to be wildly efficient, ranking fourth in KenPom’s offensive ratings and averaging 91.1 points and 19.2 assists per game.
What sets Arizona apart from coach Tommy Lloyd’s previous four seasons is its weight. The Wildcats have 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas at center and are big at every position, a roster full of attackers, including freshmen.
“They’ve got freshmen who look young and play football,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said after Arizona defeated his team last month. “They’ve got grown men out there.”
Arizona’s push to be more physical began after the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Lloyd’s first season.
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The Wildcats were the No. 1 seed and reached the Sweet 16, but were kicked out of the bracket after being pushed by Houston. Lloyd wanted to add size and toughness after the loss, building later rosters with more physicality in mind.
A perfect storm of power raged on this year’s team.
With a lot of help from strength and conditioning coach Chris Rounds, the Wildcats have mass to go with their length, allowing them to impose their will on opposing teams.
Point guard Jaden Bradley has filled out since arriving at Alabama as a lanky freshman in 2022. In his third season in Arizona, the 6-3, 200-pound senior has the brains to make the right play at the right time, but also the strength to get into the offensive line and hit opposing ball-handlers without fouling on defense.
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Australian sharpshooter Anthony Dell’Orso bulked up during the offseason, allowing him to become a much better defender. Krivas is a load in the lane on both ends, 260 pounds of strength and agility.
And then there’s Tobe Awaka.
The 6-8, 255-pound senior is built like an NFL defensive end and moves players off the line like they’re attacking dummies. Awaka leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 24.3% and ranks 10th in defensive rebounding percentage at 28.1%.
With Awaka leading the way, Arizona ranks second nationally in rebounding margin with 14 more per game and has a 41% offensive rebounding percentage, good for fourth nationally.
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“This is the only team in the country where you really expect them to make their free throws,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said after watching Awaka take down the Aztecs in Arizona’s 68-45 win on Dec. 20. “How does that sound?”
Arizona’s freshmen also fit the mold, looking nothing like lanky, yet-to-be-completed teenagers.
Forward Koa Peat is a chiseled 6-8, 235-pounder who knows how to use his body to take down defenders and create space for his shot. He leads Arizona with 15.3 points per game and shoots 57% from the field.
Brayden Burries is a 6-4, broad-shouldered guard who has lived up to his five-star rating since an uneven start to the season.
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German guard Ivan Kharchenov didn’t arrive in Tucson with as many stars, but he has been indispensable to the way Lloyd wants to play. At 6-7 and 220 pounds, he’s like a pit bull in basketball shoes, often blocking the opposing team’s leading scorer while creating havoc on both ends of the floor with his physical play.
The combination of length and mass on the floor allows the Wildcats to play a swarming, physical defense, where nearly every possession becomes a grueling endeavor that takes its toll as the games progress.
“There are ways to be physical without fouling,” Lloyd said. “We always want to be as physical as possible. We talk about playing clean basketball and contesting shots within the rules, and that’s what we really focus on.”
It’s good to be the bully.
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