If scared money don’t make money then perhaps scared of Final Four don’t make Final Four.
That’s likely at least part of the reason why Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats have scheduled one of the toughest nonconference slates in the country, and one of the most challenging in program history.
Tuesday’s report that San Diego State is set to take on the Wildcats in Phoenix in December came as a surprise, especially when you consider Arizona did not need to add one of the Mountain West’s premier programs in order to claim it feared no one.
Already set to face Florida, UCLA, UConn, Auburn and Alabama, an Arizona team that is likely to start the season ranked is certainly not backing down from a challenge. Which, of course, its Big 12 conference schedule will also provide.
Understanding we don’t know how good any of these teams (or Arizona) will actually be next season, it’s entirely possible what appears to be daunting may not be as tough as anticipated.
But chances are they’ll all be good, and if those way-too-early Top 25 rankings are to be believed then all but San Diego State will be ranked, while conference foes Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU and Baylor will join them.
So yeah, this is not a schedule for the weak or timid.
Fortunately Lloyd and Arizona are neither. This schedule shows the fifth-year coach is really coming into his own, not just as a recruiter (which he clearly is) or as a tactician (we’ve seen his work there), but as one of the kind who truly believes in what he’s doing and what he has to the point where he’s ready to have his team face all challengers.
Aside from improving his team’s metrics for playing in these games and status for winning them, undoubtedly the prevailing thought is the team will be better prepared for the games that most fans really care about. Playing the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Florida and the like doesn’t mean you’ll be ready to beat them—or similar opponents—in the NCAA tournament, but it stands to reason big games that offer big moments will better prepare the team for big games and big moments when the season is on the line.
That was our belief heading into last season when Arizona got to battle through the Big 12, and although it did not result in a Final Four the season did produce one of the toughest Wildcats teams in recent memory. And if nothing else, a challenging schedule with notable opponents means more intense games for fans to enjoy.
Hopefully we will do exactly that.
It would help if Arizona is as good as this schedule would seem to anticipate. Carter Bryant choosing to stay in the NBA Draft is the right decision for him, but one that will have a ripple effect on the roster Lloyd has been building. No doubt the coach was not caught off guard by his forward’s desire and ability to go to the NBA, though it’s not easy to find a similarly-talented player to just come in and take those minutes.
The loss of Bryant notwithstanding, Arizona’s roster figures to once again be one of the best in the country next season.
With Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, Mo Krivas and Anthony Dell’Orso returning along with transfer Evan Nelson, Arizona has a veteran core to go along with what Rivals lists as the top freshman recruiting class in the country. The 247 Sports people have the Cats’ freshman class ranked second while the folks at On3 rank it third. Whichever site you follow, the point is the group of Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, Dwayne Aristode, Sidi Gueye, Mabil Mawut and Bryce James has the look of the kind that can step in and help lead a team deep into the tournament.
That’s if everything goes right.
Lloyd and his staff are faced with the challenge of replacing Caleb Love, KJ Lewis, Henri Veesaar and Trey Townsend, all of whom contributed greatly to last season’s success.
Will Bradley take his game to another level? Can Krivas get back on the court and look like the player everyone thought he would be? Will the freshmen come in and be as ready as analysts think not only to contribute, but to play leading roles?
Will injury and other luck be on Arizona’s side?
These questions can be asked of most every top team, as none are immune from losses to the pros or the portal. All will have to integrate new players and players into new roles, and the best will figure everything out and rise to the top of the rankings.
But as we can see, Arizona has no fear of testing itself right from the jump.